Freezing Meals: Part 2

I give you installment two of my meal freezing adventures (read more on Part 1 here)! Chris and I should now be well-prepared for the upcoming days of not having the time to prepare our favorites, as our little one will be occupying much of our precious spare moments! I'm excited and motivated to continue doing this in the future, since it really takes no more time to double up a batch of a good, freezable soup or hearty meal and freeze it for later!

Our final efforts left us with four soups and a lasagna my mother-in-law made me (which separated into 4 meals for 2). My mom and I quadrupled each recipe, leaving us each several meals worth of soups! And not only was it a productive Sunday afternoon, but we had fun in the process! I will definitely be doing this again!

Here's a glimpse at the fruits of our labor:

Turkey Chili 

This is the simplest chili recipe of all time! It is always my fall back if I am not trying out some new, fancy version. Of course, feel free to change it up to your liking-I happen to like mine with a bit more corn and sometimes I like to mix kidney and black beans:)

1 lb. ground turkey, browned

1 can no-salt added corn, drained

2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 large container salsa

2 packets chili seasoning

 

Mix all ingredients in a large stock pot. Cook over medium heat for about 1-2 hours. Though the longer you cook, the better the flavors will meld together.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Because the noodles don't freeze very well, we opted to leave them out. As it is easy enough to add them when reheating the soup. Of course, omitting them gives you the freedom to switch it up with wild rice as my husband prefers.

1 (3 to 4-pound) whole chicken, cooked and shredded
1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped

2 celery stalks, roughly chopped

2 Tbsp, olive oil

2 cubes chicken bullion

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 lb. egg noodles (or wild rice)

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a dutch oven. Add onions and cook until soft (3-4 minutes). Add celery and carrots and cook until softened (another 3-4 minutes). Add chicken stock, bullion and shredded chicken, cooking until heated through. If adding noodles, pour into soup about 5 minutes before serving. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Potato Leek Soup

 A new favorite of ours and a perfect accompaniment to grilled paninis on a chilly day! Plus, this soup is a cinch to make.

Carrot Ginger Soup

This is my all-time favorite soup and so worth the prep time! It embodies the wonderful flavors of Fall and  comforts the soul with just a few sips.

And there you have it, my first adventure in meal freezing (on a large scale, anyway)!

Freezing Meals: Part 1

For the last several weeks I've been composing a list of meals I want to make and freeze ahead of time for when baby arrives. As I know that time and energy will be scarce and preparing hearty meals will likely be the farthest thing on our minds, especially with the pretty little bundle we'll want to be snuggling! Naturally, I solicited my mom's help with ideas and execution, since she is always my partner in crime with endeavors such as this:)

We decided to split our meal preparing/freezing into two days. One being breakfasts and one being soups/dinners (for times sake, honestly). So I'm here to share phase one of this adventure: Steel Cut Oats and Whole Grain Pancakes! These were ridiculously simple tasks and something I will definitely do again and again!

First: Steel Cut Oats. I LOVE this variety of oatmeal, the only problem is how long it takes to prepare compared to traditional oatmeal (about 30 minutes). But we discovered that making a big batch ahead of time and freezing it into individual portions is just the ticket to having these hearty oats anytime the mood strikes!

Step 1: Prepare a large batch of steel-cut oats. (I tripled this recipe and it takes the same time)

3 cups water
1 cup steel-cut oats
pinch of salt

Bring the water to a boil and stir in the oats and salt. Let the water and oats come back to a boil then reduce to medium-low heat.

Let the oats simmer with the lid slightly ajar, stirring frequently until cooked through - 20 minutes for chewy oats or 30 minutes for softer oats.

Step 2: Once your oats are done, scoop portions (about 1/2 cup) into muffin tins, press to flatten and let cool completely. Once cooled, place muffin tins in freezer until the oats are solid (about 1 hour).

Step 3: The oat cups should pop right out of the tins (if you have trouble, simply tip on its side and run water down the back). Place individual cups in freezer bags, over wax paper.

Step 4: When ready to enjoy, take out one or two, place in a microwave-safe bowl and cook for approx. 2 minutes. And finally, add any mix-ins you like: dried fruit, agave nectar, milk, etc. Viola, perfectly cooked steel-cut oats that taste as delicious as if it was freshly prepared!

Second: Whole Grain Pancakes. While these need far less explanation, I'll give some quick tips!

First of all, this can be done any time you are making pancakes (and even waffles) on a Saturday morning by simply doubling (or tripling) your batter and freezing the extras! Once pancakes are cooked and completely cooled, stack them in layers, with a sheet of wax paper between each layer and place in large freezer bags.

When you're feeling like a pancake or two for breakfast, a snack, whenever, pop them on the toaster on a defrost setting or microwave for about 45 seconds. My favorite way to enjoy is with a light smother of almond butter and a few slices of banana-Yum!!

And there you have it, phase 1 of meal freezing. Stay tuned for a much more extended phase 2: Soups!

On Preperation

When it comes to sticking with healthy eating and snacking, a little preperation goes a LONG way! It takes about 30 minutes on a Sunday afternoon to wash and prep fruits and veggies, hard boil some eggs and grill up a few chicken breasts so healthy snacks and meals are right at your fingertips all week.

And a little tip I have learned: if a beautiful array of produce is the first thing staring you in the face when you open your refrigerator, chances are, you are less likely to reach for the Girl Scout cookies and consume mindless calories!

Just remember: "Failing to prepare is preparing to fail."

In good health,

Kate

Road Trippin' It!

Just wanted to share a little with you as details of our Seattle trip unfold...

Last weekend, while looking at plane tickets to Seattle and kind of toggling back and forth about how ridiculously overpriced they are, we revisited the possiblity of making a road trip out of it. Being as I have never been to Portland, we thought it might be cool to make the drive to Seattle and stop in Portland on the way. When it was originally discussed, we didn't have a reliable car so that idea was quickly tossed aside. But now that we have the much more road trip friendly Jetta, our vaca has officially become a road trip!! We are so excited!

So now, not only do I get to plan a trip to Seattle, but also a day in Portland! I'm looking for some advice from those of you who have spent some time there. Where should we eat? Play? What do we have to see and do??

I'm sure I can find a million and one tips online, but it means so much more coming from people I trust! I would be absolutely delighted with anything you have to share!

image/via

Planners Never Sleep

My oh my, this has been a busy week. But not to worry, I'm still sane-especially considering what I have on my mind lately. You know I'm a planner, right? And planners never sleep...well, figuratively, that is! So naturally, I've already got a head start on planning our anniversary trip/summer vacation of 2011!

Can we just take a second to indulge in the beauty of this lovely city...

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I've already got my sights set on the delightful food at Delancey, Top Pots doughnuts, visiting the original Starbucks, a romantic few days in the San Juan Islands, visiting my dear friend Lael in her hometown of Bellingham and so much more!! Cannot wait!

Planning it Out

Woot! As we got home last night our Farm Fresh to You box was graciously sitting at our doorstep, bursting with delicious produce! I think I got a little too excited about the green beans (one of my favorite veggies) and was pleasantly suprised to find Kale among our goods (another fave of mine!). Which also gives me a chance to try out kale chips this week. Ever since my friend Blythe raved about how delish they were, I can't seem to get it off my mind! And of course, my husband was pretty stoked about the oranges. Oh, the simple things in life!

Here's everything we got and how I plan on incorporating this delicious fare into our menu next week.

The Goods

2 Valencia oranges
2 Fuji apples
1.5 lbs green beans
1 bunch Kale
1 bunch Spinach
1 bunch celery
1 head baby lettuce
2 large heirloom tomatoes
cilantro

Plan of Action

Sunday: Mom's enchiladas
Monday: Salsa chicken salad with fresh guacamole
Tuesday: Lemon pepper grilled chicken, sauteed green beans, brown rice
Wednesday: Bean and grain soup, big spinach salad
Thursday: Brie, Apple and Arugula quesadillas (we will be substituting for gouda, hubby's fave!)
Friday: Turkey burgers and kale chips

image/myrecipes

Planning it Out

Today we are scheduled to receive our wonderful box of local, organic goodies from Farm Fresh to You! Here is our menu for the week, including a new recipe for turnips, which I've admittedly never cooked with. Exciting!

The Goods

2 Bartlett pears
2 Gold Delicious apples
1 cantaloupe
1 bunch turnips
1 bunch chard
1 lb heirloom tomatoes
1 lb fingerling potatoes
1 bunch green leaf lettuce
2 bell peppers, mixed colors

mixed hot peppers

Plan of Action

Saturday: (lettuce, tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, apples)
Grilled lemon garlic chicken

Tossed salad with heirloom tomatoes

Roasted fingerling potatoes

Apple Cinnamon Buttermilk cake

Sunday: (turnips)
Herb crusted pork tenderloin

Roasted Turnips, Sweet Potato, Apple and Dried Cranberries

Monday: (pears)
B) Autumn Oats
Because Mondays are so long and I don't get home until about 8:45 pm, dinner typically isn't planned and is usually an egg white scramble.

Tuesday: (chard)
White bean and Swiss chard soup

Wednesday: (pears, lettuce, tomatoes and peppers for salsa)
B) Autumn Oats
D) Southwestern chicken salad w/ homemade salsa

Thursday: (bell peppers)
Windy City Pie

Friday:
Date night!

image/wanigan

From Farm to Doorstep

Yesterday I received my very first Farm Fresh to You delivery! I absolutely love the idea of eating local and seasonal foods, so I decided to try this service I've heard so much about. I started out getting only the small box every other week, mainly to make sure we put everything to use (I hate waste!). Thankfully, the website shows you what is scheduled to come in your box the upcoming week, making it incredibly easy to plan a menu around the produce! It will be a fun challenge to see how creative I can get as the seasons change!

Here's what I received this week:

2 Bartlett pears
1 lb black plums
1 lb heirloom tomatoes
1 lb Roma tomatoes*
1 large cucumber
1 head green leaf lettuce
1 bunch Italian basil
2 bell peppers

*Farm Fresh to You allows you to exclude certain items from your box. I chose to omit beets, broccoli and cauliflower (bleh!). So this week, instead of the scheduled broccoli, I recieived 1 lb of Roma tomatoes!

Creating next weeks menu was especially fun! Here's how I plan to use my goods:

Sunday: Grilled pizza with heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil and mozzarella and gingered pears over vanilla bean gelato for dessert (heirloom tomatoes, basil, pears)

Tuesday: Pistachio raspberry crusted chicken, salad w/ pine nuts and shaved Parmesan (green leaf lettuce)

Wednesday: Fajitas (bell peppers)

Thursday: Cold sesame noodles with chicken and cucumbers (cucumber)

We will enjoy the plums for snacking and I would love to make a homemade pasta sauce with the Roma tomatoes and extra basil for next week!

Refreshing Weekend!

Happy Friday dear readers! Don't hate me for saying I feel really refreshed today. In fact, for the first time in several weeks, I felt totally relaxed and "together" all week! The credit must be given to a little plan of action Chris and I took to be more organized.

Lately it seems like I barely scrape by to get through the week and save all the cleaning, organizing and house chores for the weekend. But who wants to spend their weekends doing that? I certainly don't! So we came up with a manageable way to tackle a little bit each day and it has worked brilliantly!

This weekend, instead of stressing about getting it all finished, I can actually relax with my husband, finish painting and recovering my green chairs via this inspiration , enjoy a lovely date night at The Melting Pot and take a trip to Crate and Barrel to purchase some of the Normandy bakers from yesterday's post! And given my deep desire to bake lately, it might also be neccessary to use the overripe bananas sitting on my counter to whip up some of our favorite banana bread!

Wishing you a wonderful and relaxing weekend!

Always Planning

Last night Chris went to a Kings game, which means I had an evening to myself. So what did I do with my time you ask? I dreamed about our anniversary trip! Too early you say? Never! I LOVE planning trips, much to my husband's dismay because that's all he will hear about for days (though, he's secretly excited too!)!

While we're not completely positive about where we will go this year, I think we have unofficially landed on a place (pictured below). So I spent some time dreaming up all the fun things we could do!

I just love having trips to look forward to!

Bright Eyed Baristas and Holidays

My eyes are having some trouble cooperating this morning with the whole, it's time to be awake and alert thing! I have only myself to blame though. I just had to stay up and watch "Here Come the Newlyweds", and I'm paying for it now. Imagine the state I would be in without the help of my favorite Starbucks that's conveniently located in the middle of my morning commute! Thank you bright eyed baristas for giving me exactly what I needed in the form of a tall soy, no water chai:):):)

As I was sluggishly getting myself together this morning, it occured to me that this is a four day week for me! Whoo hoo!!! That's right, I get Friday off because of the 4th:) That oughta be enought to get me through this Tuesday!

It never fails that when I get a day off I unconsciously plan it with things I'd like to accomplish; a long workout, organizing, cleaning, getting caught up on reading I've wanted to do, a mani and pedi,(I even plan time to relax!)and before I know it my day off needs to be a week long to get it all in! I'm telling you, I should have been a teacher just for the summer vacation! I guess I will have to settle for a day, which I will say is much needed and appreciated:)

Have a happy Tuesday!

Girl With a Plan

As I was flipping through my Oxygen magazine a few days ago I read this, "Failing to prepare is preparing to fail".

What a simple truth! I think it can be applied in so many areas of life. Whether it be an fitness routine, a budget, losing weight, staying organized etc. It's funny because I've been thinking a lot lately about being prepared and staying on top of things, especially when life get really busy. Without a plan I find that I get a bit lax and before I know it, my house is a mess, I'm lost at the gym and we end up having omelettes for dinner:/ Preparation is so simple if we would just take a few minutes away from the busyness and write down how we're going to accomplish everything. As a self-proclaimed "list girl" I love finding new ways to be organized. Here are some of my favorite finds.

For Food ~ I usually buy these adorable pads at Anthropologie, but I have seen them at other stores as well. The yellow pad is for your weekly menu and the red pad is for your grocery list (so you don't uneccerarily linger over the cookie isle!). I love these things!



For Budget ~ Chris and I use Mint.com for our monthly budget. There are many websites out there that do very similar things, but we happen to like the user-friendliness of Mint.



For Organization ~ It's true, I am not a child of technology and I would rather tote my cute planner around then make notes and appointments in an iphone:) The point is, writing things down is such a better way to keep track of a busy schedule than trying to remember every dentist appt, birthday party and game night you have planned! Did I mention how cute planners can be? This one is by Franklin Covey.



Now it's your turn. Got any great ideas for staying organized?