Happy New Year!  We are not party people and did not see the new year in.  We had a delicious dinner of leftover smoked mojo chicken that we made into tortillas with sour cream, cheese and I whipped up a little guacamole.  I had some lime flavored Perrier with dinner. 

We watched Rear Window on tv, it was over at 8:00!  Nothing else really on the tv, so I continued working through my library books.  I'm not sure exactly when I fell asleep but it was before 11.

This morning we woke at 5, the cats now expect a morning treat so there is a swarming when the lights go on.  I throw out treats and then read the paper and have tea.  I was in the habit of reading a daily devotion and writing in my journal, but I got away from that.  I miss starting the day that way, so I started this morning.  After the treats. 

I was starting to fall asleep again about 6:30 and would have gone back to sleep for a morning nap, but we had dinner to start.  This is the second use of the Big Green Egg!  Today's meal is pulled pork and since we worked out a timeline on Thursday, I knew we had to start dinner at 7:00 am.  Remember, I was a project manager in a former worklife. 

So into the shower instead of under the covers.  Got the pork out of the refrigerator to sit for a while, started the charcoal and got dinner on at 8:00 am.  It was too early for breakfast so I planned my menu for next week.

I'm not one to make resolutions but I really need to use up pantry, fridge and freezer items.  My grocery list is short.  Currently I have 4 items on it - cat food, poblano pepper, tomatoes for salad, salad.  That's it.  That will take us to Saturday when we're meeting family for dinner out.  And I have to be careful if we go to Costco.  No food!

So far the Big Green Egg is wonderful. The sun is shining, hopefully no frozen anything from the sky or even wet anything, so we should be on track for dinner.  We're having pulled pork sandwiches, sauteed spinach and applesauce from the freezer.



Yes, it was dark outside when we started dinner. 



Now might be the time for that nap. 

Last week was a busy week for me.  I had personal chef clients, I taught 2 days of classes for people wanting to be personal chefs and I was at the mall Saturday and Sunday as a product specialist for KitchenAid.

I cannot eat well without menu planning and I try to do it on Friday to carry me through to Saturday.  We normally grocery shop after church on Sunday.  This schedule works for me.  For meals last week I pulled out Quick Fix Meals by Robin Miller.  The recipes are generally easy, light and pretty good.

One night we had Salmon Chowder with Yukon Gold Potatoes.  I also try and make sure I use what I have in the freezer and for some reason I have a lot of salmon.  We like it though.  This is not a thick chowder, it's a soup. 

Salmon Chowder with Yukon Gold Potatoes by Robin Miller

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 leeks (white part only), rinsed well and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 2 medium-size Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups leftover salmon broken into pieces
• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated fat-free milk or lowfat milk
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the tarragon and cook 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the potatoes and broth and bring to a simmer. Partially cover the pan and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the salmon and milk and simmer 2 minutes to heat through. Remove from the heat, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

I did not have leftover salmon, I had salmon with skin on, so I sprayed a non-stick skillet with cooking spray and cooked the salmon quickly on the stove.  If the salmon had been skinless, I would have cut it in chunks and added it to the soup when I added the potatoes. 

This week is a little slower so I've been trying to make things that take more time. Last Friday I saw that I had planned Salmon en Croute and I was wondering what was wrong with me.  After two days of teaching, that was not going to happen!  We had frozen pizza from Publix!  Your freezer can be your friend.

I made the salmon on Sunday and it was good.  Nothing difficult, just more than I wanted to do on Friday.  I wrapped the salmon in puff pastry, added some spinach to it, sealed and baked.  Great with a green salad. 

We did go to Trader Joe's on Saturday since I received the new flyer in the mail and I saw things that I needed.  Ha!  I did pick up a few things for the freezer and some Maple Cream Cookies that are very good.  Great with a cup of tea.  This is a dangerous store for me but I didn't go too crazy.  They also have a grapefruit soda that I enjoy every so often.  I'm not a big soda drinker.

Today is the library and I need to plan my route for my trip to Washington D.C.  I'm leaving I think next Thursday for my Women Chefs and Restaurateurs conference.  Can't wait! 

I have been cooking but haven't had any really wow recipes lately.  Last night the menu plan had a chicken chili and I was a little reluctant to cook but decided to go ahead, my husband was hungry.

The recipe was good and it was easy.  I was so glad that I cooked. 

Green and White Lightning Chunky Chicken Chili from 30 Minute Get Real Meals by Rachael Ray

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, (I used olive oil)
36 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
salt and pepper
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 cup tomatillo salsa
4 cups chicken broth
15 ounce can cannellini or Great Northern beans(I used cannellini)
1 handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (I left this out)
juice of 1 lime
shredded Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese for garnish
corn chips, optional

1. Heat a medium soup pot over medium high heat with the oil.  Add the chicken to the hot oil and season liberally with salt and pepper.  Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring frequently.  (I cooked until the chicken was no longer pink.)
2. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeno, cumin and coriander and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, continuing to stir.  (I let the onion soften.)
3. Add the tomatillo salsa and the chicken broth.  Bring the chili up to a simmer.  Add half the beans.
   
4. With a fork, thoroughly mash the other half of the beans, then add to the chili.  This method will help thicken the chili.
5. Simmer the chili for 10 minutes.  Remove the chili from the heat and add the cilantro, parsley, and lime juice.
   
6. Serve each bowl of chili with a little shredded cheese on top and some corn chips.
   

This was not spicy, just flavorful.  I used Monterey Jack but the Pepper Jack would have been good also.  The recipe saves it serves 4, but that's pretty generous I think, this is a lot of chicken. 

I need to find a cookbook or two that I'll use for my personal menu planning for next week.  I'm pretty busy next week with the YMCA class, 2 clients and teaching for Culinary Business Academy so I need to plan easy meals and leftover possible meals. 

Also maybe no chicken.  I've been on a chicken craving lately so I need to get some fish into the meals. 

Today is a haircut and then maybe nothing much.  I may have to do a quick pick up and deliver errand.

If you haven't made plans yet for Saturday or if you are undecided, check out the cooking demo at the World of Coke with Virginia Willis.  I am fortunate to be able to assist her and we toured the facility yesterday.  It is gorgeous and you'll have a good time.  Also some great food.  Look here for more info  http://www.worldofcoca-cola.com/ 

Yes, it's that time again.  Week 1 of the summer series for kids starts tomorrow.  I have recipes, a plan, assistants and kids.  What more could I ask for?  This year we're following a cuisines of various countries theme with the kids changing the country for the judging on Thursday.  It should be fun as always and I'll try to get pictures. 

I went to the Lovejoy Library on Saturday and had fun cooking with the kids there.  The library theme for the summer is creativity and cooking is creative.  Our menu was "Breakfast for Dinner" and I thought we were gearing to younger kids.  I confirmed with the librarian on Friday and she told me the class was full with a waiting list!  How wonderful to get kids excited about the library and about cooking.

We had a wide range of ages and mostly the kids were older than I expected.  People were waiting in the hall to see if there were any no-shows and open seats.  Some people got lucky.

We had Stuffed French Toast with maple syrup or powdered sugar and fresh strawberries and Sweet Breakfast Sausage made with either pork or turkey.  All went well, everyone helped and everyone enjoyed the meal. 

Sweet Breakfast Sausage

• 1 pound lean ground pork or turkey
• 1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons fresh orange zest
• 2 teaspoons fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Read the recipe.
2. With the help of an adult, chop the parsley into fine pieces.
3. Combine all ingredients into a large bowl using your fingers to mix well.
4. Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions.
5. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
6. Moisten your hands with water and gently pat each portion into a patty about 1/2 inch thick.
7. Wash your hands with soap and water!
8. Place the patties into the pan using a turner and fry, turning once, until golden brown and no longer pink, about 5 minutes on each side. 
9. Work in batches if all patties will not fit in the skillet.  Remove from pan and keep warm until all are done.

Be creative, change the recipe.  Perhaps you'd like some Southwest flavors so you might want to use cilantro, lime zest, cumin and maybe even some cayenne.  Think of some other cusines, what could you do?

Today I had an information table after church again.  If you are interested in learning about menu planning, I am giving a three week class that starts June 9th.  There is no charge for the class, it's at Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church, on the South Campus in room A022, it starts at 7 pm, it ends at 8:30 pm. 

We'll cover some tips that should help save money, time and reduce some stress.  There is no need to pre-register, just come on Tuesday night. 

I'm going to read for a while now.  We had a good dinner, I went to Jazzercise this afternoon and I'm ready to relax. 

I've mentioned several times that I like my life and job because I do so many different things, rarely the same thing twice.  Tomorrow will be another new adventure!

I'm teaching at Cook's Warehouse, for ages 3 to 5 and we'll be making a meal of turkey fingers, zucchini sticks and parfaits.  Nothing new there, have been teaching the youngest for about 1 1/2 years.  What makes tomorrow different and more exciting is that we will be joined by a CNN producer and camera person.  The producer is responsible for the Health Minute segment and will be there seeing what I do with the youngest kids.  Luckily the menu was already healthy. 

I talked with the producer this morning and tried to stress that while I start with a plan, I have no actual idea of how things will go.  I also told her that it may look like total chaos but that's normal.  She assured me she had kids and understood.  The most I can guarantee is that there are kids, recipes, the class is from 11 to 1.  It's the part between 11 and 1 that is murky. 

There will be no pictures since I can't even remember to take them on a normal class day.  I'm asking for trauma if I try and take pictures!

On Sunday I will be manning a table at church to promote a class that I will be teaching.  The class is scheduled for 3 weeks starting June 9th at 7 pm.  It's called Bless Your Family and we'll be talking about menu planning to save time, money and stress.  You don't need to register, just show up, it's at Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church in room A022.  

I cooked yesterday for my client with several allergies.  She sent me a note last night telling me how great the Apricot Breakfast Bars are, she had them for breakfast, they were "filling, sustaining, and didn't hurt her."  Yay!

Not much happening here today.  I went to the bank, to get bread where I qualified for a free cookie!, have laundry in, dinner almost planned, materials done for class tomorrow and it's sunny!

I think I've reached a new high with not cooking!  We've been pretty busy and although I did still plan, I didn't make recipes.  I did make a nice pasta dish one night over the weekend.  I used up the produce from the basket.  I had cherry tomatoes, garlic, onion, yellow squash, Swiss chard, capers, parsley, and pasta.  It was great but we'll never have it exactly the same because I just tossed it together.

Monday I went with my friend Scott to observe the class he teaches at the Y.  He'll be moving to Kentucky this fall and I'll be teaching the class when he leaves.  The classes are on the second Monday of each month at the Y in Norcross and are no charge.  I'm teaching next month because he'll be on a house hunting trip.  We're doing meals to Keep Cool in the Kitchen.  The class starts at 7.  There will be samples, recipes and tips. 

Last night was "whatever" night on the menu and I had a great meal.  I purchased asparagus because they were on sale and my husband doesn't like them so I knew I'd have asparagus.  I ended up cutting them into bite size pieces, threw them into the water when the rotini pasta was almost done, seared some sea scallops, tossed all together with a little butter, olive oil and lemon pepper spice.  Very tasty! 

Tonight will be some roasted salmon of some kind, potatoes of some kind and I think corn from the freezer.  I'll have to see how much corn I have left since we're getting back into freezing season. 

I leave for Pittsburgh tomorrow.  I'll be driving since I enjoy driving and will be staying with my sister there.  The bridal shower for my niece is on Sunday and then I'll head home.  I'll get some quiet time in the car.  I have the basket done, the present ready to wrap and have to think about packing. 

This morning I met with Valorie at church to discuss the new ministry.  I think we're pretty well set.  I'll be teaching menu planning with three 1 1/2 hour classes starting June 9th at 7 pm.  It will be at Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church and I'm not sure of the room yet. 

There is no need to register if you'd just like to drop in and there is no charge for the class.  We'll be talking about saving money and time and reducing some stress in your life. 

Now I need to do some cleaning.  I do not enjoy it but I know I'll like coming home to a clean, organized house.  My husband isn't able to come to Pittsburgh and I don't want him and the cats to have to do housework.  Maybe one load of towels though. 

As with many people, my work has slowed down some.  March in particular was a very slow month but April has been busier.  I am very thankful to be able to have a busy work week!

I cooked for 2 new clients this week and will be calling to make sure their menu instructions make sense.  I like to give them time to try at least one meal before I call.  I love how different my days are.  Even when I cook for new customers the only similarity is that they are new.

The Wednesday customer is single, self-employed, works at home frequently, has Shadow the dog, does not cook but wants to eat better and eat at home.  The Thursday customer is married, grown children, semi-retired with own business, loves to cook but loves to garden and wants more time to garden.  At the end of the day, when they have been working, they want to eat and spend precious time in the yard.  They have a big garden and hopefully we'll be using it to plan menus in the future. 

I also have had a couple of meetings at church with Valorie to design a new ministry that we think might help people spend less money on cooking, reduce some stress in their lives and be able to spend more time with friends and family.  We're starting with a 3 week, evening class to work on menu planning, seasonal foods and eating at home.  The class is planned for June.

I didn't make any new recipes this week.  I don't think I even cooked for us!  I had leftover shrimp pasta on Monday, leftover beef stroganoff on Tuesday, I took Greek pasta out of the freezer for Wednesday with salad, we had beef enchiladas from the freezer last night with zucchini boats.  As my husband points out when I say I didn't cook all week "you did cook, you made all the meals, you just didn't make them the night we ate them"  I was my own personal chef!

I think I'll cook something tonight, maybe some pork tenderloin.  There is a good recipe from Cooking Light that I use frequently.  I think I have some potatoes and I know there is applesauce in the freezer.

Pork au Poivre from Cooking Light June 2001

• 1  pound  pork tenderloin, trimmed
• 1  tablespoon  coarsely ground black pepper
• 2  teaspoons  olive oil
• Cooking spray
• 1/2  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2  cup  dry red wine
• 1  teaspoon  Dijon mustard
• 1  teaspoon  tomato paste
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Slice the pork lengthwise, cutting to, but not through, the other side. Open halves, laying pork flat. Sprinkle each side of pork with 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Heat oil a large ovenproof skillet coated with cooking spray. Add pork; cook for 2 minutes on each side. Place the pan in oven, and bake at 425° for 12 minutes or until meat thermometer registers 160° (slightly pink). Remove pork from pan; keep warm.
3. Add broth and remaining ingredients to pan; stir well with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (for about 3 minutes).

I'm meeting my friends Ahmed and Wendy at the Cobb Galleria to look at our teaching space for this weekend at the cooking show.  I taught last year and am familar with the space but this is the first time they are teaching and I know I felt more comfortable looking at the space beforehand.  We'll all be in the Just for Kids area,  I have ages 7 to 9, Ahmed has ages 10 to 12 and Wendy ages 4 to 6.  More fun this weekend!

What a beautiful day.  It is already warm enough for me to have windows and the sliding glass door open to let in some fresh air.  I know that it's not spring yet and we will have some more cold and probably even frost, but today is not the day.

Yesterday I had a pretty normal office day.  I did some menus for my customers next week and emailed them off, I went to the chiropractor and am doing great, the library to return and borrow and the bird store to get some food.  I also did a little laundry, got a nap, went to Jazzercise and made dinner.

I was on a potato kick last week and planned several nights with potatoes as the star.  I'm still on that kick, last night my husband said "why don't you go and buy a cookbook of 100 things for potatoes?"  I told him to look on the counter where he saw One Potato, Two Potatoes: 300 recipes from Simple to Elegant by Roy Finamore, he just said, oh.  He really should know better.

Last night we did not have potatoes and I tried a new pork tenderloin recipe.  It was good, I would have liked a little heat in it, so I'll probably add some cayenne or pepper sauce next time, but it was good.  There was a lot of sauce, you could have it with some kind of Asian noodles.  I also think some green onions would look nice in the sauce.  I cut down on the oil too, that's too much for brushing and searing. 

Spiced Pork Tenderloins with Ancho Peanut Sauce from Every Day with Rachael Ray
June-July 2007 serves 4

3 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded   1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin   1 tablespoon smoked paprika   Salt and pepper   2 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each) — trimmed, patted dry and halved crosswise

6 tablespoons vegetable oil   1 cup unsweetened coconut milk   1/2 cup creamy peanut butter   1/2 cup vegetable broth or water   3 tablespoons fresh lime juice   1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1. Preheat the oven to 450°. Soak the ancho chiles in warm water for 5 minutes; drain and set aside.
2. In a dish, combine 1 tablespoon cumin, the paprika, 1 tablespoon pepper and 2 teaspoons salt. Brush the tenderloins with 3 tablespoons oil and roll in the spice mixture until coated.
3. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until hot. Sear the pork, turning with tongs, until browned all over. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 150°, 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, place the reserved chiles in a blender and add the coconut milk, peanut butter, broth, lime juice, 2 teaspoons salt, the coriander, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Blend until the sauce is smooth.
5. Remove the skillet from the oven, transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice into 1/2-inch-thick medallions and arrange on a serving platter. Drizzle with the ancho-peanut sauce.

Now I have leftovers for tonight's whatever meal, but no potatoes.  I have to look, but I think they reappear on the menu for tomorrow!  Of course I have potatoes, I just may not make them tonight.

I ran the vacuum this morning and the cats are united in their fear of that, so I won't see them for a while.  I think they are all under the big desk in the office, no growling though, safety in numbers.  For those of you who grew up in or near Pittsburgh I ran the sweeper.  Much easier for me to say and think than vacuum.

I have to go change laundry from washer to dryer and I think I'll make a poundcake.  Not with potatoes, although there are dessert recipes and bread recipes in the book.   

I've continued to try and cook while I'm not working this past week.  I've had good luck and have two recipes to post that we liked.  Both are easy and fit with my mission to use some of the stuff in the freezer!  It is out of control so I'll be looking before I shop and trying to just get a few fresh things. 

First new to me recipe is from Cooking Light and we had it on New Year's Day with spinach and mashed potatoes.

Pork au Poivre from Cooking Light June 2001

• 1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed
• 1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• cooking spray
• 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Slice the pork lengthwise, cutting to, but not through, the other side.  Open halves, laying pork flat.  Sprinkle each side of the pork with 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper.
3. Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet coated with cooking spray.  Add pork;cook for 2 minutes on each side. 
4. Place the pork in the oven and bake at 425 degrees for 12 minutes or until meat thermometer registers 160 degrees (slightly pink).  Remove pork from pan and keep warm.
5. Add broth and remaining ingredients to pan;stir well with a whisk.  Bring to boil over medium heat;cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (for about 3 minutes). 
6. 4 servings

Yesterday was a cold and rainy day but we forced ourselves to Jazzercise.  It is time to get back to normal, I did make Jazzercise three times this week and that's what I like for a minimum.  We talked about going to Fernbank but decided on home instead.

We had a lazy day with no kittens appearing until after dinner.  They are getting less skittish and are ignoring most of the growling.  Bandera is not attacking them, she just seems to be registering disgust at the new additions.  We snapped a few pictures but someday maybe we'll get a family portrait.  Maybe not.

 

The first picture is Cody and the other is Sophie.  Last night I heard them roaming the halls and playing with balls.  At 3 and 4:30.  We have not had young cats for a while and we're remembering that they are different!  And they can easily leap from the dresser to the bed but not while we were sleeping with the growler.  At least not last night. Maybe tonight.

Yesterday I made Hamburger Stroganoff from Taste of Home.  I am going to be trying to use up some of the ground beef in the freezer. This was good. 

Hamburger Stroganoff from Taste of Home 2007

• 4 cups uncooked wide egg noodles
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 dash cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 green onions, sliced

1. Cook noodles according to package directions. 
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink;drain. 
3. Stir in the mushrooms, flour, paprika, salt, garlic powder and cayenne.
4. Dissolve bouillon in boiling water;add to beef mixture. Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat;cook, uncovered, for 5 to 7 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. 
5. remove from heat, stir in sour cream.  Drain noodles;top with beef mixture and green onions.  Serves 4.

I made a couple changes to use what I had.  Baby bella mushrooms were on sale this week so I used them for the mushrooms.  I did not have bouillon but did have some chicken broth in the fridge so I used that and used Montreal Steak Seasoning instead of the salt, garlic and bouillon.  I just used that in the broth. 

I just finished my menu for next week since we woke at 4:30 thanks to the cats.  I will be taking a nap and it might even be this morning.  Maybe I can say "sleeping late". 

My grocery list has Kashi cereal since it's on sale, milk for cereal, garlic, salad, grape tomatoes on sale and parsley I think.  All else will come from the freezer or pantry.   

I've had a request from my husband's friend and reader of the blog to help him freeze for later.  He says they are eating out too often and spending too much money but they are also spending too much time with dinners at home.  He wants to be able to cook a few things on Saturday, package, freeze and have meals ready to go.

I still believe that menu planning is key to cutting time and money spent on dinners.  If you have a plan and know when you need quick meals and when you can spend a little more time cooking, then you actually have a chance of making dinner at home.

I have a pretty well stocked freezer since I cook large batches of things regularly.  Some of the things I make in large quantities when I have time are spaghetti sauce, chicken soup, chili, shredded beef, meatballs.  When I have no time and have not thought of a menu plan, I can always pull out soup or spaghetti.

If you need to start building your freezer pantry, I can give you a few ideas.  First, if you are going to cook on Saturday or Sunday, make sure to shop for all ingredients the day before you cook.  You'll spend too much time getting ready if you go to the store and then try and cook.  It probably won't happen and it won't be fun.  Don't try to shop and cook in the same day. 

I like to start with a clean sink, cleaned off counters and an empty dishwasher when I am at home.  I might start with a batch of Chicken Soup that once simmering doesn't need my attention for a while.  I've used this recipe often and it makes a good amount.

Chicken Noodle Soup from Cooking Light 1993

• 13 cups water
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 pounds chicken pieces, on bone, skinned
• 3 medium carrots, quartered
• 3 cloves garlic, halved
• 2 medium onions, quartered
• 2 stalks celery, each quartered
• 2 cups carrot, sliced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 cups fine egg noodles, uncooked 
 

1. Combine first 9 ingredients in an 8-quart Dutch oven or stockpot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, uncovered, 1 hour. Remove from heat.
2. Remove chicken pieces from broth; place chicken in a bowl, and chill 15 minutes. Strain broth through a sieve into a large bowl; discard solids.
3. Remove chicken from bones; shred meat into bite-size pieces. Discard bones. Return broth to pan. Add chicken, sliced carrots, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Partially cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook 10 minutes. Add noodles; partially cover, and cook an additional 10 minutes.
4. (serving size: 1-1/2 cups, serves 10)

When you freeze this do not add the noodles. You'll want to cook the carrots additional time until they are tender since the noodles won't take much time. You can add the noodles when you are serving the soup.  You can freeze the soup in any size Gladware or Ziploc plastic containers, thaw in the refrigerator and then bring to a boil, add the noodles and have dinner.

While the soup is simmering you can make a batch of meatballs or meatloaf.  When I cook for customers I always make meatloaf in individual portion loaves because they thaw and heat more quickly.  I use this recipe for meatballs.

 Old Fashioned Meatballs from The Kitchen Link

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 eggs, large
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 clove garlic, minced
.

1. In large bowl combine all ingredients. Using hands, mix thoroughly
2. With wet hands form 20 to 24 meatballs.  Place on a cooking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.  
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes turning once. 

When I make this for home I double the batch. I also make sure to cover the cookie sheets with foil for easier cleanup.  Once done I cool them, place them on a cookie sheet lined with foil, freeze and then when frozen store them in a Tupperware container and pull out what I need when I need them. They are then individually frozen and you can grab what you need. If you don't eat beef, use ground turkey instead.

You can add these to purchased marinara sauce that you pull from the pantry along with pasta, I use them when I need meat on a pizza, you can use them for meatball sandwiches with melted mozzarella or provolone.  Add a bag of salad and you're set.

While the soup is simmering and the meatballs are cooking, cooling and freezing you may as well make one more recipe while you're cooking.  I like to have macaroni and cheese in the freezer all the time.  You can make regular macaroni and cheese or make it with ham or chicken for a main course.  Again add some salad or a frozen vegetable and you're set. 

 Baked Macaroni, Chicken and Cheese from Pillsbury One Dish Meals

• 8 ounces bow tie pasta
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 4 drops Tabasco pepper sauce
• 8 ounces chicken breast, cut in strips
• salt and pepper

1. Spray 1 1/2 quart casserole with cooking spray. Cook pasta, drain, return to saucepan.
2. Meanwhile melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Add garlic, cook 30 seconds.
3. Add flour , cook 1 minute. Whisk in milk, cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low.
4. Add cheese, stir until melted. Stir in Tabasco. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add cheese sauce to pasta, stir until well mixed. Spoon into casserole.

If you are going to freeze this, do not bake it.  Place it in foil containers in a size that makes sense for your family, maybe in individual portions.  Cool, wrap in plastic and place in freezer bags.  When you are ready to use, you can thaw in the refrigerator or bake from frozen.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, cover the foil container with foil and bake until hot, for one portion usually about 25 to 30 minutes, you'll need to add time if frozen.

If you like the ham option, instead of the chicken use cooked ham. Publix has 8 ounce packages of cubed ham in the meat department that I use or just get a chunk at the deli and cube it. Don't cook the ham.  Make the cheese sauce and add it to the cooked pasta tossed with the ham.  You could change the cheese and use swiss with the ham but it's good with cheddar.  I would double this if I made it and use 1 pound of pasta and have more to freeze. 

It's good to make sure to have frozen vegetables in the freezer.  When I see a sale on frozen vegetables I stock up on spinach since it's a favorite.  Frozen vegetables are good and easy to make.  If you like peas, green beans, broccoli, stash some in the freezer.

Now since I can't just talk about cooking I have my first and probably only hummingbird picture of the year.  They are fast.