Would anyone like to guess what that picture is of?

If you guessed my freezer, you are correct.

That’s my freezer door. Most of the 90 burritos (30 each of: breakfast, bean and cheese, chicken and rice) are on that door. Needless to say it’s much heavier than usual. It makes the freezer close with a satisfying thwap.

It took my friend and I thirty minutes to pack everything in there… and that’s after my husband and my friend’s dad killed their hands and arms carrying a very full cooler from their car parked down the block.

What does this have to do with love you may ask?

Well Bean came 12 days early… on the day that I had planned to do a lot of my freezer cooking. So I’m in the hospital recovering from major surgery and trying to figure out how I’m going to feed my family. I decided to trust the Lord.

He answered my cry for help. Three ladies from church, along with their daughters, cooked up the food we had bought. They each added a few pans of their own casseroles and showered us with food that we can just heat and eat.

I almost cried when I heard what they were going to do and then I almost cried again when I look at my filled freezer…

Here, have another look.

Isn’t it pretty?!

I am loved.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Pre-Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cream together:
1 C. Shortening
2 Eggs
3 C. Sugar

Add:
2 C. Pumpkin (15 ounce can) and mix well.

Stir in:
2 t. Baking Soda
2 t. Vanilla
1 t. Salt
2 t. Baking Powder
2 t. Nutmeg
2 t. Cinnamon

Gradually stir in:
5 C. Flour

You may need to add an additional cup of flour or so, dough should be “kind of stiff, not really stiff, but medium stiff. Not so sticky that it won’t push off a spoon onto the cookie sheet without sticking all over your finger”. See why I find baking difficult? This apparently, is not an exact science.

Stir in a bag of:
Chocolate Chips — Best if they are milk chocolate, unless you actually LIKE semi-sweet

Do not grease cookie sheet, drop a tablespoon or so of dough and drop them about an inch apart, they don’t spread out flat.

Bake at 375 for about 12 to 15 minutes.

They are soft and chewy and to die for!

1. Pork Chops and Potatoes — buy a platter of pork chops at Costco and freeze into meal size portions (there is probably enough for four meals on each platter). On the day we prepare it, we’ll add the fresh potatoes (have Hubby pick up on the way home) and cream of chicken soup.

2. Lasagna — I think I will make the doubled-portion twice so we can eat one that night and have three in the freezer. Day of prep involves putting the thawed meal in the oven and serving with a veggie and garlic bread.

LASAGNA (from E., the owner of RGT)

1 (32 oz or 48 oz.) jar Prego spaghetti sauce
1 small pkg. Lasagna (8oz.)
1 lb. lean ground beef (round or chuck)
3 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 (12 oz.) carton cottage cheese
1/2 c. parmesan cheese

In large pot, brown beef, drain off fat and return beef to pot. Stir in sauce and simmer 15 minutes. Meanwhile cook pasta according to pkg directions. Pour off hot water then cover cooked pasta with cold water to stop cooking, make handling easier, and keep pasta from sticking. Spread 1 c. sauce in bottom of 13×9×2 pan. Alternate layers of pasta, sauce, cottage cheese, mozzarella, and parmesan in that order – repeat 3 times. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes until lightly browned and bubbling. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting. (Note: when I make two, I use one 48 oz. jar of Prego and one 32 oz. jar of Prego, and double everything else. That makes the sauce just right. I always make two and freeze one – before baking – if I don’t think I’ll need it.)

3. Homemade Pizza — make the dough and freeze. Day of prep involves rolling the dough out in the afternoon, allowing it to rise, then topping with sauce, cheese and other yummy things. I think I will make enough dough for four crusts.

4. Tater Tot Casserole — I think I’ll make two pans, freezing them before baking. Day of preparation will involve placing the thawed casserole in the oven. I am using the recipe that one of the ladies at T2 shared:

1 pound of Hamburger
1 small onion chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 package (16 oz) frozen tater tot potatoes or 4 to 5 potatoes sliced
1 can (10.75 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
2/3 cup milk or water
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a skillet, cook beef and onion until beef is browned and onion is tender; drain. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer into to a greased 1 1/2 to 2 quart baking dish. Top with potatoes. (If you are using fresh potatoes I have found it is best to pre- cook them and add them cooked to the casserole. Otherwise it takes over 1 hour for the potatoes to soften up.) Combine soup and milk or water; pour over potatoes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

5. Taco mix… I think I will do a chicken taco mix and beef taco mix. It’s easy to do! Cook meat, season and allow to cool, then mix together with some green onions, cheese and olives. I freeze 1-2 cups in each bag (makes enough for 2-3 two person meals) and we use this for enchilada casserole, quesadillas and tacos. Day of prep involves thawing the mix and the tortillas and assembling the meal of choice.

6. (Chicken or Turkey) Noodle soup — I will put the mix in ziplock bags and then freeze the chicken/turkey. Day of prep instructions are in the link. I think I will prepare enough for 3-4 rounds of this.

7. Tortellini soup — from a church recipe book. I’ll probably make a regular batch which will make enough for 3-4 bags (each enough for 2-3 two person meals)

8. Breakfast burritos… I am too lazy to type this out, so I am going to copy the recipe that a lady at CMOMB shared. The only difference between hers and mine is I have never put the salsa in during the prep stage and I prefer to use ham instead of bacon:

Ingredients:
Large, Burrito-size, Flour Tortillas
1 or 2 dozen eggs
1 big bag shredded cheddar cheese
2 bags frozen hash browns
1 thing of bacon
salsa
wax paper
freezer gallon size bags

First I cook my bacon in the oven on a cookie sheet at 425 degrees. I bake until crispy…about 20 minutes and then set out to dry on paper towels.

Next I cook the hash browns in the oven at 425. About 10 minutes, mix up, then another 15-20 minutes. Sometimes longer. Each bag separately. I like these crispy also so sometimes I just have to keep them in there longer.

As the hashbrowns are done I put them in a huge bowl. After the bacon is dry I break it all up and add that to the hashbrowns.

Then I scramble 1-2 dozen eggs. Add that to the hashbrowns and bacon and mix all up.

I let this come to room temperature…doesn’t take long. I do this because the burritos are easier to make if I add the cheese right to the mixture instead of putting it in the tortillas separately.

So next I pour in a bunch of salsa….hot enough for my husband. I buy the big Pace Picante sauce bottles and then I put it through the blender to get rid of the pepper and onion chunks. So, I pour that in and stir it up.

Then I dump in a huge amount of cheese. Okay, maybe 2 or 3 big handfuls… Maybe more. It’s just by sight and by however much you want in there.

Then I tear off about 30 sheets of wax paper. Get my torillas out and fanned so they’re all split apart.

Then I use a big serving spoon…kind of 1/2 the size of a soup ladle. I’ve found the right size for “us.” So I scoop out the mixture, put it in the torilla, wrap up like a burrito, wrap the wax paper around it.

Keep doing it over and over. My mixture gives me between 35 and 40 burritos…just depends on my scooping. I do this every 30-45 days…when we’re running low. My husband eats them most every morning. Usually grabs a freezer bag full of them and puts them in his fridge at work.

I fill up a freezer bag and label them. Pull out one at a time and microwave. For us it’s about 50 seconds one side, flip and 40 seconds on the other. But it really depends on YOUR microwave and how hot you like it.

I like to open mine up and put some sour cream in there before eating.

9. Chocolate chip cookies — I use the recipe off the back of the nestle chocolate chip bag and freeze them, raw, in cookie size balls. These are great so DH can help himself to some fresh, homemade cookies whenever he likes.

10. Prepare some grill ready meats… hamburgers (ground beef doctored up with worchestershire sauce, salt, onion powdered and pepper, then patted out into hamburgers before freezing), steak (I’ll probably get one of those flats from Costco, which has enough for 3-4 two person meals), chicken (marinaded in something good), and Bratwurst.

11. spaghetti — hopefully I have time to do homemade, but otherwise I can doctor up preggo. day of prep is boiling noodles and warming sauce. serve with veggie and garlic bread.

How to re-use the casserole dishes: Line the pan with tin foil and freeze the casserole until firm. Then, remove the foil and wrap tightly. You can reuse the pan and limit the amount of clean up after cooking.

Chicken with rice casserole is great for after birth meals. Chop chicken into large chunks. Mix with rice, mushroom or chicken soup, dry onion soup mix, mushroom slices, and water equal to the amount of rice. Pour into pan and bake at 350 for an hour or so.

Sticky chicken freezes well. Clean chicken, pat dry, rub with sticky rub and freeze in a heavy duty bag. Thaw one day before roasting, then roast at 250 degrees for five hours.

A gallon bag is usually enough to make a 13×9 pan

Mimi’s Sticky Chicken
©Mimi Hiller, 1985-2001

This is the best and easiest roast chicken you’ve ever tasted. It seems a little strange, but it’s the only one my family will eat, and company loves it, too!

2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 whole roasting chicken, about 3 pounds
1 cup chopped onions
Combine all spices (first 8 ingredients) in small bowl.
Rinse chicken, inside and out. Drain well.

Rub spice mixture over skin and the inside of chicken.

Place in a resealable plastic bag, seal and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to roast, stuff cavity with onions.

Place chicken breast side down in roasting pan.

Roast uncovered at 250ºF (that’s not a typo…it’s really 250º! Anything over 225º is safe as long as the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 155º, which this does, and more) for about 5 hours. Baste occasionally with pan juices or until pan juices start to caramelize on bottom of pan and chicken is golden brown.

Serves 4.

So…

You know what’s coming next right?

Yeah for Google! Well lots actually, and among them I found a recipe for pumpkin waffles that was with ingredients I had on hand! I made a few adaptions based upon reading comments and seeing what other recipes had done and this is what I came up with. (What follows is what I actually did; the variations on the original recipe are already spelled out.)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon nutmeg
1-1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cloves
1 pinch salt
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 2/3 cups milk
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
2 handfuls finely chopped walnuts

Directions
1. Start waffle irons heating
2. Beat egg white until stiff and set aside. (I used my kitchen aid to do this while I was getting everything else ready)
3. Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt in large bowl.
4. In another bowl, add egg yolks, sugar, pumpkin, milk, and butter; beat well.
5. Mix wet and dry ingredients. (Same rules about not having to wash your kitchen aid apply as to my other waffle recipe)
6. Gently fold in egg whites
7. Cook according to your waffle iron directions. (It took about 5-7 minutes per batch, a couple minutes longer than the recipe says, which was plenty of time to whip some heavy whipping cream for a DELICIOUS topping. The waffles are not extremely sweet so you may want to put a little extra sugar in the whipped cream.

They were a big hit with Hubby and the Munchkin… and Mommy too of course.

]]> http://beccastoggs.com/index.php/2008/11/21/pumpkin-waffles/feed/ 0 http://beccastoggs.com/index.php/2008/11/20/you-cant-get-a-tablespoon-of-chili-powder-out-of-an-empty-bottle/ http://beccastoggs.com/index.php/2008/11/20/you-cant-get-a-tablespoon-of-chili-powder-out-of-an-empty-bottle/#comments Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:11:49 +0000 adrienne http://beccastoggs.com/?p=159 I did something dumb when I made chili last week. I used the last of the chili powder and then promptly put it back in the drawer and didn’t mark it on the shopping list. **rolls eyes** So much for being the Queen of Spice.

So this morning I went to put BBQ beef sandwiches in the crockpot. Would you like to guess what ingredient number four is? You got it. Chili powder.

Problem #1: Munchkin is napping… the whole point of assembling it right now

Problem #2: I am not dressed yet and Hubby has already left for work.

Problem #3: Even if I did wait until #1 and #2 were resolved, how am I supposed to get around the “no enclosed spaces while on ACTH” rule?

Hmmm… I wonder if google can give me a chili powder recipe that only contains spices I have in my spice drawer. (Side note: I moved my spices off a cupboard shelf using a nifty little doo-dad I found at my favorite store in the world. I will never, ever go back to a shelf again. It’s so easy to find stuff, except for when you put empty bottles away instead of tossing them…)

Bingo. Not only was I feeling lucky, but I was lucky! The first hit for “homemade chili powder” was this recipe:

Mild Chili Powder

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. red or cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Mix well. Place in an airtight container. This makes 2/3 cup.

Not wanting to use all the rest of my individual spices I did a third of the recipe which made enough for BBQ sandwiches today with about 1-1/2 Tbsp left over in case I need more before I can get to the store again.

And dinner is safely in the crockpot before 10am! WOOHOO!

]]> http://beccastoggs.com/index.php/2008/11/20/you-cant-get-a-tablespoon-of-chili-powder-out-of-an-empty-bottle/feed/ 3 http://beccastoggs.com/index.php/2008/10/25/pumpkin-pie-oatmeal-ala-cynthia/ http://beccastoggs.com/index.php/2008/10/25/pumpkin-pie-oatmeal-ala-cynthia/#comments Sat, 25 Oct 2008 13:12:12 +0000 adrienne http://beccastoggs.com/?p=136 Cynthia posted a recipe in the comments on the previous post and I wanted to make sure you all saw it! It looks absolutely yummy!

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal (Serves about 4)

Bring to a boil:
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (100% pure, not pie filling)
1 or 2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice (or cinnamon)

When it comes to a gentle boil, stir in:
2 cups old fashioned oats

Cook about 5 minutes, til creamy.

Remove from heat, add
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar

(Optional) Top with chopped nuts and/or raisin, etc.

The kids and I loved it! I walked away from breakfast with a pumpkin pie taste in my mouth… (Ha ha) Yum!!

By the way: The recipe doesn’t call for a whole can of pumpkin, so to use up the rest, make Pumpkin French Toast. Make it just like regular french toast, except add pumpkin to the egg. The ratio is 2 Tbls. pumpkin to 4 eggs, plus 1/4 tsp. cinnamon.

Let me know what you think!

Thanks so much for sharing Cynthia. I wish I had pumpkin so we could have it for breakfast this morning, but I don’t and I know I don’t because I just organized my pantry yesterday… Anyway, I’ll definitely try it and let you know how we like it!

]]> http://beccastoggs.com/index.php/2008/10/25/pumpkin-pie-oatmeal-ala-cynthia/feed/ 0 http://beccastoggs.com/index.php/2008/10/23/mint-oreo-truffles/ http://beccastoggs.com/index.php/2008/10/23/mint-oreo-truffles/#comments Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:59:03 +0000 adrienne http://beccastoggs.com/?p=133 My friend Jenny posted this recipe on her blog.

1 pkg. Double Stuf Oreos – Cool Mint Flavor – (1 lb., 1 oz pkg.)
• use 22 cookies with cream centers included
• use 10 cookies with cream centers discarded
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, room temperature
1 pkg vanilla bark

Finely crush the cookies in a food processor. Stir in softened cream cheese. Mix well. Roll the mixture into 1″ balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet. Place covered in freezer or refrigerator for a few minutes to help retain shape when dipping in melted chocolate.

Melt chocolate as directed on the package and then dip balls into chocolate, tap off extra and set aside on wax paper covered cookie sheet to dry.

Refrigerate and enjoy!

It looks so yummy to eat, but I’ll bet the best part is having to “discard” those 10 oreo centers. I’ll be happy to do that… right into my mouth! TFS Jenny!

]]> http://beccastoggs.com/index.php/2008/10/23/mint-oreo-truffles/feed/ 0 http://beccastoggs.com/index.php/2008/10/22/crockpot-bbq-beef-sandwiches/ http://beccastoggs.com/index.php/2008/10/22/crockpot-bbq-beef-sandwiches/#comments Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:07:25 +0000 adrienne http://beccastoggs.com/?p=131 I found another great recipe: http://nancysrecipes.wordpress.com/2008/10/06/bbq-beef-sandwiches-crockpot/

BBQ Beef Sandwiches

3 to 4 lb. beef chuck roast
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1 (1 ounce) pkg. onion soup mix
1 tbsp. chili powder
3 tbsps vinegar (I use red wine vinegar)
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsps. prepared mustard
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Kaiser rolls
Cheese slices, your choice (I use monterey jack)

Trim fat from beef and place in crockpot.

Stir together all remaining ingredients together ~ except rolls and cheese ~ and pour over meat in crockpot.

Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, or until fork tender.

Skim off fat. Remove meat from crockpot and shred. Return meat to sauce in crockpot.

Spoon about 1/4 cup of meat on bottom of each roll and top with cheese. Place under broiler to melt cheese if desired.

Makes 6-8 sandwiches.

The only thing is it was not done until closer to 6-7 hours on high. I’m not sure if every crockpot is the same in that regard, but in the future I’ll definitely make it an all day thing if I want to eat supper on time. Otherwise the recipe was a winner here!

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