Freeze-n-Serve

Dinner in 20: Hashbrown Pizza

2006-08-23T20:27:00.000-07:00

Anything called 'pizza' seems to go over better at dinner time. So I'll milk it for all I can. Tonight that meant getting creative for a crust. If your family isn't big on the green stuff, you can leave that out or substitute some other veggie that goes over better. Next time I might try (steamed)broccoli or shredded cabbage or even some thinly sliced zucchini.

Hashbrown Pizza with Spinach and Ham

2 or 3 boxes of hashbrowns (the ones with the dried potatoes)
Leaf spinach (optional)
Diced ham or turkey
Shredded cheese

Prepare the hasbrowns according to the directions on the box. After you turn them to brown the second side, top with spinach, meat, then cheese. Cover and reduce heat to medium or medium low and cook until greens are wilted and cheese is melted.

My kids really liked this tonight, your mileage may vary ;0)!

Another reason I haven't been blogging...

2006-08-23T20:21:00.000-07:00

My eldest turned 16 this year and decided that he'd outgown the spaceships in his room. I had to agree. So at the every endof the summer, we repainted his room. This time it was done truly according to his tastes. Ok, well, he wanted to paint the walls black, but I nixed that and we agreed on a very deep gray. The ceiling is a metalic brushed silver, the accent wall and stripes are a deep wine color. It is very dramatic, but he loves it.

End of summer tip

2006-08-23T20:15:00.000-07:00

When you are storing away your ice chests and water coolers for the season there is an easy way to keep them from picking up that stale/musty/off smell that they get when they sit around closed for a while.

Simply take a sheet or two of newspaper, crumple it loosely and put it inside the ice chest or cooler before you close it up. The newspaper absorbs any remaining moisture and smell from the cooler so when you open it the next time it is nice and fresh.

Sounds too simple, but it really really works.

Why I'm behind on blogging...

2006-07-26T17:31:00.000-07:00

Not the worlds' greatest picture, but this is my laundry room. My newly cleaned and painted laundry room.

I've been on a deep cleaning spree throughout the house. I finally made it downstairs and the laundry room was the first target. It took two and a hlaf hours, with the kids help to get the room unloaded. Then they helped me paint it.

The colors came from left over paint in the garage. The hand prints were intentional. The kids thought that was the best part.

Dinner in 20: Smoked Turkey and Spinach Pizza

2006-06-12T20:22:00.000-07:00

My kids absolutely LOVE this one. It is a tasty change from standard tomato sauce pizza.

Smoked Turkey and Spinach Pizza

2 pre-baked pizza shells
Pam spray
Onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper
1/2 bag (5 oz) fresh spinach leaves
8 oz sliced smoked turkey
8 oz sliced provolone cheese

Spray pizza shells with non-stick spray or brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste.

Layer 1/2 spinach leaves on each shell. Top with sliced turkey then provalone slices.

Bake 450F, 10 minutes.

Dinner is 20: Pasta Toss

2006-06-12T20:13:00.000-07:00

This is a stand-by recipe for us. It's easy to throw together and filling enough for the boys. Only a little more effort that Spaghetti and Sauce, but really worth it.

Pasta Toss
1 lb spaghetti, linguini or fettuccini

1 lb ground beef
1 pt sliced mushrooms-can use canned
4-5 roma tomatoes
shrededd paresean cheese
garlic to taste
salt and pepper

Start water for pasta boiling. While waiting for the water to boil, brown the meat and msuhrooms in a skillet. Add garlic to taste and simmer to reduce liquid.

By now the water should be boiling. Add pasta. Dice tomatoes and set aside.

When pasta is cooked, drain. Top with meat, tomatoes and cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss well and serve.

Little Leagues: Aqua Fresca de Fruta

2006-06-12T18:59:00.000-07:00

My kids have been having a ball with this recipe this week. I found it the other night and we've done it three times in the last four days. This is a Mexican fruit cooler-type drink often served in Taquerias but not in typical Mexican resturants.

Aqua Fresca

2 cups diced fruit
2 cups water
1 cup ice
1/4 cup sugar or to taste
a couple of tablespoons lemon or lime juice, as needed

Put in blender and blend until well mixed. Pour through strainer before serving.

Fruit suggestions:

seedless grapes, cantelope, honeydew, watermelon, strawberry, mango (use only 1 cup fruit).

We're experimenting with other flavors, though. Enjoy!

Happy happy happy!

2006-06-06T21:17:00.000-07:00

Many eons and two children ago we had a macintosh computer. And back in those days I got it into my craw to put ALL my recipies into the computer. I did it an dprinted out pretty recipe cards and laminated them.

Then the computer died. And the makers of the recipe program I used flaked and there was NO way to port the recipies to ANY other program, much less a PC.

I was not a happy camper.

My husband, our resident alpha geek managed to get the dying computer/program to print all the recipes to a text file. Then the computer was toast.

Well,I just found the text file! Somewhere along the line, my husband managed to convert the text file into something our PC could read. AND MasterCook, where I keep all my recipes now will let me import text into the files! It will take a little fiddling, but now I don't have to retype all my recipe cards into the computer! And I can quit worrying about whether I can find another copy of some of those recipes if the card gets lost!

I never expected to be able to recover all that work so I'm just tickled!

Dinner in 20: Salmon Ranch Wraps

2006-06-06T17:11:00.000-07:00

With the summer heat already on us, I like to have a few no-heat summer recipes on hand. I came up with this on the fly one day while I was making it up as I went. It turned out well enough that the kids asked for it again.

Salmon Ranch Spread

2 8 oz packages of cream cheese (I use 1 fat free and 1 reduced fat)
1 can salmon, drained
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix

Blend everything together using mixer or food processor.

To assemble wraps, spread flat bread or tortilla with spread, top with some fresh spinach leaves and roll.

Have some chips and black bean salsa on the side and it is a pretty filling dinner.

Snack Attack: Black Bean Salsa

2006-06-06T17:03:00.000-07:00

We had my best friend and her family over for dinner before things got too crazy in May. To take the edge off the appetites while the food grilled, I had a big bowl of Black Bean Salsa and (fat-free Tostito) tortill chips on hand.

This is quick and easy and easy to control the heat level according to your tastes.

Black Bean Salsa

1 Can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can Rotel tomatoes (diced, seasoned tomatoes, choose the level of heat you like)
1/2 cup Italian Salad dressing

Mix everything together and chill until serving time.

If you like it really hot you can add jalapenos, ect to your taste. I tend to like it pretty tame myself and stick to the mild rotels.

Ironically, this stuff is really really healthy too!

Ice Cream

2006-06-06T16:51:00.000-07:00

Back in my husband's home town there is an ice cream place that serves the best and the BIGGEST ice cream cones you've ever seen. Believe it or not, in the pictures below, we all have SMALL cones!

It is probably a good thing we don't have one of these in the part of the country where we live!.

Back from Vacation!

2006-06-06T16:48:00.000-07:00

Boy, May was a whirlwind, to say the least. It was like we neer had a change to breath the entire month. It seemed like the kids has osmething happening for the end of the year nearly every day. Then at the end of the month, we left the day after school for a family reunion and vacation.

We just got back and I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. But I've got a bunch of stuff to post, including a few pics of our vacation.

Glad to be back! Happy summer!

Gadget du jour: Rice cooker

2006-05-07T20:19:00.000-07:00

My mother loved gadgets in the kitchen. Touble was, it didn't take long to run out of storage place and the gadgets became more trouble than they were worth. So, I am not big on gadgets in the kitchen.

There are however, some gadgets that really are worth the cabinet space they take. This is one. It was a Christmas present from my mother-in-law, a Black and Decker rice cooker.

Basically it is like a crock pot, you put the rice and water it in and turn it on. It takes over from there and cooks the rice with no attention or fuss from you. It's great, the rice is never burned, never crunchy and I get the space on the stove freed up for other purposes. What more can you ask?

This one is definitely worth the space it takes in the cabinet.

Little League: Grilled Peanutbutter-wiches

2006-05-07T20:12:00.000-07:00

This is a fun change from grilled cheese sandwiches.

I can't claim the recipe is original though. I first had it at my mother-in-law's house when my husband and I were still dating. It was a family favorite in his family and now it is in ours as well.

Peanutbutter-wiches

For each sandwich, spread two slices of bread with butter/margarine. Stack the bread with the buttered sides facing. Spread peanutbutter on the top slice of bread. Finish with a squeeze of honey or a spread of honey-whip and place butter-side down on a skillet heated on medium heat. Top with the other slice of bread, butter-side up.

Grill as you would for grilled cheese sandwiches.

Yumm!

Pantry Picks: Corn Bread Chili Casserole

2006-05-07T20:07:00.000-07:00

If you are making this with access to refridgeration, you can add shredded cheese and cooked ground beef instead of sticking with the cheese spread and beans.

Corn Bread Chili Casserole.

In a 9x13 pan mix: 1 can corn, drained, 1 can beans, drained and rinsed, 2 cans chili.

Spread a small jar or processed cheses spread/dip over the top of the chili and veggies.

Mix up 2 envelopes of corn bread mix (get the one that doesn't require eggs). Spread over cheese.

Bake according to corn bread directions.

Dinner in 20: Couscous with spinach and tomatoes

2006-05-07T19:58:00.000-07:00

Couscous are a very tiny pasta that only needs soaking in hot water to cook. It is a great basis for a quick meal.

Couscous with spinach and tomatoes

Fix 1 box of couscous with beef broth, according to package directions.[basically, bring the broth to a boil, add couscous, cover and remove from heat]

Brown 1 lb ground beef. Add 8 oz frozen spinach, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can of mushrooms, garlic to taste. Stir until the spinach is thawed.

Add in the couscous. Mix well.

Serve with parmeasean cheese.

Tip of the Day: Grocery lists

2006-05-07T19:50:00.000-07:00

It drives me nuts when my family wanders by and tells me we need this and such from the gorcery store and I have no grocery list in my hand! Usually that stuff gets forgotten and requires another trip to the store.

We solve the problem with a $5 white board from Walmart. I have an 8x11 white board on magnets on the fridge. Who ever notices we need something simply writes it on the board and I check it before I go to the store.

It has worked for us, and anything that makes life a little easier is worth sharing.

Dinner in 20: Bratwurst with corn and onions

2006-04-24T19:36:00.000-07:00

Made this for dinner tonight. It has been a tough couple of weeks and I just needed to get dinner on the table quick. So I rooted around the freezer and came up with this:

Bratwurst with corn and onions

Cut up 5 bratwurst sausages (or remove them from their skins if you like, other sausages can be substituted if you want.)

Add sausages and a cup or so of chopped onions (frozen ones are fine) and brown over medium high heat.

When it is all browned up, add about 8 ounces of frozen corn kernels and heat through.

Good served with your favorite frozen potatoes (pop them in the oven just before you start the sausage), apple sauce and/or cole slaw.

The brats go really well with the slight sweetness of the corn and onions. The kids really liked it.

Tip of the Day: Onions

2006-04-24T19:33:00.000-07:00

Every now and again you find a little tip that is just worth sharing.

I love onions, but chopping them is such a royal pain! One way to get around this is to do the chopping in bulk.

Get out the food processor and either a very coarse chredding blade or the regular chopping blade. Peel your onions and cut them in quarters. Put them in the food processor to coarsely chop them.

Then toss them in a freezer wieght zip lock and toss them in the freezer.

Add them to recipes like you would regular chopped onions. I wouldn't use these for onion rings, but anything else works just fine.

Sidelines: Parlseyed Potatoes

2006-04-16T20:05:00.000-07:00

My husband and kids love these. They are easy to make and are great comfort food.

Parsleyed Potatoes

2 1/2 Lbs red potatoes
Butter
Parsley
Salt
Onion Powder, optional

Cut the potatoes into fourths. Put in pot and cover with water. Boil about 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Drain.

Add butter, lots of parsley, salt, pepper, and onion powder (if desired) to taste.

Stir well.

Finger foods

2006-04-16T20:03:00.000-07:00

When ever I make these up for the freezer they are the first things we run out of. There is just something about finger foods that make them easy to pull out and serve. They have the added bonus that go on the road well if needed.

Use a variety of dipping sauces, BBQ, sweet-n-sour, ketchup, ranch, buffalo, salsa, cheese sauce, ect to add to the fun.

Chicken Fingers, Beef Fingers, Pork Fingers

This is kind of an assembly line process. Cut the meat, chicken breasts, tenderized round steak and pork chips trimmed of fat, into finger-strips.

Take some mayo, dijonaise, or miracle whip and place into a bowl. Don’t over do it as you have to throw away anything that is left over. Do not put what is left in the bowl back in the jar, that can add up to food poisoning!

Brush the fingers with mayo and toss with bread crumbs. Line fingers on a baking sheet.

Bake at 350F, about 10-15 minutes, depending on thickness of meat. Do not over or under cook.

Cool and store in zip lock bags.

Reheat in microwave (1 minute if thawed, adding time if needed) or oven, 350F 10-15 minutes.

Oven Fried Chicken Legs

Brush chicken legs with Ranch salad dressing (one of the flavored Ranch Dressings like the Three Cheese variety is good too). Toss to coat in a mixture of 1/2bread crumbs, 1/2parmasean cheese.

Line on a baking sheet, bake 350F, 20 minutes or so.

Cool, store in zip lock bags.

Reheat in microwave (1 1/2minute if thawed, adding time if needed) or oven, 350F 10-15 minutes.

Meat Balls on a stick

Take your favorite ground meat, about 1 lb. Add 1/2C crumbs, 1 egg, a generous squirt of ranch salad dressing and 1/4C parmesan cheese. Mix well.

Make ping pong ball sized meat balls. Thread two or three meat balls on a bamboo skewer (look in the grilling department or Asian food section). Line skewers on a baking dish (with a lip to catch any juices). Bake 350F 15-20 minutes, until cooked through.

Cool, store in zip lock bags.

Reheat in microwave (1 1/2minute if thawed, adding time if needed) or oven, 350F 10-15 minutes

Little Leagues: Strawberry Banna Pie

2006-04-16T19:41:00.000-07:00

Once again I was left with a few extra, too-brown bananas in the fruit bowl. So, here's what we came up with, it's easy, it's different, it tastes good and the kiddos can help too!

My guys loved helping me make it and fought over the one left over piece!

Banana Strawberry Pie

3 very ripe bananas
1 1/2C sugar
1/4C lemon juice
1/4 C hot water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin

Graham cracker crust

Strawberries

Mash the bananas with sugar and lemon juice. Heat water, add gelatin and mix until it is completely dissolved. Add to bananas.

Pour it all into the crust and chill until it is set, a couple of hours.

Slice the strawberries, toss with some sugar. Refridgerate.

When pie is set, top with berries and whipped topping to serve.

Dinner in 20: Sausage with cabbage and potatoes

2006-04-08T11:15:00.000-07:00

This quick meal has lots of flavor and some green veggies to boot. My kids loved it, in fact there were no-leftovers! If you like, you can use fresh white potatoes instead of canned, it will add a couple of extra minutes to the cooking time though.

Sausage with cabbage and potatoes

2-3 Cans sliced/diced potatoes or 4-5 diced white potatoes
1 package smoked sausage, diced
1-1 lb bag cole slaw mix
shredded cheddar cheese

Heat large skillet over medium high heat, add 2 T oil and potatoes. While potatoes begin to brown, dice the sausage.

After the potatoes start browning, add the meat and continue to cook until potatoes are well browned. When potatoes are done, add cole slaw, turn down heat to medium low and cover skillet for a couple of minutes.

When cabbage is wilted,toss the mixture, top with cheese, remove from heat and cover again, until the cheese melts.

If you want to double to recipe, use a large (4qt) pot.

This is good with apple sauce and rye bread.

It would also be a good filling for flat bread wraps.

Spring in East Texas

2006-04-05T10:44:00.000-07:00

The wild flowers can be really amazing this time of year. We've had so little rain this year that they haven't been as good as other years. But still there were some pretty spectacular fields. Here are a few shots of our neck of the woods.

These are actually about an hours drive from home for us, be well worth it!

Most people head out to see the bluebonnets, but there are other wild flowers out as well.

Snack Attack: Taffy Apple Dip

2006-04-04T15:28:00.000-07:00

This one is great for the kids, they absolutely love it. In addition to apples, you can use it for carrots, to stuff celery, on graham crackers, even in place of peanut butter on a sandwich. Good stuff!

Cream together:
8 oz cream cheese (low fat is fine)
3/4 C brown sugar
1T vanilla

Serve with sliced apples.

That’s it! Enjoy!

Company’s Coming: Boneless Pork Ribs

2006-04-04T15:27:00.000-07:00

Everyone needs a few recipes that are good enough for company, but easy and stress free to prepare. The nice thing about this recipe is all the work is done hours before they arrive! We had company last weekend and here’s what we had

Slow Cooked Boneless Pork Ribs

Slice up a couple of onions and put them in your crock pot.

Brown 3 lbs of boneless pork ribs in a hot skillet. Just get a nice brown color on the outside, don’t cook them all the way through. Should take about 15 minutes.

Put meat in slow cooker. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-6 hours.

During last hour of cook add a 1 lb bag of cole slaw to the slow cooker.

To serve, remove meat to an extra dish. Mix cabbage and onions and meat juice. Cover serving platter with cabbage and arrange meat attractively on top.

Good with: baked potatoes and apple sauce

Pantry Picks: Chicken and Dumplings

2006-04-04T15:26:00.000-07:00

Ah, spring is in the air! So naturally, I’m thinking about….hurricane season! Yep, that’s right, as soon as it starts getting warm, the coastal waters start warming up and that means storm season is on its way!

Seriously, this year they are predicting a worse season that was predicted last year. Between Katrina and Rita, that doesn’t bode well for the Gulf Coast Region. Rita missed us by a hare’s breath, but we were without power for a while nonetheless.

So, I’ll start posting some recipes that can be made with shelf stable ingredients (no refrigeration) and cooked on a grill or camp stove. Nothing fancy for sure, but something other than spaghetti-out-of-a-can that will make the storm effected time a little more bearable.

These recipes are also good for camping and for “I haven’t been to the grocery but need to make dinner” times at home.

My nieces actually ask me to make this one for them when they come over!

Chicken and Dumplings

2 cans mixed vegetables, drained
1 can sliced mushroom
1 large can chicken
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 2/3 cups bisquick® baking mix
2/3 cup milk (use powered milk)

Pour all the cans into a large, lidded skillet. Keep the liquid from the mushrooms and chicken. Mix gently.

Heat the mixture over medium-high heat. Mix Bisquick and milk to make dumpling batter. Drop small dumplings over the top of the soup-veggie mix.

When the soup starts bubbling, turn down the heat to medium low (about 3), cover and simmer about 10 minutes. Dumplings are done when you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.

Bluebonnet portraits

2006-04-04T10:29:00.000-07:00

This is a spring tradition for us. Every year I try to haul the boys out to the bluebonnet fields for some spring portraits. They were good sports about it this time around.

I'll post some flower shots later.

Spring has sprung!

2006-03-20T21:30:00.000-08:00

Well, spring has sprung in our neck of the wood! I didn't cook today--spring fever! Instead I got out the camera for a little creative spree.

We had a doozy of a spring storm this morning, thunder, pouring rain, hail, the works. When it all blew over, I couldn't resist taking some pictures of the flowers that survived the storm.

My husband's favorite flower.

Azaleas are the flower du jour right now. They really are a spectacular sight in their full glory.

I loved the water dripping off the leaves of our sago palm.

Our silver leaf bushes that screen my bedroom window.

A fern on the front porch.

Our loquat tree isn't producing as much as last year, but we're stil getting some nice fruit.

Dinner in 20: Spinach-Alfredo Fettucini

2006-03-12T18:42:00.000-08:00

At our local pizza buffet place, my kids absolute favorite pizza is, believe it or not, the Spinach-Alfredo pizza. The pizza is green--white sauce, spinach and cheese. And somehow it manages to cover up the strong taste of the spinach and the kids wolf it down.

So, I experimented at home and discovered I could make a very similar sauce for pasta at home. It is a simple fix and a nice change from spaghetti and tomato sauce.

Spinach Alfredo Sauce

Put your water for the pasta on to boil.

[I do this in a 4 C pyrex measuring cup, but you can use a 1 quart microwave safe dish. ] Measure in a liquid measuring cup, 2 C of frozen spinach. Add milk on top of spinach to make the liquid level up to 2 cups. Pour into dish if not using 4 measuring cup. Add 2 envelopes of powdered alfredo sauce, the margarine called for by the mix and garlic acccording to your tastes.** Mix.

Pop in the microwave and heat 1 minute at a time. Mix after each minute. Stop when the sauce is hot and thick. How lon it will take overall depends on the power of your microwave. Don't try to heat all at once because it will boil over and make an awful mess in the microwave. Guess how I KNOW that...

Cook your pasta while all this is happening.

Serve your sauce over your pasta of choice. We like fetuccini, but anthing you like will work. It looks like a whole lot more work than it actually is.

**If you use an alfredo mix that requires 1 1/2C of milk, increase everything above to 3 C.

Out of the Frying Pan....

2006-03-12T18:10:00.000-08:00

This week oone of the local grocery stores had a really really good sale on boneless chicken breast tenders. Usually I don't buy these puppies because they are way to expensive, but they were a great buy, so I had 5 lbs of them sitting in the kitchen! And we weren't about to eat 5 lbs in one week either. So here's what I did with them: (You can use childen breast tender, boneless breasts sliced into tenders or boneless thighs sliced into tenders. You could also use slivers of turkey breast or thighs if you like.)

First, divide the meat into one lb. increments. Then pull out two skillets (with lids if possible) and put them on the stove. (Doing more than 2 at a time is more than I can keep up with! But you can do three or four skillets at once if they'll fit on your stove.) Add a little oil to the skillet and turn the heat up to medium high.

When the pan is hot, add in a pound of chicken. Stir frequently and cook the meat until it begins to brown. Then turn off the heat(if using electric heat, turn it to low if using gas heat) and add one of the following to the pan:

BBQ sauce
Sweet and Sour Sauce
Cream of Mushroom soup, condensed
Cream of Chicken Soup, condensed
Sesame-Ginger marinade/sauce
Honey Dijon salad dressing
Raspberry Vinegrette Salad dressing
Lime-garlic marinade/sauce
Enchillada sauce
Tomatillo (green enchillada) sauce
Spaghetti Sauce
Your favorite sauce, avoid alfredo sauces though, they don't freeze very well

Cover the pan and let set 3-5 minutes, the sauce should come to a simmer.

Then, transfer the cooked chicken into a freezer container or a dish for further cooling. Give the skillet a quick rinse and wipe down and put it back on the stove for another round.

I got all five meals done in about half an hour.

When you reheat the chicken, you can add some frozen veggies that fit the sauce if you want. You could also add the veggies into the freezer bag before you put it in the freezer. If you do that though, make sure the chicken is cooled before you add the veggies. Otherwise, the veggies will thaw completely before you freeze the meal and , well, it just makes them yucky on reheating.

These are all good served over your favorite carbs--rice, noodles, tortillas, biscuits, potatoes, what ever you like.

Snack Atttack: Creamy Spinach Garlic Dip

2006-03-05T21:04:00.000-08:00

I was 'making it up as I went' in the kitchen the other day. My kids absolute quiver with excitement when I tell them that. They hover around and insist on helping out in the creative process. This was no exception.

I had a hankering for that warm creamy spinach garlic dip you can get as an appetizer at some resturants, but no desire to go out and find some.

So, I hit the fridge and come up with something remarkably like the resturant stuff for a small fraction of the price!

Creamy Spinach Garlic Dip

Start with a 10 oz. bag of fresh, washed spinach. Stuff it into the food processor, a about 1/3 at a time. Pulse the processor to mince the spinach. Add more as what is in the processor gets minced.

When all the spinach is minced add 2 blocks of cream cheese (low fat is fine, but not fat free), as much minced garlic as you like (we like A LOT!, like 1/4C!), 2T of red wine vineagar, onion powder and a generous does of parmesean cheese.

Whirl it all around in the processor until it is all well blended. You may need to scrape down the sides a couple of times. This makes a very generous portion of dip.

You can gently warm this on the stove, over very low heat, stirring frequently, in the microwave or in the oven.

I actually spread this on ciabatta bread, topped it with pepperoni and toasted it all in the oven. The kids fought over the last piece!

Sidelines: Quick Tomato Salad

2006-03-05T20:41:00.000-08:00

This is a quick and easy side dish to pull together when you need another veggie on the plate. The kiddos love it and even my hubby who doesn't love tomatoes likes this one!

Quick Tomato Salad
Dice 4 or 5 Roma (plum) tomatoes.
Dice or crumble 4-8 oz of your favorite white cheese (we like queso fresco, a very mild mexican white cheese). Add to tomatoes
Add a generous squirt of your favorite vineagrette salad dressing. (We like raspberry-vineagrette best).

Toss it all well and serve. Or chill then serve. It is pretty and colorful on the plate and mades a refreshing change from green salads.

You can add a couple of slices of finely chopped onions as well if you like. Or some fresh basil, but you don't have to. Toasted almonds would be good too come to think of it.

The Daily Grind

2006-03-02T20:24:00.000-08:00

My kids love meatloaf, end of statement. Running out of meatloaf in the freezer is a sort of national emergency around here. The nice things about it is that meatloaf is really easy to make in large quantities and pop into the freezer to stave off such emergencies!

So here’s a set of a variety of meatloaf recipes. None are glazed, that doesn’t freeze well. If you want to glaze them, pour the glaze after they are thawed and you are heating them up for dinner.

Start with 9 lbs of ground beef. I have found that the leaner beef does better in the freezer. Place meat in 1 1/2 lbs increments into mixing bowls. To each bowl add 3/4C of your favoring binder (bread crumbs, cracker crumbs, rolled oats…) and 2 eggs

Then add:

Traditional Meat Loaf
1/4C milk
dollop ketchup
1 can drained mushrooms (4 oz.)
1 envelope onion soup mix

Taco Meat Loaf
1 envelope of taco seasoning
1 can (1 C) corn kernels, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, drained

Ranch Meat Loaf
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
Handful shredded parmesan cheese
Handful dry minced onions

Asian Meat Loaf
Handful of dry minced onions
And either:
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
Or 1/2C sesame ginger salad dressing or marinade

Italian Meat Loaf
1/4 cup ketchup
1 table spoon Italian-style seasoning
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

BBQ Flavor Meat Loaf

1/2C BBQ sauce of your choice
Handful of dry minced onions
A couple of handfuls of shredded cheddar cheese

Mix well. Turn each into a baking dish and bake 30-40 minutes at 350. Do not over load the oven, but usually 4-6 of these will fit comfortably at a time. If you are short on baking dishes, get disposible foil loaf pans while you are at the store. They are worth the investment for the time savings alone. You can wash them out and reuse them a couple of times if you want to boot.

Let the loaves cool, bag or wrap, label and freeze.

Dinner in 20:Honey Dijon Pork Chops

2006-03-01T21:03:00.000-08:00

Ever have one of those weeks when you feel like you've just hit a wall? This was one of those for me. I got to a point where the thought of cooking one more meal was more than I could tolerate! So KISS (keep it simple stupid!) has been the ordder of the week.

Tonight for dinner we had: Honey Dijon Pork Chops, Parsleyed Pasta, corn (frozen) and apple sauce. And it came togeher in just 20 minutes.

The corn and applesauce are obvious. The pasta and chops cook at the same time.

Start the water boiling and set out a large skillet for the chops. When the water starts to boil, put the chops in the skillet on medium high heat. Add the pasta to the water. While it cooks, brown both sides of the chops and heat up the corn on the stove or in the microwave.

When the pasta is done, drain it. While it drains, top the chops with a good dollop of Honey-Dijon salad dressing. Turn down the heat to medium low and put a lid on the skillet.

Return the pasta to the pot. Add the butter, parsley and salt to the pasta and toss well. By the time you get everything else to the table, the chops will be done. Give the pan juices and dressing a little stir and you're done.

Start serving and you should have a minute left from your 20!

The nice thing about this meal is that my kids really really like it. My youngest actually had 5 servings of pasta and they all but fought over the extra pork chop. That all makes it a little easier to face dinner again tomorrow night.

Mad Scientist Recipes

2006-02-26T14:01:00.000-08:00

My middle son has a start of the school year birthday, so this year, we didn't get to have a party. So instead, we did a half-birthday party for him. With the help of his teacher, we had it on science fair day at school, for the last two hours, since our theme was 'Mad Scientists'.

The kids had a ball. We ran out of time before we ran out of things to do.

So I thought I'd share some of our fun here for you guys:

Super Bubble Juice
Dawn Ultra or Joy Ultra 1 Part
Water 15 Parts
(Distilled Water Works Best)
Glycerine or White Karo Syrup .25 Parts

Click on the second bibble link below to get directions for making a super bubble blowing cone to use with the solution.

Super Bubble Ooze
-this is like the stuff you buy in a tube at the store.

1. In a small bowl pour 3 T glue gel and 1 drop food coloring, mix well.
2. Add 3 T liquid starch and mix well.
3. Let sit for 5 minutes. Remove from dish and knead well.
4. When it is firm, roll into a ball and bounce it or take off a piece, put it on the end of a straw and blow it up like a balloon.

Crystal Paint
1. In a small dish, mix up ? C warm water and 3 t. salt. Keep stirred very well thoughout play.
2. Use a paintbrush to paint a picture on black paper.
3. Watch for crystals as the paint dries, you can use a hair drier to speed up the process

Magic Colors
-make sure you use water soluable markers for this one.

1. Cut along the sealed edges of the coffee filter. Open up the filter so it is a single layer.

2. With the black marker, draw a line across the bottom of the filter on one side, about 1 inch up from the bottom. Do the same with your colored marker on the other half.
3. Put some water in the cup-enough to cover the bottom. Curl the paper circle so it fits inside the cup. Make sure the bottom of the circle is in the water.

4. Watch as the water flows up the paper. When it touches the black line, you'll start to see some different colors.

5. Leave the paper in the water until the colors go all the way to the top edge. How many colors can you see?

Outrageous Ooze
-this was the biggest hit of the day!

1. Put the cornstarch into the bowl. Add a drop or two of food coloring. (Use whatever colors you like.) Add water slowly, mixing the cornstarch and water with your fingers until all the powder is wet.
2. Keep adding water until the Ooze feels like a liquid when you're mixing it slowly. Then try tapping on the surface with your finger or a spoon. When Ooze is just right, it won't splash--it will feel solid. If you Ooze is too powdery, add a little more water. If it's too wet, add more cornstarch.
3. Pick up a handful and squeeze it. Stop squeezing and it will drip through your fingers.
-->Rest your fingers on the surface of the Ooze. Let them sink down to the bottom of the bowl. Then try to pull them out fast. What happens?
--> Take a blob and roll it between your hands to make a ball. Then stop rolling. The Ooze will trickle away between your fingers.

References:
Bubble solutions
Bubble solutions 2
Science for kids
Exploratorium
Kid concoctions

Little League: Marshmallow Banana Bake

2006-02-26T13:56:00.000-08:00

I don’t know about you, but we tend to have banana problems around here. We like the bananas rather green and as they tend toward ripe, they are less and less likely to get eaten. So we have a banana pile up. Over the years, I’ve come up with a few things to do to use them up. Here’s one that the kids love to eat and can help out making as well:

Marshmallow Banana Bake
3-4 bananas
Baking chips (chocolate, cinnamon, peanut butter, whatever you like)
Marshmallows

Spray a round pie plate or other baking dish with non-stick spray. Slice the bananas lengthwise and lay them in the dish. Sprinkle the chips over the fruit, about 1/2C of chips, more if you like. Lay marshmallows over the top of everything. Spray marshmallows with nonstick spray.

Bake 350F about 10-15 minutes, until the marshmallows are brown and puffy.

Dinner in 20: Strawberry Spinach Salad

2006-02-26T13:40:00.000-08:00

I always find it hard to get my act together to get dinner made when my husband is out of town. The other night while he was gone I asked my oldest son what he'd like for dinner, hoping to find some inspiration to get the job done. My 14 year old said he wanted dinner salad, yeah, really, he did. So I suggested that he make dinner for all of us.

This is what he made (with a little direction from me, but not too much)

Strawberry Spinach Dinner Salad

10 ounces spinach leaves
4 cups strawberries, sliced
8 oz diced ham
8 oz cubed mild white cheese (we use queso fresco, but monterrey jack, provelone or mozzerella, feta or even blue cheese would work too)
1/2 C toasted almonds (or other nuts)
Dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Mix us the dressing. Tear the spinach leaves into bite sized pieces. Slice the berries. Toss everything with the dressing and serve with some nice bread.

The kids love this stuff and it is easy for them to make. My eldest was pretty proud of himself for making dinner that didn't come out of a box.

Drum Roll Please!

2006-02-15T13:11:00.000-08:00

Finally, here’s another set of Freeze-n-Serve recipes!

This one is a little different; we are going to focus on a very specific cut of meat, chicken drumsticks.

These little guys are handy little critters. Kids love them. The can be eaten hot or cold. And even better, they are really easy to take along to eat on the run.

I find that we often have to eat on the run these days. But I really really hate picking up a burger on the way. Having something stashed in the freezer that you can nuke on the way out the door is great. They will also store in the fridge for a few days, so you can keep them there and eat them cold on the run when you know that is going to be ‘that’ kind of a week!

So, with no further ado, on to the recipes!

Start with 5 lbs of chicken legs. Preheat the oven to 350F. Set out several large cookies sheets, preferably with a lip to catch any juices that run off.

Lime-Garlic Chicken
Mix the juice of one lime with 1 clove (1t)crushed garlic. Pour over chicken legs and let set while you set up the rest of the chicken. When you are done with the other ones, remove these from the marinade and place on baking sheet.

Soy Garlic Chicken
Mix 1/4C soy sauce, 1/3 C mayo, 4t vinegar (whatever you have on hand, just not balsamic) and 1 t crushed garlic. . Pour over chicken legs and let set while you set up the rest of the chicken. When you are done with the other ones, remove these from the marinade and place on baking sheet.

Spicy Honey Chicken
Mix 1/4C Orange Juice, 2T honey, 1-2t crushed garlic or 1/4t garlic powder, 1/8t red pepper(or to personal taste) . Pour over chicken legs and let set while you set up the rest of the chicken. When you are done with the other ones, remove these from the marinade and place on baking sheet.

Taco Chicken Legs
Open two packages of taco seasoning mix. Roll the drumstick in the seasoning and place on baking sheet.

Parmesan Drumsticks
Mix 1 C parmesan cheese with 1 T Italian seasonings. Brush drumstick with mayo and coat with the cheese. Place on baking sheet.

Place baking sheets in oven for 30 minutes. Check for doneness at this time. Add extra time as needed, but only until just cooked through.

Cook and toss into ziplock bags to store as needed.

You can also just use some of the other chicken recipes I’ve posted on chicken legs in the same way.

Enjoy!

Snack Attack: Peanut butter Honey dip

2006-02-14T20:53:00.000-08:00

Here’s a quick and easy snack you can let your kiddos make:

Peanut Butter Honey Dip

Take a large blob of peanut butter (1/4 C or so). Add a big squirt of honey (2-3T) and a small handful of rolled oats (for crunch) and/or chocolate chips and/or raisins. Mix it all together. Add more honey if you like a looser texture.

Use as a dip for crackers, graham crackers, apples, carrots, celery stalks ect. Or use as a spread for sandwiches.

Watch out though, this stuff is good enough to eat with a spoon and pretty addicitive!

What's in your pantry?

2006-02-14T20:36:00.000-08:00

Recently I just had to clean out my pantry. Things were falling on me. That's a sure sign that it's time to get to work!

I'm blessed that the builders of this house put it a really big pantry, more like a small closet really. I love it.

But then again, I always keep my pantry stocked. Growing up my family spent three years in New Jersey and they were all bad winter years. I remember blizzards and getting snowed it and the panic at the stores when bad weather was predicted. The remainder of my life has been spent in the gulf coast when hurricanes are a threat a large part of the year. So I just hate the thought of getting caught with the pantry empty. My sister is the opposite, she can't take the clutter, so she keeps her pantry pretty bare.

She does have a lot less issue in keeping her pantry clean and organized, I envy that. But last fall when we were dealing the Katrina and Rita and there were unprecedented runs on the grocery store, she was there fighting the crowds while I stayed home and watch the stories about the grocery stores on TV.

Be that as it may, the pantry got cleaned out this week.

I like to get every possible useful inch of storage space out of my pantry, so I've added a few touches that really help. I have wire baskets that hang under the shelves so I can put short cans on the shelf and something else above it. I have wire shelves to add extra shelving for boxes ect. I have wicker baskets to put bagged items like pasta and chips in so that they don't fall on me. On the floor I have some stacking baskets for canned goods and I've mounted some small wall baskets on the little bit of wall space to squeeze out some extra space.

The wicker baskets came from the craft store, 75% off clearance bin. Some of them are actually pretty and it looks a little like I was trying to decorate in there, but really, they were all bought because they were cheap and the right size and shape.

Oh,and there are labels on everything too. Why? Not because I'm completely compulsive, really. But the kids used to get off putting groceries away with the excuse "I don't know where it goes". Well, now that it is all labeled, they know exactly where it all goes and they now have the job of putting away the groceries!

New Content Navigation links!

2006-02-10T12:35:00.000-08:00

I just put in some new content navigation links that will take you directly to particular recipes of interest. I think I have all of them working now. Hope they are helpful and not just the product of a manic need to organize on my part!

Little League: Odds and Ends

2006-02-07T17:11:00.000-08:00

I just cleaned out my pantry. Not my favorite job in the world, no surprise huh? Well, when I took everything out, I found a bunch of odds and ends. You know, bags with 3 pretzels or 5 croutons, boxes with half a dozen chips or a can with a handful of nuts. Stuff you didn’t throw away but it’s not enough to o anything with. Here’s something to do with it. Better yet, let the kids do it.

Get a big bowl and put a colander or strainer inside it. Have the kids dump the odds and ends into the strainer. Give it a shake to get rid of the crumbs and dust that accumulate in the bottom of those bags. Then put the mix into something to keep it handy for snaking.

You can use cereal, dried fruit, cookie crumbles and odd bite sized candy to make a sweet mix for desserts too.

Snack Attack!

2006-02-07T17:10:00.000-08:00

Quick, easy and relatively healthy snacks are as good as gold. So here’s one that we used for our Super Bowl festivities.

Hummus
Basics: 1 can chick peas (garbanzos), olive oil
Seasonings: sesame oil, garlic, cumin, parsley, salt, pepper, hot pepper

Depending on how ‘loose’ you like your dip to be, drain the chick peas, I usually leave about half the liquid. Pour everything into a food processor or blender. Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Vegetable oil will work in a pinch.

Season this according to taste. All of this is optional, but I usually use: 1-2 teaspoons sesame oil, a bunch of chopped garlic, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon parsley, 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cumin, salt and pepper. I’m not into hot stuff but you can add it i.f you like.

Whiz it around in the food processor or blender until it is the consistency you like. Store any leftovers in the fridge. It’ll keep a while, in the unlikely event it doesn’t get eaten at first sitting

Superbowl!

2006-02-05T18:32:00.000-08:00

We have a little family thing for the superbowl each year. Part of the tradition is that the kids help get the food ready. This year the boys helped me make peanutbutter and jelly cookies, hummus dip, pigs in blankets and refried beans and cheese.

I use nonfat refried beans and only add a little olive oil to the hummus, so that helps with the calories. We also eat tostito baked chips which are really good and have no fat. We we've got complete protiens and low fat. The cookies and pigs in blankets blow it all, but you can't have everything.

This year I actually got into a picture...I actually exist!

Valentine's Dinner in 1 hour

2006-02-05T13:50:00.000-08:00

I had a request for a simple valentine’s dinner idea, so here’s an easy one.

Appetizer: Melon with procuitto ham
Main Course: Herbed Chicken Breast, baked potato, broccoli with carrots with garlic Dessert: Chocolate covered Strawberries

You will need:
12 Strawberries
1 C each broccoli, carrots
1/2 cantalope
2 baking potatoes. Fist size
4 slices procuitto ham (at deli)
2chicken breasts
Creamy herbed cheese spread
Garlic, olive oil
Chocolate chips
Your favorite bubbly stuff to drink

1 hour game plan:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wash and dry 12 strawberries, set aside. Wash 2 potatoes no bigger than a woman’s fist.

Place Potatoes on a small tray-and in the oven. Set timer to 30 minutes

Now for the chicken: Take 2 chicken breasts, preferably without bones and with skin. Loosen the skin and spread a coupled of table Spoons herbed creamy cheese spread undo the skin. If you use skinless breasts spread on top of breasts. Place in shallow pan, sprayed with nonstick spray. When timer goes off place in oven. Reset timer for 30 minutes.

On to the veggies: Chop broccoli and carrots(or use whole baby carrots). Toss with it olive oil and minced garlic to taste. Place in small casserole. Put in oven with all the rest.

Now on to dessert: Put 1/3 C of chocolate chips in a microwave safe dish. Nuke for 30 seconds, Stir. Nuke for another 30 seconds and Stir again, it should be smooth r ready to so. If not heat, for another 30 seconds. Make sure the berries-re dry. Dip them and set on waxed paper to setup.

Finally: cut 4 slices of cantaloupe, removing the rind. Wrap each melon slice with a slice of proccuitto ham. Arrange on 2 small plates.

About Now the timer should be going off. Pull everything out of the oven. While it cools. Set out the berries on a pretty plate. Pour your bubbly stuff and dinner is ready to serve.

Kitty litter cake

2006-02-03T13:57:00.000-08:00

This is one of those things that you think about, but never quite work up the guts to actually do. It really looks like the real thing, but it totally edible, cake, pudding and tootsie rolls with a little food coloring. Here's a recipe link for it if you dare....

My best friend...

2006-02-03T13:54:00.000-08:00

My best friend, her husband and son came over for dinner last weekend.

After dinner she peeked in my freezer and looked crestfallen afterwards.

"You're freezer's full! You won't be need to cook for a while!" She said. "Don't cook anymore and call me when you're freezer's empty!"

Actually I need to cycle the stock in the freezer, so I'll be doning just that.

Cooking a freezer full of food is much more fun with a friend!

Now I've got to clean the pantry....

Dinner in 20: Solomon Grundy

2006-01-24T20:02:00.000-08:00

This isn't a recipe I came up with. Ordinarily, I would be hesitant to try a dish named after the bad guy in one of my kids' cartoons (watch 'Justice League' sometime....)but this one actually sounded worth while.

It is fast, easy and the kids ate it without fuss. What more can you ask?

Before you start this, get out and start cooking what ever carbohydrate you want to serve this over or next to (pasta, rice, potatoes, biscuits....)

Solomon Grundy

* Brown 1 lb. ground beef or pull out cooked meat from freezer and reheat; drain fat.
* Stir in 2 cans condensed vegetable soup and up to 1 can of water,we like less water, but use what tastes good for you. reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over or beside your favorite carbohydrates and top with a little shreded cheese if desired.

Casseroles the Lazy Way

2006-01-23T21:22:00.000-08:00

Over the holidays I got lazy. I found the low-fat ground beef that I like on a really good sale, so I bought a bunch, forgetting that I had neither the time nor the energy to do much with it.

So with the expiration date ticking down, I had to come up with something quick and easy. This is what I did.

I bought Hamburger Helper and a much of canned/frozen veggies.

I put all the meat in a big pot and cooked it all at once. Then I took four smaller pots and put them on the stove all at once. I divided the mean (using a scale) into one pound sections, one in each pot.

I got out different flavors of Hamburger helper, measured out the water/milk and added the pasta and sauce mix to each pot.

Then I added:

* To the Mexican Flavor: a can of black beans, drained and rinsed
a can of corn, drained
a can of diced tomatoes with juice

* To the Cajun Flavor: can of red beans, drained and rinsed
a can of mushrooms, drained
a can of diced tomatoes with juice

*To the Italian Flavor: cut down the water by 3/4 cup and throw in 1 1/2cup
frozen spinach, still frozen
a can of muchrooms, drained
a can of diced tomatoes with juice

*To the Cheese Flavor: 1 lb frozen broccoli

*To the 'Homestyle' Flavor: 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
a can of mushrooms, drained
a can of peas and carrots (or use frozen)

Cook it all up, let it cook down some and put in labeled gallon sized zip locks. But them in the fridge first to let them firm up before putting them in the freezer.

I know, it really is cheating, but adding all the veggies does make this stuff into a casserole substantial enough for a meal, maybe with bread or a salad. Some nights that is really what I need.

Chocolate fountain

2006-01-23T21:11:00.000-08:00

I love those chocolate fountains that you see in fancy resturants. There is just something magical about those things.

Well, my darling husband told me to get one as soon as they came on the market for home use. He didn't have to tell me twice!

So, we brought it out to use for New Year's Eve.

My middle son, the kids who doesn't like chocolate, just had to try it. It was so much fun, he decided that chocolate wasn't so bad after all...

Trying to catch up!

2006-01-23T21:09:00.000-08:00

Well, between the holidays and being unable to locate the log-in for my blog I've gotten a little behind! Ack!!!

But I'm hoping to get caught up on some posts now....

Dinner in 20: Black Bean Quesadillas

2005-12-01T16:08:00.000-08:00

You can take the Santa Fe Corn your kids just made (see post below) and turn it into a quick dinner!

Black Bean Quesadillas

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place your favorite kind of tortilla in the skillet. top with a little cheese, a couple spoon fulls of Santa Fe Corn and a little more cheese. Add another tortilla on top. Heat until the cheese starts to melt and tortilla starts to toast. Flip carefully and heat to toast the other tortilla.

Serve whole or cut into pieces. You can dip them in sour cream, salsa or guacamole if you like.

For the Little League...

2005-12-01T15:58:00.000-08:00

I have three sons. We are a family of five. At the moment I am cooking for seven and I doubt it is going to get any better anytime soon. Everyone has always told me that boys EAT. I didn't believe them, notice the past tense here. I do now.

Luckily, the boys have noticed this little correlation between food and cooking. Specifically cooking seems to have to happen in order to have food. So, now they are getting interested in cooking. I think that is a good thing.

So, I keep my eyes out for kid friendly recipes. That is ones they will eat and ones they can help with and not wind up in the emergency room as a result. Here's one any kid that can work a can opener can do. And it actually tastes good too:

Santa Fe Corn

Mix: 2 cans drained corn, 1 can drained and rinsed black beans and 1 can diced tomatoes, also drained. Heat using your favorite methods.

If you like it with a little kick, use seasoned tomatoes.

This is good over yellow rice, topped with some cheese.

Turkey lurking?

2005-11-25T15:09:00.000-08:00

I'm willing to bet there are a pile of turkey left overs hiding in your fridge. Here are a couple of different ways to use them up.

I got this idea from a sandwich I had in a Cuban resturant on our trip to Florida. The sandwich was called "Elena Ruz": On some good bread spread cream cheese, strawberry preserves (or cranberry sauce) and sliced turky. Toast lightly. Really good...

We went snorkling after we had our Cuban lunch.

Here's another turkey idea. My kids abolutely love this one. It works with chircken too, so sometimes I'll make up some chicken just for this recipe:

Turkey and Cranberry Couscous
Heat 2 C of chicken broth to boiling. As a 10 ounce package of couscous, 1/2 c dried cranberries, 1 T dried minced onions or 2 minced green onions, 2 finely chopped ribs of celery (optional). Remove from heat, cover and let stand 5 minutes. Then chop 1 cup of turkey meat, 1 large apple (Gala and Breburn are good choices) and 1/2 C pecans, almonds or cashews. (I like to toast th enuts, but you don't have to). Mix the dressing: 1/4 C olive oil, 3 T red wine vinegar, 2 t dijon mustard, 1 t sugar, 1/4 t thyme, 1/2 t salt, pepper to taste. Toss couscous with all of the above. Fluff with fork and serve.

Enjoy!

What's for dinner?!?!

2005-11-25T15:06:00.000-08:00

No! I'm not going to post 'gator recipes!

We just got back from a trip to Florida and I couldn't resist posting a couple of pictures. My little guy wasn't too sure about who was holding whom!

Please Pass the Salad Dressing....

2005-11-14T21:47:00.000-08:00

It's not just for salads anymore! Salad dressing is a great shortcut for adding flavor to meat. And since there are lots of varieties, you have tons of options. On top of this, the recipes are really kid friendly to boot. The salad dressing are flavorful without being overpowering and their flavors are familiar so kids have an easier time enjoying these recipes. Here are a few to get you started.

The nice thing about these recipes is that they work equally well for pork or chicken, so they are two for one special here. Start with either 5 lbs (or 5 meals worth) of chicken or pork chops. If you use more than a pound of meat per meal, increase the sauces accordingly.

Pre heat oven to 350F.

Catalina Chicken
Mix together: 1/2 C Catalina salad dressing, 2T dry minced onions and 2 tsp beef bouillon (I heat it a little in the micro to dissolve the bouillon). Spray an 8x8 baking pan with Pam and place 4-6 pieces of chicken in it. Pour sauce over top.

Italian Chicken
Mix together 1/2 C Italian Salad dressing and 3-4 T parmesan cheese. Spray an 8x8 baking pan with Pam and place 4-6 pieces of chicken in it. Pour sauce over top.

Raspberry Vinaigrette Chicken
Place 4-6 pieces of chicken in a sprayed 8x8 baking pan. Pour about 1 c of Raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing over top.

Parmesan Ranch Chicken
Mix: 1/2 C Ranch salad dressing, 2 T flour, 2 T parmesan cheese. Spray an 8x8 baking pan with Pam and place 4-6 pieces of chicken in it. Pour sauce over top.

Honey Dijon Chicken
Place 4-6 pieces of chicken in a sprayed 8x8 baking pan. Pour about 1 c of honey Dijon salad dressing over top.

Place all of this in the oven and bake 20-30 minutes, or until all the meat is just barely done. Times will vary according to the thickness of the meat and whether or not you have the bone in or not.

Dinner Salads
As an extra bonus, you can serve these as simple main dishes or you can add them to salad greens with croutons, your favorite cheese, tomatoes or other bright veggies and the dressing you cooked them in and you have a great dinner salad! So now we're up to 20 different meals for the price of 5 recipes! Not too bad, huh?

Sidelines: Parsleyed Pasta

2005-11-14T20:14:00.000-08:00

What are main dishes without something on the side? The problem with side dishes is that they can get so complicated that they are more trouble than they are worth. Here's one that everyone loves and is too easy not to include for dinner!

Parsleyed Pasta

Cook up enough of your favorite pasta for your family. [Flat noodles like egg noodles or orzo are better for this than hollow ones like macaroni.] Drain it and put it back in the cooking pot. Add a generous gob of margarine or butter, a generous dose of salt and pepper and a handful of dried parsley that you have crushed in your hands first. Toss well, and let sit of a couple of minutes, lid on the pot, to let the flavors blend. This is mild tasting, but it really gussies up plain old noodles

Have friends...will cook!

2005-11-11T21:41:00.000-08:00

Cooking alone can be a little dull at times, so I invited a couple of friends over for a 'power cooking' session. The kitchen was wall to wall food that night! A month's worth of meals for 3 families--wow!

Gotta admit though, it was a blast!

Dinner in 20: Fideo Soup

2005-11-10T18:39:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you just need to put something on the table fast. Sometime you can pull from freeer stock, sometimes just from what is on hand in the pantry. Tonight was one of those nights. I taught a late class and had an appointment come in just after I got home. So I couldn't start dinner until 6:30! So fast was crucial! Since I'm not the only one in this boat, I'll try to post some super fast dinner ideas for those nights!

Tonight we're having:

Fideo Soup with Meatballs

Bring 2 quarts beef-tomato broth to a boil. (I use beef-tomato bouillion cubes, but 6 C of beef broth plus 2 C of tomato sauce is the same thing)
Add a can of diced tomatoes (14 ish ounces)
Once it is boiling, add frozen, precooked meatballs or a pound of cooked ground beef.
Return to a boil and add 6 or 7 ounces of fine egg noodles (fideos).
Simmer 7-9 minutes until pasta is done.

Serve with lots of cheese on top. My kiddos love this.

Principles of Freeze and Serve Cooking

2005-11-09T20:35:00.000-08:00

Basic principles:
1. KISS-Keep it simple sweetie
2. Anything that makes it more difficult for you to do something, or more hassle makes it less likely that you will do it
3. Concentrate on simple, main dish recipes
4. Avoid those things which require special techniques or equipment
5. If you don’t like to eat it, don’t make it!

Get the most bang for the buck
1. Both time and money
2. Time; focus on quick easy dishes; by cooking them all together we save a lot of time
3. Same money by capitalizing on sales and buying much more than you would usually be able to use.

Store wisely so that you do not need a ‘big freezer’
1. Store food, not containers
2. Save space by using ziplocks, press and seal wrap and disposable trays
3. Do not try and put large dishes in the freezer

Thawing and Heating

2005-11-09T17:00:00.000-08:00

A big issue when doing freezer cooking is always how do I thaw the meals and how reheat meals. So here are some ideas about how to manage those tasks.

The best way to thaw, is to take things out the night before and put them in the fridge. I always put the zip-lock bags from the freezer in a dish of some kind before I put them in the fridge, just in case the bags have a small tear in them. That way they do not leak as they thaw. Using your microwave's thaw setting (usually 30% power) is a good second. Open the bags and put them in a dish of some sort. You can thaw the food inside the bags. Start with 3 minutes at a time turning the food and/or stirring it every 3 minutes, until no longer frosty. Try not to thaw things on the counter, you risk food poisoning that way.

To reheat, the microwave is a good choice. I always use about 70% power and start at 2 minutes, adding time as needed. Every microwave is REALLY different, so you will have to find what works with yours, just start slow at first, you can always add more time if you need it. You can also reheat in the oven, 350F, start with 20 minutes, then check at 5 minutes intervals if you need more time. Things with sauce can be heated in a shallow pan on the stove top over medium heat until they reach serving temperatures (about 140 F for those who care about such things).

Here chickie, chickie, chickie

2005-11-09T15:19:00.000-08:00

The Main Event!

Now for the recipes!

The key to these recipes is keeping them simple: simple to cook and simple to eat. Part of keeping them simple is having a great deal of flexibility in the recipes. The following set features chicken--you pick what pieces you like. I make them with boneless chicken breast--which I stock up on when there is a good sale! But you do not have to. You may choose to use dark meat, mixed white and dark meat or pieces with the bone. It is up to you. I do suggest you remove the skin, though, to cut down on the grease in the sauce when you are done.

Keep in mind though, the cooking time may have to change a bit, depending on the meat you use. Cook it 10-15 minutes longer if you use pieces with bones in them. Make sure you cook the meat through, but just barely, that way it will reheat well. The first time you do these, watch them closely then, write down the amount of time you cooked the meals. That way you do not have to reinvent the wheel next time you cook. The first time is always a little experimental, it gets easy after that.

O.K., enough talk already, how about some food! Start with 5 lbs of boneless chicken breast, or enough of your favorite chicken pieces for 5 meals. If you are cooking more than 1 lb. of mean per recipe, increase the sauces accordingly.

Preheat the oven to 350F, then:

1. Oven Fried Chicken
Brush chicken pieces lightly with mayonnaise. {Note here: Do not stick the brush in the jar or you will risk contaminating your mayo with chicken juice…bad idea! Put a spoonful in a dish and go from there. Throw out any that is left in the dish after you finish the next recipe, don’t put it back in the jar} Coat with seasoned bread crumbs. Spray an 8x8 baking pan with Pam and place 4-6 pieces of chicken in it.

2. Honey Crunch Chicken
Brush chicken pieces lightly with mayonnaise. {Note here: Do not stick the brush in the jar or you will risk contaminating your mayo with chicken juice…bad idea! Put a spoonful in a dish and go from there. Throw out any that is left in the dish, don’t put it back in the jar} Spray an 8x8 baking pan with Pam and place 4-6 pieces of chicken in it. Over top of the chicken, sprinkle about 1/2 c of Grapenuts cereal. Drizzle honey lightly over top of the cereal.

3. Lazy Day Chicken
Mix 8 oz tomato sauce (or puree) with 2 T dry minced onion, 1 tsp (or 1 cube) beef bouillon and 1/4 c water. (I heat it a little in the micro to dissolve the bouillon). Spray an 8x8 baking pan with Pam and place 4-6 pieces of chicken in it. Pour sauce over top.

4. Rotisserie-taste chicken
Place 4-6 pieces of chicken in a sprayed 8x8 baking pan. Lightly spray chicken with Pam. Sprinkle heavily with McCormick rotisserie chicken seasoning.

5. Lemon-garlic Chicken
Mix the juice of one lemon (2-3T juice), 1/2 tsp thyme and 1 clove crushed garlic (about 1 tsp) Spray an 8x8 baking pan with Pam and place 4-6 pieces of chicken in it. Pour sauce over top.

Now that you've finished all that. bake everything for 25-30 minutes, depending on the pieces of chicken you are using. If they are not cooked through after thirty minutes, check them at 5 minute intervals, and remove them when they are just barely cooked through. Depending on the size of your oven, you may need to do it in two batches.

After the chicken is cooked, let it cool enough so you will not melt the ziplock bags. Label the bags before you fill them. Then place the chicken and the sauce into the smallest freezer type ziplock that it will fit into. I usually use quart size.If you used the disposable pans, they can be washed in the dishwasher and reused several times, if you want.

You've just made the major part of dinner for 5 nights in under 1 hour! Not a bad return on your time.

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The Shopping List
--print this out and cross off whatever you already have

5 lbs or 5 meals worth of chicken pieces
5 Aluminum 8x8 square pans (if you do not have enough regular ones)
1 box quart size, freezer style zip lock bags
Non-stick cooking spray
1 small jar mayonnaise (low fat is fine)
1 small bottle honey
8 oz tomato sauce (or puree)
1 lemon OR small bottle lemon juice
1 small box Grapenuts cereal
1 small container seasoned or plain bread crumbs
thyme
1 clove crushed garlic (about 1 tsp or 1/16 tsp garlic powder)
2 T dry minced onions
beef bouillon (1 tsp or 1 cube)
McCormick rotisserie chicken seasoning.

In the beginning….

2005-11-08T21:44:00.000-08:00

From the Chief Cook and Bottle-Washer

I began playing with the freeze and serve approach some time after my second son was born. I got inspired by a magazine article on 'Investment cooking', the cook-once-eat- for-a-month idea. I loved the idea, but when push came to shove, the recipes just did not do it for me. They did not line up with the way my family ate--Thai Meatball Soup was not yet on my children’s dinner list! So I began to tinker around.

The result is what you have before you recipes which are slimed down to bare bones --easy to make, and pretty easy to eat and get your family to eat with you. If you have never done this, start small. Do not try to cook for a month at a time your first time out. Believe me, that much cooking can feel pretty overwhelming at first! Start with no more than a week at a time, or even less if you are feeling a little intimidated by it all. To help in this, each month I will feature a group of 5-6 recipes that are easy to cook all together. If that feels like too much, just try one at a time. The important thing is that you do not let yourself get intimidated, or feel guilty. The kitchen is no place for guilt!

Enough said, bring on the recipes!