Yes, I know! I know! I'm like a bloggin' fool lately! It's great - I love it...love connecting with you all (all seven of you ;) LOL! and hearing your comments and shares. It's so fun!
So, first I gotta tell you to check out the new blogs over at Scrapbooks etc. because there is lots of interesting stuff over there...some blog candy here...and a challenge here. I'm going to link up the blogs in my sidebar so you can find them all easier. There is so much great content at that site...wow! It's mind boggling!
So lots of you wanted to know more about my little cooking in bulk day. I can't tell you how awesome it is to have those meals ready to go because if you know anything at all about me...you know that I'm the worst procrastinator in the world! So lots of time I don't even think about what's for dinner till 5 pm. And that's not enough time to pull off a very creative meal, you know? So I mentioned I got this idea from the blog- Money Saving Mom...she's a great inspiration to me. I started clipping coupons in April of last year, because well, I love to save money and I needed a new hobby...seriously! You know how much I LOVE my Fiskars scissors right! Cutting is therapy! LOL!! My family totally makes fun of me and totally laugh at me ...and I proudly save anywhere from 30-70% on my grocery bill. Yes. It's so true. :)
So welcome to my modest little kitchen...
Love my little vinyl wall rub on from Uppercase Living :)
The day started out with a couple of cups of my special Starbucks brew (bought on clearance for $4, told you I'm a money saving fool!!!) LOL! This is my birthday present from last year...LOVE this thing...it's like a french press...best coffee you ever had.
So first of all, I decided what I was going to make in bulk...what would freeze well, what my family likes and I decided on-- Chicken Pot pie, Broccoli/Chicken casserole and chicken and dressing casserole. I gathered my ingredients:
I've got four pkg. of broccoli, 2 pkg mixed veggies, a couple packages cheddar cheese, 2 boxes Stove Top, a couple pounds of potatoes, a couple of onions, a bit of celery, a pkg of brown rice, some chicken broth, cream soups (celery, mushroom and chicken) pie crusts (made those a while back and froze them)...of course I used other stuff -- milk, butter, salt pepper, eggs, etc. All totaled...these ingredients cost me around $40. That included the .70 a piece I paid for the tin pans. I had some great coupons for the veggies and got great deals on all of the rest of the items. That comes out to $5 per meal for a family of five.
I cooked four packages of chicken for these recipes...two packages of 3 breasts and two packages of tenderloins. And you're knowing I got that chicken at a major deal, right? $15 for all the fresh chicken (yes, that was included in my $40 figure above).
It's always important to have an assistant in the kitchen...to keep you on your toes and taste test the goods.
I've got six cups of rice going in here...for the broccoli casserole. Brown rice. If you don't have a rice cooker...you need one. This one was super cheapo at Walgreens but it works great!
I cooked my chicken (I simmered it with some celery and onions for some added flavor) and of course salted it. Then I just threw my potatoes in the chicken broth to cook and to add some flavor...these are going in the pot pie of course.
I'm trying to remember where I got this recipe...I think it was my BHG NEW Cookbook, but I've been making it so long that I don't actually follow the recipe...exactly. It's from scratch...no cream soups on this one. It starts by sauteeing onions in butter, making a roux with flour, adding milk and broth to thicken. If I find the recipe I'll add it later. I use frozen veggies...love those Valley Fresh Steamers - Green Giant. Look at that creamy goodness. mmmmmmmm.
Three savory chicken pot pies ready to freeze! I also make my own crust and for the purpose of freezing these I'm
adding the crust when I cook the pot pie...just on top.
Martha's Pate Brise recipe
is the bomb.
Next, I threw together two chicken and dressing casseroles. Again, I'll have to dig up this recipe...its really easy and uses Stove Top stuffing. But it's really great!
Okay...dug up that recipe-- for one casserole, here's what you need:
1 box Stove Top Cornbread dressing
1 can cream of celery
1 can cream of chicken
3 eggs
1//2 med. onion
8 oz. cheddar cheese
2-3 cups cooked chicken or a whole cooked chicken
2 1/2 c. chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
(Boil chicken, debone. In a large bowl, beat eggs and then add all other ingredients in order given. Place in a 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350 till hot and bubbly.)
I use 2 eggs and you can of course sub out the whole chicken for breasts for a quicker fix.
My assistant is helping with the dishes (playing with bubbles)...what a great helper.
Next it was broccoli casserole...there is definitely no recipe here...it goes something like this:
2 c. uncooked rice (cooked of course, it will be more)
cream of chicken
cream of mushroom
a little broth
chicken (2 c. per casserole)
frozen broccoli (2 pk if you like lots of veggies- steam/cook beforehand)
seasoning...salt and pepper
top with 8 oz. cheddar cheese (everything is better with cheese, right?)
Mix it all up and you get some yummy comfort food!
And at the end of the day...this is what I have to show for my efforts! A couple of the casseroles were taken out for some folks who need them worse than we do.
Man...it feels good. We had one of the broccoli casseroles this evening and it was delish! My kiddos love that one. I'm planning a supper swap soon...that's where you get together with some friends and all bring the ingredients for a casserole/freezable meal and then swap so you bring the ingredients to make six broccoli casseroles and take home ONE broccoli casserole and 4 others (what the other girls bring). COOL HUH?!
Next week I think I'll have a baking day...homemade rolls, some muffins...mmmmm!
Have a blessed weekend!
jw
