Hi!  I’m Beth, a SAHM (stay at home mom) who enjoys cooking dinner, but not when my toddler is whining to be held, my preschooler is crying over a boo boo and my 6 year old is telling me a stuffed animal is taking an impromptu merry-go-round ride on his ceiling fan.  To remedy this situation, I load my freezer with dinner meals.   So now I have time to cuddle my toddler, comfort my preschooler and rescue the poor dizzy dinosaur at 4:30 p.m. every weekday in our home.

It all began 2 years ago, when we were given a small upright freezer and I knew I had to fill it if it was going to be plugged in and running.  I had to justify that extra electricity somehow!  I didn’t want it just sitting with a loaf of bread and wadded up newspapers, so I googled freezer meals.    I checked out library books titled, Frozen Assets and Don’t Panic Dinner’s in the Freezer.  I read about these CrAzY people that cook one day for an entire month.  I loved what I read but didn’t know if I was that CrAzY.

At that time, I decided I wasn’t CrAzY so I played it safe.  I picked out one recipe and made it.  I packaged it into portions for our dinner meals and froze it.  My husband & I were pleasantly surprised at the taste – when stored, thawed & reheated properly, the food tastes like it was prepped that afternoon!  That one recipe success encouraged me to try more recipes.  Often I would make a casserole in 2 8×8 pans then bake one that night for dinner and package the other one for the freezer and use as a meal a few weeks later.

At the beginning of 2009, when I was 3 months away from my 3^rd child’s birth, I certified myself completely CrAzY and decided to make my New Year’s resolution to cook once a month for every month of the year.  You know most resolutions don’t get to the beginning of February, but I am proud to say I did it 10 of the 12 months that year.   Besides my time savings each night of the month, I found the savings in our food budget was amazing.  I could make around 34 dinners for approximately $150.  That made each dinner cost around $4.41, not per person, but per MEAL!

Why did I just share all of that with you?   Well, so you could see I am CrAzY freezer-meal-making SAHM but for good reasons.  Cooking meals ahead of time and storing them in the freezer…saves TIME, saves MONEY & saves my SANITY!  Some days saving my sanity is all that matters!

So are you ready to try a recipe?  If you’ve never dabbled in freezer meals before, now is the perfect time to start.  Try just one this next week.  In fact, make it for your dinner (double it if your family is bigger than mine) so you have dinner for that evening plus one to store in the freezer.

Here are a few of our favorite recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner…

BREAKFAST:

French Toast Casserole

This recipe is one of the simplest to prep for the freezer and works for breakfast, brunch or dinner!  This recipe will make 1 9×13 pan or 2 8×8 pans – our family is small so I make 2 8x8s.  If you are a larger family, double the recipe and make 2 9×13 pans.

1 loaf of French or Italian bread

1 stick of unsalted butter, melted

1 c. brown sugar (Sucanat works well, too!)

1 tsp. cinnamon

6 eggs

1 ¼ c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Cube the loaf of bread (1”x1” cubes are a good size).

Stir melted butter, sugar & cinnamon together.  Spread on bottom of pan(s).  Throw bread on top.  Mix together eggs, milk & vanilla.  Pour over bread.  Divide carefully if using 2 pans!  J

Cover with plastic wrap and then a layer of foil.  Label & freeze.  To serve: Thaw 24 hours in fridge.  Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350F or until eggs are set & bread is lightly browned.  The aroma is delicious!!!!

Homemade Granola

This is my favorite granola recipe because you can mix & match various nuts & dry fruits.  It’s so easy for busy mornings – take it right from the freezer and put it in your bowl with milk!  Original recipe from 30 Day Gourmet.  One recipe makes 12 cups of granola.

2 c. whole wheat flour

6 c. rolled oats

1 c. unsweetened coconut

1 c. wheat germ

2 tsp. salt

2 T. sesame seeds

½ c. nuts

½ c. water

1 c. oil

1 c. honey

2 tsp. vanilla

1 c. dried fruit – reserve until after granola is baked & cooled

In a very large bowl, combine the dry ingredients (except the dried fruit).  In a smaller bowl, combine wet ingredients.  Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until well-combined.  Spread mixture evenly on 2 large baking sheets (2 jelly roll pans are perfect!).  Bake at 250F for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes.  Cool, then add dried fruit and store in Ziploc bags in the freezer.

To Serve: Pour granola into bowl – eat dry or add milk!

LUNCH

Black Bean Soup

This recipe is the easiest soup you’ll prep for the freezer!  Goes well with quesadillas – place a few tortillas & bag of cheddar cheese in a Ziploc!

2 16 oz. cans black beans, rinsed & drained

1 ½ c. vegetable broth (can swap with chicken broth)

1 c. chunky medium salsa

1 tsp. ground cumin

Combine ingredients in blender and blend to your desired consistency.  You will have 4 cups of soup.  Pour 2 cups into 2 quart bags or all 4 cups into 1 gallon size Ziploc Freezer bag.  Remove as much air as possible before sealing.  Lay bag(s) flat in freezer to freeze.

To Serve: Thaw overnight in fridge.  Pour soup into saucepan and heat on stovetop.  Top with cheddar cheese, avocado, sour cream or other desired toppings.

Deli-Style Sandwiches

Easy to assemble!  I’ve made this recipe without the sauce for easy lunches or dinners to go, adding fresh lettuce, tomatoes and other condiments just prior to eating!  Great for the summer & spontaneous family picnics at the park!

12 hoagie rolls

2 lbs. deli meat (roast beef or turkey)

1 lb. cheese (provolone or muenster works well)

Sauce:

3 T. butter, melted

3 T. Dijon mustard

3 T. Worcestershire sauce

3 tsp. minced onion

Assemble sandwiches together by layering cheese and meat on the bottom half of the bread.   Top with the sauce.  Wrap each sandwich in foil and place in gallon-size Ziploc Freezer bag if you are going to be eating them individually.  If packaging for a meal for a family, place sandwiches directly in Ziploc & seal.

To Serve: No need to thaw.  Remove from Ziploc bag (leave foil on sandwich) and bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes.   Or place several unwrapped sandwiches in a baking dish, cover with foil and bake.

To Serve sandwiches without sauce:  Thaw a few hours in the fridge or pack in cooler for a picnic.  Top with desired veggies & condiments.

DINNER

Lasagna

The easiest lasagna to put together as the noodles require no cooking!  I’ve made it numerous time. You can add thawed chopped (and drained) spinach to the cottage cheese, or browned ground beef or turkey.  One recipe makes 1 9×13 pan (12 servings) or 2 8×8 pans (6 servings each).

12 oz. lasagna noodles, uncooked

5-6 cups spaghetti sauce (jar or make your own)

2 c. cream-style cottage cheese or ricotta

12 oz. mozzarella cheese, sliced or grated

½ c. grated Parmesan cheese

Make layers in 1 9×13 pan or 2 8×8 pans:  half each noodles, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, spaghetti sauce & sprinkled parmesan.  Repeat.  Be sure dry noodles are covered completely with sauce.

Wrap pans in 1 layer of plastic wrap and 1 layer of foil.  Label &freeze.

To Serve: Thaw completely in fridge (24+ hours, especially if it is a 9×13 pan).  Cover casserole with foil (remove plastic wrap) and bake in 350F oven for 45 minutes or until edges are bubbly and center is hot.  Remove foil and bake 10 more minutes.  Let stand 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Garlic Bread

You can’t have an Italian dish without garlic bread.  My kids devour this so be sure to bake plenty with your meal!  It’s from 30 Day Gourmet’s website.

2 sticks unsalted butter (or margarine)

½ c. olive oil

¼ c. garlic powder

¼ c. Italian seasoning

1 c. parmesan cheese, optional

2 loaves Italian bread sliced 1” thick

In medium bowl, mix together the butter, oil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese, if desired.  The consistency of the mixture should be something you can spread easily.  If it’s too thick, add more olive oil.  Spread both sides of each slice of bread and place on a cookie sheet or cutting board to freeze.   Once slices are completely frozen, remove from baking sheet and place in gallon-size Ziploc bags.

To Serve: No thawing needed.  Remove desired number of frozen slices directly from Ziploc bag and place on baking sheet.  Bake at 400F for 8-10 minutes turning slices over halfway through baking time.

Easy How To:

Now that you’ve had a chance to look at a few recipes, you’re ready to try one, right?!  Here are a few more basic tips about freezing meals…

Freezing: Invest in the Ziploc Freezer bags in both the gallon & quart size.  If you remove most of the air and seal the bag completely your food will taste great!  Bags are great for soups, noodle dishes, rice dishes, sandwiches, garlic bread & more!  For storing casseroles in glass or foil pans, wrap with 1 layer of plastic wrap and 1 layer of foil.

Labeling: Label & date everything you store.  Sharpie markers work well on the freezer bags and the foil covering a frozen casserole.  I not only include the name of the meal, but also if it requires thawing by writing “thaw” or “no thaw” and the temperature at which it bakes in the oven.  That way I’m not hunting down the recipe the night I plan to serve that meal for dinner.

Thawing: Always thaw foods in the fridge to prevent problems with the ingredients getting too warm prior to baking or reheating.  Some recipes are able to be reheated directly from the frozen state, but most are meant to be thawed at least 24 hours in the fridge prior to reheating.

Reheating: I’ve found the best-tasting food is reheated on the stovetop (sauces) or in the oven (casseroles & sandwiches), not the microwave (with the exception of burritos).

So are you CrAzY enough to try making a freezer meal?!  You are, I know you are!  Enjoy your extra time & savings you’ll have with dinners in your freezer!

For more recipes that are great-tasting & easy to prepare for families, feel free to visit my blog: http://easierwiththefreezer.blogspot.com/

I LOVE the crazy cake man, Buddy Valastro on TLC Cake Boss!  It’s summer and new episodes are already showing off his craziness.  If you are not a fan yet, take a peek at this fun clip video of cake bliss and you will be hooked!  In the meantime, I want to know if you have ever had a “cake wreck?” Share your crazy story with me.  I found this hilarious blog called Cake Wrecks.  It shows off some of the best wrecks out there in bloggy land.  Her definition of “what’s a wreck?” is messy:

“A Cake Wreck is any cake that is unintentionally sad, silly, creepy, inappropriate – you name it. A Wreck is not necessarily a poorly-made cake; it’s simply one I find funny, for any of a number of reasons. Anyone who has ever smeared frosting on a baked good has made a Wreck at one time or another, so I’m not here to vilify decorators: Cake Wrecks is just about finding the funny in unexpected, sugar-filled places.” (Cake Wrecks blog)

Get recipes from the cake artists featured on Ultimate Cake Off:

Episode 1:
*Simply Cakes – Richard Medina
*Southern Lemon Butter Cake – Ashley Vicos
*Tahitian Vanilla Butter Cake – Tariq Hanna

Episode 2:
*Yo Ho Ho and a Cake Full of Rum – Mike Elder
*Yummy Yellow Cake – Bob Brougham

Episode 3:
*Butter-Chocolate Pound Cake with Chocolate Ganache and Raspberry Mousse – Norman R. Davis
*Chocolate Caramel Decadence – Clemence Gossett
*Gold Cake – Courtney Clark

Episode 4:
*Buttermilk Orange Blossom Pound Cake – Carrie Biggers
*Patty-Cakes White Wedding Cake – Pat Jacoby
*Red, White and Blue Cake – Tariq Hanna

Episode 5:
*Chocolate Chip Espresso Cake – Greg Marsh
*Deep South Chocolate Cake – Martha Hebert
*White Cake – Leslie Poyourow

Episode 6:
*French Vanilla Cake – Norman R. Davis
*Orange Pound Cake – Mark Randazzo
*White Velvet Cake – Rebecca Sutterby

Episode 7:
*Graham Cracker Cake – Anne Heap
*Raspberry Cake – Dana Herbert
*Simply Delicious Yellow Cake – Kate Sullivan

Episode 8:
*Chocolate Devil’s Food Cake – Mary Moy-Hochstetler
*French Vanilla Sour Cream Cake – Roland Winbeckler
*Southern Lemon Butter Cake – Ashley Vicos

Hannah made me delicious Pancake Puffs for Mother’s Day breakfast… I was so surprised and appreciated her spunk to try something new.  We found 2 recipes that you can try too.  I want to hear what is your favorite breakfast recipe (comments sisters!)

Easy TV Ingredients:

1 c. milk
1/2 c. butter
1 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar or brown sugar

How to make Pancake Puff:

Step1-In bowl, beat eggs lightly, add milk and flour. Beat with fork until blended but not real smooth.
Step2-Melt butter in 12 inch pizza pan or skillet.
Step3-Pour batter into middle of pan on top of melted butter.
Step4-Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Pancake will puff up in a peculiar shape.

Step5- Sift sugar over top, then cut into wedges with pizza cutter.  Serve with your favorite fruit or preserves.

A Few more ingredients + Traditional Pancake Puffs:

Ingredients:

• 1 level tsp instant yeast
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 cup flour (100 g)
• 1 cup flour (100 g)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups warm milk (250 ml)
• 1 tbsp butter
• Good quality butter and powdered sugar to serve

Preparation:

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the milk. In a separate bowl, combine the buckwheat flour, flour, eggs, yeast, sugar, salt and half the milk. Whisk smooth. Now add the remaining milk and beat again.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rest for an hour.

Melt butter in a frying pan. When it sizzles, add teaspoonfuls of the batter in circular movements to create the mini pancakes. Turn the poffertjes around as soon as the bottom has set, using two forks.

Serve Pancake Puffs with the best quality butter you can find and sieved powdered (icing) sugar.

Serves 4.

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My cousin, Pam made an outrageous ice cream cake for Easter dessert. I begged her for the recipe and found one very similar on a fun video. I thought this would be a little twist to this weeks WOW recipe… watch & enjoy!

If you don’t have time to watch the video, here is the recipe you can copy:

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Chock-full of pepperoni and cheese, this bread is rolled into a big log, baked, and then sliced into small rounds just right for dipping in marinara sauce.  I found this yummy recipe for Hannah to make for the fam.  It’s an easy kid friendly recipe that your teens can bake on their own (limited help)

Ingredients:

• EASY PIZZA DOUGH
• 1 1/4 cups warm water (105° to 115°)
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

• 3 to 3 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• FILLING
• 2 to 3 teaspoons dried basil
• 1/4 pound thinly sliced pepperoni
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups grated mozzarella, or another cheese you like

Instructions:

1. Prepare the dough by measuring the water (which should feel slightly warm to the touch) into a large mixing bowl and then sprinkling the yeast over it. Once the yeast starts to dissolve, have your child add the sugar and oil and whisk the mixture to blend it. Set the bowl aside for 5 minutes.
2. Stir the salt into the yeast mixture. Add 2 cups of the flour and beat it in well with a wooden spoon. About 25 vigorous strokes should do it. Add the rest of the flour 1/4 cup at a time, beating well each time, until the dough is firm and no longer sticky. Then scrape the dough from the bowl onto a flour-coated work surface.
3. Have your child rub flour on her hands and sprinkle some on the dough too. Then she should knead the dough for about 7 minutes, until it’s springy and supple. TIP: To knead the dough, fold it over itself and push down with your palms, rolling the dough slightly forward as you do. Younger kids can stand on a step stool to get behind the push.
4. Place the dough in an oiled medium-size mixing bowl (it’s fun to use a glass bowl so you can watch the dough as it grows), turning it over once to coat the top and bottom. Cover the bowl with oiled plastic wrap and set it in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
5. Punch down the dough several times with your fist, then turn it out onto a floured surface and knead it for 1 minute. Cover the dough lightly with oiled plastic wrap and let it rest for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, your child can dust a large baking sheet with fine cornmeal. Explain that this will keep the dough from sticking, so there’s no need to oil the pan.
6. With floured hands, start pressing the dough into a large square. Switch to a rolling pin and roll the dough into a 12- by 14-inch rectangle. If the dough springs back when you’re rolling it, let it rest for an extra 2 or 3 minutes. Keep your rolling pin floured so the dough doesn’t stick to it.
7. Have your child lightly brush the surface of the dough with water, then, with dry hands, sprinkle the basil over the dough. Arrange the pepperoni in long rows over the entire dough, except for a 1-inch border on all sides. Then sprinkle on the cheese. TIP: When choosing a cheese for Pepperoni Bread, you can’t go wrong with mozzarella but provolone or a combination of other cheeses will taste great too.
8. Starting at the long edge closest to you, roll up the dough snugly like a carpet. Tightly pinch together the dough along the seam to seal it, then pinch the ends closed and tuck them under. Transfer the log onto the baking sheet seam down and loosely cover it with oiled plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes in a warm spot while you heat the oven to 400°.
9. Remove the plastic and bake the loaf for about 35 minutes, until it’s dark and crusty on all sides. Slide the bread onto a wire rack and let it cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting it into thick slices. Serve warm, with marinara sauce on the side for dipping. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

A friend turned me on to this adorable website Bakerella and I wanted to “ping” you over to check out the most delicious looking do do’s I’ve ever seen.  You know we drag Zoie to donuts every Saturday, so this post Sublime made me do a donut gasp outloud. Check it out!  If you’re looking for some adorable bunny-related recipes, try this, this, this, this or this from previous Bakerella years.

I was at the dentist today getting my flipper fixed and found this yummy recipe flipping through Parent magazine. (OK- I did the crazy thing and tore it out just for you)

GOOEY ENCHILADAS:

BAILEY’S BLOSSOMS GIVEAWAY WINNER- Jennifer says: March 3, 2010 at 8:48 AM

I love this Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe.   I love topping my soup with Fritos, cheese, sour cream and black olives.  What is your favorite “garnish” to slop on top of homemade Tex Mex soups?

My Crazy Picks (a few things I think are just great)

1. 
   Bailey’s Blossoms has boutique hair accessories for all ages.  Whether infant, toddler, teen or adult, you’re sure to find something to suit your style at www.baileysblossoms.com !  I personally like the extra large flowers that adhered to sturdy alligator clips and lined with coordinating ribbon.  Crazy Adorable!  Bailey’s Blossoms has graciously offered to sponsor a GIVEAWAY for my readers.  Submit a comment on this thread to enter to win a $20 online gift voucher (includes FREE shipping!) to use on your product of choice at www.baileysblossoms.com .  If you just can’t wait to see if you’ve won, enter discount code “GIVEAWAY10″ for 10% off your order!  The winner will be announced next week.  Good luck everyone!!!

2. I loved putting little luv notes in my kiddos lunches.  I just scribbled my notes on their napkins. Discover Africa is my favorite set. PenPal Notes were created by parents looking for fun, educational notes for their children’s lunch. This search led to the introduction of Tej- a young panda with an inquisitive mind and a magic carpet that can take him anywhere, anytime. Pack these note cards into your child’s lunch box, write a personal message on the back, and join Tej and your child on a new learning adventure every day! Each learning series contains 20-40 illustrated lunch notes and a set of fun stamp stickers.

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