Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Food Ideas For Feeding a Large Group

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Need some food ideas for feeding a large group? Here’s what I’ve been working on recently!

I’ve been prepping to feed our York College soccer teams several times during our pre-season this fall, so I thought I’d share what I’ve been up to! (My husband is one of the women’s coaches so we are blessed to be heavily involved with the teams. Plus our third son, Elias, will be the fourth Coppinger to be on the YC men’s team!)

If you think I’m crazy for taking this on while chasing our busy 6-year-old and two 1-year-old toddlers, I’d probably agree with you. BUT, all I can say is that I had a strong desire to do this. God said yes. I love food, I love feeding people, and I especially love feeding our YC soccer teams as they transition back into a school year and a new season.

We are praising God that we can have a soccer season and an on-campus school year at this point. We are taking all the precautions to stay safe and the fact that we can have such a beautiful opportunity to enjoy community in this way is such a joy to us. We are SO THANKFUL.

How I can feed a large group while chasing babies

Even if I wasn’t chasing babies, I still have to do the following to make this work:

  1. I have to be very organized.
  2. I have to keep my menus very simple.
  3. I have to ask for help.
  4. I have to get as much food prepped ahead of time as possible.

So I’ve detailed my meal ideas. I’ve made thorough grocery lists (Wal-mart grocery pickup for the WIN!). I have lists of tasks others can take off my plate when they come into the kitchen and say, “What can I do to help?” And I started baking five weeks ago!

The plan right now is that I will feed:

  • The guy’s team one evening in our yard.
  • The girl’s team the next evening in our yard.
  • Both teams during an entire weekend retreat (6 meals)

I’ve been feeding big crowds (and chasing littles) for many years now, so I’ve definitely learned a lot about what works well and what doesn’t. I used to go all out and make everything from scratch. Phew, not anymore! I still do what I can, but wow have I simplified compared to making homemade ice cream sandwiches for everyone like I used to!

Food Ideas When Feeding a Large Group

Here’s a simple list of what I’m planning to feed everyone (about 80 people) during the weekend retreat. I’ll share more details below.

Friday Evening: Crock Pot Beef and Chicken Fajitas with Fixins, Watermelon, Butterscotch Bars

Saturday Morning: Egg Casseroles, Quick Breads, Fruit

Saturday Lunch: Dips with Chips, Dips with Veggies, Dips with Fruit, Brownies

Saturday Dinner: Lasagna, Salad, French Bread, Green Beans,  Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Sunday Morning: Cereal, Fruit, Yogurt, Leftover Quick Bread

Sunday Lunch: Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Chips, Baked Beans, Leftover Veggies and Fruits and Dips

During the weeks leading up to the retreat, I have cooked or baked a little bit each day to put food in the freezer to get ahead and prepared for the retreat.

Here’s my countertop one morning after I started cooking Fajita Meat in two crockpots,
Stick of Butter Rice in my Instant Pot,
and pulled three loaves of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread from my oven.

What Can Be Made Ahead of Time and Frozen

What Can Be Made Ahead of Time and Refrigerated

In Case You’re Curious:

  • Fajita Fixin’s: tortillas, prepared meat, rice, black beans, shredded cheese, salsa, sliced olives, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, sour cream

What I Can Ask Others to Help With

It’s helpful for me to have a list made for ways others can help simply because while I’m in the middle of cooking before a big meal starts, my brain can’t always think of what to say when someone offers, “What can I do to help?”

During the retreat, soccer team members will be coming into the kitchen to help me (or grabbing babies to take them outside to play while I cook!). So here’s what I plan to turn over to the students:

  • Prep Fruit – Apples, Bananas, Peaches, Strawberries, Grapes
  • Prep Veggies – Carrots, Broccoli, Cucumbers
  • Slice Quick Breads
  • Shred Cheese
  • Wash Dishes! ;)

Meals in our Yard

The week after the retreat we’ll feed each team once at our house. I haven’t done any prep work for these yet, but I plan to make the same meal both nights for both teams to save effort and my brain energy. :)

What are your go-to meals when feeding large crowds?

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How to Have a Successful Freezer Cooking Day

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Hoping to get ahead by having a successful freezer cooking day? Here’s how!

Why have a freezer cooking day?

I love to have food pre-made and in the freezer to pull out and use as convenience foods on extra busy days! It’s beyond great to have a casserole in the freezer that I can slide into the oven for dinner without any prep (because I’ve already done the prep!).

In addition, it’s great to have muffins or cookies ready to pull out to bake or serve with just a few minutes’ notice.

If you have extra freezer space, it is worth your time to spend a few hours getting head so you can save time and energy later!

How to Have a Successful Freezer Cooking Day

Here are my top bullet points, with details to follow:

  1. Make a plan
  2. But don’t over plan
  3. Consider how you can multitask
  4. Get out everything possible the night before
  5. Be prepared for a mess, and save energy to clean it up!
  6. Have your evening meal already prepared and ready to serve.

1. Make a plan.

It’s a great idea to jot down a list of food you want to make ahead of time for your freezer so that you can prepare for your freezer cooking hours. Buy the groceries you’ll need, block out the time necessary for your freezer cooking extravaganza, and consider how you can make your time most efficient.

2. But don’t over plan.

But wait! Take it from me, the one who used to almost pass out during her freezer cooking days by trying to execute too much then becoming exhausted and grouchy at the kids (sorry, boys).

Be reasonable when you make your freezer cooking plan. If you only have two hours, your to-do list needs to be able to be fulfilled within just an hour and a half so you still have the energy to clean up afterward (see #5).

It’s easy to become overexcited, thinking of ALL THE THINGS you want to put into the freezer. Yay, you! But make your lofty list, then consider paring down to what is actually doable and reasonable. Perhaps break your lofty list into two or three different freezer cooking time slots.

3. Consider how you can multitask.

When making your list, look at what will help you be the most efficient with your time and energy. For instance:

Perhaps your freezer cooking day can focus on chicken dishes so that you can get out fewer ingredients, cut up several meals worth of chicken at once, and knock out more work in less time.

Or maybe your freezer cooking day is all about baked goods this time. Again, you can get out fewer ingredients so instead of working with meat and vegetables and flour and sugar – you are instead only focused on putting together sides, snacks, and desserts this time.

4. Get out everything possible the night before.

Say you’ve decided to make three batches of muffins, a double batch of cookies, and a pan of oatmeal bars during your freezer cooking session. The night before you are ready to take on the task set out all possible ingredients like baking powder, salt, sugar, flour, etc. Thaw your butter, lay out your recipes (or pull them up on your computer), get out bowls and measuring cups.

Whatever you can do to make the job easier tomorrow, do it today. Thaw meat, grate cheese, prep veggies, get out freezer bags. If you grind flour for baked goods, get that flour ready so you’ll save time tomorrow.

5. Be prepared for a mess, and save energy to clean it up!

In my experience, freezer cooking makes a pretty big mess. It’s worth it though, because of how easy it is to use and serve these prepared foods later! So remember that the mess you’re making now saves many messes later!

But also keep in mind that after you’ve spent an hour or four prepping food for the freezer, you’ll be a bit tired from your work. Plan ahead to save some of your energy and time to wash dishes, wipe down messy countertops, and sweep the floor.

6. Have your evening meal already prepared and ready to serve.

Is it just me, or do you ever not feel like cooking after you’ve spent the day cooking?

It is a good idea to plan ahead for this because, for some reason, everyone will still want to eat the night of your freezer cooking day. Crazy.

My suggestion is to have something in the crockpot already cooking, or better yet, if you’re making some casseroles for the freezer, save one to bake for dinner tonight.

7. It is worth noting that…

If you have big kids, they should be put to work with you on this endeavor! My big kids are my cheese graters, my floor sweepers, and my general go-to taskers. I have gotten very good at handing out small jobs left and right, which makes every big job (including freezer cooking!) so much easier!

Want some freezer cooking ideas?

Here are some great ideas to get you started!

Eat Right Away!

You can buy this awesome eBook that includes all the details, recipes, and grocery lists 20 meals you can make ahead for your freezer. Or become a club member and access it any time!

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Back to School Freezer Cooking Plan 2019

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It’s this year’s Back to School Freezer Cooking Plan!

Back to School Freezer Cooking Plan, 2019

I have to do it every year. I can’t not do it. I make all the food and I stock up on everything under the sun. My brain somehow cannot handle thinking that we might have to go to the store for toilet paper on the third day of school, so I make sure we have three…cases. Every year. Apparently, we need toilet paper to get us through until Christmas, as if I won’t go to the store for other things before then?

Even though I do think that in some ways my brain is crazy, there is much to be said for my desire to get ahead a little and stock-pile food and essentials before a new school year begins. With a new school year comes fall soccer season, which for our family is intense as we have players, referees, and a collegiate coach under our roof. We live, eat, breathe soccer from August until November. This year we added a brand new 5-year old soccer player to the ranks.

When we found his first pair of soccer cleats on clearance this summer, he was beyond excited. Finally, he can be a soccer player like his big brothers!

And let it be noted that this year we are also toting a Boy Babe to all the games with us while trying to keep him from eating electrical cords and climbing into the fireplace during a homeschool history lesson. So now who’s making fun of my three-case stash of Northern?

I’ve been working since mid-July to fill the freezer and stock-pile essential ingredients and household goods. I’ve taken wonderful advantage of Amazon Prime Pantry and Subscribe and Save. Amazon brings me joy…and groceries. And yeah, lots of toilet paper.

Here’s what I’ve been working on so far to get ahead:

Chicken Cheeseballs with a Kick

I got three pounds of ground chicken on mark-down, so I quickly added this recipe to my freezer-cooking list. These mix up quickly, and having them in the freezer ready to bake for a quick lunch or dinner will be perfect during this busy time of year.

Meat and Cheese Burritos

Burritos. Always burritos. I cannot tell you how good it is for me to have burritos in my freezer for my boys to warm up when they need one (or two).

Pancake and Waffle Mix

This isn’t actually in my freezer, but I did make a huge batch so we can pull it out for quick breakfasts or easy dinners. Man, I love this mix.

Simple Muffin Mix

I also mixed up a huge batch of Muffin Mix so that all we have to do is add liquids and whatever add-ins we want before baking up a batch of muffins. It’s so easy!

Bacon

One of my favorite tricks for saving time is baking several pounds of bacon, then freezing it to pull out and rewarm on the stove. When I do this, we can have hot sizzling bacon with our eggs or pancakes in just 30 seconds.

I also love cutting up bacon and making several pounds of bacon bits to use in salads and in scrambled eggs.

Lasagna

It’s our family’s favorite meal, so having a couple in the freezer will be great!

Hamburger Meat

I cooked 7 pounds of hamburger meat in my Instant Pot. So now I have meat to use quickly as needed. You can see a list here of 33 meals that can be made quickly once there’s meat already cooked and ready.


Cheesy Beef and Rice 

This is one of our favorites. If I have it in the freezer, I can slide it into a 250-degree oven before a game and it will be baked and ready to eat a few hours later when we get home!

Cheesy Salsa Enchiladas

This is also a favorite, and I can do as I mentioned above – bake it while we’re at a game and have dinner ready immediately when we get home!

In addition to all these prepared foods, I have worked to stock up on a supply of most of our essential ingredients so I can “shop from the pantry, fridge, or freezer” as much as possible instead of going to the store.

Want a cheat sheet full of Simple Ingredients to help you have all the real food basics on hand too? It’s free – grab it here!

Also in the freezer:

  • Strawberries, bananas, mango, pineapple, and peaches for smoothies
  • Green beans and peas for quick sides
  • Chicken nuggets and hotdogs #noshame
  • Homemade Ice Cream

Why the Homemade Ice Cream? Because it is as essential as toilet paper. Obviously.

What’s in your freezer these days?

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Chocolate Chip Breakfast Bars – From Freezer to Oven!

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Well, here we are. The school year is in full swing. Fall soccer season is knocking our (smelly) socks off. I have completely forgotten which way is up.

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I already lost track of which way is south because when people give me directions they are not allowed to use ridiculous phrases like, “Turn east and you’ll see our house on the north corner.” What kind of foreign language are they even speaking? When giving me directions, people may only use phrases like, “turn right” or “turn left” or better yet “turn toward the sign with the monkey.”

In summary, September is always a very busy month for our family, and I am extremely directionally challenged. However, as long as I do everything I can to keep our food simple, I handle myself okay in the kitchen (which, as it turns out, is located in the northeast corner of our house).

Stashing prepared food in our freezer (found when you take a south at the stove and head due west toward the toaster) is only helpful if said prepared food doesn’t get lost in the back and freezer burned. I’ve discovered a couple of tricks during the past couple of years that make freezer cooking much better for our family, and my favorite is this:

Stir together breakfast baked goods, but freeze them before baking. Pull out desired amount of said frozen goods and bake them fresh on the morning you plan to serve them.

When doing this, I get baking messes out of the way so I don’t have to measure and mix on busy school mornings. But we can still eat the goodies fresh out of the oven.

Breakfast Cookies for the Freezer

Take, for instance, my “famous” Giant Breakfast Cookies. I mix up a double batch (because why make one batch when you can make two?). I scoop the dough onto cookie sheets and freeze the cookie dough balls. Each morning when we want hot, fresh Breakfast Cookies, I simply pull out some frozen cookie dough balls and bake them while I scramble eggs and slice strawberries. We all eat a fabulous breakfast and I’ve hardly worked at all.

Freezer Breakfast Cookies5

I do the same with muffin batter, freezing it in muffin cups, unbaked, and pulling them out to bake as needed. Homemade Poptarts are perfect frozen unbaked as well.

The Easiest Way to Make Muffins

This is all wonderful, seeing as I must use all my energy after breakfast to try and understand what my phone means when it tells me to “head north toward Highway 2” as I’m trying to locate a soccer field in another city. For the love of my brain cells, JUST TELL ME TO GO STRAIGHT OR TURN RIGHT. Well, anyway…

My most recent “Mix and Freeze” breakfast food discovery is this: I can mix up big batches of these Chocolate Chip Breakfast Bars, freeze them unbaked, then pull out squares and bake them as needed.

breakfast bars22breakfast bars33

See? I line my 8×8 inch pans with parchment paper, press in the dough, and freeze. I even freeze it in layers (though learned the hard way that it is important to keep parchment paper between the layers). Once frozen, I transfer the unbaked dough to gallon-sized freezer bags. If I think about it the night before, I’ll pull out a square to thaw in the fridge so I can bake it the next day. Otherwise, I simply pull out a frozen square in the morning, put it into a pan and bake it with a few minutes of extra baking time.

Where has this tip been my whole life? (Probably hiding somewhere between the east and the west, but of course, I could never find it.)

Chocolate Chip Breakfast Bars

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Chocolate Chip Breakfast Bars - From Freezer to Oven!
 
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Author:
Serves: 24
Ingredients
  • 1 cup melted butter
  • ¾ cup sucanat or ½ cup honey
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground hard white wheat)
  • ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Stir together melted butter and sucanat.
  2. Add eggs, baking soda, salt, and vanilla, mixing well.
  3. Stir in oats and flour until well combined.
  4. Fold in chocolate chips.
  5. Spread mixture in a 9×13 inch baking dish (or two 8x8 inch baking dishes).
  6. Bake in a 350° oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
  7. To Freeze Dough: Line 8x8 inch pans with parchment paper, press in the dough, and freeze. Once frozen, transfer the unbaked dough to freezer bags. Thaw dough squares in the fridge overnight to bake the next day. Or pull out a frozen square in the morning, put it into a pan and bake it with a few minutes of extra baking time.

Make-Ahead Chocolate Chip Breakfast Bars

I highly recommend making and freezing bacon ahead so that within thirty seconds, you can serve hot, sizzly bacon with these bars. Any fruit will go with these as well, and with that, breakfast is served.

May your mornings be pleasant, may your breakfast be tasty, and may you never tell me to head south on 6th street.

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How to Cook Bacon in the Oven, Freeze, and Warm up Fast!

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Recently I have discovered the amazingness of baking several pounds of bacon, freezing it for later use, then pulling it out to reheat and serve in about 2 minutes.

oven-bacon3

Yum

Where has this tip been all my life?

I already knew how to make Bacon Bits ahead of time for ease in making salads and bacon-cheesy eggs. But strips of bacon? Well, I’d never tried making it ahead before. I will make bacon this way from now on because it is an incredible time saver!

Also, it keeps my hair from frequently smelling like bacon, so I think we can all be grateful for this delightful bonus.

How to Cook Bacon Ahead, Freeze, and Warm Up Fast

  1. Lay bacon on a a broiling rack in a single layer.
  2. Place the rack of bacon on a baking sheet to catch the grease as it bakes.
  3. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-30 minutes (time varies based on thickness of bacon).
  4. Pull bacon out of oven just before it has reached the crispiness level you prefer.
  5. Allow bacon to cool on paper towels.
  6. Transfer cooked and cooled bacon to a gallon-sized freezer bag. (I leave the cooked bacon on the paper towels when putting it in the freezer bags. That way I can do two-pounds at once with a paper towel in between layers of bacon.)
  7. Freeze up to three months.
  8. Rewarm bacon by taking desired amount of cooked bacon slices directly from freezer and heating them in a skillet for about 1 minute on each side.

Can you believe how easy this is?

how-to-cook-bacon-in-the-oven-and-freeze-it-for-quick-reheating

I recommend that you lay the bacon on a broiling rack like this and place it on a baking sheet like this. This will allow the bacon grease to drip into the pan and prevent a mess.

oven-bacon-1

Once the grease has cooled and thickened, I recommend transferring it to a jar in your fridge. Bacon grease stirred into green beans or other veggies makes for a super flavorful side dish!

oven-bacon-2

Being able to offer my family bacon with zero effort on a busy morning has been a life saver. After all, as my men will tell you, bacon is a necessity of life.

Do you usually cook bacon on the stove or in the oven? Ever tried making it ahead of time and freezing it as described above?

More Bacon Posts You’ll Want to Check Out

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Hey, what’s for dinner?

It’s the question of the day, right? The frustrating part is when I’m asked this question while in the middle of five other tasks…and I haven’t yet figured out the dinner plan. Ugh, sorry kids. Dinner is…something. I’ll have to get back to you on the specifics.

Enter: Simple Meals. It’s saving my brain (and many of yours too!). If you haven’t joined yet, now’s the time. Get all the details here!

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How to Make Homemade Chicken Patties for Sandwiches (Freezable!)

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You want to know one of my favorite convenience foods I miss the most since switching to real food? Processed chicken patties for chicken sandwiches. (Bet you never would have guessed that, since that’s what this post is about.)

chicken patties9

I grew up microwaving Schwan’s chicken patties and slapping them on white buns for a quick meal or snack after a sports practice. They were yummy and easy and while I couldn’t care less about many other processed convenience items (I gave up boxed pizza rolls several years ago and never looked back) – I do miss the taste and handiness of chicken patties.

So why it’s taken me this long to figure out a recipe that resembles the beloved frozen chicken patties, I do not know. But here I am, finally learning a way to make breaded chicken patties for sandwiches. The best news is that you can make these in bulk and freeze them for a fast, convenient, ready-made meal on a busy day.

Homemade Chicken Patties for SandwichesYum

How to Make Homemade Chicken Patties for Sandwiches (Freezable!)
 
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Author:
Serves: 15-20 patties
Ingredients
  • 3 pounds ground chicken
  • 4 teaspoons onion powder, divided
  • 3 teaspoons garlic powder, divided
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3 cups whole grain flour (I used whole wheat, but if you need these to be gluten free, use your favorite flour choice)
  • Palm shortening or oil of choice
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl mix ground chicken, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon sea salt.
  2. Shape meat mixture into 15-20 patties (make them larger or smaller depending on your family's portion size needs)
  3. Beat eggs into a bowl.
  4. Pour milk into a separate bowl.
  5. In a third bowl, mix flour, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon sea salt.
  6. Heat palm shortening or oil on a griddle.
  7. Dip prepared meat patties in egg, then flour mixture, then milk, then flour mixture again.
  8. Place battered chicken patty into oil on the griddle.
  9. Repeat process with each chicken patty.
  10. Cook for 7-10 minutes on each side, mashing down lightly as needed.
  11. Serve right away, or cool and freeze for future use, then rewarm in a 350 degree oven until heated through.

Are you ready to see some ugly chicken patty pictures? This isn’t pretty, friends. Raw meat pressed into patties – well there’s a reason we call stuff like this “processed food.” But take great comfort in the fact that this is all made from real food and wholesome ingredients and ignore the fact that naked ground chicken pressed into a patty really just ain’t purty.

chicken patties2

See the patty breading process? First the egg.

chicken patties3

Then the flour.

chicken patties4

Then the milk.

chicken patties5

Then the flour again.

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Then comes the part where we fry the patties in oil.

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We watch in amazement as they turn into beautiful chicken patties we can’t wait to put on a bun or between two big leaves of lettuce.

chicken patties8
Sure, it’s thicker than the patties we grew up eating. We like it that way. That means there’s double the meat.

Homemade Chicken Patties for Sandwiches - Freezable

One of the biggest perks is that you can form your chicken patties into any size you need for your family. Have small children? Make small patties. Have teenage boys? Make the patties nice and big. Have some big eaters and small eaters? Make a variety.

The biggest win is that if you make a bunch, you’ll have yummy chicken patties ready to warm up for sandwiches on a day you don’t have time to cook!

Did you grow up eating and loving processed chicken sandwiches? 

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Freezer Cooking I’ve Been Doing to Prepare for Back-to-School

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With a houseful of teenage boys, it’s difficult to get ahead.

I’m talking about food in this case, although I guess the same statement is true in every area of life in a household full of kids. (I’m looking at you, Laundry Pile. Dirty Dishes. Mail. Shoe Closet.) Bah.

This is why I did some freezer cooking a few weeks ago when three outa four of our boys were still at church camp. With hardly anyone here to eat, I actually had leftovers to put in the freezer. Yay me!

I took a few pictures along the way to share with you. Take note that not all freezer cooking involves making casseroles. There are many other ways to get ahead. For instance…

I had a cheese shredding marathon:

school food1

It only takes a few minutes and NO EFFORT to shred 8 packages of cheese when I use my food processor. I ran it through the shred piece, so now I have two big bowls of shredded cheese ready to add to everything we need for the next couple of weeks! (Yes, this will be gone by the time we start school. Whatever.)

Almost as important as shredded cheese is the double batch of frozen cookie balls I made. These won’t last long once the boys discover them, but I love that they can take out a few and bake them for an afternoon snack. I used this Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.

school food2

If you don’t have any of these Silicone Baking Mats,
I encourage you to read more about why I love them here!

I made two bags of our favorite Apricot Chicken. I’ll dump this into the crock pot on a busy school day. (This is a recipe from our Eat Right Away Collection. These are a must have because they save so much time!)

school food3

You know I didn’t do all of this, all on the same day, right? No way. But, there was a day I made not one but SIX batches of homemade whole wheat tortillas. That was a tortilla making record for me!

Malachi helped me use the tortillas to make 24 Lazy Dogs and 24 Meat and Cheese Burritos. We still had leftover tortillas for a few quesadillas, so I felt very accomplished that day.

school food4

Another time, I cut and cooked 5 pounds of bacon to have on hand for salads and scrambled eggs. More on that later. :)

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I mixed up a double batch of Blueberry Muffins and froze the batter so we can bake the muffins fresh on a school morning. I love this time saving technique!

frozen muffins

Last, I made a double batch of Giant Breakfast Cookies. Instead of baking them, I froze them into unbaked cookie balls. This means we can take out a few and bake them fresh any morning we want/need them. I’ll share specifics on how to do this another day soon!

breakfast cookies1

I’m hoping to make a triple or quadruple batch of this Real Food “Velveeta” and Rotel Dip for the freezer during the next few days. That will be great to have on hand for Nachos, Spicy Mac and Cheese, or Simple Taco Soup.

Now your turn! Have you done any freezer cooking lately? What have you been making in an effort to get ahead before school starts?

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How to Freeze Apple Pie Filling – Easy!

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When it comes to making and preserving Apple Pie Filling, you have a few choices. You can can it (can can, can you do the can can, can you…). You can freeze it, which I will describe here today. Or (and this is by far the most novel idea of them all) you can put the filling directly into a pie crust and bake it immediately.

apples

It all comes down to how much freezer space you have, how much pantry space you have, if you love canning produce, if you have plenty of jars, or if you really just want to eat an apple pie after dinner on this very day.

But really most of it comes down to apples. You can’t do any of this if you don’t have apples.

So…do you have apples? I have apples. This year I decided that the easiest way for me to preserve Apple Pie Filling is to freeze it.

If you want to can apple pie filling so that you can store it in your pantry, you can learn how to do that here. You should know that I break out in a sweat every single time I type the word p-a-n-t-r-y. I re-read it four hundred and eighty times to make sure I didn’t leave out the “r” because that would bring a whole new unintended meaning to my sentence.

apple_pie_filling_5

Here’s how to freeze apple pie filling:

1. Wash, core, and slice apples into a large bowl. I leave the peeling on. (Once again I sweat and make sure I added the “l” to p-e-e-l-i-n-g.)
2. Stir in 1/4 cup sucanat or brown sugar plus 1 teaspoon cinnamon per every 5-6 apples.
3. Transfer mixture to quart-sized freezer bags, 3-4 cups of apple pie filling per bag.
4. Label the bag and freeze it for up to a year.

How to Freeze Apple Pie Filling

When you’re ready to make an apple pie, simply thaw and dump the contents into an unbaked pie crust, then proceed as you normally would to make an apple pie. Here’s my Whole Wheat Pie Crust recipe. Even easier, use the filling to make an Apple Crisp or a Salted Caramel Apple Crisp.

It’s wonderful having prepared apple pie filling in your freezer, and yes, even in your pantrrrrrrry.

How’s your apple supply? Have you been able to get your hands on plenty of good apples this year? 

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Busy Morning Breakfasts That Can Be Made Ahead of Time

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I am so messed up on breakfasts right now. Our second son started taking a college class on MWF and he has to be on campus at 8:00. Color me late to this “get your kids out the door for school on time” game, but well, that’s exactly what I am. We work from home and we’ve home-schooled forever, so getting out the door to church with combed hair on Sundays has been our only morning schedule struggle. On school days, we usually eat while beginning our Bible time and school time in our jammies a few minutes after we wake the kids. Now, if you can possibly imagine, I must actually be dressed and have breakfast on the table by 7:20.

Yes, I’m sure most of you can possibly imagine, and many of you are thinking, “Really, girl? 7:20 am is practically mid-afternoon at our house.” God bless all of you early morning head-out-the-door-to-work-and-school friends. I have some recipes to share with you. We shall all eat well together…at whatever time each of us considers to be early.

Busy Morning Breakfasts That Can Be Made Ahead of Time

Yum

Busy Morning Breakfasts That Can Be Made Ahead of Time

My goal this week was to prep breakfast foods and put them into the freezer so that I’ll be perfectly organized and never have to think again. Scratch that. My goal this week is simply to prep some breakfast foods and put them in the freezer. I’ll never be perfectly organized and in typical mom-life fashion, I found myself having to think straight and answer difficult questions like “are my soccer socks clean?” just a few minutes ago.

Here are my favorite breakfast foods to put into the freezer. They save time, money, and brain – my favorite things to save.

1. Hashbrowns and Hashbrown Patties

I’ll be baking a few pounds of potatoes this week to shred and put into the freezer. Fry up some eggs with these, serve with fruit – done. Everyone loves these and thinks you’re wonderful when you make these. It is fun when everyone thinks you’re wonderful.

Homemade Hashbrown Patties

2. Muffin Batter

You knew I would say this one. I can’t help it. Making and freezing muffin batter saves so much time. Not to mention dirty dishes. Deliver me from dirty dishes.

frozen_muffins_3

3. Cooked Turkey Sausage and Prepared Biscuits

I can make biscuits and gravy sooooo fast when I do this. My family is always amazed. Let’s just let them keep thinking that I am incredible to pull this off. Add the above mentioned Hashbrowns to this meal and you can picture my kids breaking into a lively Mom is Our Favorite Person in the Whole World dance (not really).

Freezer Biscuit Tutorial

4. Oatmeal Cups

You wouldn’t think that this would save time, but it truly does. At least it saves brain. That’s worth a whole lot.

frozen oatmeal3

5. Giant Breakfast Cookies

Best thing to pull out of the freezer for breakfast…ever.

breakfast_cookies

6. Pancake Muffins

Yep. My newest favorite. I cannot get over how easy these are.

Easy Pancake Muffins

7. Quick Breads

Find our favorite quick bread recipes here. I usually double or triple a batch. If I allow them to cool completely, then wrap them well before freezing them, quick breads thaw and serve well. It is so very nice to pull a prepared loaf or two out of the freezer to go with breakfast in the morning.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

If you freeze nothing else to save yourself time, brain, and money (while also eating healthy, because you are just that awesome) – make and freeze some of these breakfast foods. It will make your morning routine so much easier. Pick the recipe that looks the easiest to you – then go for it!

What are your favorite breakfast foods to prep ahead? Have any new ideas for me? What time to you eat breakfast at your house?

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How Does Prepping 5 Meals in 20 Minutes Sound?

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You might remember how a couple of weeks ago I made 7 Chicken Slow Cooker Meals in 30 Minutes. Well, the next day I made 5 Beef Slow Cooker Meals in just 20 minutes. It is too fun.

This is the easiest, fastest, most fun freezer cooking I’ve ever done. Plus, these freezer meals keep saving my neck on busy days. I just pull a bag out of the freezer and throw the contents into the crock pot. I add some veggies to the table in the evening, and we are set.

Here are a few pictures of my 5 beef meals in 20 minutes prep. They aren’t pretty, but at least it’s better than looking at pictures of mannequins in my office. (Ain’t that the truth.)

5 Meals in 20 Minutes

First I took my printed copy of Eat Right Away: Slow Cooker Beef Edition and put the ingredients for the Hawaiian Beef and Rice directly into the crock pot. That would be for dinner that day – you know, since I was so busy spending another 17 minutes making 4 more meals. Obviously, I was exhausted after that and couldn’t possibly think about cooking our evening meal.

slow cooker beef 1

Next, I labeled freezer bags and started filling them with ingredients for the other four packet recipes.

slow cooker beef 2

This process is so fascinating to witness. Lookie at the meat with Onion Soup Mix and other ingredients splashed into a bag. Ooh. Aah.

slow cooker beef 3

A grand total of 20 minutes later, dinner was in the crock pot and four other meals were ready for the freezer.

slow cooker beef 4

Read about our Eat Right Away Packets here.

We’ve got four packets (a total of 20 recipes!) all organized and ready for you to work with! I cannot tell you how great these are to work with. Actually, I guess I did just tell you. Go get your packets. They’ll save you time and money!

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