Easy and Simple Barbecue Ribs

I had to try at least a few more of these easy meals before getting in the motorhome next week.  There have been many newsletters that have been arriving in my email inbox as well as all the searches that I've done online. It seems that they all have so many ingredients required, or just stovetop preparation before going into the crockpot.

I decided to just make my own recipes and see if they worked.  Detailed, time-consuming recipes just don't work for me.  And now that I'm planning on being in a small space with few appliances, fewer spices and ingredients, and no extra space, those recipes won't work for me.

I decided that some barbecued ribs sounded like a great meal.  In determining the easiest way to cook these I realized that store-bought barbecue sauce was on the store shelves for a purpose!  Use it!  So, I took a small package of beef ribs, placed them in the crockpot, and slathered them with barbecue sauce. That's all.

I turned the heat up to "high" for about an hour and then lowered it to "low" for another 3 hours.  By the time I was ready to eat the ribs were almost falling off the bone.  They were juicy and delicious.  This recipe will work so easily during our travels.

One of the primary reasons that I am trying these new recipes is that with "retirement" comes another term that is common to many people: "limited budget".  We have been fortunate for the the past 30 years that our monthly salaries easily covered our expenses and we were able to eat our frequently.  Now, we have a much smaller set income that will certainly limit the number of our "eating out" times.

So, for now we'll just sit back and enjoy our ribs and think of more "easy to prepare" meals.  I would love to hear of other ideas people have.

Living in Small Spaces

Having a home with only 120 sq feet gets a little cozy at times.  We have a 24' long motorhome that is only 6' wide (on the outside).  So, with loss of space for a motor at the front, you are left with this confined space.

It is amazing how much you can fit in this small space.......

I'll post a new picture of the inside of the van when I get it cleaned up a little.

On the other hand, you do decide what is essential when you try to pack or shop.....

Over the next 2 weeks we will be packing this small space to the maximum limits without overflowing. Of course we did have to get rid of a few things beforehand.  So far we have 2 bags of clothes that we will be donating. When we travel, we try to have a maximum of 7 days worth of clothes with a trip to the laundromat at the end of that time.  We've also learned to use the laundry sheets that have detergent and fabric softener in them.  It avoids spills and messes when someone doesn't put a lid on tight enough and certainly weighs much less than liquids. And when the box gets mashed underneath things, it still works.

Our packing for this trip, of course, is still a little different than others since we are packing a few extra things that will have to be moved to our new residence.  Unfortunately, our printer is taking a lot of our floor space and I'm not sure it will make the final cut. As it is, I've had to get rid of some of my shoes! How is it that guys can live with just 2 pairs of shoes and I have to have a minimum of 5 pairs?  Something just isn't right.

I'll post more after our next packing session.  I guess that the smaller the space, the more time it takes to pack.

Our Planned Itinerary

We are getting the motorhome packed with all the essentials. Carlos has mapped our route and it now comes to a grand total of 8,009 miles!  That's amazing!

We plan on leaving Kodiak and spending a couple of weeks between Denali National Park and Fairbanks, Alaska. That will also allow us to take a short detour and arrive on June 21st (the summer solstice) at the Arctic Circle.

There are so many things that we plan to see and do in our "home" state before we finally leave it,  we will be sure to post photos of our adventures as we travel.

Here is our planned route:

Our final stopping point in August will be a cabin in Colorado.  Even though we will become Texans again with retirement, there is no way we want to suffer through the high summer temperatures down there.  We'll have to re-aclimate a little slower.

We would love to hear of suggestions of places to visit before we end this phenomenal trip.