Freezer Day

photo courtesy of Bountiful Baskets Facebook  page! 

Today I am working from home, and as time permits (during lunch and in between calls), a freezer day.  Oh, where to begin....

I have been introduced to a food co-op called Bountiful Baskets.  It is fabulous!  It not only  is in Wyoming, but several states, including Texas (for all my Texas readers and friends out there).  Go to this link to see if it is offered in your area.  BB is a volunteer food co-op and for $15.00 you get a laundry basket (literally) full of all kinds of fruits and veggies.  Plus, you have the option of adding whole grain breads, granola, etc.  You place your order every Monday and then pick it up on Saturday and you never know what you are going to get, so it is best to wait and go to the grocery after you get your basket so you don't over buy.  It saves tons of money in produce, plus we have been getting stuff that we might not normally buy at the store, so it is encouraging us to eat more fruits and veggies and overall healthier meals, as I meal plan around what we get.  Plus, the boys have been eating Kiwi and Pears like crazy this week and I didn't even realize they liked Kiwi.  It makes me so happy to see them try new things, and love them!  This week they had the option to order 25 pounds of carrots from Arizona for only $8.50.  That is a HUGE savings.  So, I plan on freezing those carrots to use in soups, roasts and as side dishes.  I really could just go on and on about it, but their website is packed full of information, so go check it out!

On Sunday we cooked a huge turkey with all the fixings and have been eating on that all week, so there is no meal plan for this week as we are in left over heaven and have plenty of turkey and veggies to get us through until next week.

So, today I am freezing some fresh corn on the cobb, some onion, broccoli and cauliflower and making a batch of Apple Butter using a bag of apples that we got from Bountiful Baskets.  I will share my freezing experience in a future blog.  As I have only frozen a limited variety of fruits and veggies in the past, I checked out Rodale's Complete Book of Home Freezing from the library earlier this week for tips and instructions for all of my freezing needs!  Needless to say, I a ready to get my freeze on!

Freezer Day

Hearty Lasagna Soup

This is a recipe that I keep under my "Budget Recipes" file.  I found this recipe on Recipe.com, a site dedicated to help you "serve up savings!"  They have lots of recipes on there that I am eager to try.  Quick, delicious and saves me money...high fives to them!

The recipe that I am going to list only SERVES 4.  So, if you have a large family like mine, you are going to have to double it.  My picture also looks more like a bowl of pasta rather than a bowl of soup.  That would be because my husband added a few extra noodles to ensure we would "have enough".  Indeed we did, and even got away with some left-overs that the kids had the next day.  If you don't buy enough ingredients to double and feel like you need a little more wile cooking, don't forget you can always make some extra broth if you have any beef bullion on hand (I always make sure I have chicken and beef bullion on hand for this reason) and it will be delish!

PRINTABLE VERSION
Ingredients for FOUR servings:
1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes
3 1/2 cups beef broth
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon crushed Italian seasoning
1 1/2 cups uncooked corkscrew shaped pasta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Making it!
1.  Cook the beef, onion, garlic, and parsley in a 3 quart saucepan over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, or until well browned.  Pour off the fat.
2.  Stir the broth, tomatoes and Italian seasoning in the saucepan and heat to a boil.
3.  Stir the pasta in the saucepan.  Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender.  Stir in the cheese.  Serve with additional cheese, if desired.

Side suggestions would be garlic toast and a green iceberg salad with an Olive Oil Vinaigrette.

Enjoy!  

Hearty Lasagna Soup

What's for dinner this week?

Magnetic Menu Planner from $5 Dinners!

This week we are cooking one of two extra turkeys we bought during the Thanksgiving holiday while they were on sale at rock-bottom prices.  This is something we decided we were going to try and do more often, cooking a large turkey that is, because it provides several meals for our family of six, and better yet, we all love the yumminess of Thanksgiving dinner!  

Above I posted a picture and a link to a magnetic menu planner from $5 Dinners.  She has two different printable versions, a scrapbook version and a recycled version, both of which are super cute!  

What's on your menu for this week?

   

Breakfast:

Hot oatmeal with raisins 

Cold cereal

English Muffins and Jam

Waffles and oranges

Banana, yogurt and toast

Eggs and toast

Bagel and Nutella 

Lunch:

Mac and Cheese

PB&J with homemade applesauce

Leftovers

Soup

Grilled cheese with apple slices

Deli Sandwich with pretzels 

Mini tortilla pizzas

Dinner:

Chicken & Dumplings (my mother-in-law's recipe), green beans, 7-up Biscuits

CrockPot chili 

Deli Fried Chicken (on sale with coupon), mashed potatoes, mac and cheese

Taco Salad

Spaghetti with whole kernel corn and garlic bread 

Roast Turkey (bought on sale at Thanksgiving and kept frozen), cornbread stuffing, diced potatoes, cranberry & orange sauce, green bean casserole

Left Overs 

What's for dinner this week?

Homemade Applesauce ~ in the CrockPot!

I had several apples that needed to be used and after making and having such success with the Apple Butter last year, (which is something I find myself cooking every month now) I decided to try making applesauce....in the CrockPot!  Yummo!  A few weeks ago I ran across a delicious looking applesauce recipe posted by Gina's Skinny Recipes, so after tweaking it a bit and making a batch of this sauce, I don't think I will ever buy applesauce from the store again.  My kids are in love with it and I love the fact that I made it for them.  Plus, you home is filled with very delightful aromas for the six hours that the apples are cooking.  Awww...I love apples!

Printer Friendly Version

You will need:

8 medium apples 

1 strip of orange peel (a vegetable peeler is the easiest way to do this)

2 tsp of fresh squeezed orange juice

3 inch cinnamon stick

6 tsp light brown sugar

Making the Applesauce:

1.  Peel, core and slice the apples.

2.  Place the apples in the slow cooker.  Add the orange peel, cinnamon stick and brown sugar.

3.  Turn the CrockPot setting to low and cook for 6 hours.  Stir the apples occasionally.  After the apples have finished cooking, remove the cinnamon stick and orange peel and use a food processor to blend until smooth. 

4.  Let cool completely, place in a jar or air tight container and keep in the refrigerator.

Makes 3 cups.

Homemade Applesauce ~ in the CrockPot!

Cranberry Relish

This recipe was given to me from a friend in Texas about two years ago.  She served this cranberry relish as a garnish for a pork tenderloin and it was absolutely delicious.  I most recently made this to serve alongside a glazed ham I cooked for my family and it added such a fabulous flavor.  Its bright red color is so festive and just simply beautiful.

To make it you need...

2 cups of cranberries

1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 cup onions, chopped

1 jalapenos, seeded and chopped (optional)

1/4 cup lime juice

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

Combine all ingredients and blend in a food processor.  Chill for at least 30 min before serving.  Serve alongside a pork tenderloin, ham or meat of your choice.  

Add all the ingredients in the food processor to chop & blend.

A beautiful and delicious side, when spooned over pork is absolutely divine!

Cranberry Relish

This week's menu...

This cute recipe book can be found at Lucky Girl gifts.

Last week's menu stayed on task and we enjoyed some pretty tasty meals, several were new to us and have found their way onto our list of favorites.  This week I am attempting my first DIY project of the year, Homemade English Muffins.  I am hoping they turn out as yummy as Utah Deal Diva's did!

What yummy meals are you cooking up this week?

Breakfasts:
Homemade English Muffins with jam
Bagels with Nutella
Homemade Sausage and Egg "McMuffins"
Cold ceral
Waffles with oranges
Scrambled eggs with toast and banana
Oatmeal with toast

Lunches:
Soup
Grilled cheese with pretzels
Leftovers from Dinner
Lunch out with the hubby
PB&J with grapes
Healthy Choice meals for mom
Ham and Cheese sandwich with apple slices

Dinners:
Kielbasa & Cabbage with cornbread and mashed potatoes
Spaghetti with green beans and garlic bread
Southwest Enchilada Bake (freezer friendly meal) with green salad
Zatarain's Spanish Rice with Italian sausage, charo beans and cornbread
Nacho Cheese Chicken Chowder
Leftovers
Deli sandwich with soup and chips

This week's menu...

Southwest Enchilada Bake

This Southwest Enchilada Bake is a fantastic freezer pleaser!  I love freezer-friendly dishes to enjoy now...and later!  I made this dish about two weeks ago.  Since it makes two casseroles, we ate one for dinner and then froze the other.  We are going to eat the frozen one this week, as outlined in my meal plan.   Each casserole serves 8 and costs about $1.93 per serving.

To the right is an example of what it looks like before adding the cheese....

PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION
Ingredients:
30 - (6 inch) corn tortillas
3 lbs lean ground beef
2 onions, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (15 oz each) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
2 cans (10-3/4 oz each) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2 cans (10-3/4 oz each) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
2 cans (10 oz each) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
2 cans (10 oz each) enchilada sauce
1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

corn tortillas cut into eights 

Directions:
Cut tortillas into eighths; set aside.  In a dutch oven cook the beef, onions, jalapenos and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Stir in the black-eyed peas, soups, tomatoes, enchilada sauce and pepper sauce; heat through.

Spread 2-2/3 cups meat mixture into each of two greased 13 x 9 in baking dishes.  Top each with 2 cups cut tortillas.  Repeat layers. Top with remaining meat mixture; sprinkle with cheese.

Cool one casserole; cover and freeze for up to 3 months.  Cover and bake the remaining casserole at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.  Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

TO USE FROZEN CASSEROLE:  Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes.  Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer until cheese is melted.  Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Bake and enjoy!

Southwest Enchilada Bake

CrockPot Chicken Tortilla Soup

My favorite soup of all time is Chicken tortilla soup.  This particular recipe was derived from Miller's Musings and I was so excited to find it.  I have tried it at many different places, but in my opinion the kind you make at home is simply the best.  This soup is absolutely amazing and the fact that it is cooked in a CrockPot makes it even more yummy!  


The Ingredients:
2 chicken boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cans Ro-Tel 
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn
1 onion, chopped
2 cans low-sodium chicken broth
1-2 cups of water
1 package of Grill Mates Mojito Lime Marinade
shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese
tortilla chips

MAKING IT:
Put chopped onion, beans, rotel, corn, chicken broth, water, and Mojito Lime spices in CrockPot and stir to mix. Put chicken on top of mixture and make sure they're at least partly submerged in liquid. Cook on high 6-7 hours or low 8-9 hours. Before serving remove the chicken from soup and shred, if needed.  Return chicken to the slow cooker and stir to combine.

To serve put a few tortilla chips in the bottom of a bowl, topped with some shredded cheddar cheese, spoon some soup over the tortilla chips, and top with additional shredded cheddar cheese if desired.  Absolutely delicious! 

Enjoy!

CrockPot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Kielbasa and Cabbage

Last night I attempted two firsts in our home, cooking cabbage and frying potatoes.  Lets just say they were both absolutely delicious, however I don't know that frying potatoes will be done that often.  I'm not really into frying foods for the simple facts that it is not real healthy and I really can't stand the greasiness the entire house feels afterwards.  However, those potatoes sure were good!

Since I had never cooked a head of cabbage before in my entire life, I was on a mad search yesterday for a good cabbage recipe to feed my family for New Years Day.  I came across a Kielbasa and Cabbage recipe on Mostly Food and Crafts blog.  My kids ate this and asked for seconds, so that says a lot.  I had enough left over to feed us lunch today, which made this recipe even better.  If you love cabbage, you are sure to love this.

PRINTABLE VERSION

What you need:

1  pound  kielbasa, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick slices 

2 1/2 pound head of cabbage, chopped into bite-size pieces

1  (14.5-ounce) can of Rotel, undrained

1  teaspoon  salt

1/2  teaspoon  pepper

What you do:

Sauté kielbasa in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in skillet. Set aside.

 Stir in cabbage; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Stir in cooked sausage, Rotel, salt, and pepper. Cook until thoroughly heated.

Kielbasa and Cabbage

Hello 2012 and welcome back Meal Planning!

Throughout the 2011 holiday season my meal planning seemed to get lost in the hustle and bustle of company parties, school functions, gift wrapping, seasonal baking and so on....

I was excited this morning, the first day of a new year, to sit down at my computer with my pen and paper (yes, I'm a write it down and cross it out type of gal) and meal plan for this week.  I found some new budget friendly and healthy meal choices that will be new for our family as well as some family favorites that we tend to eat every week.  I look forward to sharing these new foods with you and if you try them and like them, I would love to hear about it!  The Project Girl offers a FREE downloadable menu planner to make your meal planning that much easier.

HAPPY NEW YEAR from our family to yours!

Week of Jan 1, 2012:

Breakfasts:
cold cereal
english muffin with apple butter. (my Jan DIY project is homemade english muffins so keep an out for that recipe later in the month).
waffle and fruit
oatmeal and banana
scrambled eggs and toast
Chocolate No-Bake Energy Bars
bagels and Nutella

Lunches:
PB & J sandwich with bananas
Left over soup and crackers
Ham Sandwich and chips
Grilled cheese and apple slices
Healthy choice meals for mom
Left overs from dinner
Cheese and crackers with oranges

Dinners:
Black eye peas, kielbasa and cabbage, fried potatoes and sweet cornbread
Pasta Bake with Kielbasa and Apples , whole kernal corn,  Red Lobster Biscuits
Spaghetti with meat sauce, cut green beans, and garlic bread
Hearty Lasagna Soup  with garlic bread
One Pot Chili Casserole and corn on the cobb
Left Overs
Date Night with the hubby at Proud Cut (using gift card won at Christmas Company party)!

Hello 2012 and welcome back Meal Planning!