Menu Plan Monday

Here's what's cooking in my kitchen this week!

Monday: Chicken Cordon Bleu, garden salad, brown rice
Tuesday: Calypso Salmon, sweet potato fries (sorry, couldn't find a recipe online for the salmon similar to mine!)
Wednesday: Pizza Burgers (still trying to get those on our plate--somehow something else has been coming up!). carrot sticks & sliced cucumbers (two veggies my kids will eat!)
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: Slowcooker Pasta Fajioli Soup, breadsticks, garden salad
Saturday: leftovers
Sunday: slowcooker soup TBA!

What's on your menu this week? Happy Cooking!

Cookbook Review: The Family Kitchen

When I first picked up this book, I thought the title sounded promising but leafing through the glossy pages I thought again. I thought, "pretty books like this rarely have real recipes for real families" (in my opinion anyway!)

Boy was I wrong! A former New York City chef and restaurateur, Debra Ponzek combines her culinary experience with her experience as a mom merging those two loves. Page after page, each recipe sounds more delicious (and kid-appealing) than the next. Recipes like Apple Pancake, Blueberry Crumb Muffins, Ham, Cheddar and Tomato Quesadillas, Turkey Meatloaf or Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes. Talk about yummy! I've been cooking with my children since they could stand up, so I'm always looking for fun ways to bring them into the kitchen. Not only does it provide a time for us to spend time together, but generally, they are more apt to eat what they have prepared. That's a win-win!

For each recipe, she also includes a "Call the Kids" section that gives you a list of steps where the kids can help prepare the dish--things like measuring water, peeling carrots, measuring dry ingredients, pouring in ingredients, stirring into ingredients and more. Of course, you decide what they can do based on their age and ability but it's a great guide to get your family started cooking in the kitchen together!

She also talks about organizing your kitchen workspace into "stations" so that more than one child can work alongside you and there's less squabbling about who's in who's space (yes, that happens at my house too!)

This "pretty" cookbook really delivers!

Menu Plan Monday

Hello all! As Thanksgiving approaches you may be focusing on the big meal and not much else! Or perhaps you're traveling this year and will be letting someone else do the cooking. I am lucky in that each year we get together with family and I just have to make the pies and maybe a side! Here's what's on our menu this week:

Monday: Slow cooker Chicken & Dumplings (I added a bag of frozen mixed vegetables too)
Tuesday: Pad Thai and California Rolls (one of my kids' favorite meals!)
Wednesday: Pizza Burgers (didn't have it last week due to the construction going on--things did not go quite as planned so we called out for pizza instead!)
Thursday: Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday: Leftovers (maybe a turkey panini?)
Saturday: Leftovers (maybe a repeat of Thursday--I love doing that!)
Sunday: TBA!

What's on your menu? Happy cooking!

Make Room For Holiday Goodies!

I'd have to say one of the biggest reasons I started freezer cooking was so that I could spend more time during the holidays actually ENJOYING the holidays. Add to that all the extra events that seem to be happening and less time to do our "regular" stuff AND make sure we had a healthy meal on the table? Seemed like an impossible task. But by planning ahead not only would we have more energy by eating healthier to actually enjoy the events, we would also be saving those dollars that might be spent on take-out or dinners out on holiday gift giving instead (or sharing it with families that are going with far less than we might during the holidays). Once I found out how much it helped I expanded from there and started doing bigger sessions and year round too.

A lot of my freezer cooking beginnings were inspired by the website Organized Home (and its sister-site Organized Christmas). If you really want to get organized for the holidays, start with their Holiday Grand Plan and Countdown (it's already started but you can start now and take notes for getting an earlier start next year--that's how I started--mid-December when things were already out of control!)

Ok, back on track. This week in the Countdown you should be cleaning out your freezer to make room for all those extra meals you'll be preparing (or doubling) in the coming weeks as well as the cookies or other holiday treats you'll be serving or bringing or giving this holiday season. So, take set aside a half hour or so (that's all it should take) to get the job done. I usually like to time it on the day before garbage pickup so that the UFOs (unidentified frozen objects) don't have to sit outside for too long (and risk a critter invasion like mine did one time when the lid was not on tight--that's a possum story for another time.) Preventing a major freezer cleanout by labeling and logging the items that go into your freezer is also a topic for another time too! (coming soon though!)



So, once you've gotten your freezer cleaned out and organized, you'll no doubt have some extra space to stock up on an extra freezer meal or two (or three or four....) to help you save your sanity during the holidays. Facing an even more empty freezer? How about getting a jump start on your holiday baking? You'll be ready for any entertaining opportunity that comes your way. Why not get started today!

Happy cleaning (and eating!)

Cookbook Review: Bake and Freeze Desserts

(not sure why the book image is not coming up consistently--if it's not there for you just click on the link and you'll see it there!)

Just in time for the holidays! Do you love to bake but just don't know how to find the time to satisfy all your cravings or occasions? Your freezer is your friend and Elinor Klivans shows you how!

The first part of the book talks about the type of equipment you should have on hand to help your baking time a lot easier. She also highlights what basic ingredients to stock up on and where to store them and for how long. The list is surprisingly simple as she based them on what she could find in her small town of only 5,000 people. Lastly, Klivans provides a basic understanding of how food freezes and how to best prepare your dessert (like letting it cool or chill first) to wrapping it and storing it. With her tips, you will be able to pull out your dessert and impress your family and guests with a dessert that looks like it was just made that day!

I have a giant sweet tooth so nearly everything in the recipe section sounded delicious to me! Something for just about everyone is included like cookies, cakes, pies and tarts, mousses, ice cream pies, bombes and sundaes and even homemade ice cream. At the very end is a page of mail-order sources to help you find those specialty ingredients.

Make your desserts ahead this season for every occasion and you'll be able to sit back and enjoy the holidays and some yummy desserts at the same time!

Eating the Alphabet: The Letter L

Eating the Alphabet is back! Not sure what exactly started our hiatus but my kids have actually been asking me "what letter are we on?" and wondering what kind of fruit or veggie we should be eating. They found it lots of fun to think up different options for our letter of the week.

So, we're back on track and picking up where we left off which is the letter "L". LETTUCE first comes to mind and of course there's lots to choose from in that category. Our favorite is usually organic romaine or green leaf when we're making a salad (hint: have your kids help you make the salad and add other veggies like cucumbers, tomatoes or carrots--you'll be surprised that they may actually eat those veggies when THEY'VE helped make the salad themselves!)

Next comes LIME...I add lime juice when I'm making a tasty salsa like Cucumber Avocado Salsa (served here with Steak Tacos--delish!) Don't forget lime's cousin the lemon. Lemon is another versatile fruit to have on hand but I especially love it when it's in a dessert like Busy Day Lemon Cheesecake (this is one I remember my mom making and it is SOOOOO easy!)

Last is LEEK. Leeks are a great source of Vitamin C and B6 and since they're similar to onions, pretty easy to incorporate into many recipes (their texture performs a bit differently than some onions so they're not all equal though). I've just recently starting cooking with leeks so I'm still experimenting with recipes. But I will say I do enjoy a good creamy leek soup when it's available! Guess I'd better start looking around for a good recipe I can make myself!

How is Eating the Alphabet going in your household? Share your comments below and as always, happy cooking!

Menu Plan Monday

This week my freezer cooking session is going to pay off big as I'll have limited use of my kitchen while having some work done! Here's what's on our menu:

Monday: Chicken Marsala, garden salad
Tuesday: Asian Flank Steak, steamed rice pilaf, steamed veggies
Wednesday: Pizza Burgers, carrot sticks
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: leftovers
Saturday: grilled steak or pork roast (from freezer), garden salad, baked potatoes
Sunday: Make-Your-Own Pizza night (we use the pizza crusts purchased in by the case from our local wholesale club then shared with our friends/neighbors. Then we just add our own toppings and bake. Even the kids can create their own pizza combinations. It's a super easy way to let everyone have the pizza they like)

What's on your menu? Happy cooking!

Cookbook Review: 834 Kitchen Quick Tips

Do you ever wish you had a little kitchen fairy that sat on your shoulder and gave you tips on how to make your time in the kitchen quicker, easier and more efficient? Well, consider it done with this book! No, it's not going to sit on your shoulder and TELL you what to do, but just paging through the book you will no doubt learn a few new tips to put into practice right away. Organized alphabetically, it's easy to find the tip your looking for whether it's using a tea ball to shake powdered sugar on top of brownies or lemon squares, shaping thumbprint oookies with the back of a melon baller, sticking a fork in ginger to grate it (and save your fingertips!) or putting felt floor-protector pads on the bottom of heavy appliances to allow for easy sliding on the counters, you're sure to find plenty of new tips--you won't regret it!

Menu Plan Monday

It's a busy week for us (is there any other kind these days?) Looks like I've got some special occasions that will keep me out of the kitchen as well--gotta love that! So here's what's on the menu:
Monday: special activity-no cooking for me!
Tuesday: Beef pinwheels with spinach, roasted red bell peppers and swiss cheese, garlic mashed potatoes (from Freezer Session)
Wednesday: Sesame Salmon (from freezer session), brown rice, garden salad
Thursday: French Dip Sanwiches (from Freezer Session), carrot sticks
Friday: special occasion--out to eat!
Saturday: family activity @ their house--no cooking for me!
Sunday: Leftovers

What's on your menu? Happy cooking!

My Freezer Full of Gold!

That's what I call it...my freezer is full of gold after filling it with more than 30 meals that will be ready to make on busy nights which seem to get especially busy as the holidays approach. If you're not doing your own version of Once-A-Month-Cooking. now's the time! Even adding six or so extra meals to your freezer can be a real stress and pocketbook reliever when dinner time rolls around after a long day!

I shopped one day and the next day started early right after the kids went to school. It took me nearly the whole day (took a break mid-afternoon but finished up that evening after we ate our dinner--thanks to my hubby for taking care of the kids that evening!) I've done mini-sessions before on weekends though when I don't have a full day to commit to cooking--just break it down into types--sauces, beef entrees, poultry, etc. You get the idea. It really can work and it is SO worth it.

I think I did dishes about three or four times but I really do not like doing dishes and I felt good knowing that I was doing all those dishes in one day and will have minimal cleanup to do on serving nights! That's one of my favorite things about freezer cooking--getting the cleaning out of the way up front!

If you REALLY want to get into it, you can look into purchasing a program such as Advantage Cooking (that's what I use). You can use the recipes provided, download and import new recipes or enter your own. Plan your session with the recipes you want to use and you can print a grocery list, a recipe list and so much more. I love it and it makes freezer cooking day so much easier!

I've had several people ask me what kinds of meals I fill my freezer with. Here's what I made during this session:
Asian Flank Steak
Bourbon Flank Steak
Soy Ginger Flank Steak
Stuffed Flank Steak
Calypso Salmon
Herb Crusted Pork Chops (three meals worth)
Sesame Salmon
Chicken Alfredo (two meals worth)
Chicken Marsala
Parmesan Chicken (two meals worth)
Spicy Peanut Chicken
Caesar Marinade
Zippy Spaghetti Sauce
Spaghetti Sauce (use your favorite--we tried a new one and loved it--can't find it online though)
All-American Chili (two meals worth)
French Dip Sandwiches (two meals worth)
Pizza Burgers (not exactly my recipe but looks yummy and freezes well! I made two meals worth of my recipe)
Manic Meatloaf
Zesty Vegetable Soup (I just assemble the veggies, beef and noodles and leave the broth in the pantry to add with up to two extra cups of water on serving day)
Peachy Turkey Meatballs (sauce made day of serving)
Cincinnati Chili (my recipe calls for pork and beer as ingredients but I couldn't find a close recipe online--I made two meals worth)
Garlic-Herb Mashed Potatoes (using Garlic & Herb Cheese Spread I made--way cheaper and delicious! I made three sides worth when I found a 5lb. bag of potatoes on "clearance" for only $1! They were turning a bit green but made great mashed potato casserole!)
Taco Seasoning Mix (makes 10 recipes worth)
Buttermilk Biscuit Mix



So, now all I need to do is add a side salad, veggie or other side to my meals above and I've got an easy complete meal. Next up I'll be planning my holiday cookie baking session to get a jump on my holiday baking (and upcoming cookie exchanges) and have more time to enjoy the holidays with my family and friends.


Willing to give freezer cooking a try? Let us know how it can work for you by adding a comment below! And happy planning, cooking and eating!

Cookbook Review: The Sneaky Chef to the Rescue

In my review of author Missy Lapine's first cookbook, The Sneaky Chef, I touted the benefits of "sneaking" food into your family's meals. Well, Ms. Lapine is back and has 101 new recipes to add to our repetoire of "sneaky" recipes! There's a review of Pureeing 101 and what basic purees to have on hand. Again, she includes a guide to which purees go to which corresponding recipes.

She's also added a new feature that I love--a key code to how the recipe can help you in your quest to eat a bit healtier. For example, the recipe for Peanut Better Waffles includes several symbols that tell you at a glance it includes Whole Grains, Anti-Oxidant Boost, Protein Boost and others. Several recipes also include a "Sneaky Tip" that may be a tip for saving time in the kitchen by preparing part of the recipe ahead of time or how to chop onions with fewer tears. Yummy sounding recipes like Enlightened Enchiladas, Sweet 'n' Sassy Meatballs, or Monkey Bars are sure to appeal to even the pickiest eaters! Lapine also gives tips for adding the purees to familiar convenience products like boxed mac 'n cheese or boxed cake mix, for those picky eaters that might need a little more convincing.

What I especially love is the all-new chapter that addressed the needs of those with food-allergies. Gluten-Free Pancakes, Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies, Gluten-Free Chicken Tenders or Eggless Brainy Brownies are just a few of the offerings in this chapter. Not only are the recipes tasty sounding, they are simple to prepare and with generally readilly available ingredients. How great is that?

Great photographs sections of several of the recipes are sure to make your mouth water and you'll have a hard time deciding which recipe to try first!

Menu Plan Monday

Its all about simple this week! Here's what's on our menu this week:

Monday: Chicken Quesadillas with all the fixin's (this may be one of my new "no-fail" dinners that everyone loves--it's right up there with another favorite--Tacos!)
Tuesday: Peachy Turkey Meatballs; steamed rice, edamame
Wednesday: Crunchy Beef Tacos (using up leftover tomatoes, sour cream, cheese, etc. from quesadillas on Monday)
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Fajitas and fixin's
Sunday: TBA

What's on your menu this week?