Right now, I am sitting in a car with my fam (a car packed with food, might I add) driving down to Orlando, FL. We are driving straight through and we hope to make it in about 13-14 hours (!!!). I’ll probably be contributing several hours behind the steering wheel! Other than that I’ll be antsy-ing around and working out my fingers while playing on my new phone! AND reading Omnivore’s Dilemma, tummy permitting.
Although it won’t be super warm down in FL this week, it’ll still be in the 50s, which is 20-30 degrees warmer than home. This was an impromptu vacay so we won’t be going all out with the spending. We most likely won’t even go to Disney World 
Did you know tickets are $79 per person for one day!? Considering I’ve been to Disney World 4 times (once with my high school band), I’m not sure seeing Mickey will be in the cards this week.
We’ve packed our tennis rackets though and we hope to see Avatar in 3D and/or IMAX!
***
Here are some nibblings from yesterday. Warning, this was NOT all that I ate:
A bubbly Kefir Green Monster made with 1/2 banana, 1 cup frozen spinach, 3/4 cup kefir, splash of OJ. Obvi, it was amazing.
A barlett pear. Don’t they look like little penguins lining up to jump into the ocean? 
Whole wheat bread + almond butter + banana slices…a classic!
Brussels sprouts with 1/3 avocado. It’s been awhile since I’ve had these wonderful baby lettuce heads.
***
SNAX FOR THE ROAD!!
Homemade Crab Cakes
We enjoyed them so much on New Year’s Eve, that we decided to make a batch for the road. This time we used whole wheat bread instead of oats in hopes of making them a little softer than last time….and it worked! My Momma and I both preferred the taste and texture of the version using bread. Sorry oats!! Here’s a mini-tutorial.
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 1-2 tsp werstershire
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- 2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 TBSP yellow mustard (or spicy brown mustard)
- salt+pepper
- 1/4 cup milk (we didn’t have milk so I used diluted half and half)
- 1/2 small onion, diced
- 3 small (2 large) slices of whole wheat bread (or 2/3 cup of ground oats)
- 1 lb. crab meat
- ground flax seed (optional)
Directions:
1. Combine eggs, milk, sauces and seasonings
2. Add in 1/2 an onion, diced. Eat me, Kath!
2. Add in 3 small (2 large) slices of whole wheat bread, crusts removed and cut up. OR 2/3 cup of ground oats.
3. Add in 1 lb. of crab meat
4. Mix together. Add in ground flax seeds if desired.
5. Use your hands to form the mixture into round patties.
6. Pan fry. Be sure to cook the first side thoroughly before flipping (carefully!!).
7. Enjoy!!
These crab cakes are simple to make and they taste just like they do in an up-scale seafood restaurant. If you’re a crab cake fan, you should definitely give this a try!
***
MORE CAR SNAX
Kabocha squash to keep me full and happy.
Pecan + Date + Coconut balls. I made these at midnight!! Gotta keep the sweet tooth happy on the road too
Ingredients
- ~12 smushed dates
- 2/3 cup pecans
- sprinkle of cinnamon
- shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup almond flour (or ground almonds)
Directions
- Pulverize pecans in a food processor (or Magic Bullet) until a paste-like texture forms.
- Add in almond flour (or ground almonds) and cinnamon. Mix together.
- Combine with smushed dates in a Ziploc bag or a sheet of plastic wrap.
- Knead mixture.
- Roll into balls and dust with shredded coconut.
*These are similar to Larabars! Use a higher date to pecan ratio if a Larabar taste/texture is desired.
***
Also packed: apples, pears, bananas, baby carrots, tortilla chips, and other sNaX.
***
We may get bored, but we definitely won’t be hungry! See you in FLORIDA!!!
*I won’t be able to engage in much blog reading/commenting today since I’ll be on the road, I apologize in advance!
{ 47 comments… read them below or add one }
Whoa, missy, remind me to contact you when I need car snack ideas because those look delicious! Have soo much fun in Florida! I’ve only been once (both to Florida and Disney World) so I am a tad jel of your time with Mr. Mickey Mouse.
You’ll have to tell us how Avatar is!
I wish I could read in the car! I get car sick pretty easy
Your snack are incredible! Love the pecan date balls
Have fun playing with your phone! I can’t stop playing w/ mine
Ooh fun! Have a safe trip and enjoy those snacks!
Woah I’m driving to Orlando today too!! It’s only 3 1/2 hours from where I am in Miami, but we have to hit up the Ikea in Orlando because it’s the only place they have the furniture we need for our new condo!
I love your travel snacks… I wish my family was more creative but we always end up bringing the chips and pretzels!
I wish I was in Orlando longer so we could meet up! Have fun though, I can’t wait to hear all about your trip!
How fun! I love spur of the moment trips like that!
I’ve never been to Disney World, and I’m kind of bitter about it. I give my parents crap about it all the time
Have fun in FLO, the pecan/date/coconut balls look tastyy!
Damn those are some fancy car snacks! Have fun!
Have a safe drive to Florida! Hope you a great time in Orlando!
We have that same drive to do this Tuesday, so having snacks for the car is a must ; )
Kefir smoothie looks amazing, we finally made our own and hope to make a smoothie with it. Thanks for the inspiration!
Oh so many good recipes to try in this post! Love the crab cakes, but I think I need to get right on these date balls. I’ve been wanting to make them for ages now!
Have a wonderful safe drive my dear!
I LOVE that you packed Kabocha for the road.. sooo fabulous. Enjoy your trip, hun!!
At least you can read blogs all the way down!! Good luck with the road trip…we took MANY long bus trips with the band in college, and I do not miss the 10+ hour drives!
Happy vacation!
Hope you guys have a safe day of driving!
And thanks for that crab cake tutorial! Those sound great, as do all of your car snacks. I’m big on car snacks, I even pack my lunch for road trips, brown bag all the way!!
I wish I could read in the car – I get so car sick!
Have a safe trip – I will email you my phone number – maybe we could meet at a hotel or something for coffee?!?
All of your car snacks look awesome! I love the idea of bringing kabocha squash in a baggie like that. By the way, I saw Avatar in 3d and it was amazing! Have a fun trip.
Have fun and don’t worry about the blog while you are away; it’s vacation!
wow allie, can I come in your car for the road trip?! when I go on a road trip I pack some granola bars, fruit and string cheese oh and maybe some nuts! nothing like your deliciousness of crab cakes and squash for the road!
have SO MUCH FUN!!!
xoxo
Oh my goodness, those crab cakes sound awesome, Allie! The road trip sounds like fun, even though you don’t get to see Mickey. You packed up a ton of great snacks! Hope you have fun down there!
Mmm… those slices of kabocha look so yummy! And the pecan date coconut balls look amazing! i want to make these too!
Great car snacks! I usually don’t coordinate my time properly to pack smart travel snacks. Your so creative!
Those are some fancy shmancy car snacks. Safe travels!
yumm! those are all perfect snacks for a long drive!
Wow great snacks, so much more interesting than the usual apple or packet of crisps.
Have a wicked trip! You have to go to Epcot~ and Disney World! I think it’s actually in Ft Lauderdale, but there is THE BEST restaurant EVER on the water. It’s called Aruba Cafe (I think). Have a SAFE and FUN time!
Barbara
Happy travels! That’s quite a long car ride!!
Good for you pre-making snacks for the road. My husband and I started doing this (packing lunches even) several years ago. You just never know if you’ll be able to find healthy (especially vegetarian) far while on the road. The pecan, date, coconut balls sound yummy. Similar to the Cherry-Almond Bran Jingle Balls I made and posted about. I don’t even normally like coconut.
Allie, have a safe trip. Great eats. Ha! I eat brussel sprouts everyday…bananas on toast too , yum! All it looks great… Used to make fish cakes before (should do that again actually)…same idea but use potatoes vs. oats or bread to mash with the fish.
Have a nice day. I am so jealous…but at least i admit it
Those road snacks would make any journey a pleasure! Have a fun time x x
What high class road snacks!! Love ‘em! I def. want to make those crab cakes. My friend and I made these tuna cakes then split them up for our dinners with hubbies; they were so good I’ve made them a couple times since then. Have so much fun and I hope it’s all safe and quick travels for you guys!
Yay Florida!
Too bad about the Disney tickets, but I’m sure you’ll find other stuff to keep you occupied! And at least the weather will be a nice break, even if it isn’t “balmy” — warmer is a nice compromise!
Love the road snacks!! I always bring a re-usable bag (or two!) of treats + a small cooler. It’s so much healthier and cheaper!
And those brussel sprouts look yummy! I haven’t had them since Thanksgiving and just remembered I had wanted to make them for Christmas! Now I’m craving them!
Oh gosh, poor you with such a long road trip! At least if you’re in good company (by that I mean kabocha squash is by your side – life doesn’t get much better than that!) it isn’t as bad
), do check it out and say hi if you get bored on your road trip 
And wowww – those pecan date things look DELICIOUS. I need to make them!!
I’ve just discovered your blog by the way, and I’m really enjoying catching up on posts – I’m a student too, so it’s great to see how other students manage their food on a budget, without living off cheap junk! It’s blogs like yours which have inspired me to start up my own (it’s one day old today – Happy Birthday blog
foodfitnessandfreya.wordpress.com
Have a great day!! xx
have a fabulous trip!! id take 50 degree weather right now
& you should definitely see avatar 3d….it is amazing!
have a great trip!! Road trips defined my family’s summer vacations when I was a kid. Im super antsy so staying entertained and calm was def a challenge, but with you book, phone, and eats I bet you’ll make it through just fine! I’m heading down there in February myself!! YAY! <3 <3 <3
Have a great trip there!!! Love how you packed snack to keep you full and happy!!!
and thanks for sharing your crab cake recipe with us, I can’t wait to go back to US and make some!
I must have been gone for a while! I love the new look!
Reading Omnivore’s Dilemma already?? Getting ahead for class, I see:)
hey sugar!! have a BLAST in FL! im so jelous! hope its nice and warm for you!
avatar freaking rocks
and GREAT car snacks!
Allie, I LOVE your pear analogy! They do indeed look like penguins lining up to jump in the ocean!
lol
Nice! Orlando should be fun even without Disneyworld. I’m going to be driving through their myself in a few days on the way back to school in Miami! And I keep hearing that Avatar is worth seeing in IMAX AND 3D… definitely on my to do list!
Thank youuuuu for posting that recipe! Love, love, love crab cakes!
Have a super fun trip!
Ah those crab cakes look delicous! I am going to make those asap! I am actually giving your goat cheese stuffed mushrooms a whirl tonight for din din! I’ll have to give you an update to let you know if they looked as appetizing as yours!
I’m just back at home and you’re just leaving;)
I love Florida, hope you’ll have a great time, enjoy!
And…a wonderful 2010 for you!
xxx Julia (Taste of Living)
i hope you have a fab trip with the fam! your road snacks are much more gourmet than mine usually are (granola bars, anyone?).
Happy New Year! Have a safe trip! Have fun!
OMG! The penguin reference was too cute. Have fun in the sunshine state.
What a fun spontaneous trip!! Have so much fun in Orlando!!! I can’t wait to read about it
Is it weird that we’ve never met and I almost invited you to a candlelight yoga class I discovered this week?
Just checking.
Hope you’re having fun down (further) south!
the brussel sprouts look yummmy. how do you make them? i just bought some fresh ones today and im not sure how i wanna cook em
Gina
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