Organizing the Big Day: Meals for a Month

Part of the "Meals for a Month" series. Sorry about all the weird font sizes!

I'll continue enumerating the many benefits of cooking a big batch of entrees for your freezer at one time, but if you're itching to get started, you might be interested to see these organizing tips.

1. Gather the recipes (sounds obvious, doesn't it?): This is two-fold. First, you want to make sure you're not going to stock the freezer with recipes that don't freeze well. Make sure the recipes are meals you yourself have frozen successfully or are advertised as such in the cookbook. Don't attempt to freeze something just because you're into the idea. Second, make sure you're cooking recipes your family likes and will eat!

2. Strategize: How much freezer space do you have? How much time will you have to cook? What is your budget? How much food will your family need per meal? Write all of this down if you need to!

3. Decide: Which recipes will you make given your space allotment, your time allotment, your budget allotment, and the needs of your family? Perhaps you'll need to start small due to freezer space. Pick meals that are space-friendly (marinated chicken or something that can be packed in a ziploc bag). Or, if you're limited by budget, you may want to pick more bone-in chicken recipes than those that call for boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

4. Lists, lists, more lists! Write down ALL the ingredients you will need, going meticulously over each and every recipe. Are you going to double or triple recipes? You should write down ingredients that might seem small for a single recipe (1/4 cup honey), but become much more significant in a triple quantity (3/4 cup honey). Check your pantry and freezer for what you already need to get rid of--can you make any substitutions? (especially helpful with tomato products) Make an organized shopping list--I made one for Sam's and one for the regular grocery store. Double check the list!!! Include on the list what types of freezer wrapping/containers you might need to purchase. Getting low on foil? Need more freezer quality ziploc bags? How's your Pam holding out? Planning to cook a recipe requiring parchment paper?

5. Commit: Go shopping for your ingredients. If you purchase 15 pounds of chicken, you're committing to using it!

6. Schedule the big day (or afternoon or weekend). I had the privilege of having one of my children spend the weekend with her grandparents. I've had neighbors offer to keep my kids for an afternoon in return for a meal. You never know how you can barter! Your husband will probably get into the idea after he sees the benefit and will be more eager to give up a Saturday to future cooking extravaganzas. The first one will be tricky. You may need to schedule your day before you go shopping if you'll be buying many perishable products.

7. Preparation for the big day: This is especially important if you're limited to one afternoon or similar small chunk of time. Whatever you can prepare ahead of time will help when the big day comes. This can include something as simple as grouping canned/non-perishable ingredients together for each recipe so they will be easy to locate. Or, you might pull out your food processor the night before and chop a gazillion onions and garlic cloves. Another idea is to go ahead and bag up the little extras that are sometimes frozen alongside the entree and will be used a garnish/added at the last minute (shredded cheese for pasta dishes, chopped nuts, etc.).

8. Gear up! Wear comfortable shoes, old clothes, turn on the music, and get cooking!



Happy Cooking!

Green Beans with Tarragon Butter

This is one of my husband's favorite green bean recipes; it's especially good with young, tender green beans.

1 1/2 pounds green beans, steamed until crisp-tender
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon (or 2 teaspoons dried)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoons lite soy sauce

Mix butter and next three ingredients together. Stir half of the butter mixture into the warm green beans and pass the remainder at the table. Serves 4-6

This also works well with the cooking method described in Speedy Rosemary Green Beans (substituting tarragon for rosemary).

Customizable Convenience: a benefit of cooking for your freezer

Part of the "Meals for a Month" series.

Who doesn't enjoy taking a night (or two, three, or four) off during the week from cooking; simply go to your freezer, pull out preferred meal, and present dinner! The frozen food industry has made this incredibly easy. Stouffer's Lasagna is yummy, warehouse clubs carry a wealth of restaurant favorites, and frozen breakfast and dessert treats abound. You can even buy frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!

One of the primary benefits of cooking your own meals for the freezer is that you can have this same convenience, but customized for your family's needs. Let me illustrate. Suppose you are trying to cut back on your sodium intake. Perhaps you have a gluten allergy in the family. Are you committed to whole grain pasta and brown rice? Do your kids really, really like one vegetable and reject all others? Maybe you cook only with ground turkey or chicken and eschew ground beef. Or perhaps you live alone and are tired of buying the small range of single serve options.

When you cook your own meals for the freezer, you can tweak them to your family's specifications and serving size needs. You will end up with meals that your family likes because they're meals you've made before. You will have meals that fit your chosen health concerns. You will have a far greater abundance of choice than what you typically find in the grocery store. And, you won't have to spend forever in the frozen food aisle, reading ingredient labels to see what's in the box you're about to buy.

Happy Cooking!

Cookbook Review: Meals for a Month

Part of the "Meals for a Month" series.

Alas, it looks like this cookbook is no longer available--I can't find a picture of it because I can't find it listed anywhere! The title is Meals for a Month by Linda Larsen. It was published by Borders. There is a new book out in the "Everything" series (The Everything Book of Meals for a Month or something like that) by the same author, so perhaps it is the same book. At any rate, this is my favorite freezer cookbook.

The book is written expressly to give people recipes that work well frozen for a later date. The book is organized partially by meal (appetizer, breakfast, lunch, and dessert), partly by cooking method (slow cooker, grill, everything else), but most importantly, by meat type: all entrees that are not slow cooker or grill oriented are categorized by what type and cut of meat they feature. This is genius. It enables the reader/chef to stock up on a particular good deal for any given cut/type of meat (say, ground beef, or boneless skinless chicken breast) and then cook it up into savory entrees. In addition to its nice organization, each recipe provides ingredients in amounts for one recipe's worth (4-8 servings, depending on recipe) and for a tripled recipe's worth, in case you're cooking in bulk for your freezer.

The recipes are pretty good--definitely okay for ordinary cooking, but I don't quite have the confidence to serve them to company without having made them before. However, the main point of this book is to feed your family home-cooked meals by putting in one day a month of hard cooking and relaxing the rest of the month! Sounds good to me!

The first chapter contains a wealth of very helpful information for freezing any recipe, how to strategize and plan a list of meals to cook, and how to strategize the actual cooking day. Rather than give the reader/chef a prescripted menu for the month as some monthly cookbooks do, this book teaches the reader/chef how to intelligently pick a group of recipes, cook/assemble them, and stay organized throughout the month as the freezer gets depleted!

There's a nice variety of techniques: marinades, old-fashioned chicken pot pie and meatloaf, ethnic dishes, casseroles, vegetarian specialties, etc.

If you're interested in cooking a bunch of recipes for your family ahead of time, this cookbook is a great place to start. As with all cookbooks, it's important to try a few recipes out on your family before "committing" to it.

Meals for a Month--in the Freezer

Recently, rather on the spur of the moment and motivated by some big sales on various meat, I decided to cook a month's worth of meals for my freezer. It worked out so well that I decided to write a little series devoted to the benefits I've already seen (3 days after the big weekend) and the tips I learned in my first mass cooking extravaganza.

In a nutshell, here are some of the benefits of cooking en masse:

1. Customizable Convenience
2. Less Stress
3. Time Saver (Efficient Prep and Clean-up)
4. Money Saver (Bulk Buying and Sales)
5. Enjoyment and Hospitality
   

I'll spend a little more time on these and share some tips in the days to come. I think this method of cooking would be particularly helpful to single people, marrieds with no children, and mothers of small children (who make dinner-time a real hassle even if the food is already prepped!). For those in small 1- to 2- member households, making a casserole and then packaging it into 4 smaller portions will enable you to eat those comfort foods without committing to eating the leftovers every day for a week! For those with small children, this is a great strategy since it will then free you up during cranky dinner time (and your grocery trips are shorter since you're buying fewer items for the day to day operations).

So, what can you freeze? Where do you start? Do you have to commit an entire day to this labor of love? I'll touch on those as I have time, but for now, check out Carrie's former post: Supper's in the Freezer. She includes excellent tips for what to freeze, how long frozen food lasts, meat safety, and more.

Beefy Skillet Ravioli

This recipe is from the back of a Hunt's can of spaghetti sauce, hence, the brand names in the ingredients. It's yummy, quick, and very filling. The consistency is somewhat like chili with ravioli in it. I think it could use more ravioli, but probably not an entire second package.

1 pound lean ground beef
1 can (26 oz.) Hunt's Garlic and Herb Spaghetti Sauce
1 can (14.5 oz.) Hunt's Diced Tomatoes with Sweet Onion or Hunt's Diced Tomatoes in Juice
1 package (9 oz.) refrigerated cheese-filled ravioli
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

1. Brown ground beef in large skillet; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and tomatoes; blend well. Bring to a boil.
2. Add ravioli to skillet; spoon meat sauce over ravioli until well coated. Reduce heat; cover and simmer on medium heat 15 minutes or until ravioli is tender.
3. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley.

Serves 4.

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

The recipe calls for green peppers, but I generally prefer red. As with my Crock-Pot Stuffed Peppers recipe, I make extra filling and serve it to my kids without the pepper.

Recipe from Better Homes and Garden New Cookbook, 11th edition

4 large green sweet peppers (or red)
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained (or 1 3/4 cups cooked beans)
1 (8 3/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1/3 cup long grain rice
1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro or 1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey-Jack cheese (3 ounces)

1. Fill a large pot half full of water; bring to boiling. Meanwhile, cut tops from sweet peppers; remove seeds. Chop sweet pepper tops; set aside. Add whole sweet peppers to boiling water; return to boiling. Reduce heat and cook, covered, for 4 to 5 minutes or till just tender.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan combine the chopped sweet pepper tops, black beans, corn, onion, uncooked rice, jalapeno peppers, salt, and 1 cup water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes or till rice is tender. Stir in cilantro and half of the cheese; toss to mix. If necessary, let rice mixture stand, covered, about 5 minutes or til water is absorbed.
3. Fill sweet peppers with rice mixture. Place in 2-quart square baking dish; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, in a 400 degree oven about 15 minutes or till cheese melts.
   

Serves 4

Homemade Jam/Jelly

My sister (Carrie), my mother, and my grandmother have all made jam and jelly before. Carrie's specialty is strawberry jam. My grandmother made this yummy grape jelly (different from Concord grape jelly) when I was growing up. My mom makes my dad's family's famous jalapeno jelly (they're from Texas after all; you only get the secret recipe after entering the family via birth or marriage). Well, I decided to join the long jelly- and jam-making tradition and make blackberry jam.

I picked a whopping 7 1/2 pounds of blackberries at a local farm in about 30 minutes. I really, really, really like blackberry products--jam, cobbler, etc. I made 2 batches of jam (18 half-pint jars) and still had plenty to freeze for a couple of cobblers.

In this process, I learned a few things about homemade jellies/jams that I thought I'd pass on to other novices.

1. Have EVERYTHING ready to go when you start. This is especially important if you have young children at home--you won't be able to stop for a few minutes, so choose your timing carefully. This includes having jars sterilized and ready to go, sugar measured and ready to go, fruit crushed and ready to go, etc.

2. It's easy!

3. You'll need sugar, pectin, and fruit for most jams. Jelly can be made with fruit juice--either store bought or from fruit you've got on hand.

4. It's yummy!

5. Follow directions exactly! Canning is more science than art; you want to avoid any potential harm from not canning correctly. You also need to make sure you use the right amounts of sugar, fruit, and pectin (if needed) or the jelly/jam won't "set." Canning isn't hard--it's just important not to skimp on timing and such.

In case you're headed off to a big sale at the grocery or a pick-your-own farm and are wondering how much fruit you'll need for jam or jelly, here's a list of suggested amounts (these are from the instructions in the sure-jell (pectin) and seem to be similar to most recipes I've looked at--they're all for 1 pkg pectin):

Blackberries: 8 cups (2 quarts)
Blueberries: 1-1 1/2 quarts
Strawberries: 2-2 1/2 quarts
Raspberries: 2 quarts (for jam)
Apple jelly: 5 pounds or 7 cups juice
Peaches: 3 pounds
Pears: 3 pounds
Apricots: 3 1/2 pounds

Preserving the Harvest

Harvest: (n.) refers to any abundance of produce, be it from your own garden, a pick-your-own farm, a farmer's market, or just a good sale at the grocery!

If you're not inundated with summer produce yet, you will be! We're up to our necks in berries in the Southeast, peaches have been coming in faithfully for a little while and are about to really boom, and the mounds and mounds of cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, corn, and summer squashes will be making their presence known any day now (some have come in, but the later summer abundance is yet to come). So, what do we do with all this beauty?

1. Eat it! (We believe in gross fruit gluttony at this time of the year--how you can pass up all those gorgeous berries that cost a fortune the rest of the year and now are a mere $2/pound at a local farm? Or, what about the neighbor's peach trees that are heavy laden with peachy goodness?) Stay tuned for our family's favorite peach salad recipe, some jam recipes, and others!

2. Freeze it! An amazing number of things can be frozen with little to no effort. For instance, you can freeze bell peppers by simply slicing and putting them in a ziploc bag. Ta da! Or, lay berries in a flat pan and freeze until firm. Then, dump them all in a ziploc bag. There are a lot of freezer jam recipes out there now, too.

3. Can it! Yes, there are those of us who still can. I've now been "canning" for 10 years--I took a break the last few years, but I'm back at it this year with an inaugural run of blackberry jam (my first jam/jelly attempt and it's turning out great!). I've done salsa and applesauce mostly, but threw in a few jars of apple butter one year. All have been great hits with friends and family. So far, I've done mostly water bath canning, but my sweet hubby bought me a gorgeous pressure canner last year. If my bean plants get their act together this summer, maybe I'll can some beans!

4. Give it away! If your garden is the one producing more than you can consume, then give it away!

If you're new to the "buy all (tomatoes/peppers/cucumbers/etc.) that the store is carrying because it's just so pretty but now what do I do with it all" mentality, then just pick one fruit/vegetable on which to focus. Tomatoes and apples both are fun because there's an abundance of things you can do with them. Find a farm and go wild! Check out the following websites for more info:

Pickyourown.org (also has links to farms in your area)
Ball Fresh Preserving (the major makers of canning equipment)
Southern Living Freezer Jam recipes
Most multi-purpose cookbooks have a section on freezing/canning (Joy of Cooking, Better Homes and Gardens, etc.--note that the new edition of JofC has the canning chapter back in)
Pectin and canning jars usually have directions inside them as well!

Oatmeal Muffins

I've finally found a substitute for cereal bars, in function if not in form!* These are much less sugar-y, and my kids love them. They're actually quite plain, but that seems to work for young children. These little muffins would be good with a bit of jam on them, but my children don't know that yet. I think you could also add blueberries, raisins, craisins, chopped apples, etc.--maybe 1/2 cup. We eat these muffins for lunch one day and breakfast the next. (My toddler loves to "help" me make them.) Try them!

*I discovered another recipe that looks more similar to a Nutrigrain bar in appearance that I'm going to have to try as well. It's Apple-Oatmeal Bars.

Recipe compiled from various sources, among them More With Less and Allrecipes.com

1 c. oats (I use old-fashioned, but quick would also work)
1 c. flour (I use white whole wheat)
1 c. milk
2-3 t. baking powder
1/4 c. sugar (could substitute honey I think)
1/2 t. salt
3 T. oil
1 egg, beaten

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare muffin tin (paper liners or greased).
2. Soak oats in milk for 15 minutes.
3. Stir together remaining dry ingredients. Add fruit or nuts here if using.
4. Add egg and oil to oat/milk mixture. Fold into dry ingredients.
5. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full (these will be smallish muffins). Top with optional topping (below). Bake 15 minutes.

Serves 10-12

Optional Topping (I've not made this part yet, but it looks yummy!)
2 T. sugar
2 t. flour
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. melted butter

Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle on muffins before baking.

Easy Homemade Ice Cream

This is Carrie's husband's family's recipe for homemade ice cream, and it is super easy. Homemade ice cream, if you have an electric maker, is a breeze to make, and everyone thinks it's such a treat. This makes a lot, so serve it when you have a big group over for a cookout. There's no cream in it, so I suppose it's lower in fat than most ice creams. But, who cares about that! The point of homemade ice cream is sweet indulgence on a hot summer's day.

2 cups sugar
5 T. vanilla
5 eggs (I usually use the pasteurized egg beaters--1 1/4 cups--since you don't cook this ice cream)

Beat together (in canister). Add 1 big and 1 small can evaporated milk. Then, fill to the ice cream maker's fill line with whole milk. Stir it up and start the motor! That's it! Couldn't be easier.

This ice cream is a great base for just about any topping you can imagine. It's especially good with a fruit topping made from whatever fruit happens to be in season (strawberries, blueberries, peaches, etc.).

Easy Crowd-Pleasing Cookout Menu

I've realized that most people, especially those with young children, really appreciate simple, good food. When you have people over, it doesn't need to be elaborate--large amounts of a few good dishes are all that's needed. Here's our standard cookout menu, which is always a hit with old and young!

Grilled meat with BBQ sauce (generally Cajun Chicken, but we add ribs for the patriotic bashes--4th of July, Labor Day, Memorial Day)*
Baked Beans (we use Bush's Best and do NOTHING else to them--everyone loves them)
Watermelon
Potato Salad (made the day ahead) OR
Green Salad OR
Chips
Easy Homemade Ice Cream

Everyone brings their favorite ice cream topping. The kids love it. The adults like it because it's good food and kid-friendly, so they don't have to worry too much about the kids. We like it because it's minimal effort.

*We use this rib rub, but leave out the cayenne (and use a different sauce). We do hamburgers sometimes, but for big crowds, grilled chicken is easier--you don't have to prepare a gazillion condiments. Just put out some BBQ sauce and you're good.

Two-Bean Tamale Pie

Yum, yum, yum. My kids all love this; it's quick, inexpensive, and nutritious. Don't be deterred by the long list of ingredients. You can also double this easily; just place in a 13x9-inch pan. I leave out the green chilies for my little kids....

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, 11th edition

3/4 cup chopped green sweet pepper (1 medium)
1/3 cup chopped onion (1 small)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed, drained, and slightly mashed*
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed, drained, and slightly mashed*
1 6-ounce can vegetable juice cocktail (2/3 cup)
1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro or parsley
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk (add 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup milk and let stand 5 minutes)
1 4-ounce can diced green chili peppers
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

*Or use cooked beans; 1 3/4 cups equals 1 can of beans. I frequently use pinto and black beans together in this recipe.

1. Grease a 10-inch quiche dish or a 2-quart square baking dish; set aside.
2. In a medium skillet cook sweet pepper, onion, and garlic in the 1 tablespoon hot oil till tender but not brown. Stir in kidney beans, pinto beans, vegetable juice cocktail, cilantro or parsley, chili powder, and cumin. Heat through. Spoon bean mixture into the prepared dish.
   
3. In a medium mixing bowl stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl combine egg, buttermilk, chili peppers, and the 2 tablespoons oil. Add to cornmeal mixture, stirring just till combined. Fold in cheese. Spread cornmeal mixture evenly over top of bean mixture. Bake, uncovered, in a 400 degree oven about 20 minutes or till golden.

Makes 6 main-dish servings.

Barley "Pasta" Salad

If you're looking to incorporate more whole grains into your diet, I recommend barley as an option! It's readily available, inexpensive, and easy to cook. It's got a great, slightly chewy texture and nutty flavor and is often featured in soups. But, what do you do when the weather is warmer and you're not in the mood for soup? Try this Barley "Pasta" Salad recipe from Cooking Light which features barley in place of pasta. It's quite tasty and surprisingly similar in texture to pasta salad.

2 cups water
1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups finely chopped seeded tomato
1 cup thinly sliced spinach
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber
1/2 cup (2 ounces) diced part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped pepperoncini peppers (I left these out)
2 teaspoons dry oregano

Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add barley; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain.

Combine the juice, oil, and salt in large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add barley, tomato, and remaining ingredients; toss gently to coat.

Makes approximately 5 cups (4-5 servings)

Spaghetti Squash Marinara

We really enjoy this as a side dish to a simple entree like baked chicken or fish. It's colorful, good for you, and quite tasty. (It's also low-carb for those of you who care about that.) If you've never had spaghetti squash, you should know that the pulp of this squash looks like spaghetti noodles once it's cooked (unlike the sweet potato consistency of other hard squashes like butternut or acorn). I like to double the sauce because there never seems to be quite enough.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, 11th edition

1 medium spaghetti squash (2 1/2 to 3 pounds)
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 16-ounce can tomatoes, cut up (or 1 can diced tomatoes)
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1/8 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed (optional)
grated Parmesan cheese (optional--for top)

1. Halve squash lengthwise; scoop out seeds. Place squash, cut sides down, in a large baking dish. Using a fork, prick the skin all over. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until tender.

2. Meanwhile, for sauce, cook onion and garlic in hot oil until onion is tender. Stir in the undrained tomatoes, Italian seasoning, fennel seed (if desired), and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes or to desired consistency, stirring often.

3. To serve, remove the squash pulp from shell with a fork (it will come out in strings that look like spaghetti noodles!). Spoon sauce over squash. If desired, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

Makes 6 servings.