Freezer Meals

Because I am going back to school time, I am trying to lighten the load a little for Mr. MOM.  He is an amazing man and really I am not worried about my kids, but ANY stay at home mom knows that it is HARD, and I want to help.  SO, Freezer meals.  Not only that, but they all go in the crock pot.  :)  That rocks,  I can make dinner without even being home. Now that is talent.  I posted the picture in this post on FB and received many comments asking for recipes.  SO here they are!

Freezer Cooking- Slow Cooker Meals!

*Please note that all "bags" are 2-4 servings* Adjust ingredients to increase or decrease serving sizes.

My Grocery List:

Fresh Produce:

(3) Green Peppers

(1) Red Pepper

(1) Zucchini

(1) Red Onion

(1) Bag of Onions (you need approx. 8-10 onions)

(1) Bag Potatoes (I bought Red) (You will need approx. 14-16)

(3) Bags of 1 lb. carrot chips

Meat:

4.5-5Ibs of Chicken Breast

3-4Ibs of Beef Stew Meat

3Ib Chuck Roast

1-1.5Ibs of Ground Beef

Spices & Condiments:

Basil

Thyme

Salt

Pepper

Worcestershire

Brown sugar

White sugar Olive oil

Garlic cloves

Balsamic vinegar

Mustard

Teriyaki sauce

Other Groceries:

(2) 20oz cans of Chunked Pineapple

(2) 15oz Cans Tomato Sauce

(2) 6oz Cans Tomato Paste

(1) 28oz Can Diced Tomatoes

(1) Pack of v8 juice (I buy the 6 pack of cans)

(1) Small box Tapioca (I had no clue where to find this in the store-- It's right above the pudding/jello)

(2) Boxes Beef Broth (I buy low sodium)

Steak Rub (I bought grill mates in the spice aisle)

(1) Bag egg noodles

(1) Bag Frozen Cut Green Beans (you will need 2 cups)

AND DON'T FORGET TO BUY A BOX OF GALLON FREEZER BAGS!  I have a food saver that worked wonderfully, but if you do not have one of these the glad freezer bags are awesome.  Make SURE you get a FREEZER bags, they are generally more expensive but thinker to help prevent freezer burn.

Okay... Once you get everything home leave it all out on the counter and admire what you are about to do! J

First I labeled all of my food saver bags with a permanent marker. I wrote on the bag todays date, the meal name and the instructions for the day I will make it. Some of the meals will need beef broth added, water added, sour cream added etc. so I made note on the actual bag what I needed to do so I don't forget! I also notated on my bags if the dish was supposed to be served over rice or egg noodles etc.

Next... I started CHOPPING VEGETABLES! (It's not as bad as it sounds!)

As I chopped I placed the correct amount in each bag. (I started with ALL the onions, and then did peppers, then potatoes, see below for instructions.

I lined up all of my freezer bags across the counter and just dumped the correct amount of veggies for each recipe in the respective bags (see below). I never measure anything so I just guesstimate!

After I had the veggies chopped and distributed I tackled the meat... for this round of freezer cooking I only had to cook the ground beef for the vegetable soup... the chicken & beef stew meat stay raw.

For the ground beef take (1) chopped onion and (2) chopped garlic cloves and brown them together. If you are feeling super savvy you can let the beef brown while you are chopping the veggies! This is what I did and it really was not hard. Let cool, instructions below on how to finish.

For the Pot Roast, rub meat on both sides with steak seasoning and black pepper, and then brown the roast very well on both sides. Depending on your pan, you may need to use a little olive oil. When the meat is brown let cool slightly and put into your bag, followed by the onion. Then deglaze the pan with ½ cup water, scraping off all browned bits, add this to bag, ½ in each.

For the chicken, I washed & trimmed it and left (4) of the breasts whole (for the teriyaki chicken) and the other (4) I cut in half just because I felt like it (for the healthy BBG chicken).

After placing the meat in the correct bags I added the spices and remaining ingredients.

Here is how it broke down per bag- each recipe is made for two meals.  Split ALL ingredients into two bags.

Teriyaki Chicken (2 Bags)

•   Split a large (2lb.) bag of Baby Carrots between the 2 bags (I bought the pre sliced carrot chips in 1 lb. increments and added one bag to each meal.  No cutting of carrots.)

•   Cut Red Onion into Large Chunks

•   (2) 20oz can pineapple (un-drained) 1 for each bag

•   (4) Garlic Cloves chopped, 2 each bag

•   (4) Chicken Breasts, 2 each bag

•   1 cup teriyaki sauce, ½ cup each bag

*Add ¼ cup teriyaki sauce to mixture before cooking on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours. Serve over Rice.

Savory Vegetable Beef Soup (2 Bags)

•   Chop (1) Onion and Chop (2) Cloves of Garlic- Brown in Pan with the Ground Beef- once cool divide mixture between bags

•   1 lb. bag of carrot chips, ½ lb. each bag

•   (6) Red Potatoes chopped, 3 per bag

•   (1) Can v8 split, ½ per bag

•   (1) 28oz can diced tomatoes, ½ per bag

•   (2) Cups frozen green beans, 1 per bag

•   (1) Tbsp. Worcestershire, ½ per bag

•   (1) Cup Beef Broth, ½ per bag

•   (2) Tbsp. Parsley per bag, 1 per bag

•   (2) Tsp. Basil per bag, 1 per bag

•   (1) Tsp. Thyme, ½ per bag

•   (1) Tsp. salt, ½ per bag

•   (1) Tsp. pepper, ½ per bag

•   (2) Tbsp. Sugar, 1 per bag

*Place in Crockpot with 1.5 cups of water and 15oz Beef Broth (My food saver bags are big enough to hold this extra liquid. I froze it in the meal and added nothing while cooking.)

Cook on LOW 8 Hours.

Healthy BBQ Chicken (2 Bags) * from mamaandbabylove.com *

•   (2) Green Peppers Cut into Slices, 1 per bag

•   (1) Red Pepper Cut into Slices, ½ per bag

•   (1) Zucchini Chopped, ½ per bag

•   (3) Onions Chopped, 1 ½ per bag

•   (6) Red Potatoes Chopped, 3 per bag (you can also use Sweet Potatoes)

•   (4) Garlic Cloves Chopped, 2 per bag

•   (4) Chicken Breasts, 2 per bag (I cut each breast in half again)

•   (1) Tbsp. Quick Cooking Tapioca, ½ per bag

•   (1) 15oz can of Tomato Sauce, ½ per bag

•   (2) Tbsp. of Brown Sugar, 1 per bag

•   (2) Tbsp. Worcestershire, 1 per bag

•   (2) Tbsp. Mustard, 1 per Bag

•   (½) Tsp. Salt, ¼ per bag

Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours. Serve over Rice or Egg Noodles.

Stephanie's Goulash/Beef Stew (2 Bags) *adapted from mamaandbabylove.com *

•   (1) Green Pepper Chopped, ½ per bag

•   (1) Chopped Onion, ½ per bag

•   (1) Lb. of carrots chips, ½ per bag

•   (4) Chopped Garlic Cloves, 2 per bag

•   (3) Lbs. Beef Stew Meat, 1 ½ lbs. per bag

•   (2) 6oz cans Tomato Paste, 1 per bag

•   (4) Tsp. Paprika, 2 per bag

•   (½) Tsp. Black Pepper, ¼ per bag

*Cook for 4 hours on HIGH or 8 hours on LOW in a slow cooker. Add (1/2) Cup of Sour Cream about 10 minutes prior to serving. Serve over Egg Noodles.

Balsamic and Onion Pot Roast

·      (3-4) Pound boneless chuck roast, 2 lbs. per bag

·      (1-2) Tbsp. steak rub

·      Black pepper to taste

·      (1-2) Tbsp. olive oil (depends on your pan)

·      (¼) Cup water to deglaze pan

·      (4-5) Large onions, peeled and thickly sliced, ½ per bag

·      (2) Cup beef broth, 1 per bag cup

·      (1) Cup balsamic vinegar, ½ per bag

·      (1) Cup tomato sauce, ½ per bag

*Cook on low for 8-10 hours.  This looks like a great French dip recipe, I am going to have it with think rolls, and dip it.

Once ALL INGREDIENTS are in freezer bags push all of the air out of them and seal. Lay bags flat so they freeze flat. Stack in Freezer... once they are frozen you can re-arrange to best suit your freezer space. Take meal out of freezer the night before you want to put it in slow cooker so it thaws a bit.

This makes a total of 10 freezer meals, 5 separate recipes.  A quick disclaimer, I have never tried these meals before and do not know how they taste but they look really good so…?

"I will Never", "The plan is", "When I am a mom, my kids will not do ..."

The title of this blog is fitting to my feelings.  These are sayings that I have said MANY times in my life, and you know what...they are just waiting to be broken.  I swear karma hears you say these words and then works it's very hardest to prove you wrong.  Life has thrown me and my wonderful family some major curve balls.  And I know I am not the only one, but MOTHERHOOD has thrown me even more.

Really what was I thinking as a teenage girl swearing that I would never drive a minivan.  I LOVE MY MINIVAN!!!  

Or why did I think I had any control over my life in terms of "MY PLAN".  Just and FYI, I really don't.  Control is a figment of my imagination.


My "Plan"  Go to school be two years into law school, and at 26 get married.  Start a family at the end of my last year of law school, live happily ever after.  BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.  We all know that is NOT how it went!

NOT LONG ENOUGH!!!!!

What a judgmental teenager (although aren't most teenagers judgmental?) When I would see a mom in a store,  in one of any if not multiple of the following situations:
1.  In her PJ's and her children dressed
2. In her PJ's and her children matching :)
3. Her children screaming and crying, and her mother ears ignoring.
4. The whining and pleading that comes.
5. No makeup, hair not done, RUNNING with diapers in hand.
6. Dressed, but in clothes that have stains on them that you did not notice until you walked into store lighting. (I swear the lighting in any public place is made to illuminate the stains on your clothes. Paying extra attention to, snot wiped on a shoulder, and little hand prints on thighs.)

My Braxton! 

This list could be endless, but as a teenage I would say, "When I am a mom, my kids will not..."  well folks I am here to tell you that is not how it went down, and once again karma has helped me eat my words, by the spoon full!

"Why?" you may ask am I writing about these things?  Well folks in one day, on Sunday, I turn 26.  And my life has not turned out as "planned".

Ultimately it is better.  Not perfect, I did not say perfect.  I said better.

I have yet to learn not to vocalize the plan, I am slowly learning to never say "never" pertaining to certain situations.  But I am HAPPY.  Life is good.

Lullaby

Every night we play music for the boys as they fall asleep.  One of my favorite for the boys is "Lullaby" by Billy Joel.  I love the version we listen to found here.  The words are below.  I can not say for sure what it is that makes me love it so much.  I really just think it is beautiful!




Goodnight my angel, time to close your eyes
And save these questions for another day
I think I know what you've been asking me
I think you know what I've been trying to say
I promised I would never leave you
Then you should always know
Wherever you may go, no matter where you are
I never will be far away

Goodnight my angel, now it's time to sleep
And still so many things I want to say
Remember all the songs you sang for me
When we went sailing on an emerald bay
And like a boat out on the ocean
I'm rocking you to sleep
The water's dark and deep, inside this mothers heart
You'll always be a part of me

Goodnight my angel, now it's time to dream
And dream how wonderful your life will be
Someday your child may cry, and if you sing this lullaby
Then in your heart there will always be a part of me
Someday we'll all be gone
But lullabies go on and on
They never die
That's how you and I will be

Technology

I thought I was pretty savvy in getting connected to technology and understanding it fairly quickly but I seem to be having issues in uploading video from my phone to the internet or computer..  Anyone else have this issue? Maybe I'm just not smart enough to go down the right path to get it uploaded correctly but I am struggling..

Tonight would have been a video of Braxton getting his groove on with end-of-credits-song.  He is awesome!

I'll try to figure it out. Once I get it figured out, it will be loaded onto here or FB.



Chad

Sleep

Sometimes our kids are great and sleep in til 6 am and sometimes they are absolute angels and sleep in til 8! :P  Today we had both. Michael woke up at 6 and wanted everything from breakfast to watch a show.  Braxton however, decided to sleep in and give us a "break" (can't really call it that because other kids are still awake).  Now if they could all talk to each other and decide on which nights they would all sleep in together that would be GREAT.

Katy and I have also had similar issues with sleep. We need to decide when and how long we are going to sleep... I slept ok (Katy can explain otherwise) and Katy apparently stayed up til about 3 am and then got up at 6. poor wife.  We need to communicate when we both want to sleep and when we both think that staying up late would be fun.  I would love to stay up late and talk... I just need warning so i don't expect sleep before hand and get denied later.

So the sickness that has been in our house for what seems like the last month is FINALLY starting to wind down. Michael seems to be the last one to get the runny nose and a hoarse-r voice. Here is hoping that the sickness doesn't decide to go full loop again.. :P

Keep in touch and love you all!

Speaking in Chruch

Tomorrow I have to speak in church (this is Katy)

I am extremely nervous.  Not for the actual speaking part, I have no problems with public speaking.  I am worried about the topic.

I was asked to speak about primary.  Now most of you know that I have been involved with the primary for the last 4+ years.  I LOVE it.  The kids are a blast.  And like my mom says, it is the only place in the church where you can act like a cartoon character and no one will judge.

However;  I was asked to speak because we are having a hard time filling callings.  Lots of people are just not showing up, and we have even more just saying "no" out right when the call is extended.

I am afraid of the anger that I feel, and I am petrified that it will come out in my talk.

I want to explain and try to help people understand how incredibly important primary is, and that there is NO WAY for it to run or function with out the support of the ward.

That it is the BIGGEST organization in our ward, I would even go as far as saying it is the biggest in a lot of wards.

I am afraid I will just get up and preach.  Really need to humble myself and listen to the spirit have it guide me.

tears are now in my eyes.  Please pray for me.

Favorite or Favourite.. i can never decide because I like both.

If any of your kids has lost a favorite ANYTHING it is basically the end of the world and NOTHING will change the fact that whatever it is, is missing!  Tonight as we were getting ready for bed Michael informed us that he could not find his "blankie" and since it's his favorite thing of ALL TIME, he had to have it.  After many fallen tears and upside down smiles with a super sad heart we could not find his blankie.. (which is strange because he didn't go anywhere today). We enlisted everyone's help in looking for this dark blue, 5x5 blanket and we looked everywhere but the one place the blanket actually is; under beds, in closets, in sheets, in beds, shoes, cupboards, under couches, bathrooms, etc. We even all knelt down and prayed that we could find it!  Poor guy was very sad going to bed. I was finally able to convince him that he would have to look for it in the morning so i convinced him that the current blue-blanket-with-polar-bears-blanket that he has would suffice to keep him warm. Poor kiddo.

As for Braxton, I should have clarified last night. Braxton was kissed on the cheek (after a demonstration from Maliah :P). We asked him where he was kissed and she quickly blurted in that "it was like this!" and kissed him on the cheek again!  I can't believe that I forgot to clarify this small detail. forgive me.

Caden is currently BARELY too small to climb onto our somewhat (ok, they are terrifying) soiled and beaten couches and, like stated before, likes to vocalize his existence. So when he tries three or four times that he can't climb up onto them by himself he lets us know. Sometimes it sounds like someone is taking HIS favorite thing away from him.... He is still super cute and knows that he can play mommy and daddy like flutes if he plays just the right face and adds just the right amount of "voice" if needed...  We really shouldn't let him have that kind of control over us... but he's just so STINKIN cute!

  <<<<< PROOF!