Carrie & Glyn live full-time in their motorhome with their dog Buttons, they have had their van for 4 years. Currently they travel the UK in the van when not working. Next year they are planning on working on a campsite for part of the year and travelling the remaining months so make sure you follow them on Instagram @freespirit_c_g to follow their adventures.
Carrie has a real passion for ‘van baking’ Her baking achievements have been well documented in our Van Bake Off and she has won star baker several times. Make sure to check back to see if she gets crowned overall winner! Read more to find out more about their life in their van.
The favourite place you have visited in your van?
Isle of Mull
3 Vanlife Kitchen pantry essentials…
Pasta, baking ingredients & herbs and spices.
Describe the kitchen set-up in your van.
In my kitchen I have a full size cooker and a small 3 way fridge, no freezer. A well stocked cupboard of dry and baking ingredients, tinned foods and under floor cool storage for vegetables, gin and beers. We have a 70 litre fresh water tank so have hot and cold running water which is much more convenient.
What is your favourite meal to make in your van?
Our favourite meal to cook (and eat!) in the van is a sunday lunch with homemade Yorkshire puddings, mashed potatoes and veg. I don’t cook a joint of meat though I buy a few slices of meat from the butcher.
Do you have a vanlife go-to meal?
We have 2 go to meals…. the first a stew with loads of root vegetables and dumplings or homemade bread, which I normally cook the day before we plan a full day out. The second is smoked salmon and pasta in a creme fraiche sauce which from start to finish takes around 12 minutes.
What couldn’t you live without in your van?
I couldn’t be without my oven even though there are many ways to cook, because of the amount and variety of baking I do.
Have you had any cooking disasters in the van?
So far I have never had a baking or cooking disaster, although when we first moved into the van I thought it would be a good idea to buy a full chicken to roast. I chose the hottest day and I wasn’t really familiar with the temperature control. It wasn’t as good as the gas cooker I had in our house so it took quite a lot longer to cook. All ended up good and we enjoyed the meal but it’s a long standing joke about roasting a chicken now.
Any funny vanlife stories?
When we first built the van we put a slideout on the back. Our bed was in this area, when travelling it stored upright against the back wall of the slideout.
Even though we had seals fitted whenever it rained water found its way in. One night at around 2am during a very heavy downpour we woke to find the rain had found a new way in and it felt like we were laid in a burst water bed! Whatever we did to try and stop the water coming in we failed so removed the slide out, fitted a solid, watertight back on, added a garage and a fixed bed. We can now confidently say we always have a very comfortable nights sleep however heavy the rain comes down!
Instagram: @freespirit_c_g
Make sure to check out their delicious recipes HERE including the star baker recipes!
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