Freezer Cooking: Life Happens

My freezer cooking plan has not happened as I would have liked.  Our little guy came down with an ear infection and has only wanted to be held for the past day.  I would much rather comfort him than be in the kitchen so I'm going to spread my cooking out throughout this week instead.

Tonight, we are having pizza for dinner. My crust recipe usually makes enough for two pizzas so I will freeze the rest.


I chopped and froze half a bag of onions in about 5 minutes thanks to my handy Quick Chef. 

Ground beef is thawing and I will cook it while the pizza is baking.


Later this week I will be making a lasagna for dinner and freezing half.  I usually make this in two loaf pans as one is the perfect size for our family.


I'm also hoping to make pancakes one morning this week and banana bread at some point in the week.

The chicken I planned will have to wait until another time.  I would have loved to have accomplished this and more all at once but my family comes first.  I figure anything I get done is better than nothing though.  Last month I really enjoyed having some of the prep work done so I know the little bit I accomplish this week will be helpful.

As a reminder, don't forget to enter my Hiland Dairy yogurt giveaway. Contest ends this Friday. 

Sugar Scrub Gift

 That would be my son's hand as he felt the need to put his hand in every picture.

Need a quick and easy gift that doesn't look like you waited until the last minute?  We made these adorable sugar scrubs at MOPS last week.  You can adjust the amounts to fit any jar but aren't the baby food jars cute?


Basic Sugar Scrub

1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp oil (we used vegetable but use what you have on hand)
2-3 drops essential oil


Mix all and fit in a stage 2 (4 oz) jar - you may need to pack it a little .  To use, rub a little bit on your hands or feet and rinse with cool water.  Do not use hot water as the heat will melt the sugar before it has a chance to work.  Follow up with lotion and you will have very soft skin.

To decorate the lid we cut out a 2" circle from decorative scrapbook paper.  Apply with any adhesive.  Add a flower (or 2) using pop dots or glue dots.  Top with a button or jewel.  We made some with buttons and some with jewels that were leftover from another craft and all of them looked adorable.This is an easy way to use up materials around your house for a cute, quick, and easy gift.

Pancake Mix

Try as I might, Food Friday just didn't happen this week. This is the recipe I was planning to post though and I figured it was better late than never. This is an easy pancake mix to make ahead and have on hand. It makes several batches of pancakes. I sometimes will make a few batches at a time and freeze them so that I have a quick breakfast on hand. We made this as a MOPS craft this week and it seemed to go over well. Sorry MOPS moms who were looking for a new and exciting recipe this week but I thought the rest of the blog world would enjoy this recipe too.

Pancake Mix

5 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup cornmeal 1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt

Measure the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of a large food processor. Process for 15 to 30 seconds or until thoroughly mixed. (Alternatively, stir the ingredients together in a bowl.) Spoon the mix into a 2-quart jar.

Stir in 1 1/2 cups of pancake mix, 2 eggs, and 1 1/4 cups of milk in a mixing bowl until smooth. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook the pancakes for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

Food Friday: Creamed Corn

With Easter being this weekend and many people cooking a large meal, I thought I would post a simple, yet delicious side dish. This comes from a friend in MOPS and I first discovered the dish when we made a recipe book last year in MOPS. Most moms with preschoolers tend to go for quick and easy yet tasty recipes and this fits the bill nicely.

HOMEMADE CREAM CORN

4 cups frozen sweet corn

4 oz. cream cheese (1/2 of a block)

2 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp butter

Dash salt

Cover corn in a sauce pan with water. Boil for 8-10 minutes. Drain water. Add ingredients. Consistency should be creamy and corn all covered.

Ask the Readers: Make Ahead Recipes

As many of you know, I am the Creative Activities Leader for our MOPS group. Last year, we did two food activities and they were hugely popular. We've decided to add one in last minute this year and I'm planning for next year also, so I need some ideas on what to do. Our budget is $2-3 per person and there are approximately 45 people. Last year we did apple crisp (they could freeze it if not using it that day) and soup in a jar. I'm looking for just about any kind of recipe that can be made cheap and fairly easy. Things we can layer in a jar or a cellophane bag would be perfect for this year. For next year, I'm open to anything.

Feel free to leave a comment or a blog link to any tried and true recipes you have. Thanks!

MOPS

MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) has become near and dear to my heart. MOPS is a group of moms who get together once or twice a month, usually at a church, for mom time. Anyone with a child birth through kindergarten can join. Most groups have food, fellowship, crafts, speakers, etc. Childcare is also provided at most places so you get to enjoy everything without keeping an eye on a child. Our meetings are a little bit different each time but they always start with breakfast. I look forward to that little bit of time each month where I can eat without someone else helping themselves to my plate and having time to grow as a person, not just a mom, through speakers and activities. Although this group isn't exactly a way to live on less, it helps me to be a better mom and that is better than saving money. A person once told me that babysitting is much cheaper than therapy and I wholeheartedly agree. The few dollars I spend on each meeting is even cheaper than babysitting and I get to do something more exciting than running errands or cleaning the house while my child is being taken care.



This year's theme is Adventures in Mothering. I love this theme because anyone who is a mother knows that it is a new adventure every day. If you are interested in finding a MOPS group in your area, click here.