What to bring food in?

[Andrea J.]

yup you can freeze cold cuts.
sliced cheese does not freeze well.

i always freeze milk, but not half and half.

here are the following things that i have in the chest freezer, rock solid, and that stuff will go into soft sided collapsable coolers . 1 in each checked piece of luggage.
will pack the morning b4 we leave for the airport.

stored in large rectangular lock n lock containers: each container will serve 4
-chicken/rice/broccoli casserole.
-garlic shrimp in marinara sauce.
-sweet n sour meatballs/w/ red skinned mashed potatoes
-6 roasted ears of corn
-2 pkgs of 1 1/2 lbs roast turkey breast
-1 half gallon skim milk
-1 lb butter (sticks)
-3 pkgs of arnold sandwich rounds
-3 pkgs bagels

and
refrigerated stuff to be mixed in with the frozen
mayo
mustard
1 1/2 lb sliced swiss
1 lb cabot seriously sharp cheddar
2 qts of fat free 1/2 and 1/2
cream cheese

non cold
splenda
town house crackers
oatmeal
tea bags
coffee and filters
kahlua (plastic bottle)
baileys (plastic bottle)
vodka (plastic)
crystal light
apples
4 cans tuna

the frozen stuff will arrive still frozen in aruba, unless there is a detour

the cold stuff will be COLD

yes, i will have to go to lings for some groceries along the line for
bloody mary mix, club soda and regular soda pop. it will be a quick inexpensive trip to lings.

altogether we have about 45 lbs of stuff
divided up between the 2 suitcases will be fine and will stay cold and or frozen.

and i use plenty of cushioning of bubblewrap.

and we plan on eating out at least 6 of the 14 nights.

[gretch]

Wow!!! I am so impressed with your list, Andrea. I never thought to prepare and take pre-made meals...probably because I'm an awful cook.

Good to know about freezing cold cuts...would never have thought. Same about the milk. I'll give it a try this time. I love this forum!!!! And it's so much fun to plan!

Thank you!

[jojo4103]

I have looked on the Aruba customs website and from what i can tell you can not bring much in the way of groceries esp meat. I would love to be to bring meat with me, is it ok?

[Andrea J.]

Aruba customs



Free import

• 200 cigarettes or
• 50 cigars;
• 1 litre of distilled beverages or
• 2.25 litres of wine or
• 3 litres beer;
• Gift articles up to a value of AWG 100
• Unlimited amount of perfume

Prohibited

• Illegal drugs
• Guns, explosives and ammunition
• Knives and deadly weapons
• Furs
• Precious stones
• Perishable foodstuffs requiring refrigeration
• Plant and plant products
• Foreign soil
• Pets and animals without prior permission
• Dogs, cats, monkeys and parrots from South America
• Meat and meat products
• Counterfeit money and goods
• Pornographic material

Restricted

• All animals being imported into the country will require a Veterinarian Health Certificate from the country of origin issued less than two weeks prior to your arrival. Dogs and cats will require an additional Rabies Inoculation Certificate proving the animal’s protection against the disease. Dogs and cats less than four months old are exempt from requiring any rabies vaccinations providing prove of the animals age is included on the original certificate.
• Leather imports of Haiti origin are unlikely to be accepted into the country.
• Log and limber products from Liberia including posts, poles, tables, crates and tables are all prohibited from entering the country.

[Eagle Beach Boy]

Originally Posted by jojo4103

I have looked on the Aruba customs website and from what i can tell you can not bring much in the way of groceries esp meat. I would love to be to bring meat with me, is it ok?

As mentioned.... you can bing in meat.

I see this is your 4th post. The Grocery stores(Ling & Sons for one) in Aruba do carry American pakaged meat as well as fresh.
Years ago, 1990, we used to bring in food. Now we only bring some coffee for the first morning as well something easy to cook the first night. If you have facilities.
With the weight restrictions on the airlines we find it a waste of weight and space in our suitcase.

[lindalde]

I bring a rolling soft sided insulated cooler bag. I have a hard time finding good meat on the island so I pretty much pack steaks, beef and pork roasts, chicken and other frozen foods. I don't bother with the milk or butter etc because you can buy it right on the island and aren't saving that much money. I have a home in Tierra del Sol and pretty much am here every six weeks or so. We are in the process of getting residency so we can be here a lot more. I keep both freezers full with my trips back and forth. I also bring back hamburg and ground pork for meatballs etc. I bring my roll on onto the plane and never have a problem even though we usually have quite a haul with us. Hope this helps.