The Official "Feed the Freezer" List

So baby #2 will be here in January and I know that I will have my hands full with a new baby and a rambunctous two year old so I'm feeling the need to have a freezer full of fast go-to meals for our first few weeks at home. I will be trying to gradually cook the items on my list since I'm already exhausted after cooking normally nowdays. And of course if I find more items they'll be added to the list, some ideas of which I still need to find recipes too.

Breakfasts:
Gingerbread Waffles
Ham & Cheese Muffins
Breakfast Tacos/Burritos
French Toast Casserole
Ham & Cheese Quiche
Savory Breakfast Casserole
Pancakes (a couple of different varieties)
French Toast Sticks
Whole Wheat, Oatmeal, and Raisin Muffins
Applesauce, Bran, and Oatmeal Muffins

Lunches:
Chicken Taquitos
Sloppy Joes
Beef & Bean Chimichangas

Dinners:
Chicken Enchiladas
Manicotti & Sauce
Chicken Pot Pies
Shepherd's Pie
King Ranch Chicken
Meatloaf
Chicken Spaghetti
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Sausage & Spinach Soup
Chili Cornbread Casserole
Lasagna
LaBamba Casserole
Chicken Broccoli Casserole
Chicken Florentine Bake
Turkey & Artichoke Stuffed Shells & Sauce
Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage
Chicken Stroganoff

A quick update

So it's been FOREVER since I've done an update. Yes I'm still laid off but honestly not putting much effort into the search since we'll be having a new baby arrive in January. I mean who can really afford to put 2 kids in daycare unless you're making well over 6 figures? Anyways I've been loving staying home but it doesn't leave much time for me. The first 4 months of this pregnancy were really rough, the hubby and monster ate fast food everyday since the thought of food was horrible. But I have been feeling better now and have been cooking more so I wanted to share just a few of the recipes I've tried lately. I'm sure that I'll forget some but then I can blame it on pregnancy brain right?

Breakfasts:
Paula Dean's Cinnamon Rolls
Pioneer Woman's Orange Marmalade Rolls
Ina Garten's Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Dinners:
Seared Salmon with Sorrel Sauce & creamy horseradish mashed potatoes
Quick Roast Chicken
Bobby Flay's Veggie Meatloaf, Creamy Mashed Cauliflower & Steamed Green Beans
Kroger's Veggie Lasagna Roll-Ups
Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff
Paula Dean's Old Fashioned Meatloaf with Ina Garten's Mac & Cheese
Emeril's Chili Mac
Tilapia Fish Tacos

Desserts:
Flu Fighter Cookies
Bread Pudding w/Bourbon Sauce

Okay I'm back now for the recipes that I didn't get to before (9/13/09)

Quick Roast Chicken
3-4 lb roast/fryer chicken, preferably already cut up
1 to 2 small to medium quartered white onions
1 lemon
1 lb of quartered red potatoes (can use more if you want)
1 lb baby carrots (ditto)
fresh sage, rosemary & thyme
olive oil
salt & pepper

In a large roasting pan place the potatoes, onions and carrots. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Tossing well to coat. Layer the pieces of chicken over the veggies. Slice the lemon and squeeze the juice over the chicken. Quarter the squeezed lemon and place under the pieces of chicken. This will allow the lemon to steam through into the chicken. Generously sprinkle your fresh sage, thyme and rosemary over the chicken & veggies. Sprinkle the chicken with salt & pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Cover with aluminum foil and roast in a 400' oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue cooking for another 30 minutes or until the juices run clear.

Creamy Mashed Cauliflower (aka sneaky mashed potatoes)
1 lb fresh or frozen cauliflower
1/3 c cream
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp cream cream (optional)

Steam the cauliflower until tender, when tender remove from heat and shock in an ice water bath. When cooled, drain and place in food processor. Blend cauliflower until desired texture, should resemble chunky mashed potatoes. Place the mash into a stockpot and add remaining ingredients. Stirring occasionally until well heated. At this point you can add the cream cheese if desired, blending well until melted.

Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff
1-2 lb boneless skinless ckn thigh meat
1 pkg sliced mushrooms
1 chopped white onion
1 can of mushroom soup
1 tbsp of worcestershire sauce
1 c chicken broth
salt & pepper to taste
dried parsley flakes to taste
1 tsp dried thyme
1 c sour cream

Cut the chicken into bite sized cubes and place in slow cooker. Add mushrooms, onions and remaining ingredients thru thyme. Slow cook over low heat for 8 hours, stirring occasionally. About 30 minutes prior to serving add the sour cream and stir until well blended. Serve over egg noodles.

I'll fell off the edge of the Earth!

Ok so not really but kind of. I apologize to those few people who might have actually enjoyed reading my nonsense. I have found that it's really hard to find time to play around on the internet when I'm staying home all day with my lil monster. I rarely have time to do anything but check my email and other most important things. Menu planning has become a struggle too - but I persevere, just not as far out planned. So here's a quick update about what I've been up to....

1. Laid off, yup.

2. I decided to start a direct selling business. I'm a Tastefully Simple consultant now and loving it! This is a great fix for my lack of menu planning. It's open and serve stuff that I can throw on chicken or veggies and I've got a meal!

3. Had a lovely trip to Mountainview Arkansas for the music festival. My grandpa was up there so we went to see him, some neat mountain scenery and hear bluegrass music.

4. I've made some new yummy recipes of course so I'll have to update you on them after my monster goes to bed tonight.

5. The CSA I joined is about up and running, the 1st bushels should be ready in May. I'm super excited since I'm not paying a lick for a year's worth of fresh organic fruits and veggies! They've also got free range chickens so I think this is where I'll be getting my chicken too!

Big News

I apologize in advance for the lack of the shopping list. I had some crazy events happen the week I posted my month's menu. I was (dum dum da dum dum) laid off! Yes tragic I know, however I'm actually much happier. Granted this is said while I'm still on the payroll and have a severance to look forward to in addition to collecting unemployment. I truly believe this was a blessing in disguise and I pray that God will provide for my family. In the meantime I'm loving staying home with my lil monster and playing the happy homemaker. I believe it's want I was meant to do. So in light of the changes to our schedules my menu has and will be changed. And for the first time in my life I'm having to plan breakfasts and lunches for us all. (Before monster was fed at daycare and the hubby and I skipped or ate out)

As if there wasn't enough change in our lives, the hubby and I recently went to see a dietitian to figure out what and how much he should be eating, and of course thus me as well. So after our meeting I'll be working hard to pack quality lunches and snacks for my man.

Since I have little experience when it comes to breakfasts and lunches any ideas for either one of my men would be greatly appreciated!

Applesauce, Bran, and Oatmeal Muffins

Applesauce, Bran and Oatmeal Muffins

I just have to rave about this recipe I tried today. I made a double batch so that I could freeze one batch. Super yummy w/o being bland. I was afraid they might be too heavy and "germy" tasting but these are great! I love the fact that they are sugar free (I used sugar free applesauce and agave necter instead of corn syrup). The bran and oats are a much better alternative to the flour based muffins for my diabetic hubby. You have got to try these, my lil monster just gobbled them up!

Please forgive my inadequate camera skills.

Menu Plan Monday

It's that time again. Time to plan the menus for the month. This month I'm really trying to find a good balance between economical meals and healthy habits. The hubby is diabetic so we really should be limiting the number of starches and sugars he's eating, however as most realize, healthy food is not cheap. Foods that tend to stretch your budget seem to be those pastas, potatoes and rice. So in addition to finding this balance I'm working to incorporate new recipes. New dishes like the Cabbage Rolls really bring some variety and introduce our family to a variety of ethnic and cultural cuisines. Ok maybe that's stretching it but still, we're very Tex-Mex so maybe something different than that will be a change.

For this month I purchased the Angel Food ministries Regular box and February Special #5.
Here is what we will be working with....

Regular Box
1.5 lb Sirloin Strip Steaks (4x6)
2 lb Tray pack Chicken Breast
1 lb Boneless Pork Chops
2 lb Breaded Chicken Nuggets
28 oz Salisbury Steak Entree
12 oz Sliced Bacon
1 lb All-Meat Hot Dogs
1 lb Stir Fry (Broccoli, Red Peppers & Onions)
1 lb Carrots
8 oz Breakfast Cereal
32 oz 2% Shelf Stable Milk
35 oz Crinkle Cut Fries
7.25 oz Mac 'n Cheese
1 lb Rice
1 lb Bean Soup Mix
1 Dozen Eggs
Dessert

February Special #5 (Fresh Fruit and Veggie Box)
3 lb Premium Idaho Baking Potatoes
3 lb Premium North Carolina Sweet Potatoes
2 lb New Crop Western Grown Yellow Onions
9 oz Premium Raisins
1 lb California Grown Carrots
1 Green Cabbage Head
3 lb Red Delicious Apples
2 Anjou Pears
1 Golden Pineapple
3 lb Valencia Oranges

Items from the boxes will be in blue

This month's baking and feed the freezer will be:

• Applesauce, Bran, and Oatmeal Muffins x2 to freeze half, I will also be substituting the corn syrup for Agava Nector since the hubby is diabetic. (See Review)
  
• Coffee Cake Muffins by Martha Stewart
• Carrot and Sweet Potato Pancakes x2 to freeze half
• New York Style Cheesecake (for the hubby's birthday) Review: Well this bombed, it cracked all over while cooking and then didn't even cook all the way through using the suggested time in addition to cooking for longer than suggested. I'm not sure if it was the change in ingredients or what but I WON'T be trying this recipe again. My full fat cheesecakes never have this problem.
  

Saturday, February 28th
Lunch: Sandwiches & Soup
Dinner:Hamburgers, Potato Salad and Grilled Corn on the Cob

Sunday, March 1st
Dinner: Chicken Fried Steaks, Mashed Potatoes (Idaho Potatoes) and Gravy

Monday, March 2nd
Dinner: Chicken Stir Fry and Brown Rice

Tuesday, March 3rd
Dinner: Paula Deen's Swiss Steak (onions) and Rice
Review: This was a pretty good quick recipe, the meat turned out very tender w/o having to cube it. Not high on the taste scale but a good solid meal.

Wednesday, March 4th
Dinner: Pasta e Fagioli (bacon instead of pancetta, carrots) and French Bread

Review: Well I butchered this one, I did it in the crockpot and forgot about the noodles. I put them in about 30 minutes prior to turning it off but forgot about it all together and so the noodles ended up mushy and ruined the soup. Overall I think I prefer a fagioli with spinach in it too.

Thursday, March 5th
Dinner: Mole-Style Pork Chops with Black Beans and Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes

Review: This was amazing! The mole turned out great, I thought it'd be a dry rub but while cooking it turned saucy and was perfect. The sweet potatoes were the perfect compliment to the pork. A real nice meal.

Friday, March 6th
Dinner: Steak and Blue Cheese Pizza with Mixed Greens Salad

Saturday, March 7th
Breakfast: Something Quick - Swimming Lessons at 9AM
Lunch: Family Fishing Ministry Day - Pack a Picnic
Dinner: Out to Eat, it's my Birthday!

Sunday, March 8th
Dinner: Breakfast for Dinner! Sweet Potato Hash (bacon and eggs) with Spicy Hollandaise Sauce
Review: I love breakfast for dinner nights, it just fills you up so well! This recipe was delish, I will definitely be trying this again. It was the 1st time I've poached eggs so I'll need the practice. I think the hash was a bit too sweet so I'm going to omit the maple syrup next time and just stick with the spicy savory combo.

Monday, March 9th
Dinner: Sausage and Spinach Soup with crusty French Bread
Fresh herbs are added after the soup cooks so they'll retain their bright color and flavor. You can substitute 1 teaspoon dried herbs for each tablespoon fresh, but add them with the tomatoes. Serve with a toasted baguette.
Review: This soup was SUPER. Quick and easy to make and choc full of nutrients. It's a broth base so its low on carbs and my hubby could eat his weight in it w/o worry about his sugars. I loved soaking up the crusty french bread with the leftover broth.

Tuesday, March 10th
Dinner: Traditional Tuna Casserole

Wednesday, March 11th
Dinner: Sizzling Salmon Salad and Crunchy Crackers

Thursday, March 12th
Dinner: Leftover (Frozen) Mexican Lasagna





Friday, March 13th
Dinner: Grilled Sirloin Skewers with Peaches and Peppers and cilantro lime rice
Review: Oh this was so yummy! We used deer sirloins (of course) so I soaked them in milk prior to skewering them (this gets rid of gamey tastes in the meat). The peaches just melted in your mouth and really added great flavor to the steaks. This was a great filling meal that didn't give you that overfull feeling.








Saturday, March 14th
Breakfast: Something Quick - Swimming Lessons at 9AM
Lunch: Sandwiches
Dinner: Smoked Paprika Pork Chops and Roasted Veggies

Sunday, March 15th
Dinner: Spanish Style Grilled Chicken with Spanish Rice Stuffed Peppers

Monday, March 16th
Dinner: Ham and Bean Soup with Biscuits and Greens

Tuesday, March 17th
Dinner: All American Chili Dogs Night (hot dogs)

Wednesday, March 18th
Dinner: Salisbury Steak Entree and Mashed Potatoes
Review: This was a boxed dinner, well except I made homemade mashed spuds. For a box meals it was great, my lil monster loved it! He's picky on meat textures but he ate this right up. Had lots of extra sauce to use as gravy on the potatoes.

Thursday, March 19th
Dinner: Stuffed Pork Chops and green beans, stay tuned for this recipe

Friday, March 20th
Dinner: Grilled Salmon, Sweet Potatoes and Orange Zest Broccoli

Saturday, March 21st
Breakfast:Something Quick - Swimming Lessons at 9AM
Lunch: Sandwiches
Dinner: Sirloin Steaks? and roasted cabbage side? stay tuned for this decision

Sunday, March 22nd
Dinner: Mock Thanksgiving - whole deep fried chicken w/cajun injector, creamed spinach, stuffing and glazed carrots

Monday, March 23rd
Dinner: Buffalo Chicken Chili and Blue Cheese Cornbread

Tuesday, March 24th
Dinner: Crockpot Breakfast Casserole and fruit salad

Wednesday, March 25th
Dinner: Honey-Pecan Crusted Chicken and veggie?


Thursday, March 26th
Dinner: Turkey Mini Meatloaves and Sneaky Smashed Potatoes
Feed six by doubling the ingredients and shaping the mixture into one eight by four-inch loaf. Bake time may increase to about 45 to 50 minutes; use a thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 165°.

Review: These were a great alternative to traditional meatloaf. I loved how they were perfectly portioned so I could keep the hubby from eating too much. Very flavorful with the hint of kick from the hot sauce.

Friday, March 27th
Dinner: Stomboli and Salad

Saturday, March 28th
Breakfast: Something Quick - Swimming Lessons at 9AM
Dinner: Out to Eat?

And as usual for other great menus check out the Organized Junkie!

Shopping List will be updated by the end of the day.

Photos courtesy of CookingLight, FoodNetwork and RachelRay.

Feed the Freezer and Pantry.

I can see the writing on the wall and hence I'm feeling the urge to stockpile. Plus I've just got that cooking feeling again. I've decided that I need to jar some of my own marinara sauces instead of spending $3.50 a jar for the store bought stuff. So this week I'm going to make a batch of various marinara sauces, some simple and some more fancy. I'm new to this whole canning/jarring thing so I'm just going to use a big stock pot since I don't have a canner. I however am going to invest in a pair of canning tongs.

Here's a great guide for how long to let your jars boil.... CanningUSA.com

The National Center for Home Food Preservation has lots of tips and guides on how to can and jar your own foods. They as well have trusted recipes.

Following their advice I'm going to use the "approved" recipes and then I'll make some of the non-approved recipes and freeze those instead. Lord knows I don't want to mess with botulism.

Non-Approved Marinara Recipes:

Basic Marinara Sauce by Tyler Florence

Heart Healthy Marinara Sauce by Giada De Laurentiis (I say healthy because it has yummy carrots in it)

And I plan on finding a good marinara sauce with mushrooms, since this is what we always buy from the store brands, but I'm going to have to wait and find a good deal on mushrooms.

In addition to the canning, I am going to make some homemade ice cream. There's just something about the thought of making it myself that gets me excited. I absolutely LOVE ice cream and the hubby and I got an electric ice cream maker as a wedding gift that we have yet to use. I always thought it'd be a time consuming, and expensive process but after doing some research on it it seems like a piece of cake, or wait maybe a scoop of ice cream!

Ice Cream Recipes:

Butter Pecan by Elise at Simply Recipes

Fudge Brownie Ice Cream by CookingLight.com

Better than Blue Bell Vanilla Ice Cream by Betty, the low carb guru (I'll be trying this one out for my hubby since he needs sugar free ice cream)


My goal by the end of the week is to have a stockpile of yummy ice cream and marinara sauce sitting in my freezer and pantry!