This Summer, you’ve decided on a self-catering holiday as it’s the perfect choice for your family – relaxed, easy-going, and ideally, a home away from home. (Well, that’s what you’ll get if you book Ramsgate Cottage!). Plus, self-catering is convenient and budget-friendly which can be useful when it comes to a large family.
When it comes to self-catering, food is an important consideration. Besides ensuring that your accommodation has fully equipped kitchen facilities, it’s a good idea to have a meal plan upfront. That way, you can shop for all your ingredients before you go and avoid the stress of having to do groceries on your holiday (unless you really feel like doing so). Our advice? Include a few going-out meals to give yourself a break from the kitchen and make sure that, when you are cooking, it’s easy and communal so that your time in the kitchen is fun rather than stressful.
Self-catering accommodation that has it all? You’ve just found it.
Five self-catering meal ideas to get you started
1. Cook or buy ahead of time
Give yourself a break when you’re on holiday by taking along some ready-made meals – either cook some family favourites beforehand and freeze in easy-to-transport containers or buy some ready-made meals that you can quickly serve up on those days when you really don’t feel like making food for the family from scratch.
2. Breakfast buffet
Make breakfast a breeze with a ‘serve yourself, please’ buffet meal. Offer up fresh fruit, yoghurt and honey for the health-conscious as well as easy-to-make cereals and bread for toast. Bacon and eggs can be yummy too but go for easy options like bacon and egg ‘muffins’ in the oven or a big bowl of scrambled eggs with bacon bits for all to share.
3. Braai time
Not that South Africans ever need an excuse but a summer holiday is the perfect reason to braai. Find out if your accommodation has braai facilities and throw your favourite meat on the fire for a late lunch or early supper. Get family members to make the sides, enjoy the fire, sit back, and relax as you enjoy the ultimate SA family meal.
4. Build a burger (or a pizza) night
Make meal times fun for the whole family by getting everyone involved. Gather together the ingredients for different types of burgers or pizzas. Prepare the buns or bases and let each family member pick their own toppings and put together their own meal. That way, you eat together but everyone gets to eat the version they like best. And you don’t have to do all the ‘cooking’ yourself. Wins all round!
5. Plan to use leftovers
Steak from the night before? Leftover salad? Sandwiches and wraps or cold versions of last night’s meal can make for easy lunch time options. Quick to assemble and easy to transport, picnic-style meals made from leftovers will save you time, money, and stress. And they mean you can have lunch out and about, on the beach, or by the pool while still enjoying a relaxing day.
When it comes to holiday accommodation, are you looking for a beach cottage with self-catering facilities, including a fully equipped kitchen and braai facilities? At Ramsgate Cottage, we offer all that and more. A haven for family fun, as well as a beautiful escape from the stresses of daily life, Ramsgate Cottage has been designed as your home away from home (we even have a maid service to make things easier!).