Freezer Meals

Okay, so I really hadn't planned on doing any stocking the freezer, but it sort of just happened to work out. Now, I am so glad it did. I posted a LONG time ago on making a bunch of meals for the freezer before Jake was born. I spent over 10 hours that day standing on my feet cooking at about 34 weeks pregnant. At the end of the day, the freezer was stocked, and I thought at first I had sent myself into labor. Not the wisest plan I've ever had, mind you. Occasionally, if I make a casserole or lasagna or anything else that I know will also freeze well, I will make one for dinner and an extra for the freezer. I just haven't done another marathon freezer session - until now.

The other day, I was surfing the internet looking for recipes for dinner. Connor had been really fussy during naptime and was asleep on top of me while I "shopped" for dinner ideas. I had made a spiral ham for dinner the night before and ran across a recipe that I could use to use up the ham. Sarah Spooner, who I worked with what seems like forever ago at the Medical Center, has a food blog that I was looking at when I ran across her "freezer sandwiches". I realized she had some other freezer recipes that sounded pretty good, too. It sparked a desire to do another big cooking day since Jason is about to start a string of night shifts. It will be the boys and me for a few days, but I would like to have dinner for Jason before he heads to work.

The "Before" Pic

I think I did really well. This was the EASIEST thing to do. There are no fancy recipes here, peeps. It is just easy, peasy family friendly eats. I don't think anyone is going to say, "Well, the Smiths are coming for dinner, we better thaw out the sloppy joes." However, for a quick and easy meal, who needs fancy? I picked a day that Jason was off, but truthfully I have been able to do all the cooking while the kids have been playing, napping, or last night after they went to bed. I am telling you - totally doable for even those with little kiddos. And for less than $200 in groceries, we have a TON of meals. I picked things that were quick and easy to prepare, quick and easy to prep once I got out of the freezer, and things that I didn't have to buy a ton of groceries to make.

My "must have" supplies include: foil containers with lids (I buy these at Sam's for about $13 for 25 lids and pans - they are a staple here for when I want to make someone dinner or if I know that what I am cooking is messy and just want to throw away a container rather than wash it), foil squares for wrapping sandwiches (you could just use foil you have), and gallon sized zip lock bags.  Anything that can go in a freezer bag (like the sloppy joes) can be placed in the bag, air smoothed out, and then spread the contents so that the bag is flat. Place it on a pan in the freezer to freeze and once it is frozen, then you have a very thin package to store in the freezer versus a bulky bag. Everything gets labeled with a trusty Sharpee, along with cooking instructions, and arranged in the fridge.

Here is the breakdown of what I made and how much I got from each (click on the item to go to the page with the recipes) I am WAY too lazy to type these out.

Chicken Spaghetti (recipe below - no link) 2 pans
Pioneer Woman's Sloppy Joes (2 bags - I can probably get 4 sandwiches out of a bag)
Pioneer Woman's Dr. Pepper Spicy Shredded Pork (I got 3 bags of this to use for tacos and pulled pork sandwiches)
Paula Deen's Chicken and Rice Casserole (1 pan)
Freezer Ham and Cheese Sandwiches (I got 16 sandwiches using my leftover ham)
Spaghetti Sauce (I got 4 large bags of sauce for pasta and pizzas)

Here is how the cooking schedule went. I put on the pork during naptime yesterday since it has to cook for 6 hours. While Jake ran around and Connor hung out in the bouncy seat, I took about 20 minutes yesterday afternoon to assemble sandwiches. After the boys were in bed, I pulled the pork and bagged it. This morning, I put the chicken onto boil, and once it was ready, I shredded it using my KitchenAid mixer (great tip from Pinterest). I had enough left over for chicken salad. While Connor napped this morning and Jake watched an episode of Thomas the Train, I mixed the 3 casseroles and let them cool. During naptime, I made sloppy joes and spaghetti sauce. Easy, easy... I also had made a batch of meatballs a while back for the freezer, and if anyone is interested, I will be happy to give that recipe. They are similar to meatloaf, but you just take out what you want, mix up a sauce of ketchup/brown sugar/ and a few other things, and pop them into the oven without even thawing.

The "After" Pic - this is in our garage fridge minus the 4 bags of spaghetti sauce that are still cooling

Recipe for Chicken Spaghetti (courtesy of Brenda Gay) - makes 2 casseroles - halve ingredients for one casserole
8 chicken breasts
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans cream of celery soup (I use one can cream of celery and 3 cans cream of mushroom)
16 oz spaghetti noodles
2 sticks butter, melted
6 slices white bread

Boil chicken breasts in water and shred. Cook noodles in broth from chicken. Mix noodles, chicken, soups, and cheese in a large bowl. Pour into 2 casserole dishes. If you are cooking them now, tear up the bread and put on top of casseroles. Melt the butter and pour on top. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. If you are going to freeze, leave off the butter and bread. Cover and freeze. When you are ready to cook the casserole, thaw it completely, then top with bread and butter and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until heated and bubbly.
*Parmesan cheese is good on top and you can always add more butter/bread and cheese to the recipe

Tall Ships and a Little Sandwich

On Saturday, I took Jake and Connor downtown to the Tall Ships Challenge. I originally thought that this was something that happened every year, so I had just about decided not to go because Jason was working. Downtown Savannah, although beautiful, is becoming flooded with tourists this time of year. Parking isn't easy, and traveling with 2 children that can't really help out in any kind of way is a daunting task. However, I learned that this is the first time that Savannah has hosted a Tall Ships Challenge in either 12 or 15 years (I can't remember which). So then I really felt the need to see this since everyone kept telling me how cool it was. The ships dock on River Street for the weekend, and if you buy a ticket to the festival you can get on and off the boats to tour. The ships leave on Monday and race to NY and NJ, then head to Nova Scotia.

I have said before that our day goes much smoother if I get up around 6, feed Connor, shower and dress myself, THEN get Jake out of the bed. By doing this, I can feed Connor once again after Jake has breakfast and is dressed and we can all head out the door for whatever activity we want. We left the house shortly before 9, and I managed to get a prime parking spot. For those who don't know, River Street in Savannah is accessible by car (which I have no desire to do), by elevator (on one end), several ramps made of cobblestone, and very steep flights of death stairs. So with the Cadillac of a double stroller (this thing is HEAVY as hell) the only options are the ramps and elevator. I parked far from the elevator, so we bounced down the cobblestone ramp. The gates had not opened to the festival so we people watched on River Street. Once the gates opened, we entered to look at the ships. I think Jake said "bo" for boat and "fwag" (flag) about 1,000 times. He loved looking at all the ships. We couldn't get on any of them due to the massive stroller, but it was fun all the same. There were food vendors and art vendors. We enjoyed some cherry Italian ice :) Here are a ton of pics from the day:

I am so glad the we went because it was really cool. There was even a parade. Well, there was this band that walked down the road and played. My sweet Jake clapped the whole time.

With all the cool factor aside, let me say that it was 90 degrees by 10 am that morning. Do you see this?

Yeah, well it's not light all by itself. Add to that the children, diaper bag, camera bag, and the coconut pirate head I bought for Jake's new pirate room. Okay, okay, so you see this. Well, how about this?

This ,my friends, is at the end of River Street leading back up to Bay St where my car was parked. The car and the elevator were on opposite ends. Usually I think things out a little better, but I was afraid I wouldn't find parking the farther I got down Bay St., so I snatched up a handy dandy street space right near a fire hydrant so no one could park in front of me. Well, since we were down on this end of River Street anyway, and the car was just right near the top of the hill along the street, I decided to brave it. I was already sweating like I had run a mile. For those of you who are unaware, I do not do the pretty sweating thing. No siree, if I get hot, I sweat like a man, my face gets about 10 shades of red, and even my hair gets damp. At this point, there was a shower in my future so I braved the hill. Holy Mother...By the time I got to the top, I think I might have a had a small heart attack. There was a lady that said, "Goodness, that sure looks like a workout." I might have bitten her if I could have. As it were, I couldn't even manage a sentence to comment, but I think my eye roll my have conveyed my feelings toward her at that moment. I should probably hit the gym soon...

I haven't included any recipes lately. I have been cooking like crazy, but I haven't come across anything that I wanted to post. I made these little sandwiches the other night. On the blog where I got them, the lady said that they were in her top 10 meals ever. Okay, maybe she doesn't cook that much. I definitely won't say that, but they were pretty good and easy. Here is a pic - excuse the lousy pic, I am sooo not a food stylist.

Chicken Swiss Sandwiches

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped

1 1/2 tsp butter

1 garlic clove, minced

2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

1/2 cup sweet roasted red peppers (from jar), chopped

1 TBSP honey mustard

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

12 Rhodes frozen dinner rolls, thawed (you can get these at Wal-Mart or other grocery stores)

2 TBSP melted butter

Thaw dinner rolls. The package says a few hours, but it only takes about 30 minutes or so. Press the rolls into about 5 inch circles onto a greased cookie sheet. I tried a rolling pin first, but it worked better to just use my hands. I didn't measure, I just tried to get them about the same size.

In a skillet, combine the 1 1/2 tsp butter, mushrooms, onion and cook until tender. Add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds or so. Add the cooked chicken, peppers, seasoning, salt, honey mustard and stir to heat through. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Place a small amount of mixture in the center of one of your circles of dough, leaving a rim of dough exposed around the outer circle. Place another piece of dough on top and press the edges to seal. Brush the tops with a little melted butter and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Work Hard, Play Hard

Now it's back to grind. Around these parts, it has been a wonderful week. Jason has been off for the past 5 days, and he heads back to work tonight. He managed to spend most of the day with us today, so it has felt like 6 days off. It has been WONDERFUL having him home, and it is during these times I find myself thanking God for sending such a great man to me. I feel blessed. He is such a great dad, and I love watching him spend time with Jake. I could go on and on, but I will save that for another post and just ramble about our past week.

We have enjoyed just spending time together. The Jakeman is FAST!!!! I mean, this little tiny man can RUN. I have a hard time keeping up with him in the house, so most of the time going out to the playground takes more energy than I have these days. With Daddy in tow, we headed over to the playground. I chose the sand playground over the one with the wood chips because a) no one is ever there and b) the little man is not as hard to catch due to the sand slowing him down!! After running around for about an hour, he was exhausted. Here are the pics from the playground.

The poor child came home with several new knots on his head due to the swing popping him in the head while he was trying to play with the big swing. He was so hungry when we got home that he ate and ate. I gave him some peach salad to finish his meal, and apparently the spoon (which he had been using) was not working fast enough. Jason and I happened to look at him at the same time. We couldn't help but laugh because this boy was shoveling this stuff in as fast as he could get it!!!

The boy was growing a quasi-mullet, so he got his first haircut January 19th. He got a little concerned when they first put the cape on him, but a Bubblegum flavored DumDum cured any hesitation. He sat there patiently and drooled pink drool all over the cape while he got a new 'do.

On Saturday, we made a last minute decision to head to the circus. Ringling Brothers was in town, and the Jakeman sat for 2 and 1/2 hours watching the circus! By the end, he was getting antsy because it was about an hour past the usual nap time, but he did really well. We heard a lot of "Oh, Wow!" during the performance, and he pointed at everything. It was really cool just watching his little face.

We have wrapped up the weekend with church, grocery trips, and naps. For dinner tonight, I made these. I found the recipe on Pinterest, and I have seen other variations that are made with Hawaiian Sweet Rolls and onions. These were pretty yummy, and I will make them again. If you need a quick and easy dinner, give them a try.

3 Ingredients, a Crockpot, and a Craft for Good Measure

A while back, my sister, Becky, told me about this "BBQ" chicken. I put the BBQ in quotes because there is nothing in it that hints that it might taste like BBQ. I decided to make it one night because (A) it was easy and (B) I had all the stuff at the house. I grew up LOVING the chicken that was cooked over an open fire pit - usually at some church event or fundraiser or at the BBQ places where I grew up. It was yummy and had a vinegar based mop sauce that was brushed on while it cooked. Anyway, I made this recipe, and after adding a little BBQ sauce, it does taste like that chicken. I was unusually surprised. I gave this recipe to my friend, Heather, a while back, too. I happened to ask her if she had made it, and she said that it was in their regular rotation because it is so easy. You can use whatever type of BBQ sauce that you want, but I am in love with Stubbs Spicy Sauce. I don't know what Mr. C.B. Stubblefield puts in the stuff, but if you like spicy sauce, this is YUMMY!! Here is the recipe - forgive me as there are no exact measurements.

1 package boneless, skinless chicken breasts (you can use bone in or any other part of the chicken that you want as well)
2-3 whole pepperoncini peppers (I used the sliced ones and put more in because I like them)
Pepperoncini pepper juice from bottle of peppers - less than half the bottle, it will not cover chicken
About half a packet of dry Italian Dressing

Okay, see what I mean? These ingredients do not make sense. Anyway, you throw them in the crockpot and cook for about 6 hours on low or 4 hours on high. Shred the chicken and add  BBQ sauce. You can take out the peppers or leave them in. I personally like them, so I leave them in. Excuse the pictures for this entry - I was in a hurry tonight.

I have become addicted to the Pinterest site. For those of you who don't know, it is an online bulletin board of sorts for ideas. I had heard about it but didn't really see that it sounded very cool, so I stayed off - until recently. I decided to surf over and check it out. Holy moley!! You can find anything on there. You can create your own boards depending on interests and pin the things you like to your boards for future reference. I was also determined not to pin a bunch of stuff that I never looked at again. I found some little apothecary type jars that a lady had made. Hers were filled with candy corn and spelled BOO for Halloween. I went to the craft store the other day, and bought supplies. Here's what I came up with using wooden bases, wooden candlesticks, smooth Mason jars, wooden letters, some spray paint, and ribbon. And no, I haven't decorated the house for Christmas - yet. I will give myself until next week, and then I don't know if I can wait any longer. If I have to put it up and take it down, I want to be able to enjoy it as long as possible people...

Unfilled jars

And the finished product with peppermints

Okay, and now just because. This little man ran through the house naked as a jay bird once I took his diaper off. I turned around after throwing the diaper away, and he was already down the hall squealing with laughter. He thought Mama Chase the Naked Baby was the most fabulous game ever. Hehe.

If only I were this cute running naked...

Make it Tasty

Okay, so the theme for the week of the photo challenge is "Make it Tasty". I had to giggle (and whip out the trusty camera) the other afternoon when Jake got his first spaghetti meal. This little collage was my submission for the week. He thoroughly enjoyed himself, and I enjoyed watching the little man eat.

In the last week, we have been trying to eat food that we have here, but since Heather and I ventured out to the farmer's market last Saturday, I thought I would post the recipe for the Fried Green Tomato BLTs that I made with my green tomatoes from the farmer's market. Then, tonight I whipped up some food for Ashley's shower tomorrow. I thought that I would share 2 of these recipes as well since all of these things are great summertime recipes. And I do love summertime recipes. The 2 sides are a Greek pasta salad that my friend, Holly, shared with me years ago. It has become a summer staple (and also appears in the winter at times). I love how colorful it is, and it only takes a few minutes to make. The other is a grape salad. Once again I will credit Holly with telling me about this one. It is quick and easy as well. I hope that you can enjoy the yummy foods of the summer, as well.

                                 Fried Green Tomato BLT (courtesy of Southern Living)

2 or 3 green tomatoes, sliced

1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. cornmeal

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 c. buttermilk

salt, pepper (I omitted these and used some Cajun seasoning)

Heat 1/2 inch of oil in iron skillet. Combine wet ingredients and in another bowl combine dry ingredients. Dredge slices of tomato in mix of cornmeal, flour, and seasonings. Dredge in buttermilk and egg mix, and then back into flour mix. Fry until golden brown on both sides

French bread

Bacon, fried

Lettuce

Avocado slices

Remoulade (I bought the yummiest creamy salsa that went with this soooo well) If you   live in Jackson, and have a chance to go the farmer's market, there is an older African-American lady that sells salsa. Yummo...

Combine fried green tomatoes, bacon, lettuce, remoulade or other sauce, avocado slices on thick slices of french bread and prepare to be in Heaven :)

Greek Pasta Salad



Box of bowtie pasta

Grape tomatoes, halved

Cucumber, diced

Chopped black olives

Marinated artichoke hearts

Feta cheese, I use the blends of Mediterranean herb or Garlic

can of Chickpeas

packet of Zesty Italian Dressing (prepared according to directions)

Cook the bowtie pasta according to directions on box. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. I never measure. I just add to my liking. Stir in cooked pasta, and refrigerate. Add feta just before serving.

Grape Salad

2 lbs red grapes

2 lbs green grapes

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup nuts, chopped

Wash grapes and pat dry. Mix next 3 ingredients with mixer and stir in grapes. The recipe states to fix this in a 9x13 dish and then top with brown sugar and nuts. Since I did this in the trifle bowl, I filled it halfway, sprinkled some brown sugar and nuts, then filled it up and repeated with brown sugar and nuts. This is best refrigerated overnight to allow the brown sugar to melt and soak into dish. Yum...