Freezer Cooking

I've been on Pinterest...

Freezer Meals.  What more needs to be said?  A few hours on a Saturday and you have meals for the whole week!  Whoo Hoo!!

I always make a menu for 2 weeks before shopping.  Whether or not we stick to that menu is usually determined by how motivated I am to make dinner when I get home.  So sometimes, some of those ingredients are wasted, or used for other things.  And the amount of money spent going out to eat, is significantly increased.  So, in an effort to curb our out to eat spending habit, I went ahead and planned the next 4 weeks.  And left Wednesdays for leftovers, Friday open and only planned for dinners on Saturday and Sunday.  This should help.  And if the meals are already prepped, and all that is required is re-heating...BONUS!!  I was determined to give this whole Freezer Cooking thing a try.

So first thing, I scoured my "Freezer Meals" board for recipes that I liked.  And recipes I "knew" I could get my family to eat.  And when I say "knew", I am still crossing my fingers and holding out hope since these are new.  New is kinda scary in my house.

I came up with these:  - I'm not posting recipes, that takes too much of my precious time - if you want them, click on the links :)
Garlic Honey Chicken - http://www.savingyoudinero.com/2012/06/12/1-hour-1-mess-5-crock-pot-meals/
Crock Pot Beef Burritos - modified from - http://www.savingyoudinero.com/2012/06/12/1-hour-1-mess-5-crock-pot-meals/
Teriyaki Pork Chops - modified from - http://www.savingyoudinero.com/2012/06/12/1-hour-1-mess-5-crock-pot-meals/
Italian Sausage Soup w/ Tortellini - http://dreamingofpoultry.com//content/10-freezer-meals-1-day
Chicken Fajitas - http://www.savingyoudinero.com/2012/06/12/1-hour-1-mess-5-crock-pot-meals/

I also had a few other things I wanted to try:
Banana Bread - just cause we hadn't had it in a while, and the bananas in the freezer were starting to pile up
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispy Treats - modified from - http://www.yourcupofcake.com/2012/01/1036.html
Pancake Bites -  theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com

So, first item on the agenda - do an inventory of the kitchen and make a grocery list.  I had a $165 budget to get groceries for these next 2 weeks.  If you know my family, and how much we eat, that is a VERY tight budget!  And of course I did go over.  BUT, only by $35 - and I blame it on school starting.  Those little things for "I don't like school burritos" days and some after school easy snacks, yeah, they added up quickly.  So I went over, but it was worth it.  I went shopping Saturday morning, and filled the counter by noon.



Time to get started!

I busted out all the recipes and looked for a recipe that had pre-cooked ingredients.  Only the soup did, so that was the first item on the agenda.  The soup is almost totally cooked beforehand (only the tortellini goes in when you are ready to eat) and needs to cool before freezing.  I stuck to this recipe and as the family started arriving home, they all had to check out the pot and tell me how good it smelled.  Too bad they have to wait 2 weeks to eat it!

Next, I started writing on all the bags.  I learned previously that writing on a wet (or even slightly moist) freezer bag...doesn't work!  So write on the bags first.  I put the name of the dish and any prep instructions, as well as any serving suggestions or side dish suggestions. 

Then following the directions for the recipes, I started filling bags. 

First up - Teriyaki Pork Chops - this turned into Teriyaki Steaks as I forgot to buy the pork chops on the grocery list, and we had steak in the freezer already.  So I transferred the steak, made up the sauce, and viola, first freezer meal complete!

Next - I also modified the Crock Pot Beef Burritos because I knew some of the ingredients would be iffy for my family.  We used steak tidbits instead of the London Broil it called for 1, because I already had it, and 2,  London Broil is spendy!  And I went with no peppercorns, no vinegar, no chipolte and used 1 packet of taco seasoning instead.  Cross your fingers.

Then - Garlic Honey Chicken - I should not have taste tested the sauce on this one!  Oh My Delicious!!  At this point in time, I doubled the sauce recipe and froze it all.  It is amazing!

Next - Chicken Fajitas - I followed this recipe almost exactly.  Since there is a certain person in our house who does not care for peppers, I put in a few less than it called for, and an extra piece of chicken. 

Next - I started on the Rice Krispy Treats - this recipe must be done in phases.  It was a little difficult as many of the ingredients kept accidentally getting on my fingers and making their way into my mouth (it's ok, my kitchen in not certified by the Health Board, we encourage licking our fingers - but NOT eating off the floor!!).  They were definately well worth the effort!  I did leave off the top layer (chocolate gnache) but I didn't feel it needed it.  And I was getting full :)  Of all the things that we made, this was by far the favorite!

After That - Pancake Bites - these were super simple.  Loved the idea!  I did modify the recipe and use just plain old pancake mix and regular pancake syrup.  I prepared the mix as directed and added just a couple of squirts of syrup to the mix.  Then poured into the greased muffin tin and topped with frozen blueberries, chocolate chips, and bacon.  And I made a couple just plain, just cause. I heated these up for the kids breakfasts this morning.  Hit Made. 

Lastly, was the banana bread.  I just love the smell of banana bread baking in the oven.  It was as good as always, Betty Crocker provided this recipe. 

So, when all was said and done, this is what I ended up with:

Meals for a few days of the week so I don't have to cook, and enough goodies to last at least through Wednesday.  It took a while, and I kept getting interrupted, but the time spent was well worth it. 

I'll be doing this again in 2 weeks, when the next cycle of the menu rolls around.  And in the meantime, I won't have to worry about cooking dinner, except for 5 times.  I think I can handle 5 times in 2 weeks :)

A Trip Down Ricky Lane

Whenever we go "North", we take 35.  And usually, 35 ends for us in Albert Lea.  Driving any further North, usually results in a bit of anxiety.  And that's one of the main reasons our trips are usually limited to Mankato, not any further North.  35 is a road filled with memories.  And I can hear my Dad saying "35 Dub-Ya" right now. 

It's been a really, really, really long time since Dad lived on Ricky Lane.  It's the house that has all the "growing up with Dad" memories.  We have wonderful memories in the "new" house.  Addie was never in the "old" house, all of her Grandpa Larry memories are in the "new" house.  But for me and Alicia growing up, this was the place.  The "Old" house. 

Yesterday, driving home from getting the kid and spending the weekend with Gramma Debbie, we were coming up on the turn.  And we decided to take it. 

I didn't even recognize the entrance!  I thought we had missed a turn somewhere.  The entrance was lined with beautiful trees and grass.  It was completely different than what I remembered, thank goodness there was a sign!  Even coming into the park, I wasn't sure I would remember where to go it looked so different.  Dad moved out of that house when I was 18 years old.  That was a while ago!  But I remembered. It was like coming home.  The turns pretty much made themselves.

The first thing I noticed was that the park Alicia and I played at so often, just in the backyard, was gone.  I started to think I was going the wrong way.  Then I saw it...

Ricky Lane.  There it was, the street.  It was time to take the turn.  Alicia was on the phone with me, it felt like she was there with me, minus that we would be holding hands in real life.

The strangest feeling came over me.  I couldn't and still can't tell you what it was.  It was just this strange feeling.  Anxious, Happy, Pride, Scared, Sad, and about 50 million other emotions.  All rolled into 1.  Memories were racing through my mind by this point. 

My girls were with me.  We pulled up in front of the house and just looked.  Thank goodness no one was home, they probably would have thought we were some crazy stalker folks.  Really, who pulls up in front of your house and sits there to cry for a few?  That was us.  I just needed to see it again. 

The house looks almost exactly the same.  I took pictures, but won't put them here to respect the new family.  But, I could tell it was the exact same house...by the front door.  It's a new color, there were gorgeous plants everywhere, a cute swing set in the yard, the patio had new "railings" (for lack of a better word).  It was beautiful.  Someone was loving this house and making new memories with their little girls (I say girls only because the 2 little bikes out front, were Pink Princess bikes), just like our Dad had done with his little girls. 

Alicia even asked me, "Are you sure it's the same house?  Go look at the back door."  Didn't need to, the bush gave it away.  When he was still there, it was a lonely bush.  One bush out front, growing up in the tongue of the trailer.  It's still there.  And it's beautiful.  And it's surrounded by beautiful flowers, and new pretty bushes.  But it's still there, in all it's glory. 

We sat for a spell and I told my girls about growing up there and a few stories of how it used to look and the shed he built for the snowmobile that was still standing out back.  About the way there was a path worn into the backyard hill leading to the playground that was no longer there.  About how I remembered when the patio overhang went up.  And the door.  It was the same front door.  Still after all these years, and all the changes to the house, the front door remained the same. 

Then we drove up to the pool and I told them about all the summer days we spent in that pool.  That was where I learned how to do a somersault, front flip, and dive.  That was where Alicia and I had matching swimsuits - but not matching haircuts.  That was where Dad taught us how to properly launch a Canonball for the biggest splash possible.  For a skinny guy, he could sure make a splash!!

There was so much emotion, and I still had to drive 250 miles.  It was time to go.  We drove out, and I got lost, the other entrance is totally different.  Thank goodness Mariah has a good sense of direction!  We made it back to the highway and were on our way to Our Home.  The home where D and I make these memories with our little girls.  The home that someday will hopefully bring them the same nostalgic feelings when they crazy stalk it. 

Aha moment of the trip, homes are just homes.  But the memories you make in those homes are what's important.  Make the memories.  Give the kids, and yourself, something to hold on to.  And something to tell their kids about. 

The very best part, that morning, we were sitting out on the patio at the "new" house just chatting and enjoying some girl time talking about the absolutely beautiful gardens Debbie has created and talking about some of the silly things Dad would say and do, and we were accosted by a Dragonfly.  And this Dragonfly, would not go away.  We didn't shoo him, we watched in amazement as he circled and circled and circled all of us girls.  He landed a few times, never far away, still within sight.  I believe that those who love us are never truly lost, they come back and check on you when you don't even know it.  But we knew it.  He stopped to say Hey.  And show us that no matter what, he's still with us, and he still loves us, and he will always be with us, no matter what form he takes, he will always be there.