Freezer Hoarder

So I went a little overboard on the freezer meals -we are prepared to feed a small army.  We have food to feed us for about a month.  I packaged everything in servings for four just in case we have company.

This is the link to the website that gave me everything I needed to make all this food- http://onceamonthmom.com
I just learned that there is now a membership fee of $8 per month to get the menus, recipes, shopping lists, labels etc- which is a really great deal.  Luckily, I printed my info before the membership - but it was so well organized that I would pay the $8 fee in the future.  Below are some of the delicious Meals that I made.  I have enough to feed us each of these about three times more if it is just Kev and I dining.

• Kale Bacon Cheese Breakfast Casserole
• Cinnamon Rolls
• Chicken Salad with Apricots
• Pizza Dough
• Roasted Garlic Mac and Cheese
• BBQ Short Ribs
• Bacon Crusted Pork Tenderloin
• Southwest Skillet with Cornbread
• Coconut Chicken

To save some money, I went to a local Asian Market to get as many ingredients as I could.  This store has great fresh produce at extremely low prices.  I was really able to get the majority of my ingredients there,  it is always fun to pop into this store so many fun things to look at.

 Overall I spent around $150 for all the ingredients (and had some herbs/ baking ingredients, and cheese left over).   I see this process as a big money saver.  The biggest challenge I had was being on my prego feet for hours making everything so I broke up the cooking over three days and had my husband help out.  I was able to taste a few of the dishes before freezing them and I was really happy with how they came out.

Even if I did go a bit overboard, it is nice knowing that we have some quick easy meals that just need a few hours of thawing and reheating.

Use Your Noodle

We have made a discovery in the kitchen.  All the cooking shows always say salt your water when making pasta, "it should taste as salty as the sea" - well, one day- I decided to try it.

And guess what?  It works! it transforms your pasta from a filmy, gummy, semi sweet wiggly tubule, to a deep flavorful noodle that stands up to that garlicky tomato sauce.  So now you know.

image from http://moreintelligentlife.com/content/edward-carr/last-days-polymath

Oh My Sweets

I have a sweet tooth and I do believe this baby has a sweet tooth.  I have been dreaming of cake, no really I have, I really have wonderful dreams of eating dark chocolatey velvety cake, soft luscious vanilla cake with colorful sprinkles, cake moist with strawberry filling... mmmm....and then I wake up and think of cake the rest of the day- oh my...

This week, Kev had the idea of trying some chocolate covered strawberries and while they are not cake, they are very very delicious and you can sneak in a little fruit....shh don't tell baby.  Our secret to making them extra special is the chocolate chips.  I think Guittard Chocolate Chips are the best.  They are a little more expensive but so so worth the extra few dollars.  This chocolate tastes like really thick heavenly chocolate- no waxy texture.  It is perfect for melting and actually hardens up around the berries nicely after just a few minutes in the fridge.  What semi healthy desserts help ease your cake cravings?  Anyone, please share these are desperate times....

*strawberry image from pixmule.com

Cookie

One of my favorite things about Christmas time is the idea of making Christmas Cookies.  It is just so fun and glamorous, standing there in an nice pretty apron- glittery sprinkles, colored sugars neatly layed out on the counter, the sweetness wafting from the steaming hot oven... This is how it is at least in my head.....

In reality, it is a bit of a disaster and I always end up making more than one kind overwhelming myself with complicated, recipes, bake times, temperatures.  Flour is in the air- on the cupboards, sugar is sprinkled across the floor and every dish will dirty with no room on the counters.  But I love eating them so- tomorrow night that is what I am going to do.  Bake three kinds of cookies, after work and then eat them. 

Will share some recipes if they turn out.  I found this little santa mug last year at a thrift store, it is so old that all the paint has chipped off his sweet little face.  I think it is the cutest.

A Fish Story...

Last night we had some friends over and decided to make ahi tuna as an appetizer and salmon and roasted Veg for the main.  Plan A for cooking the salmon did not work and last minute we decided to pop the salmon into the oven. The aroma wafted through the kitchen.  It was delicious at 7pm with our Red Wine and caramelized brussel sprouts.  Around 8 the fish still lingered in the air while we nibbled our berry pie and ice cream.  That sneaky fish was still around when we went to bed at 11 and when I tossed and turned at 2am.  Things were just out of control though at 6am when we pulled ourselves out of the warm covers into the cold dark.... fish filled air- eww gross!  No more cooking fish in the house wah... wah.

 Today was our first day back to work after vacation- it was a long one.  Can't wait til friday ;)

Missing the Weekend Already!

Weekend you were great.  My weekend started on Thursday running around looking for Creme Fraiche -(which was no where to be found) for my first real baking adventure in years.  My sister bought me a copy of this super cute book- so pretty to have in your kitchen even if you don't bake.  The pages have scalloped edges and the pictures are really great.

I made the lemon shortbread cookies and they came out very nicely. So fun to make something from scratch.  We gobbled them all up- delicious.  The rest of the weekend included a birthday party, a comedy night in the city, sleeping in late, a cold dark beer at the pub with my love, and a full sunday afternoon of cooking and preparing meals for this week.  A few shots of the weekend, be back soon...Betty