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It’s that time again when we start to plan our vacation and our menu week filled with freezer food and fun. I’m digging out our 2012 vacation menu and planning a new one. All of our best tips/tricks/ideas to help you plan a long or mini-vacation was posted this year. As I brainstorm and plan our 2013 menu and snacks, I’ll be sure to post.

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One thing for sure when we eat healthy, we keep our bodies on track to have fun and enjoy the water and sunshine.

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We save money which allows us to visit new places on our vacation.

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Do you plan your vacation with freezer food?

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I’ve found a copycat recipe like my favorite Earthfare tomato basil soup.  I love soup with a lot of flavor and less fat. This soup fits in to my healthier category and I have leftovers for my freezer.

I simplified the directions from chopping veggies in the blender to pouring the liquid ingredients from blender to crock pot. Yes, I’m a short cut kind of gal.

Adapted from the Girl who ate Everything

Tomato Basil Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 cup celery, chopped into 2-inch uniform pieces
• 1 cup carrots, skin removed and chopped into large chunks
• 1 cup onions,  quartered
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano
• 1/4 cup fresh basil or 1 T. dried basil
• 2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 stick
• ½ cup flour
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Add celery, carrots and onions in the blender and chop. You’ll have to stop and move veggies around to finely chop. Add to crock pot.
2. Blend tomatoes, chicken broth, oregano, basil in blender. Add liquid and bay leaf to veggies in crock pot.
3. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.
4. About 30 minutes to an hour before serving prepare the roux. Melt butter in a medium size microwavable bowl or 2-cup glass liquid measuring cup.  Add the flour, half and half and milk stirring roux well with a whisk until there are no lumps. Microwave for 5-7 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Carefully pour hot roux into crock pot and add Parmesan cheese. Stir well.
5. Cover and cook on LOW for another 30 minutes to one hour until slightly thickened.
6. Taste and season with more salt and pepper to taste. Serve with additional cheese if desired.

Easy peasy soup that tastes like you labored for hours. Cool leftovers for two hours at room temperature. Refrigerate and ladle into quart size freezer bags the next day. You know how flavors mingle better throughout the night? This soup tastes better the next day.

Do you love tomato basil soup as much as I do?

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I can’t believe these simple 5 ingredients turn into a grain free, high protein {6 grams}, indulgent snack. And there’s no sugar, except natural honey, only if you must. Some varieties of peanut butter have a fair amount of sugar or molasses, so check and use your discretion. I’ve given them the name 5-5-5 because there’s 5 required ingredients, 5 steps and it takes 5 minutes to prep and poured from a blender.  They have the softest interior like a sandwich bread instead of a flour muffin. They are freezer friendly and I’ve found they easily satisfy mysweet tooth, especially if you freeze them and pull them out on demand.

adapted from wholelifestylenutrition

5-5-5 Blender Muffins {Gluten-free}

• 1 cup natural peanut butter (or try other varieites)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 medium sized very ripe bananas (I use thawed ripe bananas from my freezer and add 5 minutes to the bake time)
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (try making your own here)
• 2 tablespoons honey (optional)
• Toppings of choice: mini chocolate chips, coconut,  raisins, cranberries  (I use these mini-chocolate chips)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place all ingredients into a blender; blend until well mixed like the consistency of a thick smoothie.
3. Pour batter into muffin liners. Use a rubber scraper to remove the last bit from the blender.
4. Add  toppings of your choice to each muffin and lightly stir into each cup or sprinkle like I did.
5. Cook time: 15 minutes for full size muffins and 10 minutes for mini muffins.

You can double the recipe like I did to have plenty of future high protein snacks. Cool and freeze in a gallon size freezer bag. Thaw to consume.

What topping would you add on your 5-5-5 muffins?

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This week’s menu:

• Grilled Garlic Shrimp Kabobs, freezer brown rice, salad with balsamic vingarette
• Asian Chicken kabobs with peppers and onions made with Asian Honey Sesame marinade , simple sesame noodles, salad
• black bean and corn quesadillas on spinach tortillas {recipe coming this week}
• Asian sesame Chicken salad wtih asian chicken leftovers
• Chicken Gyros with shoe box flatbread from Italian chicken marinade, salad with homemade Greek Dressing
• Freezer waffles, fried eggs, strawberries and homemade whipped topping
• broccoli cheddar soup (from the freezer) and salad with balsamic vinegarette

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Wow, it’s been kind of crazy with appointments, end of school activities and sports drawing to an end. I’m so thankful to have freezer meals. I did manage to do a bulk chicken marinade session last week which will be super helpful in months to come. This week I’ll make freezer waffles and a bulk session of shoe box flatbread.

What do you make in bulk and freeze?

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What will you serve your cali pico de gallo with?

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My new thawing box from Wal-Mart cost .96. I loved the new blue color and the great purpose it serves in my refrigerator as a thawing box and my freezer as a flash freezing box, I grabbed three.  I also use this box for shoe box sandwich bread dough. Obviously others love them too, because they were the last three. I hope you can find this same great color at your local Wal-Mart

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