Freezer Meals

When I was pregnant with "L" I decided I was going to make as many meals ahead as possible. When I got to looking up "freezer meals" online I was amazed at the variety and simplicity of it! In the last month or two of my pregnancy I was able to make and freeze about 18 meals in total. It was a God send after she was born! With many a sleepless night dealing with a very high needs baby by myself when Zach went back to working (he works nights), the premade meals made things so much easier! I still use freezer meals now on at least a once a week basis. They are quick, easy and save me from breaking down and ordering pizza!
So, a tutorial on what a freezer meal is, how to make them, ideas on what to make, how to freeze them, how to thaw them, and how to cook them. :o) This could be a long one!

A freezer meal is:
This is fairly simple to answer. A freezer meal is a meal in the freezer. Got it? :o) Ok, maybe a little more in depth. Freezer meals can be casseroles, enchiladas, lasagna, premade pizza dough, precooked meat, freezer marinades, meat loaves, soups, pot pies and even breads/rolls/biscuits.

How to make, freeze, thaw and cook the different types of freezer meals:

• Casseroles: This week, make a casserole but double the recipe. Put the second batch in a disposable foil pan and place in the freezer. Uncooked! Now you have a freezer meal. This can be done with casseroles, lasagna, stuffed shells, mac and cheese, meat loaves, pot pies and enchiladas. You can buy foil pans for really cheap that have plastic covers that stack nicely in a freezer. Write on the lid of the container the bake temperature, time and any special instructions (Ie: add 1 cup shredded cheese to the top the last 5 minutes of bake time.) Also write on the lid what goes good with the casserole (Ie: for baked spaghetti: serve with green beans, salad, sliced peaches, and garlic bread.) To cook: allow the casserole to thaw for about 24 hours in the refrigerator. Bake at the time and temperature on the lid and serve!

• Pizza dough: make a double batch of pizza dough (I love my bread machine!) Roll out your pizza crusts, poke holes in the bottom with a fork and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Place baked crusts on a flat surface to cool then place in a zip top baggie or wrap in plastic wrap and place in the freezer. I like to do these in personal sized pizzas so we can have a few different types of toppings (meat lovers, peppers and onions, tomato basil mozzarella.) When you are ready to make them, pull the crusts out, unwrap and allow to thaw on your baking sheet for 10-15 minutes while your oven is preheating. Place on your toppings of choice including cheese. Put in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes till the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown. These have been a lifesaver more than once for us! Times when we get home from being gone all day and there is nothing in the house to eat that is quick. Within a half an hour I can have hot pizza with a side salad and maybe some green beans ready to go.

• Precooked meats are nice too. When I have a recipe that calls for diced cooked chicken, I always cook twice the amount. Pull out what you don't need for that recipe and throw it into zip top baggies in 1-2 cup amounts for later use. These are nice for salads! Also, breakfast sausage is a great cook ahead meat. Buy the bulk ground sausage (cheaper than the premade patties) and cook it all up in patties like you normally would for breakfast. Just cook double or however much you bought. Lay the cooked patties on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and place in the freezer for a few hours. Now you have precooked sausage patties for breakfast. In a hurry one morning, pop a couple in the microwave while your eggs are cooking. Or place on a biscuit/bagel with some cheese for an "egg McWhatever" to go. Also, when you buy a package of bacon, split it up into serving sizes to fit your family (3 slices per person in the family kinda deal) and freeze these uncooked like you do the cooked patties. Then when you need bacon you are only thawing out the amount needed!

• Freezer marinades are a nice one. Buy a big bag of chicken breasts or a family sized package of beef cut however you like it when they are on sale. I have been told you can do this with tofu as well. (Hi Andi!) Divide the meat into zip top baggies in the portions you need for your family (4 people in your family, 4 chicken breasts in the baggie.) Pour in your favorite marinade. This can be store bought or homemade. Then place in the freezer. When you are ready to use them, put the baggie in a large bowl in the refrigerator for a few days to thaw. As the meat thaws it will marinade by itself. Cook as you normally would!

• Soups: Make a big pot of chili or veggie soup, pull out half and freeze in a large container or zip top baggie. Or freeze in individual portions for a quick meal. Simply thaw and reheat on the stove!

• Breads/rolls/biscuits: Make up your bread/rolls as usual. Allow to rise for the final time. Then bake for about 3/4 of the time you usually do. You are looking to get them to the point of being baked completely but not browned. Allow to cool completely and then place in a freezer bag. When you want to use them, allow them to thaw and then bake for the last 1/4 amount of time. You now have "Brown and Serve" bread just like from the store! Biscuits can be done like for the bread or they can be mixed up, cut out and then frozen unbaked. Allow them to thaw most of the way and then bake as usual, though you may need to increase the time a bit.

• Other ideas: 1:)Have a favorite crock pot recipe? Mix up a double batch of the ingredients next time you make it. Freeze one half of the uncooked ingredients for later use. Just like those expensive store bought ones. 2) Next time you have a meal that calls for diced onion, cut up a couple extra while you have the knife and cutting board out. Place in snack size freezer bags and use when you are in a hurry. 3) Buy bell peppers when they are on sale/in season. Wash, core and slice/dice them, place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and freeze over night. Next time you want a pepper omelet in the morning, pull out a hand full, toss in the microwave for 30 seconds or so and then add them in. Or if you have a recipe that calls for one pepper pull out a big handful (a large handful of sliced peppers for me is about equivalent to 1 whole pepper). 4) Short breads (muffins, banana nut bread, Amish friendship bread, ect.- those that do not use yeast but do use baking soda/powder) can be frozen after baking. These freeze wonderfully! Bake a big batch of your favorite muffins and then freeze the extra. In the morning, simply pull one out, warm it up in the oven or microwave, butter and enjoy! Bake a big batch of banana nut bread when "too old" bananas go on sale for $.20 a pound. Freeze the extra loaves. Thaw for a few hours and you have "fresh" bread that tastes as good as the day you made it. Honestly, freezer zucchini bread in the middle of winter has always tasted better to me than fresh baked.

I hope this gives you some helpful tips on how to make make ahead meals. Making meals from scratch can be a time consuming, tiring, and labor intensive process, but by doing a little thinking ahead, a little extra work here and there, and spending a few extra minutes at each meal, you can make it much easier and tastier!

First canning of the season!

Today I spent the day by taking a trip to the farmers market and then canning what I bought. I purchased 15 cucumbers of various sizes and 4 pounds of apples. All for about $5.00! Add that to the cucumbers I had picked from our plants and this is what I came up with!

That comes out to 13 jars of dill pickles- 5 sliced, 5 spears and 3 whole. And then 4 jars of peach applesauce. Not pictured are 5 jars of blueberry syrup. Plus 3/4 of a jar in the fridge for pancakes tomorrow. The blueberries were just bought at the grocery store but now I won't have to mess with making syrup anytime we want pancakes, waffles or sweet rolls.

I am looking forward to enjoying these lovelies this winter! And to much more canning this summer when our tomatoes come on and this fall when apples come on big time. I do so love canning the bounty God graciously give us!

Tomato, basil, mozerrlla pasta

Another wonderful, simple, whole foods meal recipe!

Who ever first decided to mix these things together should win an award!

Ingredients:

1 large tomato per person

1 cup dry pasta per person (what ever type you like)

diced block mozzarella cheese, to your liking (you can also use fresh cheese or shredded cheese)

dried or fresh basil, again to your liking (oregano is also good)

Put the pasta on to boil in a medium sized sauce pan. While this is cooking, dice your tomatoes and cheese and (if using fresh) mince up the herbs. When the pasta is al dente, pour into a colander. While the pasta is draining well, place the tomatoes and herbs in the pan. Cook on medium till heated through, falling apart, and fragrant. Add in the cheese and the pasta. Cook till the cheese is starting to melt. Dish into a bowl and enjoy! This also makes a nice cold salad.

Roasted chicken and veggies

Lunch today was baked/roasted chicken, potatoes, carrots and onions. It is a simple, easy, yummy meal so I figured I'd share! I would live to do more recipes like this where I walk you through step by step on how to make a simple meal. Just to show that you can make a good, healthy whole foods meal without too much effort. In total the prep time is probably 30 minutes! Then you can just sit back and relax while it is cooking, all in one pan!

I washed the potatoes and peeled the carrots and then cut them into a little bigger than bite sized pieces. I did the same with the onion. Place all those in a 9X13 inch pan, drizzle with olive oil. I then sprinkled on dried oregano and rosemary and powdered garlic. But please feel free to use what ever tastes good to you! Put that in the oven to bake while you get the chicken ready.

Skin a whole chicken. You can leave the skin in if you like, I just don't like. :o) Then cut it up into 8 pieces (2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 wings, 2 breasts). By the time this is done, the veggies will have begun to cook nicely. (You could skip the step and use a pre-cut up chicken or your favorite chicken parts- chicken breasts, legs and thighs, etc.)

Pull the pan out of the oven and stir the veggies. Place the chicken on top of the veggies and sprinkle with the herbs and seasonings. Place back in the oven to cook till done. Should take between 30-45 minutes. Till the chicken temps between 165-180.

Mean while, place the chicken carcass in a large pot and cover with water. Put a lid on it and place on the stove. Add seasonings if you wish but it is not necessary. Allow to simmer on the stove for 2-how ever many hours! :o) When done, pull the chicken from the water and allow to cool on a plate for a bit then using your hands, pick off any bits of meat you can find. Add to the chicken broth and place in quart sized zip top baggies (I usually do about 2 cups per bag). Lay them down on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer over night to get solid.

Now you have a nice meal and chicken broth for later use!

This is me!

I am a house wife. A stay-at-home mom. A home maker. I stay at home because we (Zach and I) made that decision a long time ago. It was not a decision we made lightly. We thought long and hard about it. There were many nights spent talking about it into the wee hours of the morning. There still are. We knew that by making this choice we would never own a brand new car or house. We knew we wouldn't be able to buy things just because we wanted them. But we don't want that either. We have to think about making our purchases. We have to save up. We have to pinch pennies. But we find those things fun, challenging, exciting even.

I do not feel I need to justify my not having a job. I do things here and there to bring in a little extra money on occasion but not because I feel I should but because I want to. Not because I have to but because I choose to. My husband is able to support us. Would a second income be helpful, sure! But it is not necessary. We don't need it, nor do we want it. We would much rather I be here. Taking care of our home, our children, and ourselves. And I do work. I work hard. I do not sit on the couch watching soap operas all day eating bon bons while filing my nails. I cook, plan meals, grocery shop, clean, do dishes, do laundry, play with my girl, garden (veggies), and make as much as I can from scratch (pie dough, pizza, bread, yogurt, casseroles, granola, baking mix, cream of chicken soup, gravy, chicken broth, pasta, desserts, pie filling, laundry soap). Could I buy most of those things from a store, sure! But I save us a lot of money by making them from scratch and they are much healthier. Could I do those things and still have a job, sure but maybe not as well or with as much attention to detail.

Have we chosen the hard life? In some peoples eyes, sure. But not in ours. We live a simple existence. We don't go out to eat for our birthdays and anniversary. Instead I make a favortie meal and dessert. We don't go out to the movies. Instead we head the the library and borrow a movie for free. We don't buy new clothes. Instead we shop at Goodwill, consignment shops, thrift stores, and yard sales. We don't go to high dollar salons. Instead I cut my husbands hair and I get mine cut at a beauty college for about $5. We don't buy pricey diapers. Instead we cloth diaper and use store brand disposables. We don't go on big vacations. Instead we go camping or to local parks and historical sites and maybe once every 5 years or so take a bigger trip. Still costing us no more than $500 or so.We live a reusable life instead of a disposable one. We use rags instead of Swifer dusters, sponges, paper towels. We use cloth napkins, cloth diapers, and towels. I am looking into using handkerchiefs this winter instead of tissues. Heck, I even use cloth "female products." Sorry guys!

Are we happy? For the most part, yes. Do we want more? Sure! Who doesn't? We want a home of our own. Land. A place to raise our children. In the country. A place for goats, chickens, maybe even a couple sheep. A place to grow, run, learn, live, breath! But we are willing to wait for that to happen. To slowly build up our savings. Are we planning to buy a quarter of a million dollar home? NO! Not by any means. An old farm house with a couple out buildings and a couple few acres would be fine with us.

Please don't get me wrong. I am not knocking those that do work! Both those that choose to and have to. I am not saying that it makes you a lesser wife, mother, father, husband, person! Not by any means. I am just stating our decision and why and how we make this decision possible. I can not count the number of times I have been looked down on because I choose to stay home. How many people have told my husband that I should get off my lazy good for nothing butt and get a job. And it hurts me. That people cannot accept the decision we have made.

We both sacrifice to make this choice possible for us. Zach works hard! He works a hard, physical job and comes home tired every morning. He works third shift so he can earn an extra dollar an hour. And this means that he is on a different sleep schedule as "L" and I. He gets home from work at 7am and goes to bed. We get up at 8am. He then gets up at 1 or 1:30 pm (after only 6 or so hours of sleep) to spend time with us. He then leaves for work at 5pm. We don't even eat a meal together the days that he works.

And how do I sacrifice? I miss my husband! I see him a matter of 3-4 hours a day on the days he works. And those hours he is tired and half out of it. I don't always get to buy the things that I want or "need". I am tired. Mentally, physically and often times emotionally.

But we are happy. So why can't people just be happy for us? Because we don't want the same things you do? Because we don't want the same things you want? I am sorry if our life style offends you. But maybe yours offends me. But it is not my place to tell you how to live it.

Quick Tip Tuesday: Chicken for salad

When ever I grill or pan cook whole chicken breasts, I always try to make at least one extra while I am at it. Then I cut it up into chunks or strips and freeze it in snack sized zip top baggies (usually half a chicken breast per baggie.) Then when I want chicken on a salad for lunch or a quick dinner, all I need do is pull out the chicken, rewarm it and I have a yummy topping for my salad. Super easy with out much extra effort!

Quick Tip Tuesday: Marinade Help

Next time you are making a marinade in a zip top bag, use this simple tip!

I was always having trouble with the liquids wanting to run out of the bag as I was adding the other ingredients because my baggie would fall over. Then I came up with an idea and have used it ever since. Take your gallon sized zip top bag and place it inside a gallon tea pitcher, then fold the edge of the baggie over the edge of the pitcher and fill. The pitcher will hold your baggie in place and not let the liquids run out. You can even add your gently meats and it will still hold strong. Then simply pull it off from around the rim and zip shut!

CSA: Community Supported Agriculture

We got our first box of fruits and vegetables from our CSA membership on Saturday and I thought I'd give you a peek. Lovely is it not? Everything looks so fresh and green smells wonderful!

So, what is a CSA?

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture (also called a CO-OP). At the beginning of the summer (the first of May was the cut off for ours) you sign up and buy a "share" (or in our case half a share) of what a local farm produces. We paid a set amount (ours is about $13 a week) and we will receive 8-12 pounds of fresh, organic, local produce each week for approximately 20 weeks. And by fresh, I mean FRESH! As in most of the items in our box were picked the morning of delivery. They can range in size from a few members to a few hundred. Ours has 54 members/families this year.

This is what our first box included:

• about a half a quart of fresh strawberries


• a bundle of radishes


• a bundle of green onions


• a nice sized bag of salad mix (this is a weekly item)


• 3 containers (like you would buy herbs in at the grocery store) of fresh Arugula, oregano and cilantro

The first few weeks boxes won't contain much but as the season progresses, the will get more and more fruitful!

In some ways I am a little nervous about the contents of these boxes as we will be introduced to some vegetables we have never tried before and I will have to get creative in the kitchen, trying new recipes and new ways of cooking these new foods. But at the time time, I am excited at this prospect as well. We have the opportunity to expand our culinary palate and push our "boundaries" a little when it comes to what we "think" we like and don't like. It also means I will have to get creative with the meal plans I make each week. From now on, I will get the CSA box on Saturday, search out recipes for the new and interesting items on Saturday, plan the next weeks menu on Saturday and Sunday and then grocery shop on Sunday or Monday. Phew! I am soo looking forward to this!

So, what some more information on CSA's?

Here is a link to a more detailed description of what a CSA is. Make sure too use the "Find CSA Farms" search to the right to see if there is a CSA near you to possibly look into.

Most CSA's are now closed to new members for the year, but maybe seeing mine this year will get you in the frame of mind to look into one for your family next year. They are a great way to help support your local farmers and a wonderful source of fresh, healthy, and sometimes organic foods!

Shepherd's Pie

I have always been a fan of this lovely, simple, old-timey meal. Meat, potatoes, vegetables and cheese all in one pan. How can you beat that? Way back when, Mothers used to make this out of the bits of meat and veggies they had left over and covered it with the cold mashed potatoes from last night. Now, in better times, it is just a tasty comfort food that sticks to the ribs. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef or turkey

2 cups hot mashed potatoes

4 ounces cream cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups frozen mixed veggies, thawed

1 cup gravy

1. Preheat your oven to 370` F. Brown the meat in a large skillet. (While doing this, cook and mash your potatoes.) Drain.

2. Mix potatoes, cream cheese, 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese, and the garlic until well blended.

3. Stir vegetables and gravy into the meat.

4. Spoon the meat mixture into a 9x9 inch square baking dish.

5. Cover with the potato mixture. Don't worry about it being perfectly even; the more imperfect it looks, the better.

6. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until it is heated through.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Notes: I choose to scoop the meat out of the pan, leaving the drippings. Then I made a simple gravy (about 3 tbsp. flour, 1 cup of milk, and the fat drippings.) This worked out just perfect for me and saved me from either dirtying up another pan or buying super salty jarred gravy. Also, make sure your veggies are completely thawed! Mine were not and so I ended up having to bake it for another 10 minutes. This did not harm it in any way, it just took longer to bake than I expected. You can also use instant mashed potatoes for the topping and it works out well. Just omit the milk from the package directions, that way when you mix in the cream cheese they stay fluffy.

All in all, we really enjoyed this! Zach took leftovers to work the next day and lots of his co-workers said it smelled and looked yummy and one of them said he remembered his grandmother making it for him.

Sausage Chili Bake

This was on last weeks menu to try and I said if it was good, I'd post the recipe. So, it was evidently good! :o)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1 small onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 tsp. garlic powder (or garlic salt, we just watch our salt intake)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (15 to 16 oz.) kidney beans, undrained
• 2 cups biscuit mix (store bought or homemade)
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350'F. Spray a 10-inch skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Cook sausage and onion in skillet for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender. Spoon into ungreased 9x9 or 8x8 inch baking dish. Stir in garlic salt, chili powder, tomatoes and beans.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients until blended. Pour over sausage mixture.
3. Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes or until crust is light golden brown.

Notes: There was quite a bit of liquid when it was finish cooking, though later the leftovers were less moist as some of the liquid was absorbed into the mixture. Next time I might drain a little of the juice off the tomatoes or beans. Also, the "pour over sausage mixture" is a joke. It is way to thick to pour! Instead, you have to spoon it on in lumps all over the top and then kind of spread it out. It will pretty well even out when it is baked. I also cut the sausage into smaller pieces. I cut it in half length wise and then sliced it into 1/4 inch thick pieces. I also used a little less than a pound and we didn't miss it. Between the beans and the sausage, I figured it was plenty of protein!

Makes 6-8 servings. Serve with green beans, a side salad or just by itself. Either way, it was quite tasty!

Frugal Tip Friday: Baked potato night

Looking for a frugal meal option? Once a week, institute a baked potato night! Potatoes are cheap! You can buy a 10 pound bag for under $4.00 and have about 25 to 30 medium sized potatoes. You can also buy larger "baking potatoes" as well, just stay away from the ones individually wrapped in plastic to the "baked" in the microwave as they are super pricey. They are really easy to make and can be topped with just about anything!

Preheat your oven to 350'F.

Scrub your potatoes well using a nail brush or veggie brush.

Jab a fork about 1/2 inch into each potato about 2 places on each side and once on each end of every potato.

Rub each potato down with oil (olive, veggie, canola, bacon grease, lard, ect.)

Place into a shallow baking dish or on a cookie sheet, not touching each other.

Bake at 350'F for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. They are done when the skin is slightly wrinkly and a fork goes in smoothly (should feel like when you boil potatoes for mashing.)

Serve with any of the following:

• bacon bits (homemade or store bought)


• shredded cheese


• sour cream (or plain yogurt)


• salt


• butter


• broccoli


• chives


• salsa
• Be creative!

You can also pair the potato with a side salad, a bowl of soup, or a cup of fruit. Bake a few extra while you are at it. They warm up great in the microwave for a light lunch the next day at work! Try a baked sweet potato. I usually bake some of each as my hubby likes the sweet potato and I can give some to my little "L" as she is starting solids and really enjoys making a mess on her tray with chunks of sweet potato!

This is frugal as potatoes are filling, inexpensive and yet still very yummy. You can add what ever toppings taste good for each family member and they are usually things you have on hand.

Quick Tip Tuesday: A (less) sticky situation

Next time you have a recipe that calls for honey use this quick tip to save you some frustration.

Spray the inside of the measuring cup or spoon that you are going to be using with a good layer of cooking spray. Or just rub it down good with some oil on your finger. Instead of sticking to the spoon like the last bits of honey usually does, it will run right on out! Saving you the trouble of having to scrape and scrape to get those last good drops out.

Quick Tip Tuesday: Veggie Soup from leftovers

Have you ever had just a few spoon fulls of left over vegetables and just didn't know what to do with them? Not enough for a leftover portion but you'd really hate to just throw it away. I really don't like throwing any food away! My husband works hard to earn the money to pay for that food.

So, instead of feeding it to the garbage disposal or landfill, how about making another yummy meal from it?

I keep a medium sized bowl with a tight fitting lid in the freezer. Anytime I have left over veggies that are just not enough to keep, I dump them in the bowl. That last scoop of green beans, corn, peas, carrots, potatoes (even mashed), broccoli, and so many more.

You can also put in cut up left over meat like chicken, pork, or beef. Even ground meat works. Those few bites of hamburger that your kiddo couldn't finish, brake them up and add it in. Bits of meat left on the whole chicken you cooked. That last chunk of steak that didn't get eaten. Cut them up and add them in.

When the bowl is full, thaw it out in the fridge, add it to some tomato juice with any seasonings you like and you have a yummy meal! Serve with fresh, warm bread for dipping and you are set!

This also doubles as a Frugal Tip as you are saving yourself money by not throwing away all those little bits of leftovers. Can you beat that? Frugal and tasty!

Italian Bake

This is a quick, simple and very good dish that could prove to be a favorite around the Lance house.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef or turkey
• 1 1/4 cups tomato pasta sauce
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 cups homemade biscuit mix or Bisquick mix
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 400'F. Spray one 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In a skillet, brown beef/turkey until brown; drain. Stir in 1 1/4 cups pasta sauce and the corn and heat to boiling; spoon into baking dish. Top with the mozzarella cheese. (In the picture I accidental forgot to put on the cheese and ended up putting it on the biscuit topping. It still turned out good. Do it how ever you like!)

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir biscuit mix, milk, and Parmesan cheese until a soft dough forms. Drop dough by 12 to 16 spoonfuls onto the meat mixture.

Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes or until topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the topping comes out clean. Serve topped with additional warmed pasta sauce if desired. (We didn't as it seemed fine without it.)

This makes approximately 6 servings. Pair with a salad, green beans and warm applesauce and you've got a tasty meal for a work night!

Mmm. Yum!

Homemade Applesauce

Peach and pear applesauce cooling on the stove.

I fondly remember eating warm, homemade applesauce growing up. My Grandma was the best at it. She'd put a bowl of still steaming hot apples on the table and I just couldn't wait to dig into them. They were chunky yet smooth. Warm yet just as good cold. And always so sweet and delicious.

Ingredients:
1- 3 pound bag of your favorite apples (any red variety works well, green tend to be too tart), peeled, cored and sliced thin or cubed into 1/2 inch pieces

Optional ingredients:
1 large can sliced peaches in light syrup
1 large can sliced pears in light syrup
cinnamon

Pour the peeled, cored and cubed/sliced apples into a big pot. Add in 1 can of sliced peaches (including juice) and 1 can of sliced pears (drain this one). This is optional but it does add a nice flavor and texture. If you choose not to add the canned fruit, add in 1/4 cup water to the apples.
Cover and simmer on medium low for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. The apples should be mushy and tender. If you stir it briskly with a spoon, they should start to break up.
When they have reached the desired consistency, mash then up with a potato masher, fork, spoon, or hand mixer (I prefer the potato masher) until they are (again) to your desired consistency. We like ours a little chunky still but you can get them as chunky or smooth as you like.
Dip up into containers and chill, eat warm, or freeze. This does freeze really well. This recipe makes about 4 of the containers seen in the picture above.

Get creative with the ingredients! Strawberries, pineapple, honey. I would love to come up with a cherry version but haven't yet figured that out.
I do have to be honest, I have done the math on this recipe and it is actually cheaper to buy jarred applesauce at the store. But it tastes so much better home made! :o)

Frugal Tip Friday: The Juice on Juice

I don't buy juice very often, though I really do love the stuff. Frankly, it just isn't very cost friendly. And it isn't really very good for you either. Fruit juice has all the "bad" parts of the piece of fruits, with out much of the good stuff. You get the sugar but none of the fiber. You do get the vitamins and flavor though.
When I do buy juice, I have found that the least expensive way to do so it to get it in frozen concentrate. It usually comes out to about $1.00 less per container. They are also super easy to keep in the freezer and pull one out whenever we are in the mood for a glass of juice with breakfast.
Also, one way you can save your self a little more money is to dilute it just a little bit more than is called for. Most frozen juice concentrates call to be mixed with three containers of water. Instead of the three, I usually do four and sometimes even 5, depending on the strength of the juice being used. I find the flavor to be strong enough and it makes it go that much further.
Also, make sure you are buying 100% juice!! We seriously don't need any more high fructose corn syrup in our diets and that is pretty much all you are getting with juices that aren't 100%. Would you buy an apple that wasn't 100% fruit?

Quick Tip Tuesday: Making french toast

I have been making french toast for years. We love the stuff around here! For years now, I have had one major problem with it though. When ever I mix together the egg, milk, vanilla and cinnamon, the cinnamon "runs" to the outside of the bowl and then doesn't get onto the bread. The other day I stumbled onto a solution for this.
Crack your egg into the bowl then mix in the cinnamon before adding anything else. After that is well whisked together, then add in the vanilla and milk.
The gooeyness (it's a word! in my dictionary at least) of the egg coats the cinnamon and allows to to not clump up so bad. Thus helping it to evenly spread though out the mixture. This gives each slice of bread a good coating of egg and cinnamon. Yum!

Crockpot BBQ and Cornbread Casserole

For those of you who know me personally, you know how much I love my crock pots! They make for such easy meals! I use mine mostly for days when my DH is off work. I can make us a big breakfast and then while cleaning up from it, I can start dinner. Then, come 6:00 that evening, dinner is hot, done, and yummy with little to know work! How much better does it get?

Anyway, here is a wonderful recipe I found at this ladies site and I just had to try it! I hope you might enjoy it as well!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of chicken, cubed a cooked through or mostly through (about 2 large chicken breasts do it.)
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed into 1 inch chunks (optional)
• one small onion, diced
• 1 cup frozen or fresh corn
• 1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce (18 oz)
• 1/4 cup warm water

Corn bread topping:

• 3/4 cup corn meal
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp baking powder

Directions:

I used a 4 quart crock pot for this and it was a great size! I know the sweet potatoes say "optional," but seriously, use them! In fact, I doubled it and used two. I don't normally like sweet potatoes but in this, they are great! They add a wonderful texture and flavor. Also, the first time I made this, I used the full recipe for the corn bread topping and it was just a little too much for our liking. I have since cut the recipe in half any time I've made it and it is about right. But, by all means, if your family likes cornbread, use it all!

Place the chicken, potatoes, onion, and corn in the crock pot. Squeeze in the entire bottle of BBQ sauce. Then pout the 1/4 cup of water into the bottle, close the top, shake and then pour into the crock pot. Mix it all together well with a spoon.

In a separate bowl, mix together all the corn bread topping ingredients. Spread on top of the chicken mix.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Makes about 4 to 6 decent sized portions.

The corn bread actually bakes in the crock pot and soaks up some of the good juices from the chicken mix. Serve with a side salad and some fruit and you have a wonderful meal!

Looking at the picture, I just wanna go whip up another batch! :o)

Chocolate Oatmeal Cake

Mmm. Chocolate cake! I have never been a big fan of chocolate cake. Then I found this recipe! Not too chocolaty. Moist. Chewy. And oooh so good!

Ingredients

• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 1/2 cups quick oatmeal
• 3/4 cup melted margarine or butter, melted
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup baking cocoa (the powdered kind)
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Get out your trusty mixing bowl and spatula.

Mix oatmeal and boiling water together the large mixing bowl. While that is sitting, grease one 9X13 inch pan or two 8 inch round pans. Add in the margarine and stir, making sure it is completely melted. At this point, it will look like runny oatmeal.

Add in the sugar and mix well. Then add in the eggs and beat till smooth and glossy. Add vanilla, salt, cocoa, and baking soda. Mix well. Add in the flour and mix well again.

Pour into your greased pan(s) and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Or till a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

See that little crumb on the plate to the left of the cake. Yeah, I ate that right after taking this picture! :o)

Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting, if you can wait that long. I have never used icing on it but I am sure it would be yummy with some. But it really doesn't need it!

This cake freezes really well!! I usually freeze all but a couple pieces to eat later. All you have to do is get out a piece, warm in the microwave for a minute or so and top with vanilla ice cream! A quick and easy dessert any day of the week.

Granola: Not just for hippies anymore!

Ingredients

This isn't so much a recipe as a guide to making granola. Granola is super expensive to buy in the store! And even though it is supposed to be "healthy" it is often packed with fillers and who knows what else. It is actually quite easy to whip up a batch!

Ingredient Options

• 2 cups Oats (the quick kind, not the old fashioned)
• 2 cups Rice cereal (like the kind to make rice crispy's)
• 1/2 cup peanuts (or any other kind of nuts)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk, butter scotch, white, any will do) You can also use M&M's
• 1/2 cup dried fruit
• 1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup raisins
• Anything else you can come up with

All but the top two are optional. It's your choice! Mix all of your choice of ingredients together (holding back the chocolate chips, raisins and dried fruit till after cooking). Once mixed well, pour it out onto a cookie sheet. You may need two, just make sure it is no thicker than 1/2 inch.

Granola before toasting.

Place the granola in an oven heated to 250 degrees. Toast it for 15 minutes, stir, toast again for 15 minutes, stir, toast, stir... Well, you get the point. Do this pattern till you have toasted the mix for 45 minutes to an hour. 45 minutes usually does it for me. Allow to completely cool before mixing in the dried fruit, chocolate, and/or raisins. Store in a sealed container. I keep mine in an old oats container.

The finished product!

Serve on yogurt, as cereal with milk, or just as is. It will keep on the counter for 2 to 4 weeks, but ours never seems to stay around that long. :o)