Well now, here we are…many, many days after my original post telling you about how I was going to cook and bake to get ahead in the kitchen for July. I’m sure you were waiting on pins and needles to hear how it all went.
Want to know my husband’s reaction when he saw my list? First let me say that usually when Matt sees my cooking-ahead lists, he gets excited about the food in his future. This time however, since I was working so frantically on finishing the curriculum kit, he looked at the list, then he looked gently up at me (beautiful, haggard me…with hair drooping pitifully into my face and contact lenses strewn about the table) and said not so confidently, “Really?”
I smiled weakly and said uh-huh, because we still needed to eat and occasionally I wanted to take a break from the computer, you know? What better therapy after being on the computer for hours than being able to go into the kitchen to cook?
Lest you look at these pictures and think I am really cool for getting all this done…do be made well aware that all of this took me no less than NINE days. I did not do it all at once. I did not do it very quickly. I just cooked a little extra each day when I was making our regular meals. And now, we have some lovely convenience food in the freezer.
And let’s all do appreciate the fact that having these lovely cooking breaks in between writing did much for my sanity.
Oh, and the children and husband also appreciated my sanity being provided with something to eat.
Take note that I did not get everything done on my list. However, I added a few things to the list so it all balances out.
I cooked a whole chicken, made broth from the bones and the whole nine yards, but I must have forgotten to take a picture. Forgive the lack of poultry pictured below.
I made some butterscotch bars for a reunion. And for breakfast that day, I made applesauce bread into applesauce cake. Note to self: applesauce bread makes good applesauce cake and a fun breakfast treat. Just spread bread batter into a buttered 9×13 inch pan and bake at 350° for 35 minutes or so.
I mixed up chocolate chip cookies, but instead of baking them, I just froze scoops of dough. Now, I can bake a few at a time as needed. Check out the red stained parchment paper. That was from freezing strawberries last month. I like to reuse parchment paper. The kids thought the cookies were bleeding, but that’s just because they’re boys and they like to think of gross things.
I made a batch of breakfast cookies one night, froze half of them and we ate the other half for breakfast the next day. Sorry about the poor quality of that picture. That happens late at night.
One day I got a whole bunch accomplished: frozen chicken fried steak strips, tortillas for burritos…
There are the finished bean/cheese burritos. With tortillas leftover. I love it when tortillas are leftover.
Another day I made a batch of buns.
Here’s your chance to say: “Wow Laura…nice buns.”
I made ice cream one evening and we ate it for dinner. That’s it. We just had ice cream for dinner. But it was this recipe and I felt like we were having quite a nutritious dinner. Minus any vegetables. It’s okay, we had green beans for breakfast Wednesday so that made up for it. We’re weird, aren’t we?
Somewhere in there I made a jar of peanut butter.
These weren’t on the list, but I was making lasagna casserole one night, so instead of one, I made three. Didn’t take any longer and now I have two in the freezer!
Now, as we approach August…I’ll probably just continue to make and freeze food as much as I can. August is very full with school starting, the garden exploding with food to preserve and soccer season begins again.
Bring on the freezer food.
You inspire me!
As I look through your pictures and food, all I can think is YUM, yum, and more YUMMMMMM…By the way, Laura, nice buns!
As I am preparing for the birth of our fifth child later this year I have been doing a little more freezer cooking than usual. I have been mostly taking the cook extra and freeze it approach as to spending an entire day on my feet in the kitchen. I have been using a TON of your ideas as I embark on this endeavor. Thanks for all the helpful recipes and techniques.
wow…I never follow through when I plan freezer things but you really make me feel like I could / should!
Nice buns Laura, you are the best!!!!! I love your blog.
Wow Laura! Nice Buns!
You have inspired me time and again, my friend. I really need to get busy on cooking. Which brings me to a really dumb question. I had no clue you could reuse parchment paper. Do you wash it? Store it in a neat place?
If I have frozen raw meat on it, I throw it away…otherwise I lay it on the countertop and wash it off with a washrag. I let it dry and fold it and put it into my parchment paper/ziplock baggie drawer for future use. I am sometimes able to reuse a piece six or seven times, depending on what I’ve used it for! If I bake something on it, it may become kinda crunchy so it doesn’t last as long. But if I’m just freezing stuff on it (like the cookie dough balls) I can reuse it over and over!
I wish you would come to my house and “cook ahead” for me. Or I wish I’d get organized enough to do it myself.
Wow, thank you! I get overwhelmed by the thought of freezer cooking all in one day. But spreading it out like this sounds so much more realistic to me! Thanks!!!
Everything looks fabulous… especially your tortillas. I’ve been considering buying your “Totally Tortillas” ebook for a while now, but I had a question first. Have you ever tried baking your tortillas? Or do you cook them on the stove?
I never have baked them. I just use a cast iron skillet (no oil or anything – just dry) and cook them as I roll them. Takes me about thirty minutes to do a double batch (which makes around 24 tortillas).
I tried your tortillas, and they are not pliable at all. They are like hard, flat bread. Could use as tostadas, but not tortillas. I think it is because I have a hand crank grain mill and it make the flour too coarse, does that sound right? That if I had finer flour, my tortillas would be softer and more pliable?
Yes, I’m guessing that if you used a finer flour, they would be softer. However, even with my softer, finer flour…after I refrigerate these, they aren’t pliable anymore. If I’m going to make soft tacos or burritos like I mentioned in this post, I make them right away while they are still warm and able to roll up easily!
Thanks for the reply. I will make them again when we want them soft and see how the turn out. After yyou refridgerate them, can you get them soft again by heating them up? Or are they just hard at that point and nothing you can do about it?
I can get them to soften again if I heat them slowly in a skillet.
Nice buns, truly. :)
So – how do convince yourself to bake in this heat? I was thrilled today to be able to garden after a late dinner and it was only about 83 degrees out there. We had make your own pizza for dinner tonight and my brave husband made it on the grill on cast iron pans. I haven’t baked anything in weeks!
I don’t know where you are, but it is way too hot here in WA. I started making bread this evening rather than in the morning or afternoon.
Well, I don’t know what is up with our July here in NE, because usually it’s so hot we can’t even moce…but we’ve been having highs in the low 80s for about a week now. It is absolutely PERFECT…warm but not too hot. I LOVE it! Therefore, I haven’t even thought about the heat. I do try to do the bulk of it in the morning if I can, otherwise…I’m just loving this unusually cooler summer weather!
I have a question about the lasagna casserole. DO you bake it then freeze it or get it made up and then freeze it? I really would like to do some freezer cooking but not sure when and what to freeze.
I just make it up and freeze it….then I’ll thaw it and reheat/bake it.
Very inspiring! I really like your freezer food choices. My CSA lady farmer said she used to get together with a group of ladies & their kids once a month to do this at the church. I’ve been wanting to do it ever since!
Oh forgot to ask my question. My homemade chicken broth comes out cloudy with lots of fat on top. Any tips?
I’m not sure about the cloudy part, but I’m sure there’s nothing wrong with it. And regarding the lots of fat on top…YAY! There’s a TON of nutrition in that fat. It may solidify when it rises to the top of your container, so just stir in when you heat the broth for soup or whatever. I love using the good fat in the broth!
Thanks Laura. I always just use it anyway – fat and cloudy and it still tastes good :)
Have a blessed day!
when you make casseroles what do you freeze them in? do you have lots of glass dishes or do you have disposable pans
I have a lot of glass dishes. I’ll try to do a post about my freezing techniques sometime soon…eventually. I receive a lot of questions about this!
How long does your lasagna stay good in the freezer?
Oh, it would be fine for several months, I’m sure. I usually pull it out and and use it within a month or two, but I’m sure it would last longer than that!
I just love your posts. You make me want to get all organized, but here is where I run into a few problems. I need ideas for doing this for a two person household and diabetic. Yes I have a giant chest freezer that due to lack of use needs to be defrosted. Also, we both work two different shifts. (Wish I could stay home, but just can’t work that out at this time) I know this takes some organization, but alas I can not seem to get the same concept going at home that I do at work. If there are any others that have ideas or that work as well and manage to get this to work I would like to hear from you. Thanks Laura for sharing your talents. I love seeing Mamas taking care of their families. Mamas have the hardest and biggest jobs of all the work force. Thank you for nurturing your family. What a blessing you are to them. God Bless You.
I’d say to just occasionally make a double amount of whatver you’re making for dinner and freeze the second batch for another time. That is the most efficient way I’ve found of freezer cooking.
Oh forgot to mention this. I do not know if everyone has a “Dollar Tree” near them, but I noticed they carry these aluminum pans, round and square, about 8×8 with lids. They are about the size to put half a casserole in each. I think they come two to a package. I think the lids are cardboard (thin like carry out). Haven’t bought any yet, but thought that it would be useful for others. Easy to stack in the freezer and easy to lable.
Melissa
Great post, Laura!
Thanks, Laura. I have one in the freezer that I did a while back and was wondering how long it would be good.
I have bought the aluminum pans from Dollar Tree. Unfortunately, a lot of black stuff comes off of them when you wipe them. I couldn’t ever get it to stop coming off. Not sure what it is.
Linda
Wow, thats amazing!!!
Whew! I got tired (and hungry) just reading this.
Looks great! I love freezing up cookie dough. I’m behind on getting food in our freezer, did get some twice baked potatoes put up today.
Where do I find the tortilla recipe? And my 12 year old loves to look at your menu and come up with her own dinner. Thanks so much for all you do. It’s a blessing to come to this website and follow your lead. Meredith in NC.
The tortilla recipe is in this ebook: https://www.heavenlyhomemakers.com/totally-tortillas-ebook
Oh my! I just made your breakfast cookies and they are delicious. Super easy and something I feel good about feeding my kids. Thanks!