Freezer Cooking 101

It's a Snow Day....or I should more correctly say "ice day" so I thought it would be the perfect time to revisit freezer meals. I hope to put some together later today to "feed the freezer" so to speak.

Containers for Meals:

• Freezer Bags: Obviosly the most "space friendly" storage container is a Ziploc freezer bag (for freezing I tend to us a name brand rather than generic because I feel like they are better quality for freezing but use your own judgment). Make sure you squeeze all the air out of them and that they are sealed completely. Once they freeze they stack nicely on a shelf and they are GREAT for crockpot freezer meals.
• Aluminum Pans:  Pictured above are some aluminum pans I picked up at Dollar Tree. I haven't used them yet but I think I will wrap them in foil also as a double layer of protection. Pans are great for casseroles to freeze.
• Plastic wear. There's lot of freezable plastic ware out there. My main problem with it is storage. If it's not full in the freezer it takes up a lot of space and a lot of organization on my part to keep up with it. It also tends to take up more space in the freezer too and I have limited space. It is still an option though for those that like using it.

Cooking sessions:

A couple years ago I came across a "cooking session" that outlined step by step the way to create about 7 meals using chicken and ground beef. Most of the meals were stored in freezer bags. The most important thing about your cooking sessions is that it is important to plan them out and have things on hand for your session. To do this pick 3-4 recipes that you know you like and that will freeze well. Make an ingredients list and have all the items on hand. Then start cooking!  I also find it very helpful to brown extra ground beef and keep it in freezer bags for tacos, spaghetti sauce etc. It's not a whole freezer meal but it saves lots of time!

A Favorite Recipe:

Pineapple Dump Chicken:

 

1/2 lb  chicken pieces (breasts or thighs)
1/2 cup  onion, chopped
1/4 cup  butter, melted
1/2 cup  ketchup
1 cup  pineapple preserves      
2 teaspoons  dry mustard
1 cup  pineapple tidbits

Directions:

For immediate cooking: Pre-heat oven to 350°F Place all ingredients into a large baking dish, turn chicken to coat. Bake until chicken juices run clear (45-60 minutes for chicken pieces, or 20-30 minutes for chicken breasts).

For freezing: Place all ingredients into a 1 Gallon freezer bag. Lay flat in freezer.
To thaw and cook: Take the bag out of the freezer the night before, make sure the bag is sealed completely.

For the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F Empty the contents of the bag into a large baking dish and bake until the juices run clear (45-60 minutes for chicken pieces, or 20-30 minutes for chicken breasts).

For the crockpot: cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 or until done. 

On the grill: cook over medium heat until juices run clear.

 

Recipe Source: Food.com

 

I don't think this is the site I original got the recipe from but it has the same ingredients as the one I use. I freeze this in a freezer bag and usually make it in the crock pot. I like to serve it over fluffy white rice. Yummy!

Menu Planning

If you have read any of my posts the last few years here at Month by Month you know that I have played around with quite a few versions of menu planning. Some I found too simple, some I found too complicated to stick with, and others I used for quite a while before getting off track. Regardless of the plan I was always amazed that we seemed most satisfied with plans that revolved around the same group of recipes. Too many uses of our favorites and we got bored with the meals. Too few uses of our favorites and we felt like we were in a strange country with strange food! LOL

Recently I've really had the urge to stream line menu planning. I came up with a plan that uses favorites and also allows for variety. Using some tried and true recipes allows me ease in planning my grocery shopping and stocking the cupboard. Many of our favorites I have memorized and don't even need the recipe card.  Yet I also wanted to include variety and a way to try new recipes.

 

Hence I created a Menu Rotation rather than a monthly menu plan. This contains 5 weeks of our favorites. Thursday is blank because that is typically my "girls night out" so no cooking for me. Five weeks assures that we won't be eating the same things too often.

 

 

Then because I wanted the chance for a bit more variety and I wanted those slots for new recipes I created Bonus Weeks.

 

The plan works like this:

 

1. The basic rotation is the five week plan. I simple work through it then start over again on those five weeks.

 

2. The Bonus Weeks can be inserted wherever and however I want.  So after the basic five week rotation I can pick any Bonus Week I want and do it before returning to the five week rotation. Or if I want more variety I can insert a Bonus Week in the rotation elsewhere. So I might do Weeks 1 and 2 of the basic rotation then insert a Bonus Week use two more of the basic rotation and then insert another Bonus Week. Really it's all up to me! This allows me to make use of pantry items too or things in the freezer before they expire.

 

Some of the items on the Rotation and on the Bonus Weeks are things I do not need recipes for BUT some I do. I'm tired of trying to remember where these recipes are located. I've tried binders, making a list of which cookbook they are in, etc.

 

I solved that problem using my old tried and true recipe box. I created dividers that say Week 1, Week 2 etc. for the main rotation and then dividers that say Bonus 1, Bonus 2 etc. for the Bonus Weeks. I then filed any recipe that I need for that week behind the correct divider. I am also using this for new recipes to try. So if I find a recipe that I want to try, I file it behind a bonus week so I have it handy when it's time!

I think this is simple enough, uses enough "family favorites" and yet allows for new recipes. It has certainly made grocery shopping planning and meal time a lot simpler.

Here's a tip though for when the week gets crazy and you need to change something. Simply write the menu change on a tiny post it note and stick it over wherever the change needs to be made. So for example if I have a meeting Monday night I might want to switch that meal to a slow cooker recipe from later in the week. I simply write it on the sticky and put it on the correct date... TA DA....the switch is made and I still have my original menu form clean and ready for the rotation to continue.

I don't know if you struggle with menu planning as much as I do but perhaps something in this idea will help or work for you!

Fall Menu Challenge

Over at Cranberry & Company I'm hosting a Fall Menu Challenge. The goal is to develop menus for September, October, and November. I'd love to have you join in.

I've already posted the first two recipes: Confetti Casserole and Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs. It's just getting started so I invite you to join in the fun.  I'd also love for you to join the Facebook Cranberry and Company group. Just request to be added and I'll be glad to do it!

If you have a blog and would like to blog the challenge please comment and provide a link to your blog as I would love to visit you!

                                                  Confetti Casserole (made today by me).

New Menu Planner

My new menu planning binder arrived from Zazzle.com  I bought a customized one. While I wouldn't normally spend quite so much on a binder, I wanted something that was cute and that I might use more often because of that (and the investment). I like it!  I'm already plotting about buying another one (already picked out the design) for my updated Month by Month notebook.

The background is kind of rustic wood and you can write your own title! There's some checked trim along the spine and I customized the spine with wording too.

I've sort of run out of ideas and I'm only to June so I hope I can dig up some more recipes. For some reason I always have trouble with the summer recipes. Once I get to autumn and winter, I'll have tons to use again. I am also using some basics too, like tacos, hotdogs, and such.

I'll update again later on the menu plans and recipes. Hmmm....they have some really nice Christmas recipe notebooks on that site too.....(addicted)

Menu Planner

I decided recently to create a menu planning notebook. I currently have two notebooks that I use for this purpose but they have never been fully organized and I have sort of neglected them of late. Included in the two notebooks (one for Autumn and Winter, and one for Spring and Summer) are seasonal menu rotations that I developed a couple years ago. Each season has five weeks of menus that you can rotate through the season.

Right now I am leaning more toward monthly menu plans (a whole years worth) but I also wanted a section in the notebook for the seasonal menu rotations. I might use them again sometime or at least use weeks or parts of them in the monthly planning. So I created a little divider page for the Seasonal Menu Rotations (shown above). I am trying to make the notebook "pretty" so that I tend to use it more often.

I also ordered an actual personalized binder from Zazzle to be the Menu Planning Notebook. It should arrive in a week or so and when it does I'll post pictures and some more details about the monthly sections.

Do you plan weekly? monthly?  seasonally? or a whole year at a time?  I'd love to hear about how you menu plan. 

Monthly Menu Monday

Yes yes I know it's Move It Out Monday....and I do plan on moving out at least ONE bag of stuff we no longer need. However I thought I'd mix it up a bit this Monday and share my menu plans for the month of February since it is fast approaching. For February I decided to label a few days of the week with a "theme" like title and then build the menus around the themes.  I am planning Mexican Mondays, Hamburger Tuesdays, Quick Wednesdays, and Fast Fridays.  The menu of course might change based on availability of cuts of meat etc.

February Menu Plans.

February 1st is a Freebie for me...we are going to the high school for a Celebrity dinner (fundraiser)

February 2nd : Cowboy Casserole (in crock pot)

February 3rd: Roast with potaoes and carrots

Feb 4th: Mexican Monday: Tacos

February 5th: Hamburger Tuesday (Hamburger and Fries)

February 6th Quick Wednesday: Breakfast for Dinner (Eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy)

February 7th: Eat Out

February 8th: Fast Friday: Pizza

February 9th: Crock Pot: White Chili

February 10th: Italiana Baked Chicken

February 11th: Mexican Monday: Fajitas

February 12th: Hamburger Tuesday Hamburgers in Brown Gravy with Mashed Potatoes

February 13th: Quick Wednesday:  Lasagna (premade-frozen)

February 14th: Eat Out

February 15th: Fast Friday: Hot Dogs and Baked Beans

February 16th: Spaghetti, Salad, Greenbeans

February 17th: Baked Pork Chops

February 18th Mexican Monday: Skillet Burritos

February 19th: Hamburger Tuesday: Hamburgers and Mac and Cheese

February 20th: Quick Wednesday: BLT Sandwiches

February 21st: Eat Out

February 22nd: Fast Friday: Chicken Nuggets

February 23rd: Chicken Pot Pie

February 24th:  Onion Beef Cubes over Mashed Potatoes

February 25th: Mexican Monday: Taco Salad

February 26th: Hamburger Tuesday: Sloppy Joes and Fries

February 27th Quick Wednesday: Toasted Cheese Sandwiches with canned Chili

February 28th Eat Out

So that's what's ahead for February!  What are you planning to eat?

Wild Card Wednesday: Menus

Since Move It Out Monday focused on groceries I thought I'd feature menus on Wild Card Wednesday!  A while back I wrote about my seasonal menu plans. I have a five week menu plan for each season (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter). The five week plans feature old favorites, seasonal dishes, and even have spaces for "trying new recipes".  Sometimes I follow them closely and sometimes I get off track...such is life!

Here's next weeks plan:

Sunday: Grilled Burgers (I have several recipes with different seasonings etc)

Monday:  Pepper Steak Oriental (during the hot summer months, Monday is crockpot Monday so this is a crockpot recipe)

Tuesday: Gramps Goulash

Wednesday:  Beef, Noodle, and Vegetable Skillet (sort of a homemade version of Hamburger Helper)

Thursday: Skillet Ham (slices) with Potatoes

Friday:  Southwest Chicken and Beans

Saturday:  Cranberry Meatballs

My next goal in my seasonal plans: Create a shopping list for each weeks menu....a grab and go....so I can check off what I already have and then pick up the rest when shopping. I started this but didn't get very far yet!

Here's a recipe you can try next week:

Grandpa's Goulash

Ingredients:

i onion cut into strips

1 green pepper cut into strips

2-3 Tablespoons of water

1 pound of ground beef

2 (14 1/2 oz) cans of diced tomatoes

salt and pepper

16 ounce box of elbow macaroni

In a skillet over medium heat saute the onion and pepper in water until tender and water cooks off. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Stir in tomatoes. Add salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer at least one hour. Serve this over cooked macaroni. Makes 4-6 servings.

Free Printable Menu Planners Round up!

It's Wild Card Wednesday.....time for a free menu planners round up!  The one above is from Project Girl and includes a spot for your grocery list!

And a cute one with little graphics from Future Girl

A pretty colorful one from Pink Paper Peppermint!

 

And here's an idea that isn't printable but you make menu magnets. Too cute. From: The Red Chair Blog 

.

And one for a whole month at: Anything but Perfect.

Okay...that's it for this Wild Card Wednesday, I hope you'll leave a comment so I'll know whether you are enjoying my finds and ideas!  Take Care!





Coupon Match Ups and Menus

So how do all those coupons match up into menus...(I've gotten some good deals on health & beauty but what about REAL food!)

A weeks worth with coupons might look something like this!

MENU ONE
Oscar Meyer Hotdogs (.99 a package Walgreens sale plus coupon)
Ore Ida Fries (2.79 Kroger with a buy ten deal..no coupon)
Hot Dog Buns ( 1.00 Buy ten deal Kroger)
French's Mustard (Dollar General .70 cents a bottle with sale and coupon)
Total Cost= $5.48 (plus left over mustard)

MENU TWO
Chinese Meatballs (Armour Buy Ten deal at Kroger, can't remember exact price)
Rice (pantry)
Mixed Veggies (pantry)

MENU THREE
Lloyds Barbequed Pork (Buy one tub get one tub free plus .75 coupon=$3.15)
Hamburger Buns (buy ten deal Kroger 1.00)
Mashed Potatoes (Idaho packet of Loaded Baked) (with coupon on buy three=.66 cents)
Can of Peas (pantry)
Total Cost=$4.81 (plus can of peas cost)

MENU FOUR
DiGiorgno Pizza and Wings (Kroger buy ten plus 1.25 coupons= Pizzas $4.25) Use two!
Total Cost of Pizza and Wings $8.50

MENU FIVE
Spaghetti (pantry)
Hunts Sauce (buy ten plus coupon, forget exact price)
New York Garlic Bread (Schnucks Sale plus coupon .55 off= $ 1.45 for one box)

MENU SIX
Chicken Breast (on sale at Kroger)
Lawry's Garlic and Herb Marinade (Kroger sale and coupon .69 a bottle)
Idaho Mashed Potatoes (With sale and coupon .66)
Salad (fresh produce, no coupon this time!)

MENU SEVEN
Hamburger Helper (Schnucks Buy Ten plus coupon final cost = .50 a box (use two)
Hamburger (non sale 4.00)
Mix Vegs (pantry)
Total Cost=5.00 (plus can of vegs)

So for my first two weeks of really working the coupons...not too bad. I am starting to stock up slowly and once I have a pantry really built, it will be easier. I am currently looking for ketchup and meat deals. I found some Bob Evans sausage coupons and have some Eckrich Smoked sausage ones I want to use too before they expire. I have a couple others where you buy an item and get a dollar or two off meat so I need to see how those stack up! :)

Seasonal Menu Plans: Winter

Here are five weeks worth of menu plans. I use Tuesday as a day to try new recipes. Sometimes I reuse them the next go around or sometimes I try another one, so I have included Tueday menus even though typically they are "new recipes" and can change.

Traditional Sundays:

Roast, potatoes & carrots
Lasagna
Italian Baked chicken
Parmesan Sage Pork Chops
Baked Spaghetti

Meatless Mondays:

Baked Potatoes with assorted toppings
Quiche
Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup
Speedy Chinese Noodles
Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

Try It Tuesdays:

Pineapple Steak Stir Fry
Sausage Casserole
Cheesy Beef Stronganoff
Ham and Cheese Croissants
Penne Pasta with Bacon and Cream

Wild Card Wednesdays:

Pineapple Dump Chicken and Rice
Chinese Meatballs
Chicken Fried Rice
Cheeseburgers
Taco Chicken

Quick and Simple Thursdays:

Hot Dogs
Chicken Nuggets
Pizza
Nachos
Breakfast for Supper

Fiesta Fridays:

Tacos
Tex Mex Stir Fry
Fajitas
Feliz Navidad Casserole
Mexican Chicken

Soup Saturdays:

Hamburger Vegetable Soup
Baked Potato Soup
Mexican Chicken Soup
Savory Winter Soup
Chili (recipes a, b, c)

I'll be happy to post recipes if there are any you are interested in.

March Menu Plans

Along with my monthly plan I am incorporating monthly menu planning ...I used to do it monthly and then just got away from that approach. This time I will plan monthly meals but without assigning them a day ....so for March I have about 18 dinners left (give or take one or two...because with our schedule it's hard to predict) We eat out on Thursdays and sometimes a Friday here or there. We also at times use left overs. So for the remainder of this month I will construct 18 menu plans....I'm cleaning and working on this post at the same time....LOL....so I will come back and forth filling in the menu plans as I clean the kitchen and do a freezer/pantry inventory.

MEAL #1
Hotdogs, Mac and Cheese, Peas

MEAL # 2
Center cut pork chops, potatoes, green beans

Meal #3
Tacos with toppings

Meal #4
Salad with chicken and other toppings

Meal #5
Chicken Nuggets, Fries, Corn

Meal #6
Spaghetti with meat sauce, green beans, salad

Meal #7
Barbequed Chicken Sandwiches, Baked Beans, Cole Slaw

Meal #8
Chicken Taco Salad

Meal #9
Honey Chicken, Stir Fried Vegs, Rice

Meal #10
Beans n Hamburger, Cornbread, Tomatoes n Cucumbers

Meal # 11
Baked Potatoes with Toppings (Chili, Cheese, Bacon Bits etc)

Meal #12
Hamburgers, Pasta Salad, Corn

Meal #13
Chef Salads

Meal #14
BLT's, Chips, Tomato Soup

Meal #15
Pizza with Salad

Meal #16
Roast Beef, potatoes, carrots

Meal #17
Breakfast for Dinner: Omelets, Toast, Sausage, Hash Browns

Meal #18
Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, carrots

St Patrick's Day Menus

Corn Beef and Cabbage Pizza....check out the recipe for this unusual but tasty St Patty's Day dish. Find it at the FoodNetwork.

Or how about an Irish Breakfast...featured at allrecipes.com this spread features eggs, bacon, mushrooms and soda bread.

Or perhaps you're a Rachel Ray fan....check out the Rachel Ray 30 Minute Shepherd's Pie.

Looking for something light or perhaps to use as an appetizer? How about Irish Cheddar and Stout Fondue? this dish calls for red potatoes, cauliflower, brussel sprots and apples wedges for dipping in a delightful cheese fondue.

St Patrick's Day Potato Soup with Pesto might be just the thing to warm the little leprechaun's tummies.!

And a meal just wouldn't be complete without dessert...Irish Mint Brownies!!!

St Patrick's Day is Tuesday....what will you be having?

Dealing the Meal Cards

Here's another fun little tool that helps with menu planning...I might have shared it before but it's worth re-mentioning. I call it Dealing the Meal Cards...

1. First buy a package of 4 x 6 index cards...50 should do ...although at first you may not use all of them. White will do...but if you can find the colored ones they are nice too and can add another level to the cards.

2. On each card ....write a menu plan...I try to have a main dish, side dish, and vegetable at least. So on one card I might write: Spaghetti, Salad, Greenbeans, and Rolls. IF there is a certain recipe for one of the dishes I jot down the location: For example Amish Cookbook, page 68. Here's how the colored cards can bring a new level...put all the chicken based menus on one color, all the ground beef based ones on another color and so on.

3. Once you have made up as many cards as possible...you are ready to Deal Your Menus. Each week shuffle the cards and deal out the number of menus you need. Or if you are not that adventurous...look through the cards and pick out the ones you want for the week.

4. Use the cards to make up your shopping list for the week...or if you are in a big hurry...just tuck them in your purse and take them to the store with you!

Hope you enjoy this menu planning idea...it makes the chore a little more adventurous!

Menu Planning...Ending the Year

Saturday December 27th

• Spaghetti
• Green beans
• Rolls

Sunday December 28th

• Chicken
• Baked Potato Casserole
• Peas

Monday December 29th

• Crumbly Burgers with Cheese
• Fries
• Corn

Tuesday December 30th

• MU Basketball Game...dinner out

Wednesday December 31st

• NEW YEARS EVE...hmmmm

Thursday January 1st

• Beef Stew
• Biscuits

Friday January 2nd

• Turkey and Dressing Quick Meal
• Mixed Vegetables

Grocery News

I had to laugh today when a news story came on about the price of groceries and how people are looking for ways to still eat well but save money also. We are WAY ahead of them here on Month by Month.

One thing I am discovering is for some reason buying in larger quantities seems to feel different. I still have the menus all planned out but there's a little cushion here and there too. Like I said before I am going to try to "get by" with out a trip to the discount store until August 23rd...I am working on August menus to take that into account and I think I might make my goal BUT the real challenge will be getting some weekly bargains so I stay within budget for those!

I am also going to revise my menu making just a bit and put it off until after the 23rd. The thing is I found several good meat buys etc at the Save a Lot store and so I will weave them into the menus...BUT if I just wait until after the BIG trip to the discount store I can just build my menus around my buys rather than the other way around...make menus then buy....instead...buy and then make menus...make sense?

So far we have eaten pretty well...I bought some snack cakes and froze them so we'd have enough for a bit..but I think I will alternate between baking some things from scratch and using the premade snack stuff. So I will plan on buying snacks for two weeks and making things the other two weeks to get through the whole month. Right now I need to find a pumpkin bread recipe because I have some pumpkin and I also have a cookie recipe to try because I want to experiment with freezing them...so those two are coming up this weekend!

Sunday Salutations

Good Grief...I just got back from Walmart and I spent $180.00 and the thing is there was hardly ANYTHING in the cart. So I am certainly going to be continuing the Grocery Budget Challenge work...got a little off track with vacation. Here are some important points though:

• Get your monthly estimates ready for items you use frequently. I can pretty much figure that we are going to eat some kind of pasta once a week and tacos at least twice a month...as well as some other family faves.
• I can honestly say that the groceries I got at the budget store (used Aldis last time) were heaping for the amount of money $101 and I still have quite a few items to use. This time (next week) we are going to try Save a Lot and see how that store stacks up. It has not been a month but last time I only spent about half of the monthly amount so I did not anticipate it lasting a month. My goal this time is to actually STRETCH the budget and monthly trip from July 8th until August 23rd...because of our monthly pay system. I actually think I can do it because I still have items left....now just to fine tune the menus.
• Someone over at MHH pointed out that they do not stock up any longer because they ended up with expired products etc. I suppose that is something to watch for but I also think the monthly trip decreases impulse spending and saves gas money also from frequent trips.
• Another consideration...is to find good products and stick to the plan. BUT if an item is not up to quality...I'll note it in my small grocery notebook that I am developing. It will include items from the monthly list and how much of each one we typically consume in a month.
• Also I must check out the local farmer's market and see how they are with vegetables and such.

Food prices are hitting the news headlines also. So I know we are not alone in our struggles to feed families and still have a bit of cash left over.

July 2008 Menu Plans

Okay I have my July Menu Plans ready...wow and it's not even the 20th of the month yet!!!

You can see and print them: HERE

Remember to set your paper to landscape before printing!!

Month By Month Ramblings

Hey I bought a NEW notebook for summer stuff...well it will be the Spring Summer one. I am working on printing some pretty dividers and typing some lists to be included.

Daily To Do sheet....this sheet is a life saver....but I need to print some more copies...I'm thinking a bout a small reward each Friday if I keep working the plan...somedays are just a whole lot harder than others. So a little reward is something to look forward to!!!

I am ashamed to say....my June Menus are not finished yet!!! I am trying to come up with a simple plan as I want to work up a monthly shopping list and go to one of the discount places ONCE a monthy to get everything except for fresh items like milk, eggs, fruit, and such! I am goint to try this for a few months and see if it saves any money....trouble is I need to clear space for my grocery storage....anyway the menus will follow a theme for June July and August...

Monday is Pasta of some kind
Tuesday is a Hamburger Dish
Wednesday is Mexican Food
Thursday is a Chicken Dish
Friday is Fend for Yourself or Eat Out
Saturday is New Recipe Day
Sunday is Barbeque!

April 2008 Menu Plans

Here's the printable April Menu Plans.

Throughout the month I will post some of the recipes for the new dishes this month!! Hope you enjoy them!

April Menu Coming Soon

Well tomorrow is March 20th...always try to get the next month's menus ready around the 20th but with Easter this weekend I may not get them up till next week!!!