Freezer Series: Sandwich Bread

INGREDIENTS
6 Cups Flour
3 TBSP Sugar
3 TBSP Yeast
2 tsp Salt
1 Cup Water (Warmed)
1 Cup Milk (Warmed)
2 TBSP Butter

Combine two cups of flour, sugar, salt, yeast, water, and milk. Beat well for about 2 minutes, then add more flour 1 cup at a time until you've added 4 more cups. Remove dough and knead on kitchen table by hand. Let rest for approximately 10 minutes. Punch down dough and divide in half to make 2 loaves. Shape into loaves and let sit to rise until doubled (approximately 45 minutes). Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Remove from pan immediately upon removing from oven and let cool.

After your bread is completely cooled, wrap in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag to freeze. If you prefer, you may slice your bread before freezing. Stays good up to 6 months.

Freezer Series: Saving Money Freezing

Why am I so into freezing foods and freezer cooking? To be honest, some days I just don't feel like cooking, so freezing saves me time and it saves me tons of money! And, obviously, saving money is something I'm definitely into.

5 MONEY SAVING REASONS TO FREEZE FOOD
1.) Instead of heading to a restaurant on days I just don't feel like cooking, I can pull a ready-made and healthy meal out of my freezer to simply heat up.

2.) You can stock up on foods when they are at rock-bottom prices, and then freeze them to extend their shelf life. It will keep you from ever paying full price for food.

3.) Freezing foods like vegetables and fruits that are past their prime will stop you from throwing out food and wasting your hard earned money.

4.) By freezing fresh herbs from your garden (or even fresh fruits or vegetables), you can have them on hand all year long without paying more than the price of the seeds.

5.) Making your own breads and other baked goods from scratch can save you tons of money. Plus, if you buy the items when they are cheap and have a baking day, you can also save yourself tons of money on breads, pie crusts, cookies, and more by simply freezing them to have on hand.

Check out the entire Freezer Series HERE to see what you missed!

Freezer Series: 20 Quick Pie Crusts

INGREDIENTS
3 lbs Shortening
5 lb Flour
3 Cups Ice Water
2 TBSP Salt

In a very large mixing bowl, combine flower and salt.. Kneed with your hands and cut in shortening. Add ice water to form dough. Shape into 20 disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and place in freezer bags for long term storage. When ready, thaw in refrigerator. Place in pie pan and cook according to pie recipe directions.

Freezer Series: Cooking Parties & Meal Exchanges

With the final post coming out next week, we're wrapping up our Freezer Series with a fun event to help you have many meals on hand quickly.

While many of us have participated in a cookie exchange around Christmas time, the idea of a meal exchange has never crossed our mind. OAMC may sound appealing to you, but the work involved is an absolute turn off. Instead of doing it all yourself, try it with friends.

There are two options for cooking with your friends to split the load. If you have a large enough kitchen, invite your friends over to cook. Each of you prepare 1 or 2 meals for every family involved in the Cooking Party. Each person brings his/her own ingredients and spend the day cooking together. When you leave, grab one of each meal to take home and freeze.

If, like me, you'd never fit that many people in your kitchen or have the room for a Cooking Party, try a simple Meal Exchange. In this scenario, each family involved prepares 1 or 2 meals beforehand, then you meet and swap. It's simple!

The greatest part of a Meal Exchange or Cooking Party is that you get to enjoy some meals that you wouldn't necessarily have cooked yourself. It's a chance for your family to try new things. Plus, it saves you money to buy items in bulk and prepare one meal for several families.

5 TIPS FOR A COOKING PARTY/ MEAL EXCHANGE
1) Set limits before hand so everyone is on the same page. For example, make sure everyone knows to prepare 2 meals per family participating. Also make sure they know that each meal should cost approximately $5 a meal and include 5 servings. This stops one family from preparing fillet mignon, while another makes sloppy joes, and evens up the costs.

2) Make sure everyone submits their recipe beforehand, so you don't have two of the same meal. This creates variety.

3) Instead of making 2 different meals, have each family double the servings in a meal to create more food for everyone participating. For larger groups, only make 1 meal per participating family.

4) Make sure each family notifies the others of any allergies beforehand!

5) Keep is simple. If you overdo it or make it too complicated, no one will want to participate.

Check out the entire Freezer Series HERE to see what you missed!

Freezer Series: Easy Quesadilla Kit

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs Chicken (cooked & diced or shredded, or canned)
1 Can Green Chilies
1 lbs Shredded Cheese (Mexican or other favorite)
12 Tortillas

Mix cheese, chilies, and chicken together and place in a freezer baggie. Place tortillas in a separate baggie and insert baggie of chicken mixture, before closing.

When ready, thaw in refrigerator. Rub butter on one side of tortillas and spoon chicken mixture between two tortillas with buttered side out. Place on a cookie sheet or baking pan and bake until cheese is melted (approximately 10-15 minutes). Serve with sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole.

Freezer Series: OAMC & Freezer Cooking

For those of you who don't enjoy cooking, OAMC can sound like a nightmare and a lifesaver all tied into one.

What is OAMC? It stands for Once-a-Month Cooking. The theory is that you spend one or two days a month and cook an entire month's worth of meals, so you don't have to cook every day.

Freezer cooking is similar, but could mean just cooking one meal to freeze or a week's worth of meals instead of an entire month's worth all at once.

The key to making OAMC manageable is organization! The more organized you are beforehand, the less stressful it will be for you.

Though I haven't attempted OAMC for a while, I did when I worked away from home and it was honestly the greatest thing ever, because no matter how tired I was or how much I didn't feel like cooking, I always had a delicious homemade meal on hand. Recruit your children to help you out, because it will not only teach them to cook, but also lessen the work for you!

5 TIPS FOR OAMC OR FREEZER COOKING
1) Plan your entire menu ahead of time and make sure you have all ingredients on hand.

2) Prepare ahead of time by chopping all your vegetables and making sure all your ingredients are ready to go into each recipe.

3) Multi-task by cooking meals that contain similar ingredients at the same time. For example, cook hamburger in a skillet for a spaghetti meal kit, sloppy joes, and a taco meal kit.

4) Don't try to take on too much too quickly. If this is your first time, try making a week's worth of dinners first. Or divide up the tasks to cover a few days - dinner day, side dish day, and baking day.

5) If you don't want to cook an entire month's worth of meals, just try cooking one now and then to store in your freezer. When making a casserole, soup, or dish, double up and make two, then freeze one for a later date.

Check out the entire Freezer Series HERE to see what you missed!

Freezer Series: Meatballs

1 lb Hamburger
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs (frozen or fresh)
1/4 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Pepper
1/4 cup Minced Onion
1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

Combine all ingredients and kneed until well blended. Shape into meatballs and place on a cookie sheet. At this point, you may freeze them raw or cook them. To freeze, tray freeze them. To cook, bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes and cool, then tray freeze.

Thaw at room temperature. If uncooked, bake according to directions above. If cooked heat stove top, in the microwave, or in the oven. Freezer meatballs can be used to make stroganoff, spaghetti, meatball sandwiches, sweet & sour meatballs, and meatball soup. The uses are limitless!

Freezer Series: Meal Kits

Sometimes, it makes more sense to freeze a meal in parts, instead of freezing an entire meal. For example, pizzas, spaghetti, and tacos freeze better in a kit then after fully prepared.

An example of a taco kit would be:
-Pre-cooked seasoned hamburger or chicken
-Cheese
-Taco Shells

You could put each of these items into a separate freezer baggie, then put all of the individual baggies into one large baggie. When you're ready to enjoy, pull out the kit and assemble. Don't forget to have your favorite extras on hand like tomatoes, sour cream, and other ingredients that won't thaw well for a kit.

In addition to meal kits, sometime it's great to just freeze a single part of a meal, like meatballs. If you tray freeze meatballs and store in a freezer baggie long term, you can pull out a few to toss in spaghetti sauce or to make a meatball sandwich. Or make a partial spaghetti kit by putting sauce in one baggie and meatballs or seasoned cooked hamburger in another, and leaving your pasta in the pantry uncooked.

Meal Kit Ideas:

Spaghetti & Meatballs (or other pasta meals, keep pasta in pantry)
Tacos
Pizza
Sloppy Joes (or Pulled Pork/Chicken) & Buns
Burritos
Nachos
Stir Fry (keep rice in pantry)

Check out the entire Freezer Series HERE to see what you missed!

Freezer Series: Vegetable Soup

INGREDIENTS
1 TBSP Olive Oil
1 TBSP Butter or Margarine
1 Medium Onion
2 Carrots
2 Cups Green Beans
1 Medium Tomato
1 Small Zucchini
8 Mushrooms
4 Cups Chicken Broth
3 Cups Water
Salt & Pepper
1/4 Cup Parsley

* You may add other favorite vegetables to this recipe!

Dice all vegetables into bite size pieces. Toss all ingredients into a pot and cook on the stove top on high to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables soften. Cool and pour into a freezer baggie. Remove as much air as possible and lay flat in freezer to freeze. To thaw, place freezer baggie in a bowl and thaw in the refrigerator. Heat and serve.

Alternatively, you may cook this meal in your slow cooker on low for approximately 6 hours. Double the recipe to have more meals to freeze. When heating, you may add noodles and/or potatoes.

Freezer Series: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

My favorite way to freeze foods is to freeze entire meals. Often, I get in the "I just don't want to cook" mood. More often than I care to admit! To avoid spending money at a restaurant or feeding my kids something less than stellar, I have a freezer with a few meals prepared just for these days!

Most meals, like casseroles, soups, entrees, and stews freezer perfectly after completely preparing. Just allow them to chill before placing them in the freezer. Remember to seal tightly in freezer baggies or air tight containers for long term storage.

Another pro to freezing entire meals is that it helps my cooking-challenged husband get credit for some delicious meals when I'm not around.

Because I'm not a morning person and since I'm just exhausted by the end of the day, my favorite meals to freeze are breakfasts and dinners, but you can even freeze items for lunch!

Not all meals freeze ideally though. Keep in mind that spices, onions, and other potent foods become more flavorful the longer they are left in the freezer, so add less than your recipe calls for to avoid a too-spicy dish. Also, pastas and rices continue to absorb water while frozen, so undercook them slightly before freezing, so they won't be mush when served.

Unfortunately, some recipes, such as potato casseroles or Au Gratin, just shouldn't be frozen. Potatoes become black when frozen (unless mashed) and look completely unappetizing when thawed.

Don't forget to label each meal throughoughly with the date you made it, date you froze it, anticipated expiration date, and preparation directions.

Even frozen meals go bad, so use the following guide to help you know when to expect your frozen meal to expire:

Casseroles 2-3 mths
Dinners & Entrees 3-4 mths
Soups & Stews: 2-3 mths
Gravy: 2-3 mths

Check out the entire Freezer Series HERE to see what you missed!

Freezer Series: Coconut Shrimp

INGREDIENTS
24 Large Shrimp
1/2 Cup Cornstarch
1 tsp Sal
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
3 Egg Whites
2 1/2 Cups Sweet Coconut Flakes
Dipping Sauce (Marmalade or other sweet flavor)

Clean and peel each shrimp, but leave the tails on. Slit each shrimp half-way through along the inside curve. Open and flatten.

In another dish, combine cornstarch, salt, and cayenne pepper. In a separate bowl, beat whites until stiff. And finally, place coconut in yet another dish. Dip each shrimp in the cornstarch, then egg whites, then coat with coconut.

Tray freeze before placing in a freezer baggie for long term storage. To thaw, deep fry in oil at 375 for approximately 2 minutes or until golden brown. Set on a paper towel to drain and serve with dip.

Freezer Series: Extra Hints & Foods

10 BONUS HINTS & FOODS
1) Homemade baby foods can be frozen easily in individual portions using muffin tins or ice cube trays. Once frozen, remove from the tin or tray and place in a freezer baggie for long term storage. Remove one serving at a time and thaw!

2) Freeze bread crumbs as they gather when you make sandwiches or finish off a bag of croutons or crackers. Toss the crumbs into a freezer bag for recipes that require crumbs and never buy bread crumbs again! Plus, if you toss in seasoned cracker crumbs or crouton crumbs, they'll already be seasoned for use.

3) Coffee stays fresher when stored in the freezer.

4) You can store brown sugar in the freezer. It will be soft when thawed.

5) Jams and jellies freezer perfectly in store packaging for later use.

6) Marshmallows, dried fruits, and many other foods, are easier to cut when frozen.

7) Freezing oils that have been used for deep frying for reuse prevents it from going bad. Though the color changes when frozen, it clears when thawed.

8) Foods like sauerkraut can be frozen up to 12 months to prevent fermentation.

9) Seafood freezes easily when raw, just like meat, for 9-12 months.

10) Once you open store bought ice cream, cover it in plastic wrap to avoid freezer burn!

Check out the entire Freezer Series HERE to see what you missed!

Freezer Series: Lemon Rice

INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Rice
1 tsp Butter
1 tsp Garlic (minced if fresh)
1 tsp Lemon Peel, grated
1/4 tsp Pepper
2 Cups Chicken Broth
2 tsp Parsley (dried flakes or tray frozen)

In a medium sauce pan, combine rice, butter, garlic, lemon, pepper, and broth. Boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer approximately 15 minutes until the rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Stir in parsley.

Cool and store in freezer baggies. To serve, heat stove top or in microwave and fluff with a fork.

Freezer Series: Herbs

While drying is the traditional method of preserving fresh herbs, freezing is becoming more popular. Most herbs freeze best on the stalk without much hassel or preparation. Even better, herbs cut easily when frozen without being thawed first, so you can easily drop them into stews, casseroles, and other meals.

Freezing fresh herbs makes me more likely to use them, since it's simple to pull them out and toss in a recipe quickly.

Herbs can be frozen using two different 2 methods. Either will work just fine with different results.

TRAY FREEZING
You can tray freeze herbs very easily and quickly. Wash first and pat dry, then spread out on a tray and put in the freezer. Once the individual pieces are frozen, drop them in a freezer baggie to store long term. Pull out what you need as you need it and toss it in your favorite dish.

ICE CUBE FREEZING
For fresher herbs, divide into individual servings (e.g., 2-3 leaves or 1 tablespoon). Fill an ice cube tray half way with water. Drop in one serving of herbs onto each ice cube and put in the freezer. When frozen, fill the remainder with water, trapping the herbs in the center of the cube. Once completely frozen, remove the cubes from the tray and place in a freezer baggie for long term storage. When ready to use, toss the entire ice cube into your favorite dish.

Check out the entire Freezer Series HERE to see what you missed!

Freezer Series: Banana Carrot Smoothies

1 Banana (frozen or fresh)
2 Cups Carrots (chopped or baby, fresh)
1 Cup Apple Juice (thawed or fresh)
1 Cup Yogurt (thawed or fresh)

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve.

Freezer Series: Post Baby Meals

As you know, in order to bond as a family and spend less time cooking, I pre-cooked a lot of meals. Instead of Meal Plan Monday, here's a list of the freezer meals I'll be dipping into for the next month!

DINNER (QUANTITY)
Bean & Onion Enchiladas (1)
Meatball Subs (1)
Spaghetti w/ Meatballs (2)
Cheese Ravioli w/ Italian Seasoned Beef (1)
Mexican Seasoned Beef Tacos (1)
Mini-Meatloaf Pizza Cups (3)
Easy Sloppy Joes (1)
Chicken Manhattans (1)
Orange Chicken (1)
Baked Chicken Nuggets (2)
Sticky Chicken (1)
Chicken-Biscuit Casserole (2)
Tomato-Basil Baked Chicken (1)
Italian Seasoned Baked Chicken (1)
Garlic & Onion Baked Chicken (1)
Beer & Brown Sugar Steaks (1)
Teriyaki-Marinated Pork Chops (1)
Beef & Vegetable Soup (1)
Cheese & Veggie Quesadilla Kit (1)
Vegetable Soup (1)
Quiche (3)
Salad Night (4, Scott, Ady, & Izy's Night to Cook!)
Left-Over Night (4-8) (will use some for lunches)

TOTAL MEALS: 36-40

On top of this, I have a few frozen pizzas and hot dogs, so hopefully we can enjoy these meals for a while!

Freezer Series: Dairy & Eggs

Yes - shockingly enough dairy products can be frozen! Milk, coffee creamer, and even yogurt can be frozen to use at a later date.

5 TIPS FOR FREEZING DAIRY PRODUCTS
1) When freezing a liquid, such as milk, juice, or creamer, pour a small bit before freezing to allow for expansion.

2) Most dairy products, like milk, creamer, juice, and yogurt can be frozen in their store bought packaging.

3) Eggs can be stored in a regular refrigerator safely for up to one month, so freezing is often unnecessary.

4) Most dairy products will lose their texture as they thaw. Shake thawed liquids well before serving to restore smoothness. Use thawed yogurt to make smoothies or use in a recipe, instead of eating it from the container. Flavored yogurt freezes better than plain.

5) Only freeze cream cheese or sour cream to use in a recipe, because it will appear unappetizing when it thaws.

Each dairy or egg product must be prepared to freeze differently and some just don't work at all. Check HERE for a list of dairy products and how to freeze them to perfection. Frozen dairy products do expire, so use the guide below to help you out:

Butter or Margarine: 6-9 mths
Soft Cheese, Dips, or Spreads: 1 mth
Hard Cheese or Semi Hard Cheese: 6 mths
Cottage Cheese: 1 mth
Ice Cream: 1 mth
Milk/Creamer: 3 wks
Whipped Cream, Sour Cream, Yogurt, & Cream Cheese: 1 mth
Egg Whites or Substitutes: 12 mths

Check out the entire Freezer Series HERE to see what you missed!

Freezer Series: Strawberry Bread Recipe

This is my friend, Carrie's, delicious low-fat strawberry bread recipe that is great for freezing. You can use just picked strawberries, strawberries about to go bad, or strawberries from your freezer. Enjoy! And thanks Carrie!

INGREDIENTS

2 Cups Flour

3/4- 1 Cup Sugar

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Salt

2 Egg Whites, Whipped

1 tsp Vanilla

1/2 Cup Applesauce

2 Cups Strawberries, Chopped

Preheat oven at 350. Prepare pan(s) with cooking spray and flour. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In another bowl, combine egg whites, vanilla, applesauce, and strawberries. Mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients just until moistened. Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 35-45 minutes.

Cool, then place in freezer bag and place in freezer. Don't forget to label! You can also use this same recipe to make muffins.

Freezer Series: Breads

Breads are another very simple item to freeze. I love to use fruit that is just about to go bad to make some delicious muffins, pancakes, or bread. In fact, I used some old strawberries recently to make some delicious strawberry bread for a quick breakfast one morning. It's currently in the freezer waiting!

5 TIPS FOR FREEZING BREADS:
1) You can store loafs of bread, rolls, cookies, and other baked bread items from the grocery store directly in the store packaging. However, freezer burn may occur if left in the freezer for too long. To avoid, place in a freezer bag and remove as much air as possible.

2) When freezing homemade baked breads, allow them to cook and cool completely before freezing.

3) When freezing items like rolls, biscuits or muffins, it's a good idea to tray freeze them first.

4) Use wax paper to separate pancakes, crepes, or waffles when freezing, so they don't stick together.

5) Wrap breads in aluminum foil and place in a freezer bag or double bag with a freezer bag to avoid freezer burn.

Breads can be frozen for up to 3 months if your freezer's temperature is below 0. Crackers or crisp breads and yeast breads will last up to 6 months. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying!

DOUGHS & BATTERS
Doughs and batters can be tricky. Unless you are using a bread dough commercially designed for freezing, I don't recommend trying to freeze it. However, pizza dough can be frozen safely in a freezer baggie for a few weeks. Thaw in refrigerator before using.

Pancake, crepe, and waffle batters can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 week if your freezer's temperature is below 0. Thaw in the refrigerator before using.

Check out the entire Freezer Series HERE to see what you missed!

Freezer Series: 6 Quick Fruit Crisps

INGREDIENTS
6 Cups Oats
3 Cups Nuts (favorite)
1 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar (packed)
1 1/2 Cups Butter or Margarine (melted)
2 tsp Cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together to form crumbly mixture and place in 6 individual freezer baggies for long term storage.

When ready to serve, place fresh, frozen, or canned fruit in a baking dish and top with one of your fruit crisp mixtures. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes and serve warm with ice cream.