Freezer Cookin' 101

Last summer I was preparing for Molly when I filled my freezer and I enjoyed that feeling that knowing I could pull something out and have quick meals on hand so I decided to fill the freezer again this summer.

I started by pulling all the meals we enjoy & weeded through to figure out which ones I could freeze. This is what I came up with. From the list of recipes I jotted down the ingredients I'd need for each recipe & then totalled them up (how many lbs of chicken, how many cans of cream of mushroom soup, how many roasts etc.) to create my final shopping list. Don't forget a box of Heavy Duty Freezer bags.

I shopped. Molly napped through the trip to HEB so that helped me get in and out of the store in less than 45 minutes & I only spent $142.21 which made 24 meals, 1 side dish, and a batch of garlic cheese biscuits.

I had some help getting the ground beef into the pressure cooker & chicken breasts into some boiling water. She also helped me label each bag with the name of the meal and any cooking instructions.

After the meat that needed to be cooked was done I started getting the ingredients for each recipe into their own bag. I laid them out flat on a baking sheet in my freezer so they'd take up less space in the deep freeze.

Wednesday Weigh In

Favorites for this week are....

These little marshmallows are awesome! They give just the sweet you need in something like a trail mix or in SF hot cocoa. Don't expect them to be soft though, they're more like the marshmallows in a bowl of Lucky Charms.


7 of these babies for only 5 points. I was worried at first that since they are gluten free that they'd taste gross but oh no they rock!


My new jogging stroller is a favorite this week & here's the app I've been using to help keep me on track.


Last but not least are the shells & cheese. They're 5 points but I've been eating half of the serving with the fabulous little nuggets for lunch & it makes it feel like a real meal. Even if it looks like the plate belongs to a 4 year old.


Recipe of the Week
Glitter Grapes
1 pound of seedless grapes, pulled from the stems and rinsed
1 3-oz. package Sugar Free gelatin, flavor of your choice (NOT prepared)
Water

Spread the jello mix on a plate, about 1/4 at a time. Rinse the grapes under water, and place a handful on the plate. Shake the plate gently to roll the grapes in the gelatin, coating the grapes. Place coated grapes into a bowl. Repeat until all of the grapes are covered. Place the bowl and let set in the refrigerator for about 1 hour, until the gelatin is set.

I found this online (through Miss Heather) but I remember making these in the past and they were awesome and still are!!!

Stats for this Week
lost this week: 2 lb
total loss since Molly was born:42 lbs here's a list of things that weigh 42lbs
Lbs left til Pre-Molly Weight: 8

Dinner for a Year

No it's not a giveaway.( Although that'd be nice) It's something I saw on Pinterest. This woman is amazing! I'm not so naive to think that this is something I could do or that I even really want to do but I did want to put something together to keep me out of a cooking rut. Homemade Gourmet used to be the answer for me but after 3 years a lot of those meals found their way into a rut of their own. (Although some of our favorite meals are HG meals & pop up often in our menus) So I sat down and wrote out a list of all the meals I cook. Then I asked Rustin if there were meals on the list that he absolutely didn't want to eat unless he was stranded on a deserted island. That took out a good chunk of my list. At least I know that if I put one of the meals from the list on the table I'm going to hear ANY complaints. So I found this Menu that you could type right into.


I started filling in the blanks to fit our lives like MacKenzie had mentioned. For instance on Wednesday Rustin is on his own for dinner since Molly & I go to Bible Study. Tuesdays & Thursdays are Jazzercise nights so crock-pot/ easy recipes are a must. Saturday's I usually have time to try something new and since there were a lot of meals that I'd pinned (and I really wanted to try them not just look at them) I designated Saturdays as *NEW RECIPE nights. These recipes are completely new to us and therefore come with the Pizza Clause (If it tastes awful then order pizza). I took my finished menu and wrote out a grocery list for the recipes on the menu that way all I have to do is add the little things like lunch stuff, milk, eggs, etc. to my weekly grocery list.



After a few days of poking around I'd picked more than a few new recipes so many that I started an entirely new Board.

And after looking through my list and the board of new ideas I've come up with 3 months of recipes with very few repeats (just the favorites). I know that there are going to be things that come up (last night Rustin didn't get home until 10) and that the menus are meant to be flexible. But it sure does make it easy to know how many points I'll be having each night, what groceries I need each week, and that dinner isn't as much of a hassle as it has been the last few months. It may not be in a fancy binder but I'm pretty proud them.

Wednesday Weigh In

Well this week I'm back on the wagon. I didn't follow any of my own advice from the last Wednesday Weigh In post and gained a few lbs after the holidays. But we've started a challenge at work and now here I am back in the saddle. This week's favorites are...

The ore-ida Steam and mash potatoes. They simply steam in the bag for like 10 min. and then you can pop them into any recipe that calls for cooked potatoes. I used them mostly for mashed potatoes but I think they'd work in a pot pie or stew too.

These little blueberry thingys are great. I got them at Costco and they're only 3 WW points so YAY! They taste like real food not diet food so that makes me happy!

The Bush's Grillin Beans are AWESOME! They're the only ones I've found that taste anything like the ones from Chili's so they're a winner in my book. You can eat them by themselves or in any recipe that calls for black beans.

Recipe for the Week

	1 bag steam and mash Sweet Potatoes
	1/2 tsp garlic powder
	1/2 cup(s) plain fat-free yogurt, Greek-variety recommended
	4 tsp sugar
	1/8 tsp table salt, or more to taste
	1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste

Instructions

• Place potatoes and garlic in a large saucepan; pour in enough water to cover potatoes. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil; boil until potatoes are fork-tender, about 8 minutes.
  
  
• Drain potatoes and garlic; transfer potatoes and garlic to a large bowl. Add yogurt and sugar to bowl; mash until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.
• 
  

Stats for this Week

(feel free to leave yours in the comments section if you want to have another source of accountablilty)

lost this week: 0 lb

total loss in 11 weeks: 0 lbs

Lbs left til Pre-Molly Weight: 13

Lbs left til goal Weight: 20

NSV (non scale victory): Startin' over fresh and clean this week!

Looking forward to in the Week to Come: I've set up a reward for every 5 lbs I loose and I'm really excited about getting the first "prize"!

The Thanksgiving Spirit

This past Sunday Molly and I got up early and made a little Thanksgiving treat for her Sunday School teachers. It was a really simple Trail Mix with raisins, red/orange/yellow M&Ms, CheezeIts, and pretzles.
Then I made a quick topper using orange card stock and Thanksgiving stickers. I wrote a quick note to each teacher letting them know what a blessing they are to our family. Molly and Ms. Kat


Molly and Ms. Joan

In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Thes. 5:18

Wednesday Weigh In

The award for weight loss favorites for week 7 are, drum roll please ....

I read that oatmeal is "AMAZING" for helping keep milk supply up (sorry TMI) so I've been eating this every morning. SUPER yummy, and filling.


This milk tastes great and has 12g of protein. 12g!! Can you believe it. Plus it's one less WW point for a cup so that's a bonus!


And I'm super excited that they've taken the only almonds I like (the kind with Sea Salt, thanks to a former student) and put them into 100 calorie packs! Now and I can grab them and go.


One thing I tried this week for the first time was the WW string cheese. It's one point less than other Lite String cheese. Let me tell you, it's worth the other point. These are not so yummy! VERY rubbery. Dispointing but love most of the other WW products.



Recipe for the Week
Why should bananas get to have all the fun???
Toast a bagelthin (i like plain) top with 1T peanut butter. (It doesn't sound like alot but it's more than enough.) Top each half with a sliced strawberry. OMG it's awesome!!! And only 5 WW points



Stats for this Week
(feel free to leave yours in the comments section if you want to have another source of accountablilty)
lost this week: gained 1 lb
total loss in 7 weeks: 6 lbs
Lbs left til Pre-Molly Weight: 14
NSV (non scale victory): I tracked even when I knew I didn't want to, and you know what, it was ok. (See pic below)
What I'm looking forward to next week: Starting my Juillian Michael's 30 day shred video. AND finding the new WW freshmeals in the deli case at the grocery store. If you've found 'em please share where!!!

Baby Fat Be Gone~ Wednesday Weigh In

So here are a few things that have been getting me back on my Weight Watchers path this week. I've been on this path for 12 years, proof that WW is a lifestyle change and not a "diet". Either way here are my favorites for the week.


holy crap it really tastes like cake! This is goin' in my "Homemade Grown Up-Fat Kid Lunchable" with a bagel thin turkey sandwich, apples slices and fat free sour cream and onion pringles.


I wish I'd had these when I was pregnant. Sometimes you just get thirsty for a margarita and now it's only 5 calories and I can choose to add a shot (and points) if I want.


I got really into orange soda while I was pregnant. So glad they have one now that tastes decent


And I use fat free feta for EVERYTHING! I really like it mixed with whole wheat pasta, sliced grapes, 1 tsp of olive oil and medditeranian seasonings.

And if you know anything about me you know that veggies and I are not the best of friends, but I've really made an effort lately to try new recipes (thank you pinterest) so that I won't be the only adult in the world that doesnt eat broccoli.
This recipe is super easy and YUMMY! Believe me I wouldn't say that if it wasnt true.

On a foil lined cookie sheet place broccoli crowns. Drizzle with EVOO, salt and pepper & minced garlic. Bake at 425 for 25 min. When it comes out drizzle with more EVOO, lemon juice, and shredded parmesan cheese.

Stats for this Week
lost this week: 1
total loss in 6 weeks: 7 lbs
Lbs left til Pre-Molly Weight: 13
NSV (non scale victory): Decided to eat fruit instead of french fries for dinner and then passed up pie for grapes as a late night snack. Plus I tried a new carrot recipe and even though I didnt care for it I still tried em.
What I'm looking forward to next week: Trying a new kettlebell workout. I had to let my crossfit membership go until I start getting a paycheck again. This week's been mostly mommy/baby workouts; sit ups and push ups, pushing the stroller on our walks & housework.

Pumpkin Goodies with my Punkin

My husband is the most AMAZING pumpkin picker EVER! Not only is it BEAUTIFUL, but I didn't even need this little gadget that I bought because it was the CLEANEST pumpkin I've ever seen. Really it only took me 10 min. to gut this pumpkin and I only used a kitchen knife and a spoon.



So this morning Molly and I got up and made pumpkin seeds. I've never made these on my own and it's been years since I've even had one since the only person who ate them growing up was my older brother. Molly and I made 2 different kinds carmelized (on the right) and traditional salted. They look pretty and the carmelizzed ones are my favorite of the two but I'm still not a huge fan of pumpkin seeds.



Then we attempted to make pumpkin empanadas since Rustin loves them so much. Needless to say they weren't pretty at all. Nor did they taste good. I followed the recipe to the letter but they just didn't come out right.



Then I had left over empanada filling so I mixed in a chocolate chip cookie mix and baked them. They may not be a traditional tasting cookie but they're pretty yummy. Plus I cut out the egg and stick of butter so better for you, so that's a plus. They'll be bagged up later as "Boo" gifts for our neighbors.



And I'll leave you with a picture of our Halloween card, which were supposed to go in the mail yesterday but I forgot to buy stamps.

Roll it Up ~ Yum Yum!

Today I tried 3 pinterest recipes...ALL AT ONCE!



The ones that are already rolled have a slice of cheddar cheese and two slices of ham inside. The ones in the center have marshmallow and mini chocolate chips inside. And the ones one the right have peanut butter and mini chocolate chips. Just roll 'em up and bake at 375 for 12 min. I didn't do the best job rolling up the ones with the marshmallow so it oozed out. I liked them better than the PB ones but think they'd taste the best with a smidge of PB inside the marshmallow chocolate ones.

Happy Pinterest Day...?

No it's not a new holiday. I took some time this week and really set to work on all the fun things I've seen on Pinterest that I've wanted to try. So here's a quick run down on my trials and triumphs from Pinterest.

Smore's Cookies
Holy cow! These were amazing. I must admit that I didn't follow the recipe I found online. I took some break and store brand bake cookies (leftover from making the cookie cups for father's day) and mushed (technical term) it up into a ball and added in a couple handfuls of mini marshmallows. Then dropped a scoop of batter onto 1/2 a graham cracker. Bake at 350 for 10 min. Move to cooling rack ASAP. Did I mention they were amazing. I took them to a BBQ and the guests raved about them.
Triumph



Slow Cooker Mac 'n Cheese
With all that was going on for Father's Day lunch I didn't want to be standing in front of the stove or oven so I went to good ol' Pinterest to see if I could find a crock pot recipe for Macaroni and Cheese. I did and it was AWESOME! And SUPER easy, so easy that I could actually write it our for 3 separate guests at lunch. Here it is:

1 1/2 C milk
1/2 stick of butter
12 oz evaporated milk
1 box pasta (boiled for 5 min. first)
salt and pepper to taste
4C shredded cheese
Breadcrumbs

Combine in crock pot and top with Breadcrumbs. Cook on HIGH for 30 min. Then Cook on low for 2 hours.

**I forgot to take a picture before and there wasn't any left so here's the one from Pinterest**Triumph



Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
The inspiration came from Pinterest but the recipe had too many ingredients (I like 4-5 ingredient recipes) so I adapted it just like I did for the Smore's Cookie recipe. For this one I made a white cake mix just like the box said. Before spooning it into the muffin tin I stired in about 24 crushed oreos. Bake at 350 for 18 min. Cool. Frost and top with leftover crushed oreos. Glass of milk is a must...dunking is optional.
Triumph




Food Face Plates
Turn Dollar Store white plates into dinner time canvases in no time flat.


Click picture for directions.
Triumph


Nursing Cover Strap, burp cloths, and car seat pad

Triumph x 3


Plastic Bag Storage
I bought one of those things that hang on the wall and keep all the baggies together. Only problem is it falls down ALL the time. So when I saw that someone was using an old Clorox wipe container to hold the bags I was all over it. Plus I had one in the recycling bin already. I whipped up a little something on my Silhouette so it didn't look so plain.
Triumph




Bacon Potato
While this sounded like a super easy idea at first I found that slicing a raw potato and then stuffing in a slice on uncooked bacon was a little difficult. The potato kept "breaking".
Trial




Overall I'm loving my new obsession...if you haven't checked out pinterest yet please do. Leave me a comment and I'll send you an invite (so you don't have to wait for an account) I'd love to see what your P'interests' are.


Linking Up With:

The Dog Days of Summer

These two haven't been getting as much attention lately with all the baby stuff going on so I spent some time this week on them.




I've been meaning to jazz up their food bins but hadn't gotten around to it yet. So here they are after being attacked by my Silhouette Machine.




Then I found a few treat recipes that didn't seem too difficult. The first was for a cookie like treat. All you do is mix 3T peanut butter, 2/3 C dry oatmeal, 1 smushed banana, 1/4C parsley, and 1 C flour together. Then drop onto baknig sheet and bake at 350 for 35 min.



The second is for a DIY Frosty Paws. With the constant triple digit temperatures I thought they girls would love these cool treats. For this treat just mix 32 oz of yogurt with a smushed banana, 2T peanut butter, with 2T honey. (you can use baby food instead of banana if you choose). Freeze.



My last puppy project was a cute jar to keep all these great treats in. Well the baked ones anyway. I just used a Dollar Store jar and I decorated it with a vinyl cut out.

Picture of the treat jar to come. But check out this pic of the girls digging into their "frosty" paws treat. (outside = less mess)