This week the kids and I are on mid-winter break, which means miles and miles of ... well, more miles and miles. Since our nearest relatives are more than 600 miles away, anytime the kids have at least two consecutive days off school we load up the van and head for the coast, under the dependable guidance of Gertrude Penelope Saxton (GPS).

Ahem.

While the price of gas is down from last year, other aspects of travel are just as costly, and since we don't want to take out a second mortgage just to go see Grandma, we tend to eat in our hotel room a lot. (We tend to choose Comfort Inns, as most rooms come with a microwave and refrigerator as well as an indoor pool ... and breakfast is free!)

In addition to luggage and keep-the-kids-occupied items, we always include a "hotel cooking kit" with items we'll need to make meals while we're away from home. The kit, contained in a wicker picnic basket, includes ...

* Non-breakable cups, plates, and flatware (one for each person) * Microwave-proof bowls * Can opener (with bottle opener), * Paring knives and vegetable peeler (stored inside paper towel roll, held inside with plastic bags) * Spice bag (salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion flakes, cinnamon, ketchup and mustard packets, parmesan cheese, powdered milk for cooking, tea bags) * Peanut butter, jelly, and margerine packets * Small cutting board, collapsible prep bowls and collapsible collander (this one doubles as a trivet)

If I'm going to be gone a week or more, I bring along my crock pot as well.

If you're looking for a few kid-friendly recipes, why don't you head on over to the Extraordinary Moms Network for my meatless chili recipe ... just in time for Lent!

Do you have a favorite "happy trail" recipe you'd like to share? Just send me a link in the comments section, either here or at EMN. Thanks!

Heidi Hess Saxton is an AnnArbor.com contributor to the Parenting channel, and the founder of the Extraordinary Moms Network. You may contact her by e-mail here.