Better late than never...
These last couple of weeks I have been slowly stock piling food in the freezer for Mr F to eat while we're gone. I've got chicken breasts frozen individually in freezer bags... kind of wish I had gone ahead and put some marinades in there for him but I second guessed myself and didn't do it. I am also going to put in a few hamburger patties & buns and this week I'll be making another huge batch of the BBQ chicken and freeze that out into small portions for a sandwich or two at a time. He can thank me later (or not... that heartless bastard). I'm trying to think what else I could make ahead and stick in there... maybe burritos.
Menu:
It's summer and I'm moving into more cold/room temperature meals. I am loving being able to get things done earlier in the day... makes getting dinner on the table so much easier.
Monday - Pesto Pasta Salad w/ Peas and Grilled Chicken (God I love pesto... We could eat this dinner everyday)
Tuesday - potato salad (supreme style w/ celery, green onions, yellow pepper, celery salt, mayo, mustard & a little Ranch dressing... Mr F said it was the best he'd ever had), corn, and Honey & Mustard Glazed Salmon
Wednesday - BBQ chicken sandwiches (on slider rolls) & coleslaw
Thursday - Hamburgers (make double batch freeze half the patties), watermelon
Friday - Pizza Night - made w/ leftover bbq chicken, red onions, cilantro... just as good as Wolgang Puck's
Saturday - Pita, Tomato & Onion & Parsley Salad, Hummus, Rotisserie chicken
Sunday - Leftovers
*I made a double batch of the BBQ chicken using 3 pounds of chicken, 1 c of italian dressing ( I used Newman's Own light), 1/2 c of brown sugar and nearly a whole bottle of BBQ sauce (24 oz or so). This made 5 dinner portions. I bagged them up in freezer bags and thaw one out the day we want it and just microwave it to heat it back up. Whatever is left from each night is usually just enough to top a pizza. I got the idea for big batching it HERE. Really so easy to make a big batch of this in the slow cooker... didn't heat up the kitchen... and I got a whole months worth of a weekday dinner out of it. This is my solution to no longer (EVER) having take out. On those days when I would just have Mr F bring something home... I've got a dinner I can literally throw on the table with no work. I am more and more interested in finding freezable (but not also labor intensive on the cooking day) season appropriate dinners.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
13 comments:
Do you guys ever eat spaghetti? ..I must need to get out more, broaden my cooking horizons. :)
Kelsi,
You know what's funny I don't really ever make just regular spaghetti. I love it and could eat it everyday but I always have the feeling that it isn't enough or that Mr F doesn't really like it. I used to do spaghetti and meatballs all the time... but I don't think I've made that since we moved here.
I love the idea of BBQ chx done in the slow-cooker. I've been avoiding cooking the organic chicken breasts in the fridge for two days. They're going in the pot tomorrow.
...And I know that I haven't been cooking much the last few weeks because I made the VERY low-effort ham steaks, bulgur w/ mushrooms & almonds, and broccoli - middle son asked, "Why did we get such a fancy dinner tonight?"
This doesn't necessarily have to do with this post, but have you seen this article about being a Mr. Mom? Pretty interesting: http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2009/06/09/man_up/index.html
Mrs. F-
I just want to give you kudos for all of the meal planning/new recipies/so good-about-eating-in that you do. I was watching the last video you posted earlier and thinking that I need and want to care for hubby and kids better in this way like you do. Sometimes I think if I've made dinner 3 nights in a week then I am DONE! We can't afford that though and it's not healthy. So, know that you are an encouragement in this way. Hang in there!
PS- You SO inspired me that I have dinner ready to go so that when hub walks in I can put it in the oven and go for my run and it will be finished when I return!
this -> "Pesto Pasta Salad w/ Peas and Grilled Chicken" sounds delicious - would you mind sharing the recipe?
do you just use store-bought pesto or do you make your own?! i tried once, but the pine nuts got a little too uhm,... dark while pan roasting them, i thought oh well, can't ruin it, right?! and it sure did *lol* oh well, therefore i make a killer veggie spaghetti sauce :D
LOL. Mrs F...you are just like me I think.
Except I go even further....I freeze leftovers from dinner. Got a little beans and a little hamburger? Mix it put it in a ziploc, I will warm it and put it on tortillas for dinner one day. Got some leftover noodles? Freeze, warm, mix with cheese slices, milk and butter for lunch. Got left over anything in the fridge that will go bad in another day? FREEZE IT! It will come in handy. :)
In fact, I just made cheesy chicken taco soup with leftovers from a chicken carcass I froze. Everyone thought it took forever to make, but it was easy, cost about 4 bucks for a HUGE pot, and I have half of it frozen for dinner one day later on when it is too hot to turn on the stove or oven.
BTW, I have made spaghetti and meatballs or meat sauce ONCE since I met the hubby. I don't know why..we just never want it I guess.
OH! Best thing coming out of the freezer? Bake some potatoes stabbed a kajillion times in the microwave. Let them cool all the way, even stash them in the fridge for later. Then cube them into small size little cubes.. Put them in a ziploc and freeze. On a busy day make a great breakfast that even transfers well to the car.
Put just enough oil in a skillet to coat, get it warm, throw in the potato cubes, and fry until crispy. (I usually have cooked bacon done in the microwave on paper towels so it is crispy and not oily, also keeps it flat in strips in the freezer for some fast mornings)Cook some bacon or take out of freezer- one half strip per person. Crumble. Lay out flour tortillas. Lay one slice of american cheese onto each one. (I usually tear the slices in half and place longways to get more coverage)Place potatoes on when crispy, drained, and seasoned with seasoned salt. Beat an egg and place in a bowl in the microwave- scrambled eggs without oil in seconds. :) Place on top of the potatoes, and top with crumbled bacon. Place into microwave to warm and make pliable.
If you are not eating immediately, wrap in foil..it will keep it warm for ages. These also freeze well and make great men meals... If I freeze I wrap in wax paper and tape closed...all your hubby has to do in the morning is toss it in the microwave for about a minute and he has a nutritious filling breakfast. :)
Girl, I am the freezer diva. :)
Oh, don't forget to freeze some kind of homemade snack for him to grab and warm so that he won't be tempted to buy some crap at the gas station(if he is anything like mine).
I have chocolate chip cookies, brownies, etc.. and muffins for quick mornings to alternate out with other things in there...
Oh! Cheap ass pancake! Freeze em! They warm in seconds, and will make him not grab something later in the day that he shouldn't.
I am so prepared when I leave the man at home cause I am OCD like crazy...and I always want him to eat like I want him to and not have a triple bypass by the time I get home and have a credit card bill we can't pay. LOL.
I can give you lists out the wazoo you need to remember to do before you leave so he won't even have to think .
P/F,
""Why did we get such a fancy dinner tonight?""
LOL
The chicken was super and easy and really good. It cooked on high for 3 hours.
Gooddog,
Oh thank you! :)
Eleanor,
I'm reading it right now... loving it.
Sabrina,
yeah just regular store bought. I have always felt like I didn't want to mess with what I knew I liked and try making my own.
This dinner is really exactly what it sounds like. I throw the peas in with the pasta while it is cooking and then tossed it all with pesto. This week I was using up what I had so I stretched it with a little mayo thinned with milk.
Inkelywinkely,
"Girl, I am the freezer diva. :"
LOL... I think you are!
I do the same things... if I haven't used it I freeze it. Buys me some more time to figure out how to use it up.
and
"Oh, don't forget to freeze some kind of homemade snack for him to grab and warm so that he won't be tempted to buy some crap at the gas station"
Good call. I'm on it.
Great ideas.
We are on the same page.
I am thinking foods that are light and cool for summer.
I am working on a menu as well for Friday shopping.
My suit came. I am going to return the bottoms tomorrow at Sears and find some I like.
Supermom,
What's up with the suit? Do you like the top? Are the bottoms baggy?
I got another one that was backordered today... I just can't decide which is better.
The bottoms fit great I just didn't like them on me.
I love the top. It holds the "girls" really well.
hey!
I just made this for dinner. It was AWESOME! So freakin easy and just like from a restaurant. I'm excited to have dinner ready for tomorrow night and 2 in the freezer also! Thanks for passing it on. It's a keeper for sure.
Post a Comment