Lets skip it!

I am totally in favor of skipping this month. I still have a few meals left and it is such a busy time of year like Jane said. I am in favor of our January exchange being the next one and doing after the kids start back to school which would be around the 8th or 9th. Let me know if I am crazy or what. LOL.

New Month!

I have really enjoyed eating my meals this month. I have loved everyone and so have my family. It is that time again to exchange meals. Marianne will you rotate the assignments and then everyone please let us know when you are available to meet. I can meet on the following days...
Tuesday: afternoon
Wednesday: Anytime
Thursday: afternoon
Friday: Morning
Saturday: anytime

Yummy Chicken pillows and Soup!

We just had Sarah's Chicken pillows. Just so you know...I make these too and I bake them frozen at 400 for 20 minutes and they turn out great! I also make a gravy for it that I'm not sure if Sarah mentioned one or not. It is a can of Cream of Chicken soup, milk to thin it, a few shakes of basil and that's it! I like to dip the chicken pillow into it. Marainne's soup was great!!!

Sorry about the dry baked French Toast!

Ladies, I just made the recipe of the baked french toast for my family and it turned out too dry!!! It's one of those recipes where it calls for 6-8 eggs, 3/4-1 1/2 c. milk and I couldn't remember how much was the perfect amount. So, if you would like to have your more moist, I would mix up a few eggs and milk and let it soak in before you bake it. Jane made hers and she said the middle was fine but the outsides were dry. I'm sorry!!! Or you could just add A LOT of syrup to it!

Italian Minestrone Soup

I hope everyone is not tired of soup yet... because my meal this month is an Italian Minestrone Soup. Maybe one of these days it will actually be cold and/or overcast and we can all curl up around the fire and eat hot soup. But, since I don't see that happening anytime soon, I hope you enjoy this soup anyway. :) It is already cooked through, so all you have to do is thaw it and heat it up. (If it is too thick you can add a little water or tomato sauce to thin it down) And I highly recommend serving it with a hot loaf of garlic bread! YUMMY!

Oh, and here is the recipe (to the best of my recollection :)

Italian Minestrone Soup

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained
1 cup frozen corn
1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained
1 14 oz. can cut green beans, drained
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce (or tomato juice)
2 1/2 cups water
1 T. salt (or more if you prefer)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 T. Italian seasoning
1 1/2 cup pasta (any variety, I used shells)
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced

Brown ground beef and onion. Drain grease. Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for at least 10 min. or until pasta is fully cooked. Top with parmesan cheese or oyster crackers and serve with garlic bread.

Yummy soups!

We just had Tami's Chicken Soup and muffins and Aften's lentil soup. They were both delicious! I would love the recipes! I also want the recipe to the corn muffin mix, they were soooo moist and yummy! Thanks!

Apology #2

I am so sorry I am going to have to change my plans again!! This day off of school in the middle of the week really threw my schedule out of whack! I won't be able to bring my meals until Thursday afternoon. Is everyone ok with that. I promise I won't change my mind again... :)

Sorry for the Delay!

Hi Everyone! I am sorry I didn't get to see you all last week and bring you my meal. The week was abnormally busy and I couldn't make it when you got together. So, I would like to bring my meal around to everyone on Wednesday in the morning. Will that work for everyone? If you are not going to be home would you mind leaving an ice chest out so I can drop off your food? Or is that a pain? Let me know what works!

Kari was so thankful!

Here is an email she wanted to pass along:

These did help a ton. It is nice not to have to think about dinners at this point. I'm hoping to get back to normal where I can spend a little time in the kitchen again, but dont know exactly when "normal" will be. Our family truly appreciates all the help. Thank again!
Love,
Kari

Cooking temp for spaghetti casserole?

Amy,
What should we cook the casserole at? I tried to look at older posts but I can't seem to find it. I'm assuming 350 but more often than not I am wrong on things like this!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Easy Easy! Just uncover and take directly from your freezer to the oven- no thawing required. Bake at 350° for 55-65 minutes. Serve on top of rice with steamed veggies or a salad on the side. Enjoy!

Chili and Cornbread

With the fall season upon us I am making chili that will be great for on of those hopefully cold days we will soon be having. Just thaw, heat and serve. I will also be giving you some cornbread to make cornbread muffins with it. Enjoy!

Chicken Pillows

For this meal, you will receive a bag of chicken pillows and a packet of chicken gravy. I usually make the gravy from the drippings from the chicken, but I need to simplify for such a large group. When you are ready to eat my meal, I would suggest taking the pillows out and putting them on the baking sheet that you will be using to cook them on. Cover with saran wrap (spray with Pam so they don't stick to the pillows). After they thaw out, cook them at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes. They are made out of Pillsbury crescents so when they are golden brown, they are done. Make the chicken gravy and serve them with the gravy on top. We saute mushrooms and garnish with those. This is my make shift recipe.

Cooked chicken
2 cans crescent rolls
stouffers chicken stuffing mix
cream cheese
green onions
chicken gravy
mushrooms


Cook and debone chicken, then add softened cream cheese. Add diced green onions to your liking, then salt and pepper.

Open can of crescent rolls, pinch two triangle crescent shapes to make one big rectangle. Put a nice sized scoop of chicken mixture inside and roll it up to make a "pillow." Next, get dry chicken stuffing and crush it. Then dip each pillow into the dry stuffing. Bake pillows at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Make gravy out of drippings from chicken or get a chicken gravy packet. Pour gravy on top of pillows and add sauteed mushrooms if you want.

P.S. For those of you who like to follow more accurate recipes, there are 3 or 4 different versions of this recipe in our ward cookbook. They are the first few recipes under main dishes.

Sausage Lentil Soup

For whenever it is that we meet...
Recipe:
Evoo
onion
carrots
celery
chopped and sauteed
heat until tender remove from pan
cook sausage 1-2 links Italian
add chopped garlic
tomato paste 6 oz
8 c beef broth
diced tomatoes 1 can
Italian seasoning
pepper
1 cup lentils
parm cheese for top
add all together and cook until lentils are tender
30 minutes-45 minutes

frozen, just thaw heat and serve

The Cook's Blog

For those of you not in the ward (you two lovely ladies) here is the the Cook's blog: http://www.famofcookies.blogspot.com/

BBQ Pork Chops

Okay so I changed my mind on what I wanted to do. I just wasn't excited to do the pork loin. And I have looked and looked for a good recipe to do with something else. I also have been wanting to grill more lately so I thought I would combine the two! So this month my meal is simple but will be very tasty! I will be giving you pork chops in a bag marinating in bbq sauce that you will just have to thaw and grill. I will also give you a side to go along with it.
But just so you know you should go and buy some pork tenderloin anyways. It would make a really fast meal. I found a recipe that is really easy you just put the roast in the crockpot and then pour 2 cans of cream of celery soup on it and cook it for 8 hours. Then serve it over rice or noodles. Anyways...so is everyone okay with Thursday at 1pm? I will book it over there because I will be getting home from work and then getting ready to leave to go camping but it will be fine! So what is everyone else cooking???

Baked French Toast

This is really dessert/breakfast, for dinner! I hope you all enjoy it as much as we do. I've never frozen it before, but there is only one way to find out if it works! Sorry you are all my guinea pigs! Here are the instructions.... Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Make sure it is thawed all of the way through. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes uncovered. If it looks like the top is getting too brown, cover it with the foil. Serve with powdered sugar and warm syrup. YUMMY!! I'll put the recipe into the word document I have going.

Let's Get Together

Hi all! I am hoping this approach will be a little less confusing so we can all get together and exchange meals without causing anyone too much stress next week. Please put a comment here and let us all know when you are available next week. When we see them all together, maybe we will find a day and time that works for everyone... I hope! I can't wait to see everyone!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

If you are a fan of California Pizza Kitchen, I think you will like this recipe. I've heard Fresh & Easy has great whole wheat pizza dough so let's try it out. I'll give you dough, the sauce, some red onion slices, and the cheese all to put in your freezer. Just let everything thaw for a day in the fridge, assemble and bake. Note that I am going to give you mozzarella, not Gouda per the recipe's instructions (www.allrecipes.com). I've only ever used mozzarella and it tastes great!

BBQ Chicken
3 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed
1 cup hickory flavored barbeque sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon molasses
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 (12 inch) pizza crust
1 cup smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
1 cup thinly sliced red onion

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a saucepan over medium high heat, combine chicken, barbeque sauce, honey, molasses, brown sugar and cilantro. Bring to a boil. Spread chicken mixture evenly over pizza crust, and top with cheese and onions. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Hey Everyone

Yes it is almost the end of the month and most of you I have not got my meal to you! I am so sorry. And yes it is almost time to exchange again! So look at your calendars and see what day would work best. I thought maybe the 3rd or the 5th which is a Monday and a Wednesday? Let me know your guys schedule! And seriously I would love to hear if you hated or loved my meal. And I am NOT one to be offended! Shawna you tried the spaghetti casserole this month what did you think? I personally have loved all of them! We need more reviews on here. ;0)
Thanks Guys!
Amy

Ten Cheers for Us!!

I am hoping that everyone loves this freezer meal group as much as I do. Thank you so much for allowing me to participate even though I moved to what feels like the other side of the world. I just wanted to give a brief shout-out for all of the wonderful meals we have tried and loved lately.,.

Aften, the Tortellini was absolutely delicious! I know it was store-bought, but nonetheless very tasty. And the homemade sauce was a perfect compliment. I am adding that sauce recipe to my list of favorites. This meal just goes to prove that it doesn't take hours of work to make an amazing meal... THANKS!

We also finally got a new propane canister for our grill so we started using it a lot lately again. We had the Mango Chicken and the London Broil from Jane. They were both yummy... very flavorful! We loaded up with veggie side dishes to go with both meals and I felt like my family was eating very healthy... THANKS!

The Taco Soup was also a hit (with most of us). Todd and I LOVED it and Chansey did also. She even asked me to make it again sometime. Eathan and Bella are a little finicky about new things sometimes and this soup had some new flavors and textures for them. So they had a little bit of a hard time loving it. But that is par for the course so we are used to it. I really like having them try new things, so it was great... THANKS Shauna!

... That is why I love this group so much! We get to try new things all the time and it never gets boring. I don't get stuck in a rut with the same foods all the time.

And, I know everyone is busy, but I would love to hear everyone else's comments about the food. I don't think we share our opinions enough! It is fun to get feedback, so let's hear it!!

Thanks again everyone! I will post more comments as we eat more meals. And, I am sorry if I never mentioned something you made.... I think I have forgotten to comment on a few here and there. But as a whole, the food has been great and you are all GREAT!!

Yummy pork ribs!

If you haven't tried Jane's ribs, just wait! They are sooo tender and sooo yummy! Definitely a meal that I will want to make again!!! Thanks Jane!

Sorry I skimped on the soup!

I have to apologize about the amount of soup I gave all of you. We had the soup I made the other night and it probably wasn't enough for some of your families. I'm sooo sorry! I won't let it happen again!

Change to Spaghetti Casserole

I decided not to cook it. I think it will come out too soft. So you will need to completely thaw it and then cook it for about 45 mintues to an hour. Take the foil off the last 20 minutes. Also I left the clear lid underneath the tin dish so that it was more sturdy...do not forget to take this off before cooking!! Love ya.

Extra Chicken Flautas???

I ended up with an extra chicken flautas so if you are missing that meal from collette, please let me know. -Tami

Chicken Soup and Corn Muffins

Hey ladies, the soup is fully cooked, just reaheat. I usually add egg noodles but did not this time (for obvious reasons) so if you want to just cook some on the side and add in once you've reaheated the soup, that should work out fine (you may just want to add a little milk or water to thin it down).

Corn Muffins:
Place dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine 3/4 cup milk, 1 egg, 8 tsp. oil, and 4 tsp. melted butter and mix well. Add wet mixture to dry mixture, just until blended. Pour into prepared muffin cups, filling about half full. Bake 18-20 minutes at 350°. (if they brown on top, they've gone too long). Yields: 10 muffins.

ravioli or tortellini

I made some homemade red sauce for these frozen pre-made tortellini or ravioli's. Just cook pasta as directed. Heat up sauce in a pan. Spoon a little sauce over the pasta and add cheese as desired. (mozzarella or Parmesan) We had this last night with a green salad and everybody loved it.
Sauce:
sauteed onion
garlic
diced tomatoes(italian style)
tomato sauce
italian seasoning
salt pepper
a little sugar
simmer for a few hours on low

Chicken Flautas

I made Chicken Flautas this month. I guess it is the month for mexican food. They should be pretty easy to put together. Hope you enjoy.
Thaw in refrigirator over night. Heat meat on stove top or in micro. Soften corn tortillas in microwave. Put a heaping talbespoonful (or 2 if desired) of meat in warm tortilla, roll up tightly. (Can insert toothpick to close before frying.) Fry in hot oil on both side; top with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole. My family also like refried beans with this meal. I usually add a little cheese and taco sauce to the beans to spice it up a bit. Enjoy your fiesta!

New Assignments

Oops!! I forgot to change the meal assignments to October. I just remembered tonight. I am assuming we all have our meals made already, so it might be pointless to change them now. But I will go ahead and do it so we are all on track! Sorry for the delay!!

Taco Soup

I guess Marianne and I are in the mood for Mexican food! I hope you don't mind, but I made Taco soup for everyone this month. It is a great recipe because it is really easy...
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 onion chopped
1- 28 oz. can whole/crushed (which ever you prefer) tomatoes
1 - 14 oz. can kidney beans, not drained
1 - 14 oz. can corn, not drained
1- 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1-2 c. water
1 package Taco Seasoning mix
salt and pepper to taste
Simmer the onion until clear. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer on low until you want to eat! Serve with tortilla chips and shredded cheddar cheese on top. Yum!

Walking Tacos

"Huh?!" You say... "what are walking tacos"?! Well, this is one of my life-long favorite meals. I don't know why we call them "walking tacos" but it is just a silly family tradition. This meal is more commonly known in some families as "Taco Plate" or "Frito Plate". Anyway it is a mixture of ground beef and chili beans that you serve over Fritos. Then you can top it with all of the taco fixins that your family enjoys. Some ideas are cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, olives, hot sauce, and sour cream. It is also delicious served with Spanish Rice, or even the cilantro lime rice from our Costa Vida meal would be delicious. I suppose you can even put it in a tortilla and serve it that way. Be creative! This meal is similar to one of Tami's meals from a couple months ago, but our family has put their own spin on it I guess. It is always a kid-pleaser as well as an adult pleaser. ENJOY!!

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

I decided to go along with Jane's idea last month and i will be making my family's recipe for biscuits and gravy. This meal is always a hit at my house and we have it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Here is the recipe...

Brown breakfast sausage and add flour until all the grease is soaked up. Then add a cube or two of chicken bouillon. Gradually add milk until thickened to desired consistency.

I usually use refrigerator biscuits, but I got the frozen kind so they stay longer in the freezer. The directions for the biscuits are....

place biscuits with the flat side down on an ungreased baking sheet about 1/4 inches apart. cook for about 24-26 minutes.

We like to rip the biscuits open in halves and pour gravy over both halves. The more gravy the better. We like thick gravy so if it is a little too thick, just thin with milk

Spaghetti Casserole

For October I will be doing a spaghetti casserole. This is my mom's recipe and we love it! It will be already cooked so you will just need to thaw it and then re-heat it in the oven. Maybe for 20-30 minutes on a low setting to just get it heated through. This recipe you could easily split into two meals if you wanted...we always have left overs. I will not make it to the exchange on Wednesday we are going out of town. I will have it ready and bring it around Thursday though...except you Collette I will get you yours when you get back. I'll call the rest to make sure you are home before I stop by! Thanks Ladies!

Here's the recipe:

Spaghetti Casserole
1/4 c. minced onion
1 c. green pepper
1 T. margarine
1 (20 oz.) can tomatoes, do not drain
1 can diced olives, drain
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 lb. hamburger
12 oz. spaghetti
2 c. shredded cheese
1 can cream of chicken
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

Brown meat in skillet and drain, set aside. In a large skillet saute green peppers and onion in butter. Add tomatoes, olives, oregano and beef. Simmer 10 minutes . At the same time, cook spaghetti as directed on the box. Place half the spaghetti in greased pan. pour half of mixutre and chese and then repeat. Pour soup on top of all. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cook 350 fro 30 minutes.

Crockpot Pork Ribs

I made Crockpot Pork Ribs for October. You will need to thaw this completely and then cook on low for 4 1/2 -5 hours. I have overcooked them before and it is not pretty. Anyway, I hope you enjoy them. I will give you rice and some sesame seeds to sprinkle on top. The recipe is below. Please note that I did NOT add the red pepper flakes as I thought most families would not appreciate the heat. It is good with the red pepper so feel free to add some to your own if desired.

Crockpot Pork Ribs
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup catsup
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons vinegar (cider or white)
3 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
¼- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 medium onion sliced (or some sprinkles of onion flakes)
3 pounds country style pork ribs (boneless)
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

In the crock pot, combine the first ten ingredients. Add ribs and turn to coat. Cover and cook on low 4 1/2 - 5 hours. Before serving, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve over rice.

Sorry about the Enchiladas!

Amy's last post reminded me of something I have been wanting to post for a while. We had the enchiladas at our house a couple of weeks ago and I thought they were too soggy! I am sorry... I guess the freezer changed the texture of the tortillas and they kinda turned to mush. I hope everyone liked it anyway! Now I know not to put corn tortillas in the freezer! Sorry you guys had to be the guinea pigs!

Potato Casserole/Enchiladas

Both of these were so GOOD!! The Casserole was eatin all up and the Enchiladas were so creamy and good!~

Chicken Parmesean - Magnifico!

Our family loved the chicken parm. It was easier to prepare than I thought it was going to be and everyone ate it! Thanks Shauna! I can't wait to eat the leftovers! :)

Dessert for Dinner!

We all LOVED the French Toast Dessert, or Dinner? Which was it? It was so yummy Jeffrey and Kyle asked for more before going to bed! Thanks Jane!

Potato & Ham Yum!

Scott and I enjoyed the casserole, my kids weren't in love with it, but Chloe hardly eats anyway. But I loved it and would like the recipe. Scott usually isn't a big fan of the funeral potatoes, but he had 2 helpings of this and enjoyed it! Thanks Tami!

LOVED Peachy French Toast

We LOVED the peach baked french toast! We actually had it for sunday breakfast and it was soooo good. I ended up cooking it quite a bit longer because I wasn't sure how runny it was supposed to end up, but it was a major hit! Luckily for me, there were plenty of left-overs which I had for breakfast and snack the next day! Thanks Jane.

Potato Soup for the Soul!

YUMMY! The potato soup was so good! We had it on a day when I had been a little under the weather and a little bummed out. So, it was a perfect comfort food. We topped it with sour cream and cheese and had some yummy bread to go along. Thanks Collette!

Manicotti was so good!

Collette thanks for the manicotti! Everyone ate so much! Gracie had 7 of them! This is so unheard of for her and she would not stop! I know this is alittle gross but Hobbs would not stop eating them so fast he actually made himself throw up! But thanks they were a hit!!!

Loved the Chicken Parm

We loved the chicken parm--especially the sauce! I looked up Cyndy's recipe and it looks so easy. The sauce tasted authentic. I think I will be making this one often.

Potato & Ham Casserole - A+

We ate the Ham and Potato Casserole and it was very good! Thanks Tami! I got all the fixins and had a home-made salad bar and we ate it and the rolls with the casserole and it was delicious!!

Potato Soup

Okay so I didn't make it to September before I used a meal! But Collette the Soup was a hit! The only thing I did wrong is I put it in water to thaw this morning and I must have opened it alittle but water got in it. Soooo when we got home from church I just added Potato pearls and perfecto! The girls LOVED it! Thanks.

Lasagna was Yummy

Amy, thanks to your stellar directions on how to cook the lasagna, it was a big hit at our house. I am glad to know that the "Great Value" brand is just as good or better than Stouffers. Thanks for introducing us to deliciousness!

One more thing...

I forgot to mention something. When you take out the french toast it will look very dry and you might think you need to add syrup. Be my guest if you are a sugar freak! If not, just look for the peaches and caramel sauce under the bread to give you extra flavor and sweetness.

Lasagna and Rolls

Simple...follow heating instructions on box! HA! I don't know why I think it is funny I just do.

Saute chicken in 1/4 c. olive oil

I just saw that I didn't write to saute the chicken in 1/4 c. olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until simmering. Saute until golden on each side, about 5 minutes.

I can't read the yellow font

Marianne, can we change the color of the yellow font? I can't see it on my computer, or maybe I'm color blind...

Directions for Chicken Parmesan

Thaw the chicken & sauce overnight. Bring water to a boil and cook the spaghetti as directed. Bring the sauce to a boil in a sauce pan and cover and keep on low until ready to eat. In a bowl, beat 1 egg. In another bowl, combine bread crumbs with some black pepper. Dip chicken pieces in egg, then in bread crumbs. Saute in oil until golden on each side, about 5 minutes total. Transfer chicken to wire rack (sprayed with Pam) over cookie sheet. Top with mozzarella cheese. Broil until cheese melts and is spotty brown, about 4-5 minutes. Serve with pasta, sauce and extra Parmesan cheese. Serve with corn, green beans, salad, and/or bread. Enjoy! (This is Cyndy Young's recipe from the Ward cookbook page 35.)

Directions for Peach French Toast

Let the peach french toast thaw in the fridge for at least a day. Prior to baking, remove from the fridge and let it sit out for 30 minutes. Next bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes with the foil on. Remove the foil and bake an additional 25-30 minutes. Top with whipped cream. Below is the recipe in full...

PEACH FRENCH TOAST
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter
2 T. water
1 can (29-oz.) sliced peaches, drained
1 loaf of French bread (you'll have some left over)
5 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
1 T. vanilla
cinnamon

Bring the brown sugar, butter and water to a boil. Simmer for 7-10 minutes. Pour into a 9x13 dish. Strain peaches and place them on top of the caramel sauce. Arrange bread slices over the peaches. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and then stir in the milk and vanilla. Pour on top of the bread slices and sprinkle the tops with cinnamon. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. Prior to baking, remove from the fridge and let it sit out for 30 minutes. Next bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes with the foil on. Remove the foil and bake an additional 25-30 minutes. Top with whipped cream.

Sloppy Joes

Re heat on the stove and put over buns (toasted or non-toasted). I hope you like.
Thanks for all the yummy looking meals at the trade...Later

Potato Casserole with Ham and Rolls

Directions: Thaw in fridge overnight. Empty contents into casserole dish and top with either extra cheese, corn flakes, or even crushed Ritz crackers. Bake at 350° for approximatly 45 minutes +/- or until bubbly. If you like a thinner sauce, you may want to add just a little milk before you add the topping. Serve with rolls, and a green vegetable or salad. Enjoy!

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

Are you ready for a fiesta?! I hope so because I am going Mexican with my chicken this month. I made Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada Casserole. All you need to do is bake it... If frozen, bake at 375 degrees for an hour and a half (or until it is bubbly around the edges). Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes to brown the top. If you plan ahead and thaw it first, you will only need to bake it for 30 minutes. It is a good idea to let it sit for a few minutes before dishing it up. This helps the sauce to set up a little.
This dish is yummy garnished with any or all of the following: lettuce, tomatoes, onions, sour cream, and olives. We also eat it with corn chips and spanish rice and/or refried beans. I hope it is BUENO!!

Chicken 'n' Rice casserole

My meal this month is a simple casserole This is a meal I grew up eating in my family and now I am happy to still serve it my girls. It is always a crowd pleaser. It will be completely cooked and I am putting it in gallon bags to freeze. I am guessing that you just take the bag out and thaw completely, then put it in a casserole dish and put it in a 350 degree oven to warm through. We like to cover it with foil to cook and then take the foil off for the last 10-15 minutes to brown the top. If you want to be daring, try squeezing fresh lemon or lime juice on top. That is another twist my family has put on this meal. Maybe try it without and then put some juice on the next little bite and see if you like it. Just a suggestion. Yummy!

Breakfast for Dinner!

In an effort to think outside the box (and not do a meal too similar to Shauna's!), I am going to run with my opportunity in the "other" category. I hope other families are like ours and sometimes have breakfast for dinner. I am going to make Peach French Toast and give you the goods to make some scrambled eggs as well. I've never frozen this dish but I think it will work fine b/c you are supposed to let the bread soak up the egg mixture the night before. A good day or two of thawing should do the trick. I'll post details on cooking and the recipe later.

A little scared!!

Okay so for this month I am doing Lasagna. But it won't be homemade. Today I was in a hurry after church to make something because believe it or not just because I have 2pm church I still didn't get dinner in the crock pot. So I go to my freezer and I see I have a pre cooked lasagna. Now alittle back ground on this lasagna. It is so yummy! I had never ever bought a precooked lasagna in my life because I just thought they would be totally gross. Well I was at my mom's one time and she made lasagna and Casey and I both LOVED it. When I asked her what her recipe was she said it is actually the Wal-mart brand lasagna! I have made this for lots of people for meals that I had to take over and you can ask Amy Jensen she came up to me at church and said...is your lasanga recipe in the ward cook book because I have been eating all week and love it. When I told her it was the Walmart lasagna she died. My kids love it. Hobbs is alot like your little boy Marianne that he is so picky and lives on about 3 different foods but when I pull out this lasagna he chows!!
So if you guys have any problems what so ever of me doing this please tell me because I will not buy them but if your on the fence then give it a try and you will like it! And the good part is you can either cook it for an hour frozen or cook it frozen in the microwave for 13 minutes and it is perfect! So I will be giving you lasagna and rolls...if you want! ;0)

Pork Preference??

Hey, I have pork this month so I will be using ham. I have two ideas, please let me know if you have a preference.
1. Honey glazed ham and homemade rolls OR
2. Cheesy ham and potato casserole (like funeral potoatoes but with ham chunks)

:)

Next Exchange

I don't know if people will be going out of town for Labor Day weekend so what about an exchange on Thursday the 28th? We could do the same thing we did last month but at my house if you wanted? I have to get Gracie from school at noon so maybe 10:30?? Let me know. Marianne do you want to rotate the assignements for this month.
Thanks Ladies!

Sweet Pork.. Sweet Meal!

We had the sweet pork a la Costa Vida the other night. We had the Messengers over and shared our grub and made a HUGE meal out of it! We made the dressing and the cilantro-lime rice. Todd also made some mango-pico-de-gallo. And we had all the fixins to make a great meal. Thanks Shauna!

Yummy to my tummy!

We have had the chicken sauce over the biscuits, chicken divan, pot stickers & London broil. We have enjoyed it all! I didn't even have a problem heating up the chicken divan in the foil pan. Thank you everyone!

Chicken Parmesan

I talked with Amy and she said we will be doing our exchange at the end of the month. So, with chicken on sale, I bought it and decided I'm going to do Cyndy Young's recipe for Chicken Parmesan. I will provide the preparation instructions after I get it all ready. I'm looking forward to more great recipes!

Rave Reviews!

Hi ladies! Our freezer meals really came in handy this last week while we were busy moving. I totally love this group that we have!
We ate the stuffed shells and absolutely loved them! Todd ate the leftovers and even raved about them to our friends.
We also loved the hawaiian haystacks. We eat this meal a lot at our house, but this variation was delicious. The turkey made the sauce taste extra yummy.
The other meal that we ate was the chicken and biscuits. I had to add a little bit of extra water to make the biscuits as moist as we like them and they turned out good. Chansey and Todd especially loved this meal and I was thankful for how well balanced it was... all by itself.
So, keep the yummy food coming! :) And I'll keep posting reviews as we try new things! Thanks!

Stuffed Shells

Hey guys, I totally forgot to tell you guys how to put together the stuffed shells with cheese and sauce. It is really easy. Just boil the shells and drain. Then cut a hole in the bottom corner of the cheese mixture and sqeeze into the shells. Then put some sauce on bottom of pan on some on top. I usually sprinkle some mozz or parm on top cuz my husband loves cheese! Have fun. Glad to see some of you have already enjoyed it.

So tough...so sorry!

I cooked my own meal tonight (london broil) and it was so tough! I cooked some well done and some medium. The medium wasn't too bad but the well done wasn't good at all. Hope you guys have better luck. If you can stand some pink in your meat I would highly advise going pink for this meal. Oh well, better luck next time!

Thanks Collette

We had your pasta shells tonight and my family loved them. Thank you!!! It was super easy to throw together.

I need help!

I need your help with recipes!!! Do you have any yummy Chinese recipes? Tami, can I get your sweet and sour recipe? Do you have a recipe for beef and broccoli or anything Chinese? We are serving it for enrichment and need to know of some good recipes. Thanks!

pulled pork

We loved the pulled pork...very easy and yummy, and we had watermelon with it. Thank you so much.

Yummy Sweet & Sour

Tami, we loved the sweet and sour chicken! I would love the recipe!

Had the Pork...

We had your pork last night Marianne and it was so good! Thanks!

Thanks for the recipes

Thank you to everyone who either posted their recipe or e-mailed it to me. If you haven't yet, when you get a chance I am compiling them into one word document that I will e-mail to you.
Thanks, I'm loving this set up we have going!!!

Hawaiian Haystacks

This is for the "other" category. Just thaw the bag in the fridge overnight and then reheat either in the microwave or on stovetop . (Turkey and sauce are already fully cooked. ) Meanwhile, steam the rice with 3 cups water for 20 minutes. Serve the meat and sauce mixture on top of the rice and garnish with your choice of tropical toppings! SUGGESTIONS: chow mein noodles, shredded cheese, mandarine oranges, pineapple tidbits, craisins, slivered almonds, shredded coconut, red or green peppers or anything else you want to try! Enjoy.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I hope this easy to serve meal is a crowd pleaser! I will give everyone a bag of Pulled Pork and a bag of rolls. (similar to Shauna's meal in June) It is pork loin that has been fully cooked with a smoky barbeque type sauce. Thawing the meat is very fast and easy... just take it out of the freezer about 20 minutes before you want to eat. Before you open the bag, run hot water over it in the sink for about 10 minutes. This will partially thaw the mixture. Then just place the meat in a saucepan for about 10 minutes with the lid on so the steam can re-moisten it a little. Stir it a few times to make sure it is hot all the way through. Then serve on the rolls (they are especially good lightly toasted) We love to eat this with potato chips and salad. This is a great meal to eat on a day when you didn't plan ahead for dinner... or am I the only one who does that?! :)
P.S.- I am HUNGRY!

Running Late

Hey Ladies! I had to teach my music classes today, so it doesn't look like I'll have my meal done by 11am tomorrow morning. This is my plan, I will come to Shauna's house to pick my meals up at 11am. Then I will have to come by everyones houses tomorrow night. Let me know if you have plans and won't be home and I can make another trip to your house. Thanks and sorry!

London Broil with Parmesan & Basil Orzo

The main dish is a marinated london broil. The directions are simple--broil the meat! The cooking time will vary with how rare/well done you like your meat. It could take as little as 15 minutes on each side or up to 25 minutes on each side. You can also throw the meat on the grill if you like. Let the meat sit for 5 minutes after cooking to let the juices redistribute and then slice diagonally into 1/2 inches slices across the grain for the most tender results.

London Broil
2 lemons
1 c. soy sauce
2 cloves garlic
1 T. ginger
London broil roast (at least 2 inches thick)
Meat tenderizer

Slice and squeeze the lemons into a container for marinating. Add the soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. Sprinkle the meat with tenderizer and then add to the marinade. Marinade 3-4 hours or overnight (best!).

I also made an easy side everyone. You will want to keep the bag for this in the fridge until you use it. The directions are in the ward cookbook (Orzo with Parmsan and Basil) but I will put them here too. Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat (you will have to provide the butter!). Stir in orzo and saute until lightly browned. Stir in chicken stock and bring to boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 - 20 minutes. When the orzo is done, remove from heat and mix in the smaller bag (Parmesan cheese, basil, salt, and pepper). You may have to add additional salt/pepper depeding on your taste. We love this side!

Orzo with Parmesan and Basil
2 T. butter
1 c. uncooked orzo pasta
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil or 1 t. dried basil
salt and pepper to taste

Beef Potstickers

I thought I would go oriental for my meal. This is one of my family's favorites. I will give you a bag of the frozen uncooked pot stickers. Thaw them through, but don't let them get too warm, the meat is raw inside. When you are ready to cook, put a little oil in the bottom of a skillet (electric skillets work great too) then layer them in the bottom of the pan. Cook them on medium heat and once they are browned on the one side flip them to brown on the other. Then remove them from the pan on a paper towel and then use a paper towel to wipe out any remaining oil. Fill the pan with maybe 1/2 inch water and put the pot stickers back in. You need to cover them with the lid and let them steam. They will become "noodle-like" then they are ready to take out. I will be give you the dipping sauce that we love to use. It is mainly soy sauce, so if you or your kids don't like it, you can always use teriyaki or even sweet and sour sauce. As far as sides go, I will be giving you each a simple oriental rice mix that you can whip up. I hope you love them as much as we do.

Chicken Divan

I will have to drop my dinners by on Tuesday night because I have to go out of town unexpectantly...here is my recipe and Shauna, let me know if tomorrow evening is good to drop off the frozen dinners...thanks

Chicken Divan

1. Arrange in 8x8 inch pan ½-1 packages of frozen broccoli, chopped.
2. Add 4 cups cubed chicken (or turkey) – leftovers, canned okay too.
3. Combine:
2 cans cream of mushroom or chicken soup
1 cup mayonnaise
½ tsp. of curry powder
Pour over chicken.
4. Sprinkle with 1 cup grated cheddar (or cheddar/jack) cheese.
5. Sprinkle with paprika.
6. Wrap pan with foil & label with serving day directions.

I will give you this ready to thaw and heat up in the oven as directed below...Also some rice that you can cook if you choose.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Bake (covered) in 350˚F oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil for the last 15 minutes. Suggestion: Serve over cooked rice (you choose the type!).

Chicken and Biscuits

This month I am doing Chicken and Biscuits. The chicken mixture has cheese and soup and peas and carrots in it. You will just need to warm it up and add milk to thin it out. For the biscuits I am giving you a Make A Mix recipe from Shauna Browns mom. You just have to add water. The recipe is below. You dump the soup mixture on top of the biscuits. And when you get your freezer bag I spelled biscuits wrong on the bags. Sorry! See you soon!

Chicken and Biscuits

1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of chicken ¾ cup evaporated milk
5 slices American cheese 1 (10-ounce) frozen peas and carrots
3 cups cooked, chopped chicken 1 (7.5-ounce) can refrigerated biscuit dough

Combine soup, milk and cheese. Cook gently until cheese melts. Remove from heat. Stir in peas and carrots and chicken. Allow to cool. (Do not add biscuits.) Place in freezer bag. Label and freeze.
6 servings

To Serve: Thaw. Heat until hot and bubbly. Serve over biscuits.



Biscuit Recipe
3 cups QUICK MIX ¾ milk or water

Preheat oven to 450 . Grease a baking sheet. Combine QUICK MIX and milk or water in a medium bowl. Stir until just blended. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown. Makes 12 large drop biscuits.

Costa Vida Sweet Pork

If you like Costa Vida, you'll like this! This is the dinner we served at the "Mother's Who Know" Enrichment. I'll give you the pork and tortillas from Food City. You'll can serve it like Costa Vida: heated tortilla, sweet pork meat (heated in a sauce pan), black beans drained and heated, cilantro lime rice, romaine lettuce (cleaned and chopped), pico de guillo (you can buy it or use salsa), crushed tortilla chips over the top, ranch dressing, with guacamole and sour cream on the side. Or you can make a burrito, taco, flauta (Amy has a good recipe in the ward cook book that has the directions. I used the directions and used my left over meat. It was a great way to use up the meat!), etc. I will also give you the recipe for the ranch dressing. Look in your e-mails for the recipes!

No recipes yet!

OK ladies...I know you are all busy with summer and school is about to start, so I won't call any of you slackers yet. But, I think it would be really great to get all of your recipes! So, in what ever form it is easiest to give me, e-mail me, mail it to me, etc. I will put them into a word document that we can all have a keep forever!!! So when you get a second, send your recipes my way! Thanks!!!

Mango Chicken

My family LOVED this meal!!! Thanks Jane, even the twins ate this one!!!

Suggestion

I know everyone is going to be getting ready for school next week to start so I thought maybe we could wait till the first week in August to exchange meals? So maybe the first weekend in August? Let us know.

Loved the Pork Chops!

Even though it was one of last months meals, we just had the pork chops a couple of nights ago. They were very good. We all ate some... (after I told my little one that it was chicken to get her to eat it :) Anyway, thank you Jane! And, ... I am also interested in having recipes, so I am going to send mine to Shauna... let's all do the same!

tip on the meat loaf

I thawed out the meat loaf over night and before I baked it I turned it over into one of my loaf pans. I think the metal pans conduct heat better. It only took an hour to bake. I think it would take longer if you baked it in the tin pan.

Yum!

We have had the refried bean dinner, the meat loaf, and the chicken & broccoli over fettuccine dinners. We loved them all! Thanks everyone!

Refried Bean Dinner- A+!

Thanks Tami for the delicious dinner! We all loved it! We have a similar meal that I make and we call it "Walking Tacos". We put the meat mixture on Fritos (or any chips) and top it with salad toppings. I like yours because it tastes a little bit more fresh than mine... LOVE IT!

Yummy Food again

So Sunday we had the Chicken Spaghetti...yummy Sara. Hobbs and Sidney loved it! Well everyone did but the kids are especially important.
We had the beans and meat tonight from Tami and used it on Nachos...awesome! We all loved it! So two A+'s so far!

Refried Bean Dinner -Taco Salads

We like this meal because it is very versatile. It includes the frozen refried bean/meat mix (fully cooked) and 1 bag of chips. I gave you our very mild version so if you like it hotter, you may want to throw in a can of medium or hot chili peppers. There's serveral ways to serve this:
1. Thaw overnight; reheat in the microwave or on the stove, stirring every few minutes (and add a little water if you like it thinner). For the last couple of minutes we like to add a cup or two of shredded cheddar cheese and melt it on top. Serve the mixture on top of a bed of chips, and add lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, sliced olives, or whatever other toppings you like, and there you have a taco salad. OR ...
2. For kids that don't like all the extra toppings, just serve it like nachos and sprinkle more cheese on top.
3. Serve like a burrito, wrapped in a tortilla with salsa, sour cream, and lots of cheese (Dave's preference)
4. Serve on top of cooked white rice, and then add lettuce, tomatoes, olives and cheese on top (This is how my parents serve this meal).

Chicken and Brocolli Fettucini Alfredo

So many apologies... so little time...Well, I am still really embarassed that I did not have my meals done on Friday to give to everyone. I had a really busy week and several things came up that were unexpected. I am so sorry because this is twice now that this has happened! So, please forgive me. My food is done now though, and has been frozen for a couple days, so I will be dropping them off to everyone today.
The second thing I feel bad about is something I realized after my meals were already in the bags and partially frozen... I forgot to put garlic in the alfredo sauce. So, you'll have to add a little bit of garlic when you are heating it, or it won't taste very good. You can used fresh minced garlic, garlic powder, or garlic salt whichever you prefer. And, the sauce has a lot of cheese in it, so it will probably be really thick when it thaws out. Just add milk to thin it if you would like. I hope you enjoy it! This is one of our family's favorite meals... I usually serve it with garlic bread, green beans, and ceasar salad.

I want recipes!!!

Really, I want to put together a little collection of our recipes. I could do it every month after we exchange our meals. What ever we decide, if you could e-mail me your recipes at shaunaab@gmail.com then I will put them into one word document. Then I can e-mail the whole thing out to all of you monthly after we do our exchange. What do you think?

Just FYI

Tomorrow I will also be giving you tortillas. These are not frozen yet. So just make sure if you don't eat my meal soon that you put those in the freezer. I think it says by July 4th. So just to let you know. I had leftover from making my meals so I am bringing it to Ladies who lunch tomorrow. Just a little before hand taste test I guess! ;0) And Aften I'm sorry you can't do it this month! That's a bummer...did anybody else go to that class at the church and have actually tried to say "that's a bummer" to your kids. Gracie thought I was calling her a bad name and got so mad at me! Then I started laughing trying to explain it and she go even more mad because I was laughing. So "That's a bummer' doesn't work at the Gooch house yet-but Casey and I say it to each other. It makes us stop and laugh.

Meatloaf and Make-ahead mashed potatoes

Hey Girls, I will be making my grandmothers meatloaf and some mashed potatoes that are really yummy. Just don't ask what's in them if you are watching your calorie intake. I usually add brocolli or zuchinni to this meal or a salad always goes nice. Just bake both at 350 for 1 hour. I will be there on Friday to do the exchange. Can't wait to try more or everyones yummy meals.

Sorry

Sorry ladies about dogging out on ya'll...next month count me in...

Meeting time?

A few of us have been communicating by e-mail about our meeting time. In case you haven't checked your e-mail yet, we were talking about exchanging at 12:30 on Friday at Marianne's house since she is hosting Ladies Who Lunch. (Ladies Who Lunch is from 11-1.) We were thinking of bringing coolers with our food, put them in the garage, exchange our food and then sneak it into our cars. We are hoping to not make anyone feel left out by publicizing this too much. If they do find out, I don't think it's a bad idea to encourage them to start another group because we have all loved this so much. Does this work for everyone? I know Aften said she is out of this exchange due to going out of town.

Mango Chicken

I am going to make Mango Chicken. It is a great chicken marinade with cilantro, mango nectar, and a bunch of spices--but not spicy! You can grill or broil the chicken. We usually serve it with the sides below but it can also be served as just a fancy chicken sandwich. These sides are both really good! Don't be scared off by the number of ingredients. I promise you will be hooked if you try them.

Mango and Black Bean Salsa
1 ripe mango, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup chopped tomato
2 thinly sliced green onions
1-2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 ½ teaspoons red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt

In medium bowl, mix all salsa ingredients. Let stand 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Cilantro Corn
4 ears of corn with corn cut off or 1 bag frozen corn
1 medium red onion, chopped
cilantro to taste, chopped
butter and olive oil

Put some butter and olive oil in a large frying pan (enough to prevent sticking) and add corn and
red onion. Fry until both are tender. At the very end at some cilantro for color and flavor. You will be surprised by how sweet the corn tastes.

Southwest Pulled Pork

I am going to be doing a pulled pork that you serve with tortillas and sour cream and all that yummy stuff. You will just need to warm it up and then roll it up in the tortillas!

Chicken Spaghetti

I have been planning on making chicken spaghetti. I hope you guys won't mind getting two spaghetti meals. The sauce is more creamy than a marinara sauce. I am going to cook the chicken in the sauce till it falls apart and is nice and tender. Then I will just give you a box of noodles with the frozen sauce. You can just set the bag out in the morning, then you should be able to put it in a sauce pan and warm it up. I would serve it with salad or fresh corn on the cob that is being sold up the road. YUM!!!

Homemade Spaghetti

So I'm thinking I'll do a homemade spaghetti sauce over noodles. I wanted to do something that doesn't use the oven so you'll heat the sauce, serve it over cooked noodles, and serve with bread, salad or corn. Yum!

Good Job Everyone!

Good job to everyone! We just ate our last couple meals and they were all VERY good: Lasagne Rolls, chicken pot pie, and stroganoff. They were all very yummy, and plenty of portions for us to have leftovers (except the chicken pot pie because that is one of Logans favorite meals and he had three plates full!) My kids especially have enjoyed all of the 8 meals this month and we are all looking forward to the next batch for July.

Next Exchange

Okay ladies. The next exchange is going to be this Saturday the 28th. If anybody has conflicts just let us know and we can figure something out. I'm looking forward to see what everyone does!

Aften!!

Oh my gosh your Lasagna rolls were yummy!! I took it out the night before and then cooked it tonight for 1 1/2 hours. PERFECT! That was seriously good. Even Hobbs ate a whole roll! And he kep saying in between bites...I like it mom...it's yummy! So good job. We need to diffenetly keep this one on file!

Next Exchange?

When are we going to do the next exchange, where, when, how? I'll be out of town until the 19th and Jane is out of town until the 21st. ( around then at least)

Penne B+

Scott is out of town s I can't say how he liked it, but Jeffrey and I enjoyed it. I did add some milk, salt, pepper and 2 c. cooked chicken. I'm not sure if there was too much garlic but it was a little too strong for me. My twins are picky eaters and didn't like it. (Don't be offended Amy, they don't like most of what I cook.) Overall, Jeffrey and liked it and will be eating left overs tomorrow. Thanks Amy!

Pork is on sale Amy and Aften

Pork is on sale at Safeway for 97 cents a pound. Just thought I would let you know. The sale ends Wed.

More?

Okay so right now these women have said they would like to do more exchanges:
1. Marianne
2. Sarah
3. Aften
4. Amy
We just need to hear from the others.

Penne yum

I only added a little sauteed garlic, salt pepper and some milk, and parm cheese...re heated adn yum.thanks gooch
mid month dinners? what up, what we doing?

What's the word?

Just wondering if we are going to exchange meals mid-June. Let me know what you all think about doing another exchange. THANKS.

Taco Salads

I'm considering a refried bean dinner (I like to use it for taco salads, Dave loves to make it into burritos.) It's got ground beef, refried beans, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce and a few mild seasonings (not spicy). I know some people love refried beans, some people stay away from them at all costs. Any opionions one way or the other?

Sweet & Sour... thumbs up!

We ate the sweet & sour chicken for lunch today and it was very good. I have never been able to master the art of making anything resembling Chinese food, so I was impressed with Tami's feat. You are right though Tami - a little bit of sauce goes a long way. The flavor is very delicious though... we did add a bit of soy sauce to lessen the sweetness for the kiddos. Job well done!!

Pork Clarification...

By the way... the "magic pork" I was talking about was the fiesta pork. Thanks so much Sarah!We cooked it up and made tacos and burritos with it and it was a hit!!

Magic Pork!

OMG! (Oh My Gosh :) The pork was AMAZING!! What did you put in that stuff? Whatever it was, it must have been magic becuase all of my kids ate it. Did you catch that, or should I say it again... ALL OF MY KIDS ate it. (Incase you aren't aware... this is a miracle!) Compliments to the chef.

pork ole taco's

YUMMMMMY! I only added a little water and some extra chili's ...yum, my kids ate it but Gooches didn't...sorry Amy ( and I almost made Sidney cry).
Thanks Sarah for that yummy dinner!

I'm in!

I would love to cook 2 times and have 16 meals! That is only twice a month! Maybe we can do one in the middle? I'm in if everybody else wants too?

We rock!

Ok, so it sounds like we are all pretty good cooks and we all love this meal trading group... should we trade meals more often? I think so... let me know what you guys think!

Too Funny!

You guys are so funny! Maybe we need to do more meals? Everyone is using their meals before the first week of the month! But that is awesome! I am so upset though. I was planning on making steaks yesterday but Casey calls and says that he is going to be late and lets wait till tomorrow. Okay so 5:30 and now I need to start from scratch on dinner. So I pull out Tammy's Sweet and Sour chicken and thought I would just put it on the stove in hot water. I have done this alot and it works...well I got busy and forgot and when I did go back the bag had melted over the side and the yummy smelling dinner was all in the water and ruined!!!! I am so glad everyone else is getting to enjoy these meals though. ;0) Shawna I will email you my recipe-I think that would be awesome to put these together!

Pork Chops & Stroganoff get an A+

Thanks Marianne & Jane for the yummy dinners! Scott said, "You need to really get these recipes!" I would love to have all of your recipes and I will put them into one word document and share them all with everyone. If you have a chance, will you e-mail your recipe to shaunaab@gmail.com? Thanks everyone, I'm really loving this!

YUMM-O

We had our BBQ beef sandwiches tonight and they were glorious. I cut open the rolls and buttered them then I lightly broiled them. They were perfect for a hot day. Sometimes a hot meal on a hot day doesn't sound good to me. So this hit the spot. THANK YOU SHAUNA!!!

YUMMY!

Good job everyone! One afternoon in the kitchen for 8 nights

of dinner is definitely my idea of saving time!!!!

BBQ Beef- Yummy! Everyone here liked it- Logan even had 2 sandwiches!
Penne- Yummy! Everyone liked it! I used about 3/4 of the box of noodles, added some milk and it was perfect. What kind of cheeses did you use? It had a bit of an unfamiliar sweetness to it and I was curious what kind of cheese that was... I really like it.
Pork Chops - Yummy! Dave's favorite so far (he loves pork chops)! We grilled them on the BBQ and they were perfect! My kids had nearly a whole one each; they really liked it too.
I am trying to not eat all the meals up in the first week so that I have some left for the rest of the month! :)

Worst Critic

Okay...I did not like my Penne! I'm glad you liked it Marianne but I just thought it was way too thick! I tried thinning it out but maybe I just didn't do it enough. So word to the wise add lots of milk. It was so good when I first made it but putting it in the freezer made it different? I hope I don't scare anyone off but that is just my opinion!! Can't wait for everyone elses!

The Stroganoff

We ate the stroganoff last night and it was so delicious...and all my kids ate it...it is gone except for one serving which I am gonna eat for lunch one day...
Thanks Marianne
Also the lasagna...I figured out that it would take a lot longer when Collette said she had to cook it for 2 hours after letting it stay out of the freezer all night...oops=)

Lasagna... worth the wait!

I have a similar story to Shauna's... We had the lasagna last night and it was delicious!! Todd especially LOVED it! But, it took almost three hours to cook. I set it out of the freezer for about 6 hours before I started to bake it. Then I put it in the oven on 375 for about an hour and a half and it was still icy in the middle. So, I turned the oven up to 400 and cooked it for almost another hour and a half. Altogether it took almost 3 hours to bake all the way through. But, like I said, it was worth it because it was delicious! If I may make a suggestion... try thawing it over night (I am sure it will still be partially frozen, but better than frozen solid) before baking and then cook it on 400 for at least one and a half hours... let us know how it goes. Thanks Aften for the delicious meal!

Lasagna rolls cooking time

I tried these out last night and Scott, Jeffrey and I really like them! (It's hard to please the twins right now, they are a little picky.) I wanted to let everyone know that after cooking it for 45 minutes at 350 degrees, it was still cold in the middle. I have actually had this problem before using the foil pans. Just plan on having time to cook it longer and check to see when it is done. I ended up having to pull it out and then I just heated mine and Scott's in the microwave for a little bit because we were ready to eat. We really enjoyed it and we still have some for leftovers! Thanks Aften!

Stroganoff is a hit!

Okay so I haven't gotten to try it yet but Casey LOVED it! He is a hard pleaser too! The kids all ate it and they said it was yummy! Can't wait for lunch tomorrow so I can try it! I had to work tonight at the dance studio so that is why I haven't eaten it yet. And thanks for the compliment Chansey!

Yummy Penne!

Tonight we had the Creamy Penne... It was very good. Thanks Amy! Chansey said "this is the best meal I have ever had!" I thought you would really appreciate that since you know how she is... after having her in Primary. After she said that, I thought to myself... "What about all of the meals I have been making for the last 8 years"....?! :)

We Ate 2

Ok, so last night we ate the BBQ beef, thanks Shauna...yum, I didn't add any water and it was yummy...all of it all gone...tonight we ate the pork chops from Jane, yum, all gone as well. Those were 2 very good last minute meals. I heat them up out of the freezer...the pork chops I defrosted in the microwave for a bit, but all turned out so yummy...no complaints=)
Also if any of you do the Lasagna roll ups, you have to cook them for probably 1-2 hours depending on how frozen they are still...thanks

Recipes?

So I was thinking I want to start some kind of way for us to share our recipes. I'm not sure the best way to do this so if you have any suggestions please let me know. I was thinking everyone could send them as a word attachment on an e-mail and I could compile them into one document and then send it back to everyone after every month. This way we will have a nice selection of freezer meal recipes of our very own! What do you all think? Collette, you are they only e-mail I don't have yet. My e-mail is shaunaab@gmail.com.

Add water to the BBQ Beef!

Hey everyone! I'm so glad that we are doing this because last night I needed an easy meal, so we ate the BBQ beef sandwiches that I made. I forgot to put in the instructions to add some water when you heat the meat up in a saucepan. This will help create steam while heating up. You can also heat the meat up in the microwave, but I would add a little bit of water and make sure to cover it because it will make a mess of your microwave! My family liked it, but the twins and Jeffrey wanted it with the meat on the side tonight. I don't really know what was too different, but they ate it! Enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff - Revised

After realizing that my original plan for the stroganoff was rediculous and really more work for you than necessary, I changed the way I delivered it. It's all prepared and ready to cook. Now, you don't have to open cans, or measure or mix. Just dump the stroganoff in your crock pot and let it cook for most of the day. The meat is raw so it will take 4-6 hours to cook on low (or in a pot on the stove on low) See my first "stroganoff" post for further info and serving directions...

And thank you for being patient. I am sorry it took me so long to get my meals to you. I still have Colette's and Sarah's because you gals weren't home when I came by today. But, I will call tomorrow and try to come by then.

Also, has anyone started eating their meals yet? If so, post a comment on the blog, I want to hear what everyone thinks! Don't be afraid... :)

Take a Deep Breath

Marianne you are fine. Don't stress, it is okay. Just make it when you can and get it to us but don't go crazy!

Please forgive me!

Hello again... I am writing this to apologize for not getting your meals to you today. The day definately did not go as I planned. After getting back into town last night, I had more to do today than I could possible get done. On top of that, I had to make an extra trip to the store today... I was missing something to make my meal. Also, I realized that the way I was originally going to give you your stroganoff was dumb... I decided I needed to assemble it all myself so that it would make it easier for you to prepare when you are ready to eat it. What was I thinking?! I have no idea... Anyway, I am sorry, I really was an airhead this time. I hope I didn't inconvenience anyone too much. I will DEFINATELY bring everyone's food by tomorrow! I hope you love it!

SWEET & SOUR CHICKEN

My meal is ready and frozen solid so I will try to get ahold of each of you to bring them around today. Please make sure you look at directions beforehand, so you don't end up with mushy veggies. Thanks!

DIRECTIONS:

Rice: Add to 3 cups boiling water and simmer on low for 20 minutes.
Sweet & Sour Chicken: Let bag thaw in the fridge overnight. The veggies (onions, green peppers, carrots)are currently "crisp," just barely cooked, like they serve it in the Chinese restaurants. If you like your veggies like that, then just reheat the thawed contents in either the microwave or on the stove for a couple of minutes until heated through (the chicken is already fully cooked). However, we like the veggies soft so if you prefer them like this, you'll want to actually COOK it on the stove for a good 10-15 minutes or until veggies start to change color to a more dull green. Serve on top of rice and go easy on the sauce for kids....a little flavor goes a long way. ENJOY! (note: I left the veggie pieces large so they could be easily picked out for children who may be "allergic" to vegetables!)

I am back!

Hi everyone... I was out of town until last night, so I just got caught up on all that went on while I was gone. I am sorry we couldn't meet today, but hopefully we will be able to do something fun next month. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know... I will be bringing my meal around to everyone's houses today. So, don't come to me, I'll come to you. :) And, I'll pick up my meal from you at the same time. K? Oh, and by the way, thanks Amy for already dropping off my meal... Sorry I didn't have yours ready yet. See you all soon!

I am so excited!

I am done too so I think I will just run my meals around in the morning.

Bring it On!

K girls my meals are done also. I was thinking of making the rounds in the a.m. Or maybe we could all be at someones house around the same time if most of us are done. You could all stop by mine, Aftens or Janes, since we all live in the same neighborhood and just drop them off say tommorrow around 9am or so? If not then I will just bring mine around probably. K let me know. Can't wait to taste the goodness.

Holy Pork!!

Hello girls. I have a pork cloud in my house. Shauna, I think Gold Canyon Candles should come out with a new scent: Fiesta Pork, a savory scent with a hint of green chilis, onions and fresh ground pepper. Anyways, I am finally done with my meal, when shall we distribute???

I am finished...

ok so this is the scoop, it took me about 6 hours of cooking, stirring, frying, mixing, shopping, assembling and cleaning, but I got all the meals in the freezer...Collette has her dinner already, and I am really tired...but it was actually really fun, so let me know when I can drop your dinner by...I am thinking in the Am on Monday Morning before people leave for their BBQ's if you are BBQing...what you think?

Hey guys, I'm the last one the learn the "blogging thing" (thanks to Aften!)
So I'm thinking of either sweet and sour chicken or chicken enchiladas. If anyone has a preference, please let me know.

Chicken Pot Pie

Hey Girlies, I am really excited about this so thanks for the invite. I am a little computer challenged so Aften had to help me set up this blog thing. Anyways, I am making a chicken pot pie that is really yummy and will be no assembly required. My kids like the potatoes and carrots in this dish and it is enough to fill my husband belly too! Just take out of the freezer the night before or the morning of. Then bake at 350 for about an hour. I will try to do mine this weekend and have them done by Tuesday at noon.

Tuesday

Maybe for this month we just need to run our meals around. You will need to make your meals ahead of time so they are frozen. I finished mine today. We need to have them done by Tuesday because Jane is leaving out of town on Wednesday so make sure to take yours to her before then! Lucky girl. So Marianne I really appreciate you offering your house up and wanting to have a get together but I think it was just me giving everyone really short notice. Next months will be planned well in advance. So is everyone okay with just taking your meals around this time? Sorry ladies!

Tuesday Meeting

I am thinking that Tuesday will be really hard for me and also Collette...we have big days on Monday and this whole weekend is crazy, is there a different day to meet and can we meet at noon ish...like maybe Wednesday?I dunno, I keep thinking that I have to make all the food the day we meet, but I guess I can make it today or tomorrow and freeze it and then I can just send it on its way to you all...ok so sometimes I have to sit down and really think things through before I get it...I color my hair blond for a reason=) anyway, Tuesday won't work for me...but I guess if everyone else can I can just drop stuff off...ok

Creamy Penne

This dish is really easy. I will give you the sauce that goes on your Penne. And a box of Penne Pasta to make the day of. All you will need to do is take the bag out probably the night before and put it in your fridge. Then the next day just pour it into a pot and warm it up. If the sauce is too thick you can add alittle milk to it to make it the right consistancy. Then just spoon it over the pasta. The sauce is made up mostly of cheeses and has broccoli in it so you get your veggies too!
This would be good with Breadsticks and a salad!
Can I just add I am so excited that all of you agreed to do this! I have wanted to do it for a long time and I'm so glad we are!! See next Tuesday!

Hawaiian Pork Chops

These pork chops are best grilled but also can be broiled. The pork chops will marinate in a combo of garlic, ginger, soy sauce, water, and brown sugar. I use a device called a jaccard to tenderize the meat and really infuse the marinade. The chops should be taken out a day or two before to thaw in the fridge. When you are ready to eat, toss the marinade in the garbage and then cook the pork to perfection. I usually serve this meal (and usually about two meals a week) with grilled sweet potato fries. I slice sweet potatoes into chunky fry-shaped slices (you can decide skin or no skin), toss them in olive oil and sprinkle them with kosher salt then grill. Corn-on-the-cob could round out the meal. If you have a grill, this means no using the oven in 100+ heat!

BBQ Beef Sandwiches

I'm am going to do BBQ beef sandwiches which will be made from shredded chuck roast mixed with BBQ sauce (probably Bulls Eye brand). I will give everyone a Ziploc of the BBQ meat to put in the freezer and some rolls (you can freeze those too!). All you will need to do is thaw the meat and rolls. Heat up the meat in a sauce pan when you are ready to eat, cut the rolls in half and serve! I love these with ambrosia (pineapple chunks, Mandarin oranges, grapes, mini marshmallows, 1 c. sour cream), chips, fresh fruit, pasta salad, etc. I haven't made these in awhile, but I love them and hope you all do too!

Lasagna roll-ups

Pasta, red sauce, and white sauce, with italian sausage, ricotta cheese, mozzerella cheese, parmesan cheese....YUM...need I say more...take it out of the freezer in the morning and put it in the oven when you want at 350, 45 minutes. Salad and Italian bread.

When will we get together?

My Freezer Meal

The meal I am planning on is pork tacos. My mom and I were laughing that we should call it "Pork Ole" or maybe even "Fiesta Pork." Regardless of its name, it is really tasty. My plan is to give each of the meat in a freezer bag and a box of taco shells. The meat is so flavorful and tasty, the only suggestions I can make is to garnish with fresh stuff like lettuce, tomatoes, maybe some sour cream, cheese and guacamole. As far as what to serve with it......ummmm what do you usually eat with tacos. Since it is getting hot outside, having hot steamed veggies doesn't appeal to me. We love fresh salads or I just cut up bell peppers, cucumbers and the kids love to dip them in ranch. I hope you all like it as much as we do.

Beef Stroganoff

For this month, I will be making beef stroganoff. Here are the directions...

Put the following ingredients into your crockpot in the morning on the day you want to eat the meal:

Meat (already cut and frozen), Cream of Mushroom Soup, Mushrooms (optional), Onion Soup Mix, & 1 cup of milk (not provided)

Stir everything together and let it cook on low for at least 5-6 hours. The longer you let it cook, the more tender the meat will be. If you start to cook the meal later in the day, you can cook it on high for 2 hours and then low for 1-2 additional hours or until desired doneness. Don't forget to stir the stroganoff throughout the day while it is cooking.
When you are almost ready to eat, cook the noodles and turn the crockpot off and stir in the sour cream until the stroganoff is creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can mix the noodles in or keep them seperate, whatever you prefer.
Serving Suggestion: Our family loves to eat this meal with corn, rolls and a green salad with italian dressing. The flavors really compliment each other. Also, if you have kids who are picky (like I do) or ones who don't eat meat well, you can give them the noodles plain or with the sauce only.
I hope you love this meal as much as we do!

I'm So Excited!

I can't wait to get our "Freezer Meal Group" started. I think this is such an awesome idea - Thanks Amy for putting it together! I am excited to meet with everyone next week and do our first exchange. I got several positive responses when I suggested meeting at my house, so let's do that...

Let's meet at 11:00 on Tuesday May 27. Bring your kids and the meals you prepared for everyone and we can sit around and chat and let the kids play until they are worn out. Also, if you want to bring something to share (like 'Ladies Who Lunch') we can eat lunch together too! If this time doesn't work for anyone, then let us know and we can figure out how to get our meal from you.

I can't wait to see everyone!