Freezer Meal Recipe Round Up!

Nesting is a funny, funny thing. You see, I’m a “nester” by nature.

Add to that the urge to purge, reorganize, and clean everything that comes with the third trimester of pregnancy, and things get a little crazy around here. So I’ve been busy doing the following:

 

 

• Washing, drying, ironing, and starching all of my linens (this is atypical, I assure you… well at least the ironing and starching bit)
• Cleaning everything down to the cleaning supplies themselves
• Reorganizing and labeling my medicine cabinet, cleaning closet, coat and linen closet
• Totally redoing Ben’s room (not planned and more on that later…)
• Setting up the nursery (duh)
• purging, purging, and more purging
• some light yard work (totally digging up my entire front yard to create new flower beds and borders. more on that later too…)
• and lastly, or at least most recently, stocking up on freezer meals for when the baby comes or I’m too big and uncomfortable to feel like cooking.

 

I’ve been compiling freezer meal recipes for awhile on Pinterest, especially those that I can thaw and put right into the slow cooker, and let me tell you, there are so many great resources out there!

However, Chris doesn’t eat carbs or dairy on his current diet. That combined with my aversion to processed to foods, and there wasn’t too  much to choose from.

Luckily, I did stumble upon some great choices. And I’m here to share the wealth with you now.

All in all, I spent under $300 for over 40, yes 40 (!!!) meals. considering that most of my ingredients were local and organic, I think I did pretty well. FYI, I’ve included some of my tips for buying organic on a budget below.

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Some great tips on making freezer meals can be found over at Life’s Little Moments.

I love her organization. Click here to read up on her process.

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Most of the meals I made came from Loving My Nest.

She has three rounds of recipe round ups, and they were all super helpful, but with Chris’ diet the third was definitely the best for us. TONS of protein+bean+veg meals which is basically what we eat on a daily basis around here. I especially loved that there were a lot of options where I could add a little cheese or serve with tortillas, or the like for Ben and myself while keeping it all carb and dairy free for Chris. She also includes shopping lists which are super helpful if you’re making exactly what she made.

Here are the meals I made from her recipe collection:

• Bean Stew
• Meat Stew (I used beef)
• Sausage and Bean Supper
• Pork and Veggies
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Chicken Taco Soup
• Creamy Farmhouse Chicken and Garden Soup (I omitted the milk here)
• Bacon Wrapped Chicken with Rosemary
• Sloppy Tamale Pie (made without the cornbread for Chris)
• Enchilada Wraps (minus the wrap part for Chris)
• Chunky Chili With Veggies (I used some of our venison here)
• Jambalaya with Cauliflower “Rice” (if you have a food processor, the cauliflower “rice” is totally worth it)
• Chicken Curry with Cabbage and Peppers
• Stuffed Bell Peppers (again with cauliflower “rice”)
• Beef Stew
• Pumpkin and Butternut Stew
• Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie (Chris won’t eat the sweet potatoes, but it sounded so yummy I couldn’t help myself)

*most of these I made multiples, some of the recipes are also already for multiple meals

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For Ben and Me, I also am a huge fan of these smoothie packs from Momables.

I honestly don’t mind making smoothies every morning, but since so much fruit is in season right now, it was a great time to portion these out. Buying my fruits and vegetables at this time of year was definitely how I did so well saving some money in the organic produce department (more on that below).

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And honorable mentions go to:

These meals by Six Sisters’ Stuff- I’ve heard they’re good and SUPER easy. I only opted for the recipes above because it was much easier to adapt them to our diets.

These meals from Kojo Designs- also looked super tasty, so I may just do these on my next stock up.

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So there you have it! Hope that helps some of y’all out. You can find even more over on my Pinterest board “Freezer Meals”.

Tips for Eating Organic on a Budget

I should most certainly mention that my kitchen is not entirely local and organic, but thanks to these tid bits, I’ve been able to work organic substitutes into our budget pretty easily. :)

• Buy in season! This is obvious, but really! Eating seasonally will not only help you save a lot of money, but it just tastes better! That tomato you buy in the winter has to travel a long way from a warmer clime. You’re paying for that travel. You also pay in the taste department because it has to be picked before it’s ripe.
• Consider “putting up” produce while it’s in season (see above). Even if you’re not into canning and dehydrating and all of that, think about simple methods of putting up like freezing. Example, blueberries are stinkin’ expensive when they’re coming to you from a different locale, but they are SUPER cheap when they are coming from local farms. They are also SUPER easy to freeze and pack in baggies.
• Look for sales (duh). Organic does go on sale, just not as often as conventional foods. Hint: the sale is almost always at the height of that item’s local growing season. Also think sale for canned goods. Bonus: if you’re local to Pittsburgh, Giant Eagle’s “Market Pantry” organic canned goods go on sale ALL THE TIME, so I stock up on those when they are and usually get them for the same price or cheaper than even the off brand conventionals.
• Shop Direct. I have nothing against Whole Foods, but generally speaking, I simply can’t afford to buy there. I’ve mentioned plenty of times that local farmers markets are where it’s at. Buddy up to your local organic farmer! Chances are, it’s cheaper than buying from the super store, not to mention it’s coming to  you straight from the ground. I’ve found that it also saves me a lot of money to buy bulk produce from the farmer. Don’t be afraid to ask for a deal! The nice thing about farmers markets is that they usually have control over their prices whereas the cashier at the grocer does not.
• Eat your yard. Grow your own! I generally do, but don’t have space to grow every thing since I live in the city… which brings me to my next tip…
• Consider a CSA. Usually you pay up front for a share, and if you can’t grow your own, this is the next best thing! A cute little box of farm fresh goodness!
• Buy in bulk. I alluded to this above. A couple suggestions here… talk to your local butcher about buying a side or a quarter of beef. Then do the math. Chances are, as long as you have room to store it, it’s going to be cheaper than buying the same weight in specific cuts from the grocer. I also buy in bulk from the warehouse. We have a membership to Costco, and they have a ton of organic options that are the Kirkland brand, often cheaper than the name brand equivalent. This is how I save on a lot of organic dry goods as well as canned and frozen items.
• Spend on the important stuff. Save your money where you can so you can afford to splurge on things are more expensive. For example, organic milk and eggs are pretty much always going to be more expensive than conventional. However, I can afford those by spending smart on everything else.

 

Alright friends! Lengthy, but I hope worth it! I’m off to put my feet up and eat some chocolate.

Putting Up Green Beans

I was a little worried this year about my green beans.

I built a new trellis for the plants, hoping to save quality space in the garden.

I planted.

They grew.

For more info on how I built my trellis, click here.

And I have to say, the trellis worked great...

but there weren't any beans!

Long story short, I waited

and found out quickly that I really needn't have worried.

We've gotten so many green beans this year,

and the plants are still going strong.

I've been putting them up in batches because we've even been getting way more than we can eat.

Ben's new favorite activity is picking beans in the morning.

Every morning I pick and hand the beans to Ben, and he puts them in the basket.

For some reason, he thinks it's hilarious.

I don't do pressure canning as of now, just good ole water bathing,

so the only canning I do of green beans is of dilly (pickled) beans.

Luckily, I have plenty of freezer space this year.

I get all of my beans cleaned up,

blanch them in salted water for a minute,

shock them in my sink filled with ice water,

and then lay out to dry a bit before portioning and freezing them.

And that's it! So simple.

They're all ready when I need them.

And usually I need them with bacon.

Mind you, we don't have enough to really put up huge amounts without supplementing from the farmers market, but I'm just so excited that I'm able to put up any at all from my own limited space.

Overall, I am more than pleased.
What do you all do with your beans? recipes? canning? pickling?

Putting up Peaches

We are just getting the very last of the peaches here in Southwestern PA,

and I have to say, they've been really good this year.

Mind you, not as good as the peaches of my native Georgia...

but what are you gonna do.

 





 



Can you tell what's different about this second picture? :)

 

 

 

  

I struck up a bargain with one of my farmer friends at the market and ordered a HUGE box of them to can and make cobblers and such.

I would take the ones with minor bump, bruises, and blemishes off of his hands,

and in return he would give me a CRAZY deal.

So I got mine on the cheap. Huzzah!

A little spot here and a small bruise there was really not a big problem,

I was going to be cutting them up anyway.

 

For the cobbler, I use this recipe from Southern Living.

It. Is. Delicious.

It's also really simple.

 

I should mention, too, that this recipe states that the nutmeg is "optional."

It actually isn't. Not for me anyway.

 

 

I canned everything that was left over which mostly we'll just eat plain.

I might make a cobbler or two with them.

I also throw them into smoothies for the little guy.



I use a really light syrup because I hate when fruit tastes like white sugar and not... you know... fruit.



Anyone out there have a favorite peach recipe you want to share?

I Like Bread and Butter

Here's the thing about cucumbers:

you plant them,

you watch them grow,

and then overnight you have 10 million.

Luckily, we love cucumbers (even especially Ben).

We eat about 5 varieties of cucumber salads,

put them in regular green salads,

eat them plain with hummus,

etc etc etc.

And if and when we still have a ton extra, I make pickles.

Lots of different kinds, and one of our faves is this recipe for bread and butter pickles.

Great for snacking, putting out for company, and throwing on a "sammich".

Bread and Butter Pickles:

For a batch of about 4 pint-sized Mason jars:

about 9 cups cucumbers, sliced

2 Tablespoons kosher salt

1 large onion (like a Vidalia if you can get one)

1 1/2 cups white vinegar

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon celery seeds

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

a healthy pinch or a couple shakes of tumeric

Clean, trim, and slice thinnly your cucumbers and add to a large bowl.

Sprinkle the salt over them and give them a toss. cover them lightly with a cloth and put them in the refrigerator for a couple hours.

They'll lose a lot of their excess water.

Rinse them off in a colander, place them back in your bowl, and add your onion. Toss so everything is evenly disributed.

In a medium pan, add the rest of your ingredients and bring to a bowl.

Meanwhile, put your cucumber-onion mixture into your sterilized mason jars using a funnel so you're sure not to touch the rim.

In a small saucepan bring a couple inches of water to a simmer (not boil) and place your lids in the water to activate the seal.

Pour your brine over the cucumbers (again using a funnel), leaving a 1/4 inch of headspace.

wipe down your rims if there is any spillage.

Note: Be careful with the brine! Tumeric can stain, so you may want to wear an apron.

Place lids on the jars being careful not to touch the under side, and place ring over the top.

Screw on lightly.

Process in a waterbath for 30 minutes.

Done! The longer they sit, the better they taste, but I'd say (as with the pickled peppers) wait at least a week for some good flavor to develop.

Peter Piper Had a Peck of...

pickled peppers.

duh.

Pickled peppers are one of my husband's favorite things.

He eats them on sandwiches, salads,

and more often than not, straight out of the jar.

I started making them last year,

starting with about 4 jars and thinking that would last awhile.

They lasted not even 2 weeks.

So I kept making more

and more

and more.

And still don't know if I could ever make enough.

As with most of our veg,

we don't have enough space in our garden to grow everthing that we like to put up for the off seasons.
But I think we've figured out a good system where we grow our own hot peppers,

and just buy the bells in bulk from our regular guy at the farmers market.


And this time, I was lucky enough to get a whole trash bag full of bells from a family friend! Score!

 

 

 

I use a variety of sweet and hot peppers, but you can use this recipe with all bells or all hots.

I think it would be good to use with just jalepenos if you're a fan of spicy.

They have the heat, but not so much that they're inedible if you eat them straight.

You can also easily control the heat level by keeping or leaving the seeds and ribs

(see my note at the very bottom for tips when working with hot peppers).

So without further ado, here's my recipe:

My varieties:

Bells (red, orange, yellow, green)

Jalapenos

Sweet Banana

Hot Banana

Anaheim

Cayenne

Step One: Roasting

Wash your peppers and cut them in pieces.

I roast my bells and the larger banana peppers to take some of the skins off and to give them better flavor.

For the little ones, I just split down the middle and remove some of the ribs and seeds to control the heat. Set them aside in a large bowl.
Now back to the roasting, I cut mine into pieces and take out the ribs and seeds, trying to cut them about to "snacking size" (or the size I would want them to fit on a sandwich).

Place them skin side up on a baking sheet.

Put the baking sheet under the broiler until they begin to char.

This usually takes me many batched and turns of the pepper pieces for as even a char as I can get.

Once they're charred, place them in a large bowl and cover with a lid.

This will let them steam while they cool down and help the skins to come off later.

After all of your peppers are done and cooled enough to handle, start taking the skins off (it should just slide right off).

Then place them with the small peppers and mix together.

Then, place them in your sterilized mason jars.

I use wide-mouthed quart jars.








See all that juice left at the bottom? Don't pitch it!
I just add all of that to my brine (keep reading for more on my brine)

Step Two: Brine

To make your brine, place the following ingredients in a nonreactive pan and bring to a boil.

5 Cups Water

5 Cups White Vinegar

4 bay leaves

3 Tbsp Ground Coriander

4 Tbsp whole peppercorns

1/4 Cup Sugar

1/4 Cup Coarse Salt

5-7 Whole Garlic Cloves, peeled

Allow to boil for a bit, until the sugar and salt are dissolved.

Step Three: Canning

Using a funnel, pour brine over peppers into mason jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.

Meanwhile, place your mason jar lids in boiling water for about 10 minutes.

Using a sterilized knife, run the knife along the outside of the mason jars, allowing some of the air bubbles to work themselves out.

Wipe off the rims of the jars with a clean cloth and place the lids on top, not touching the inner side.

Loosely screw on the rings.

Process in a waterbath for about 20 minutes (for quart containers).

Tighten rings and allow to cool.

You should hear the lids pop if they're airtight.

If they don't pop, or if they come unpopped after time, throw them out.

The longer these sit, the better,

but I recommend letting them marinate for at least a few weeks for the best flavor.

Tips for Working with Hot Peppers:

• Know your peppers. The better you know the variety you're using, the more prepared you'll be for their heat.
• Wear gloves. This seemed a little extreme to me at first... until I went a week afterward feeling like my hands were ON. FIRE.
• Take out the ribs and seeds to control the heat. The more you leave, the hotter they'll be.
• Use a separate cutting board and tools, and try to use a nonporous cutting surface. Nothing worse than making baby food or cookies and tasting the remnants of hot peppers! (I've done it. And it was bad.)
• Clean up afterwards really well. The oils from the peppers can linger, so wash up thoroughly!
• DO NOT touch your face (or anything really) until you've done the above.

Stocking up on Stock

Every couple of months or so

(more in the fall and less in the spring),

I devote a day to replenishing my supply of homemade chicken stock.

Because I cook mostly everyday,

we go through a lot of stock.

Let me mention also, that storebought stock really does pale in comparison to homemade.

I'm really not a homemade snob.
I swear.
I've been known to use some storebought items in lieu of homemade on many occasions.
And I do use storebought stock when I'm really in a pinch,
but I'm telling you:
make the exact same recipe with homemade stock vs. storebought
and people will be asking you what you put in it
because it has so much more flavor.

Last week I made a huge batch and froze it in portions.

It was really nice to be able to use all ingredients that either came from my garden or the farmers market.

I use two hens

a few carrots cut up,

an onion cut in half,

a head of garlic cut in half,

a couple ribs of celery cut up,

a generous handful of parsley,

some dill,

lots of thyme,

a palm full of whole peppercorns,

some salt.

Cover with water and simmer for 4 hours.

The smell is so nice.

Once it's done, I strain all the bits out of it

(that's why I don't bother with peeling or whathaveyou)

Then I let it sit overnight,

then skim off the fat.

Portion and freeze.

I really think this stock has about 100x the flavor of the canned variety.

Not to mention, you know from where all of your ingredients come.

Garden Update June 2012

June went really well in the garden.

Everything is looking great,

and the first fruits (vegetables, really) are popping up everywhere.

First tomatoes and peppers.

First zucchini
and yellow squash.

And just wee little beginnings of cucumbers.

My herbs are growing like crazy.

(I'm so happy to finally have some lavender!

I was surprised to have so much trouble finding a plant,

but I eventually found a plant at the farmers market from my regular guy)

My peas are about done,

it's getting way too hot for them,

but I'm pleased with what I was able to harvest.

I'll definitely be planting more shelling peas next year.

The farmers market is full of new food stuff,

so I'm getting my canning supplies together and planning out what I would like to put up this year.

Living on such a small piece of property really limits what we can grow,

and we pretty much eat through what we grow ourselves.

Luckily, we have a great farmers market,

and I've fostered a relationship with a local farmer there,

so I can "order" bushels of whatever I would like to put up.

You'll be seeing lots of putting up posts in the future,

but for now, I'm just planning out what I can put up that we would eat a lot of through the winter.

Anyone out there have a favorite?