Meals Made Ahead

I'm back....sort of

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 02:02:00 +0000

It's official. I'm completely out of freezer meals that I had tucked away before my baby was born. It has been so wonderful not to have to worry on the days I really didn't feel like cooking or the days when the baby wouldn't let me.

I'm not feeling quite up to getting back into the regular routine. It's actually quite a bit of work to get ready for a cooking day. Plus, my new baby girl is only 4 months and, although we are working on it, she's not a consistently reliable napper. I would feel horrible if I spent all of cooking day nursing and entertaining a crabby baby.

And yet, I really miss having my freezer meals! So I'm just going to fit in bits of freezer cooking here and there. Since it's just me, there's no problem pushing back my cooking a few hours or a day if the baby is having a particularly bad day.

This week, I bought 10 pounds of potatoes and a couple packages of fresh chicken breasts. Yesterday I mashed up about 8 pounds of the taters (it was all that would fit into my biggest pot!) and I made a batch of Parmesan chicken breasts.

I used the Parmesan chicken breasts just like chicken tenders and served them for dinner along with some of the mashed potatoes and some gravy I whipped up.

And now I have a litle bit of a start on re-stocking my freezer.

{If you're reading this in a reader or by email, you might want to click through to the blog. I've made some changes that make me HAPPY!}

And a bonus baby picture because who doesn't love a cute baby?

Dinner in a Bag

noreply@blogger.com (Tristy) — Thu, 05 May 2011 13:47:00 +0000

I received a cook book and a Dinner in a Bag kit from my SIL, Christina, for my birthday this year. It is a very, very simple, yet tasty recipe, so I thought I would share it. It may or may not be something you would want to pre-assemble at Freezer Co-op, but regardless, it is a quick, easy meal made with staples found in most every kitchen.

In a sandwich zip bag:
1 cup elbow macaroni

In snack zip bag:
1/4 c. dried onion
3/4 t. salt
1 t. chili powder
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 t. sugar

In a gallon zip bag:
2 (15 oz. cans) stewed tomatoes
above 2 zip bags.

Label: 1 pound ground beef and contents of this bag. In a skillet, brown beef; drain. Add tomatoes, seasonings and 1/2 can of water. Cover and bring to a boil. Stir in macaroni; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until macaroni is tender. Uncover and simmer another 5 minutes until sauce is thickened. Serves 4.

Original recipe from the cookbook Recipes for a Full-Filled Life by Diane Fechter. Here is the address for the blog for anyone interested in a copy of the cookbook: http://recipesforafull-filledlife.blogspot.com/p/new-cookbook-is-available-
and-now-for.html

IL April 2011 Cooking Day

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 22:21:00 +0000

It's been over a week since the group cooked. Sorry for the delay in getting the summary posted.

For around $20, each mom got to take home to her family:
2 bags of Apricot marinade
16 Cheese Sticks
1 loaf of French Toast
1 bag of Monica's BBQ marinade
1 bag of Polynesian Honey marinade
and 2 Taco Bakes!

Check out my comments on the Taco Bake post to understand how we each got two and what we might do differently next time.

I'm not sure when the IL group will be cooking again. I am less than two weeks away from giving birth to my second child and I know things will be crazy in my house for a while. I'm giving myself permission not to make any plans and just play it by ear about when I'll feel like hosting a cooking session again. But rest assured, the meals I have squirreled away in my freezer won't last forever and I'll be contacting these ladies to start cooking again!

Until then, Happy Cooking!

WI April Cooking Day

noreply@blogger.com (Tristy) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 18:45:00 +0000

Well, April was a flop! There were only going to be 3 of us cooking this month...me, Danielle (a sub), and Christina, my very pregnant sister-in-law. Mischa and I came down with a nasty flu the week before cooking and Christina called the night before to tell me that she could no longer move or stand comfortably. So, freezer co-op was cancelled on the 9th. But, since I had all of the groceries purchased already, I just made all 6 meals, for all three of us on my own.

Other news: Because my husband is tired of seeing all of "Do Not Eat--Freezer Co-op" stickers in our fridge (which were made for HIS convenience, I will just add) and to give Christina a chance to recoup after birthing baby #4, we will be taking a break for a month or two.

Below are some pictures of the new recipes we tried this month. I forgot to take pictures of the beef stroganoff & I will try to remember to take them before we eat it for dinner tonight.

Until next time...

Ham & Cheese Muffins (super yummy, by the way!)

Freezer Quesadillas

Stromboli

WI Cooking Day

noreply@blogger.com (Tristy) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 22:11:00 +0000

Last week Saturday was Wisconsin's marathon cooking session where we made 10 recipes. Despite some bumps in the road in planning/participation, we made it through! Of course, I forgot to take pictures again, so I will try to remember to take pictures after the new dishes are prepared.

Saturday, April 9th will be our next cooking date. Our menu:

Cheese Manicotti
Chicken Quesadilla's
Yellow Spanish Rice
Ham & Cheese Muffins
Stromboli
Beef Stroganoff

Until next month,

Freezer Jam!

noreply@blogger.com (Tristy) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 21:20:00 +0000

So, my local Piggly Wiggly had strawberries on sale for .99/pound container. Yes, really...only .99 cents! I bought 5 containers and came home to make some Strawberry Freezer Jam. This is the recipe I used:

FREEZER JAM

3 1/2 c. mashed strawberries
2 1/2 c. sugar
1 (3 oz.) pkg. strawberry Jello

Mix strawberries and sugar, let stand 1/2 hour. Bring mixture to a boil. Boil 5 minutes, stir in the Jello. Put in small jars. Cover. Cool. Freeze. Makes 2 pints.

Recipe found here: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1823,159190-255197,00.html

After using all 5 containers, I ended up with 8 cups of prepared strawberries, causing me to a little over double the above recipe. I ended up with 9 jars/containers of jam. I know that I paid between $2.99 and $4.39 per jar from the store, so the way I figure it, I have at least $30 worth of jam for a little under $9! This is so worth the hour it takes to make this super simple, super tasty recipe!

Beef Stroganoff

noreply@blogger.com (Tristy) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 21:57:00 +0000

Ingredients:
2 T. vegetable oil
1 pound round steak, thinly sliced
2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
½ c. sour cream
¼ cup water
Flour, salt & pepper to dip steak in

Directions:
1. Thinly slice steak & coat with flour/salt/pepper. In a medium skillet, med-high heat, heat HALF of oil. Add beef and cook until browned. Set aside.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining oil and add onions & mushrooms and cook until tender.
3. Add soup, sour cream and water. Heat to boil and add meat. Cool, place in freezable container.

To prepare:
Thaw, heat & enjoy! Serve over 4 cups hot cooked medium egg noodles. (3 cups uncooked)

Freezer Quesadillas

noreply@blogger.com (Tristy) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 21:51:00 +0000

This is a recipe that the IL group had quite a while ago. I have never forgotten about it, so WI is going to give it a try!

Ingredients
Chicken Breast, no skin, 32 ounces
Sour Cream, reduced fat, .5 cup
Salsa, 2 cups
Cheddar Cheese, 1 cup, shredded
Pepper Jack Cheese, 16 oz
Chili powder, 1 tsp

Have on Hand:
flour tortilla shells

Directions
Assembly Directions: In a mixing bowl, mix chicken, sour cream, salsa, cheeses and chili powder and mix in chicken.

Freezing Directions: Place chicken mixture in a quart size

Serving Directions: Thaw contents of meat mixture. Lay tortillas flat and divide the filing evenly between the tortillas. Fold each tortilla in half. Spray a frying pan with cooking spray. Cook the quasadillas one at a time in the pan. lightly browning them on each side. The cheese in the filling should melt. After each one is done, remove it from the pan. Use a pizza cutter to cut each quessadilla into 3 pieces.

Yellow Spanish Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Tristy) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 21:38:00 +0000

1 c. rice
2 c. water
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. sazon goya seasoning*
1/2 tsp.tumeric
1/2 tsp. salt

Read more: How to make Spanish Yellow Rice that is out of this world! | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4534544_rice-that-out-this-world.html#ixzz1GQL1riiE
1. Add oil to a sauce pot and begin to heat on medium heat. Add garlic, sazon goya and tumeric as it heats. Brown garlic slightly and then reduce heat. Add water and bring to a boil.

2. Add rice to pot and bring rice to a boil. Stir and keep an eye on it.

3.
After it has come to a boil, cover and let it sit for 25 minutes on a very low heat. Check on it and gently stir a few times throughout. Remove from heat and enjoy.

*If you can't find this spice, here is a similar recipe. Use 1 1/2 t. in place of a Sazon packet.
1 tspSalt
1 tspGarlic Powder
1 tspCumin
1 tspCoriander
1 tspAnnatto (If you can't find this, you can substitue tumeric, as this is primarily used for the yellow coloring)

Read more: How to make Spanish Yellow Rice that is out of this world! | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4534544_rice-that-out-this-world.html#ixzz1GQKUtGmZ

IL April 2011 Menu

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:04:00 +0000

The group will be cooking again April 6th. Here's what we're planning to make.

Baked Cheese Sticks

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 18:07:00 +0000

makes 32 cheese sticks

16 mozzarella string cheese sticks
2 eggs
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp paprika

Cut each mozzarella stick in half. Place the flour in a small shallow bowl. Beat eggs with about a tablespoon of water in another bowl. Place the breadcrumbs and paprika in a zip top and give it a shake to mix.

Dip each stick in the flour, then the egg, then shake in the bread crumbs. Freeze (without touching) until solid on cooking sheets before transferring to zip top bags for storage.

To serve, preheat oven to 400. Bake frozen sticks on a cookie sheet for 6-8 minutes. Let stand at least 2 minutes before serving. Great with marinara or ranch for dipping!

IL March Cooking Day

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 21:19:00 +0000

We had another great cooking day! For just a bit over $20, each family got to take home:
14 Cheese Manicotti, 1 mealQuick Quiche, 1 meal Salisbury Steaks, and 12 Twice Baked Potatoes!

The best way to sum up this cooking day is "mass quantity." Check out those stacks of baked potato shells! And manicotti noodles!

Menu for April will be posted shortly!

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 22:48:00 +0000

A huge thanks to Cara at Sweet Memory Graphics for the wonderful new blog layout!

[Did you know you can go there now and have your very own layout created for you, for FREE?!?]

I still have a bit of clean up work to do around here but my 3 year old insists I play with him! So this will have to do for now.

Twice Baked Potatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 18:01:00 +0000

makes 48 servings

24 baking potatoes
4 cups sour cream
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
2 (8 oz each) packages cream cheese, softened
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 bunch fresh green onions or chives, sliced (or equivalent in freeze-dried chives)
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp pepper
milk, as needed to achieve the right consistency

Wash potatoes thoroughly and poke several times with a fork. Bake potatoes in 350 degree oven for an hour. Let cool long enough to be handled easily, about 20 minutes.

Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Scoop pulp from potatoes, leaving skins intact. In a very large bowl, combine potato pulp with remaining ingredients. If needed, add a little bit of milk so that the filling can be mixed easily with a hand mixer, but it should remain a bit thicker than mashed potatoes.

Scoop filling back into potato skins. Wrap each potato individually in foil or plastic wrap. Freeze.

When ready to serve, unwrap desired number of potatoes and place in a baking dish. No need to thaw! Just reheat in the oven along with the rest of your meal, about 45 minutes at 350.

These can be dressed up with crumbled bacon, additional cheese and/or green onions added to the top prior to reheating.

Giveaway WINNER!

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 19:46:00 +0000

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway despite the issues we had we comments. I think I broke comments when I tweaked the code to number them. Therefore, I'm not going to mess with that code again! There (sadly) weren't too many entries, so you can go ahead and count for yourself like I had to do!

The winner is #12, Jen W. Jen, please contact me with your email address so I can award the prize!

Pizza Burgers

noreply@blogger.com (Tristy) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 21:28:00 +0000

2 pounds hamburger
1 pound italian (pork) sausage
1/2 T. Oregano
1/4 T. Basil
1 sm onion diced
2 cloved garlice, minced
1 small green or red pepper diced
1/2 cup pizza sauce
12 slices each Motz. and provalone cheese (I have used shredded and added it to the meat mixture)
12 buns of choice
OPTIONAL: Pepperoni, mushrooms or other pizza toppings

Mix meat, spices, onion, garlic and pepper. Shape into 12 patties. Grill, pan fry or bake until done to your liking. Place cheese slices on top of patty. Add desired amount of pizza sauce (can warm if desired). Serve

*Note: We will be mixing the shredded cheese right into the burger, forming the patties, and freezing between wax paper layers.

*Cooking directions: Thaw. Cook as desired (grill, pan fry, or bake). Place on bun and add pizza sauce and other pizza toppings as desired.

Giveaway...Last Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Today is the last day to enter the giveaway so make sure you leave a comment on this post. You have until midnight tonight and then comments will be turned off.

Giveaway...2 days left

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 14:59:00 +0000

2 days left for the giveaway. Enter here.

I believe the issue with comments has been resolved. Yipee!

There are still issues with posting comments. I've tried a couple things to fix it, but as I am not personally having problems on either of the computers I use, I'm having a hard time diagnosing the problem.

While it is not ideal, it appears comments can be left anonymously. However, it is very important that you leave contact information if you do it that way. YOU CANNOT WIN IF YOU DO NOT LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS or at very least you will have to leave your name and then check back on Friday and contact me if you are the winner.

Believe me, I am incredibly frustrated by this. It looks like this will be the end of giveaways. But I hope I can get comments straightened out so we can continue leaving feedback on our recipes!

Giveaway...last 4 days!

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 15:16:00 +0000

There is still time to be entered in the drawing for the $20 gift credit (with NO minimum purchase) to CSN stores. Go here to enter before the end of the day Thursday, 2/10/11.

Feb. cooking...DONE!

noreply@blogger.com (Tristy) — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 19:13:00 +0000

So, we are finished cooking for the day. It took us an hour and a half (because I am a freak about advanced prep work and probably do way, way more before everyone gets here than I should!) to finish everything. We went away with 5 meals for a total cost per person of $31.91. As usual, I forgot to take pictures until the very end so there is only one snap shot!

Next month we are doing 10 recipes. (YES, 10!) Christina is due to have baby #4 on April 18th and wants to have her freezer stocked. The rest of us don't mind the extra meals, so we are going to give it a go! We have decided to pre-pay $65 for the month and see where that takes us. We are trying a few new recipes-one called Adrianna's Pasta Pie that we are excited about, Pizza Burgers (recipe to be posted later), and a Beef Burgundy Tip recipe from Mary. (All of us here at the WI group have already tasted it and it is super, duper yummy!)

Until next month...

Adriana's Pasta Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Tristy) — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 18:55:00 +0000

This is a modified recipe--Original recipe found at Food.com http://www.food.com/recipe/adrianas-pasta-pie-95239

• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef (I used 95%lean and it was fine)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 3 cups cooked tubetti (tiny tubes or baby shells)
• 1/2 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 lb provolone cheese, shredded
• 2 cups prepared tomato basil pasta sauce **
1. Read directions all the way through first********* Meat Crust: Mix ground beef, parsley, bread crumbs, onion, eggs, 1/2 cup parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl very gently.
2. Do not overmix.
3. Put mixture into lightly greased 10-inch pie plate or 11" x 7" casserole dish.
4. Shape crust so that it's about 1" thick.
5. Filling:.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Mix the filling (3 cups cooked pasta, 1/2 pound mozzarella, 1/2 pound provolone, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and 2 cups tomato basil sauce) in a bowl.
8. Scoop into meat crust.
To cook: Thaw. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 ½ hours until heated through. It is suggested to let cool at least 15 minutes before eating.
Note: The original recipe gives ingredients & cooking instructions for a homemade tomato basil pasta sauce, however, to save time, we will be using a store-bought sauce!

Beef Burgundy Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Tristy) — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 18:54:00 +0000

1 1/2-2 # Stew Meat browned (use a roast and cut it up in bite size pieces to save a little money)
1-10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
1-4 oz. can sliced mushrooms
3/4 c. red cooking wine
5 T Homemade Gourmet Sunday Roast Mix (can use in place: 1 pack Onion Soup Mix & 1 bay leaf)

Place all but mushrooms in slow cooker. On Low, cook 4-6 hours. Add mushrooms and cook additional 1-2 hours.

*Freezer directions: Bag & freezer after adding mushrooms.
*To prepare: Thaw, reheat & enjoy! Serve over noodles, rice or potatoes.

Note: Mary made this recipe for one of our Soup Swaps & everyone who had it RAVED, so it is tried & true!

Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 19:47:00 +0000

This giveaway is now closed and a winner has been selected!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm excited to announce CSN stores has offered Meals Made Ahead another chance to do a giveaway. This time, instead of me picking a prize for you, you can win a $20 gift card and spend it on whatever you want*!

You can use your $20 towards any of their modern bar stools or anything else from their over 200 stores! Go ahead, treat yourself!

So, how can you win? It's easy.

Mandatory first entry:

Leave a comment on this post telling me what you would buy with your $20 CSN gift card if you win. (1 entry per person)

Optional additional entries:

Follow this blog by clicking on “Follow” over there in the right sidebar. Then come back and leave a comment on this post saying you’re a follower. (1 additional entry per person)

Subscribe to blog updates via a reader or email over there in the right sidebar. Then come back and leave a comment on this post saying you subscribe. (1 additional entry per person)

Grab our button (in the sidebar) for your blog. Then come back and leave a comment on this post with a link to your blog. (1 additional entry per person)

Post this giveaway on your blog. Then come back and leave a comment on this post with a link to your post. (1 additional entry per person)

No more than 5 entries per person!

Make sure you leave your email address so I can contact you when the giveaway is over.

I’m giving you until Thursday, February 10th at midnight to enter.

Winner will be chosen using Random.org on Friday, February 11th. I will contact the winner who will then have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address. If there is no response, I will select a new winner. So make sure you leave your email!

Start leaving those comments! Go tell everyone you know. Or don’t and increase your chances of winning!

*Unfortunately, this does not cover any shipping costs but you can use it on ANY product from ANY one of their sites.

Residents of U.S. and Canada only, please.

Same as last time, I reserve the rights to make amendments to the contest if necessary.

IL March Menu

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 14:00:00 +0000

We will be cooking again Wednesday, March 2nd.

Simple Salisbury Steaks
Cheese Manicotti
Twice Baked Potatoes
Quick Quiche

And we have a date and tentative menu for April:
April 6th
Cheese Sticks (recipe coming soon)
Marinades:
~Polynesian Honey Pineapple
~Monica's BBQ
~Apricot
Taco Bake? We'll let Tristy's group make it first but it sounds delicious!

IL January 2011 Cooking Day

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 14:13:00 +0000

We had a fabulous cooking day yesterday!

We made (per family) 1 Busy Day Meatloaf, 26 Meatballs, 19 Pancakes (about half with blueberries), and 9 Parmesan Chicken Breasts. At a cost of $20.47.

Making Meatballs

Meatball soldiers all lined up

Parmesan Chicken Breasts ready for flash freezing

Stirring up meatloaf

The pancakes took the longest to make since we were only working with one griddle (and because the recipe made almost double what I though it would!). In fact, everything else was done a good half hour before the pancakes were finished. But that was OK, because it left time for the chicken and meatballs to get a head start on flash freezing.

It was a good month to flash freeze, too! (Sorry, I'm just so excited about this!) I got a new, bigger freezer last week. And since the temp here in Northern Illinois is below freezing, I just unplugged the old freezer, but didn't move anything out of it yet (it's in my garage). Just look at all that real estate for trays of chicken and meatballs!

We have decided on our next cooking day and menu which will be posted soon so keep watching!