It felt like a hangover to wake up today. I rolled over and closed my eyes, groaning. It was barely 8 am and to do lists were already swirling in my head. This wasn’t an alcohol-induced situation, it was the effect of knowing today was the last day of vacation.

So I took a deep breath and hopped out of bed. The optimistic side of me kicked in (probably because I could already smell coffee!) and I wasn’t going to have a pity party for myself when there was a full day ahead. BAM. Back at it. Maybe it’s just that I stayed up a little too late reading Stir, by Jessica Fechtor, sitting on the top balcony porch last night.

Since it’s the last day, I did not have a plan to crock pot anything, but instead it was a feast of leftovers. I had planned well on quantities for meals and snack foods, but there was still enough to cover today’s meals. Let’s take a moment to reflect on the deliciousness of this week (CLICK ON EACH LINK FOR FULL POSTS):

Day One: Menu and Shopping List

Day Two: Crock Pot Steamed Summer Vegetables

Day Three: Crock Pot Low Country Boil

Day Four: Crock Pot Peach Crumble and Crock Pot Grits

Day Five: Crock Pot White Ratatouille

Day Six: Crock Pot Seafood Paella

If this week of meals hasn’t inspired you to travel with your crock pot, or at least buy a crock pot, then I’m disappointed. Maybe you don’t want to cook every night when you are on vacation, but there is a reason you stay at a beach house and not a hotel– because you want the comforts of home, just in a different location. Next time you go on vacation, try cooking a few dinners all together, then sample the local fare at the restaurants the other days. If you want a maid and room service, you won’t find it here. But the blessings and freedom of beach house vacations promises adventure and whim instead of turned down sheets and sample-sized soaps. It’s a worthy trade off!

This has been an amazing journey with you, fans. While I certainly got more of tan than you did, and probably a little more rest and relaxation, I hope you have enjoyed the adventure. The beach house we stayed at in the Outer Banks, known as Ooh La La, is available for rental– with spaces still available this year and already booking for next! I cannot stress enough the ease of staying at this location. We’ve vacationed at other places on the coast and this is by far my favorite so far. I would like to publicly say thank you to the owners for letting Dinner Is a Crock share Ooh La La with the world!

(SHAMELESS PLUG: IF YOU HAVE A RENTAL PROPERTY AND WOULD LIKE ME TO STAY THERE FOR A VACATION SERIES, I AM OPEN TO OPPORTUNITY! PLEASE EMAIL ME AT DINNERISACROCK@GMAIL.COM!)

 

We are going on vacation! I am so excited to take you (and my crock pots) to the beach to enjoy some sunshine, crashing waves, relaxation and of course, delicious food. We have rented this amazing beach house located in Avon, North Carolina. Avon is part of the Outer Banks, known for it’s quiet beaches, beautiful dunes, local seafood, and tons of adventures.   

And away we go!! I’ve got my laptop and crockpots and a couple bathing suits.

What else could I need?! 

Welcome to Ooh La La, our home for the next week. The house has recently been renovated and between the spacious bedrooms, totally updated kitchen, swimming pool and decks off every level, I’m pretty sure this is heaven. Or on the top deck, it certainly feels close! YOU can also vacation here, Ooh La La is listed on VRBO.COM and since it’s just renovated, you can still get here this summer or fall! Honestly, you’re best off booking this summer if you want to come next summer.  I’m already starting to think about when we can come back… and we’ve only been here a few hours! It’s that awesome! We’ve got three adults and three kids here this week, but the house could easily handle 8-10 people. We are three houses from public beach access, a mile from the Avon Pier, and any store you need is off the main road in the next couple miles.

If you’ve learned anything from me yet, you have realized I’m a planner. Slightly crazy. Not quite neurotic. But a great plan makes for a easy adventure. So first things first, I planned our meals. I want to have as much fun at the beach as possible, so I didn’t want to worry about what to cook and I also didn’t want to eat all of our meals out (that gets expensive!!). Once I planned our meals, I made lists– what to bring from home, what to get at the grocery store upon arrival, and then what kind of local/regional fare I wanted to get from seafood markets and farmers markets. I know it seems like a lot of work, but when I get there, the only thing I want to run out to get more of is sunscreen and beer!

Here is my MEAL PLAN and GROCERY LISTS. (Click on the CAPPED words to open documents.) Think about adapting this for yourself when you go on a trip– what would make for easy breakfasts and lunches… where will you eat lunches? Will you eat them all together or on separate timelines? Can everyone get back together for dinner each night or how many of the nights? Does anyone have a good allergy to be aware of?! You can simplify your crazy by answering these easy questions and then bringing all your basics. Also– think about those basic items like condiments, cooking oils, seasonings, etc. You certainly don’t want to buy brand new ones of everything when you get to your destination unless you really need to do that. Just like you know you need towels and sheets, pack what you can to make settling into your destination as easy a transition as possible.

And that little bit of prep work will make for an easy week. I can’t wait to share it all with you– check out Dinner Is A Crock on Facebook and Instagram for more pictures and stories! We just arrived and I’m already chilled… just like my drink. Cheers!

(What am I drinking?! It’s a combination of Fire Eater and Rumchata! Two liquors that when combine on ice make a tasty beverage that resembles Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. Go ahead and try it, you’ll thank me later!)