Carol Santee

Carol is the co-author of the Big Book of Freezer Cooking and the author of 30 Day Gourmet’s Slow Cooker Freezer Favorites, Freezer Lunches To Go and Healthy Freezer Cooking eBooks. She is a computer information specialist and works for a computer software company.

Ham and Bean Soup

Recipes, Soups & Sandwiches, Under 350 Calories Comments Off

Feb 012006

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Tammy: This is a very tasty recipe I came up with by tweaking another recipe. I think this recipe tastes even better after it’s been frozen and thawed! The flavors seem to blend better. It’s great served with some fresh bread or rolls.
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Recipes	1	2	3	4	5	6
Servings	10	20	30	40	50	60
Ingredients
Butter or margarine	2 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 2 T.	1/2 C.	1/2 C. + 2 T.	3/4 C.
Minced garlic	1 t.	2 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 1 t.	1 T. + 2 t.	2 T.
Diced onion	3/4 C.	1-1/2 C.	2-1/4 C.	3 C.	3-3/4 C.	4-1/2 C.
Flour	3 T.	1/4 C. + 2 T.	1/2 C. + 1 T.	3/4 C.	3/4 C. + 3 T.	1 C. + 2 T.
Evaporated milk	3/4 C.	1-1/2 C.	2-1/4 C.	3 C.	3-3/4 C.	4-1/2 C.
Chicken broth	30 oz.	60 oz.	90 oz.	120 oz.	150 oz.	180 oz.
Great Northern beans, undrained	30 oz.	60 oz.	90 oz.	120 oz.	150 oz.	180 oz.
Black beans, drained and rinsed	30 oz.	60 oz.	90 oz.	120 oz.	150 oz.	180 oz.
Lean diced ham	1 lb.	2 lbs.	3 lbs.	4 lbs.	5 lbs.	6 lbs.
Mrs. Dash or other seasoning	1/2 t.	1 t.	1-1/2 t.	2 t.	2-1/2 t.	1 T.

Assembly Directions:
Melt butter or margarine in a stockpot. Add garlic and onion and sauté until tender. Add flour and evaporated milk, stirring until thick. Slowly add the chicken broth, stirring constantly. Continue stirring until slightly thick. Add Great Northern beans, black beans, ham, and Mrs. Dash or other seasoning mix. Stir to combine and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Cool.

Freezing Directions:
Freeze based on how you will serve it… either in single servings sizes, or in one or two large servings. Freeze in freezer bags or rigid containers. Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw at least overnight in the refrigerator. For single servings, heat through in the microwave or on the stovetop. For family-size servings, heat through on the stovetop or in the crock-pot.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 324 Calories; 10g Fat (28.0% calories from fat); 22g Protein; 36g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 31mg Cholesterol; 1181mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 2 Grain (Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 1 Fat.

Easy Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches

Recipes, Soups & Sandwiches Comments Off

Feb 012006

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Tammy: Everyone at my house really liked this recipe, especially my husband! I was surprised at how easy this was! I sliced my roast as thinly as I could myself, which was a little time consuming. Next time, I’ll talk to the butcher to see if they can slice it for me. That will take all the work out of making this recipe! The onions and peppers should be soft, not crisp in this recipe, so freezing them works fine. You could use provolone or even Muenster cheese in place of the mozzarella if you prefer.

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Recipes	1	2	3	4	5	6
Servings	6	12	18	24	30	36
Ingredients
Sirloin tip roast or boneless rump roast	2 lbs.	4 lbs.	6 lbs.	8 lbs.	10 lbs.	12 lbs.
Bacon grease or vegetable oil	2 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 2 T.	1/2 C.	1/2 C. + 2 T.	3/4 C.
Green bell pepper, cut in strips	1	2	3	4	5	6
Onion, thinly sliced	1	2	3	4	5	6
Salt and pepper to taste
On Hand Ingredients
Softened butter or margarine	As needed
Steak sub buns	6	12	18	24	30	36
Shredded mozzarella cheese	8 oz.	16 oz.	24 oz.	32 oz.	40 oz.	48 oz.

Assembly Directions:
Slice the beef roast into as thin of slices as possible, then cut the slices into 1” strips. Heat the bacon grease (for more flavor) or oil (if you don’t have the bacon grease or don’t want to use it) in a large skillet or on a large griddle. Add the meat slices, bell pepper and onion all at once. Stir the mixture lightly as it cooks. Cook until meat is no longer pink, and onions and peppers are clear. Be careful not to overcook the meat, as that will make it tough. Salt and pepper the mixture to taste. Once it’s cooked, drain any liquid off and set the mixture aside to cool.

Freezing Directions:
Freeze in freezer bags or rigid containers based on your family size. Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw meat mixture in the refrigerator. Heat in a microwave-safe container until heated through. Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat. Open the buns, and butter the top and bottom of the open bun. Put the bun, butter side down, in the hot skillet to grill it. Grill until toasted, 2-4 minutes. You can also do this without using the butter, but the bun won’t look as nicely grilled. When the buns are grilled and the meat mixture is heated through, divide the meat mixture between the buns. Divide the mozzarella cheese between the buns, putting it on top of the meat mixture. Let the heat from the meat melt the cheese, or put each sandwich in the microwave for 20 seconds on high to melt the cheese.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 570 Calories; 23g Fat (37.0% calories from fat); 47g Protein; 41g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 125mg Cholesterol; 632mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 2-1/2 Grain (Starch); 5-1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 2-1/2 Fat.

Chihuahua Chili

Recipes, Soups & Sandwiches, Under 350 Calories Comments Off

Feb 012006

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There are as many varieties of chili as there are of dogs and cats. This happens to be a fairly mild version that my hubby loves. This may look like too many ingredients to tackle, but it goes together very quickly and easily.
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Recipes	1	2	3	4	5	6
Servings	6	12	18	24	30	36
Ingredients
Ground beef	1 lb.	2 lbs.	3 lbs.	4 lbs.	5 lbs.	6 lbs.
Finely diced onion	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Finely diced celery	1/3 C.	2/3 C.	1 C.	1-1/3 C.	1-2/3 C.	2 C.
Fresh jalapeno pepper, finely diced (minus the seeds unless you like it HOT)	2 t.	1 T. + 1 t.	2 T.	2 T. + 2 t.	3 T. + 1 t.	1/4 C.
Canned pinto bean with liquid	15 oz.	30 oz.	45 oz.	60 oz.	75 oz.	90 oz.
Tomato puree or diced tomatoes	14.5 oz.	29 oz.	43.5 oz.	58 oz.	72.5 oz.	87 oz.
Tomato sauce	8 oz.	16 oz.	24 oz.	32 oz.	40 oz.	48 oz.
Water	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Vinegar, white or apple cider	1 T.	2 T.	3 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 1 T.	1/4 C. + 2 T.
Ground cumin	1 t.	2 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 1 t.	1 T. + 2 t.	2 T.
Salt	1 t.	2 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 1 t.	1 T. + 2 t.	2 T.
Ground black pepper	1/2 t.	1 t.	1-1/2 t.	2 t.	2-1/2 t.	1 T.
Chili powder	1 t.	2 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 1 t.	1 T. + 2 t.	2 T.
Garlic powder	1/4 t.	1/2 t.	3/4 t.	1 t.	1-1/4 t.	1-1/2 t.
Bay leaf	1	2	3	4	5	6
Paprika	1 t.	2 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 1 t.	1 T. + 2 t.	2 T.

Assembly Directions:
Brown ground beef in a large saucepan. Drain and discard the fat. Add the onion, celery, and jalapeno pepper and sauté a minute or two. Add all the remaining ingredients to the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes to an hour or until as thick as you desire.

Freezing Directions:
Cool chili completely. When cool, pour into suitable size freezer containers or freezer bags. Label, seal, and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw chili. Reheat in saucepan over very low flame, or in the microwave. Serve in bowl with grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, diced onion, and crackers.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 282 Calories; 14g Fat (42.4% calories from fat); 19g Protein; 22g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 52mg Cholesterol; 1215mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1/2 Grain (Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 1-1/2 Fat.

Brownie Bites

Low Fat, Low Sodium, Recipes, Snacks and Desserts, Under 350 Calories Comments Off

Feb 012006

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These are so fun to take to a party or gathering! These are so easy to make if you have a mini muffin pan. You can serve them plain or frosted. One of our favorite frostings is peanut butter. Peanut butter and chocolate are so wonderful together. You could also make white frosting and color it red for Valentine’s Day or your favorite team color.

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Recipes	1	2	3	4	5	6
Servings	40	80	120	160	200	240
Ingredients
Butter	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Shortening	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Sugar	2 C.	4 C.	6 C.	8 C.	10 C.	12 C.
Eggs	4	8	12	16	20	24
Unsweetened cocoa powder	3/4 C.	1-1/2 C.	2-1/4 C.	3 C.	3-3/4 C.	4-1/2 C.
Baking pwder	1 t.	2 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 1 t.	1 T. + 2 t.	2 T.
Salt	1 t.	2 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 1 t.	1 T. + 2 t.	2 T.
Flour	1-1/2 C.	3 C.	4-1/2 C.	6 C.	7-1/2 C.	9 C.

Assembly Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter, shortening and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in cocoa powder, baking powder and salt until thoroughly mixed. Add flour stirring until just mixed. Grease a mini-muffin pan or spray with cooking spray. Fill cups about 3/4 full or use a medium cookie scoop. Bake for 14 to 18 minutes or until no longer soft when you touch the middle of one of the brownies.

Freezing Directions:
Let set in pan for about 5 minutes. Gently remove from pan and let cool. Place in freezer containers. Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw and enjoy.

Comments:
You can frost these with your favorite frosting. We like chocolate fudge or peanut butter frosting. If left plain, they pack nicely in snack bags for lunches.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 109 Calories; 6g Fat (43.9% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 19mg Cholesterol; 98mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1/2 Grain (Starch); 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Bloomin’ Bread

Breads and Breakfast, Recipes, Under 350 Calories Comments Off

Feb 012006

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Yes, amazing but true, Thanksgiving is done and December is upon us! If you are entertaining this season, here is a wonderful, savory treat. Since the bread is baked while wrapped in foil, it also travels very well and will retain its warmth.
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Recipes	1	2	3	4	5	6
Servings	10	20	30	40	50	60
Ingredients
Unsliced bread (sour dough, rye, whole wheat, etc), 1 pound loaf	1	2	3	4	5	6
Monterey Jack or sharp cheddar cheese	12 oz.	24 oz.	36 oz.	48 oz.	60 oz.	72 oz.
Butter or margarine, melted	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Poppy seeds	1 T.	2 T.	3 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 1 T.	1/4 C. + 2 T.
Worcestershire sauce	1/4 t.	1/2 t.	3/4 t.	1 t.	1-1/4 t.	1-1/2 t.
On Hand Ingredients
Green onions; sliced crosswise, very thin	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.

Assembly Directions:
Place a two-foot long sheet of foil on a cutting board or other flat surface. Place another two-foot long sheet of foil cross-wise over the first sheet. Place the unsliced bread loaf in the center of the foil, where the two sheets intersect. With a serrated knife, slice the bread into one-inch thick sections crosswise and lengthwise without cutting through the bottom crust. The bread will fan out. Slice the cheese into thin one-inch wide pieces. Insert the cheese slices between the bread layers. Stir the poppy seeds and Worcestershire sauce into the butter. Drizzle half of the butter mixture over the bread, trying to get it between the layers. Stir the butter mixture again and continue drizzling it over the bread.

Freezing Directions:
Wrap the bread well in foil and place it in the freezer.

Serving Directions:
Thaw it out thoroughly (about an hour), unwrap the top and sprinkle with sliced green onions. Bake it at 350 degrees F. for about 15 minutes. Uncover the bread so that the top and sides are exposed to the heat of the oven and bake it an additional 10 minutes until the cheese is well melted. With oven mitts or two large spatulas, lift the bread onto a serving plate or platter. To serve, use a large fork to break off pieces of the bread.

Comments:
To serve the bread immediately, sprinkle the green onions into the crevices in the bread. Wrap it well with the foil and place it on a baking sheet. Then bake and serve as directed above.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 339 Calories; 21g Fat (56.2% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 24g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 30mg Cholesterol; 568mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1-1/2 Grain (Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 3-1/2 Fat.

Barbecued Beef Loaves

Beef Comments Off

Feb 012006

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Tammy: The barbecue sauce is wonderful, for such a simple recipe! It’s thick and stays on top of the loaves as they bake. This recipe makes very dense loaves, so they are filling. Make your loaves similar size and thickness for even cooking throughout. I also found they reheat nicely for leftovers, too.
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Recipes	1	2	3	4	5	6
Servings	6	12	18	24	30	36
Ingredients
Ketchup	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Cider vinegar	1/3 C.	2/3 C.	1 C.	1-1/3 C.	1-2/3 C.	2 C.
Brown sugar	3 T.	1/4 C. + 2 T.	1/2 C. + 1 T.	3/4 C.	3/4 C. + 3 T.	1 C. + 2 T.
Beef flavored bouillon granules	2 t.	1 T. + 1 t.	2 T.	2 T. + 2 t.	3 T. + 1 t.	1/4 C.
Lean ground beef	1-1/2 lbs.	3 lbs.	4-1/2 lbs.	6 lbs.	7-1/2 lbs.	9 lbs.
Breadcrumbs; fine, dry	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Finely chopped onion	2 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 2 T.	1/2 C.	1/2 C. + 2 T.	3/4 C.
Salt	1/2 t.	1 t.	1-1/2 t.	2 t.	2-1/2 t.	1 T.
Pepper	1/4 t.	1/2 t.	3/4 t.	1 t.	1-1/4 t.	1-1/2 t.
Evaporated milk	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.

Assembly Directions:
Combine ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar and bouillon in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until bouillon granules are dissolved. Set barbecue sauce aside to cool. In a large bowl, combine beef, breadcrumbs, onion, salt, pepper and evaporated milk. Stir or mix by hand until thoroughly blended. Shape mixture into 6 loaves.

Freezing and Cooking Directions:
To Freeze: Put barbecue sauce in a 1 quart freezer bag. Seal, label and freeze. Place raw loaves in a lightly greased 11” x 7” x 1 1/2” baking dish, or freeze in a gallon freezer bag. Seal, label and freeze.
To Serve: Thaw loaves and barbecue sauce. If they aren’t already, put loaves on a lightly greased baking dish with sides. Spoon barbecue sauce over loaves. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve immediately.

Comments:
This is one of my family’s favorite meals! It’s great served with mashed potatoes.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 436 Calories; 24g Fat (49.1% calories from fat); 27g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 91mg Cholesterol; 805mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1 Grain (Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 3 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

February 2006 Chewin’ the News with Tammy

2006, Chewin' the News Comments Off

Feb 012006

Notes from Tammy

Hi everybody! Are you as ready for spring as I am? We haven’t had much snow this winter, but it’s been very cold! We had 3 or 4 days early in February that it got warm… up into the 60’s, which is very unusual! But just enough for me to decide I’m ready for spring! Especially now that it’s in the 20’s again!

In January, we had the chance to travel to Alabama to visit my aunt, uncle, cousins and their families for a few days. My husband loves to hunt, and hasn’t for quite a few years. He went deer hunting here in November, but didn’t get anything. He talked to my uncle in AL, who said their deer season runs through the end of January. Rob wanted to go down to hunt. I said I hadn’t seen my cousins in 20 years, so there was NO WAY!! he was going without me! So we packed up the kids and Grandma and headed for AL.

We had a great visit! My aunt is a great hostess, and a very good cook too. Of course I had to swap some recipes with her! I will be sharing a couple of those with you in the coming months, once I test their freeze-ability. By the time I left, my aunt and cousins were talking about planning a cooking day. I’m waiting to hear from them how that goes.

Rob had a great time hunting! It was very cold, but he came home with 5 deer in the cooler! They butchered some of it while we were still in AL, and we packed the rest in the cooler for the trip home. When we got home, Rob and his mom butchered the rest in my kitchen. It’s funny now, but it wasn’t then!

I usually do a “clean out the freezer/restock it” post on the boards in January, but I have so much venison in my freezers, I don’t have room to stock it with anything else!! I had to clean out stuff that had been in there for a while, and plan meals with other stuff to have room for the venison. The freezer on top of my extra fridge is stuffed to capacity with venison, and at least 2 shelves in my upright freezer are full of venison too. We have been enjoying steaks and jerky. Rob made some sausage, and it’s pretty good too. Anybody have any favorite venison recipes? Post them on the boards, under Beef, I guess.

Bonus Recipes from Tammy

We made a trip to OH in mid-February. My in-law’s 50th Anniversary was the 18th. Mom said if Dad was still alive we would have had a family dinner to celebrate, and she still wanted to do that. So we got all the kids, grandkids and great-grandkids together for a pot-luck dinner. It’s been a while since we had everybody together, so we really had a great time.

I made Lazy Day Lasagna and froze it a few days before we left. I made it in a stoneware pan so it would hold the cold while we traveled, as well as the heat when I baked it. I took it from the freezer straight to the back of the van right before we left. So it started thawing on the 6 hour trip, then went in my friend’s fridge overnite, till I baked it in the morning. It was thawed in time, and baked up perfect! Not a single bite left in the pan when dinner was over. I managed to find room for a 9″x13″ in my upright freezer, so I made one for us too!

We’ve been enjoying other hot winter-type meals… Taco Chili, Country Chicken Pot Pie, Ham and Bean Soup, BBQ Beef Loaves, and Beefy Vegetable Soup. My son asked me a few days ago when I was going to make Cheeseburger Quiche… I’ll need to get that on the menu. I’ve put the crock pot to use a few times making Italian Chicken, and Cincinnati-Style Chili too. Something we make sure we do every time we get to Columbus is eat at Skyline Chili. But when it’s been a while, we “make do” with homemade. I need to make some Loaded Baked Potato Soup and some Cheddar Broccoli Soup too… haven’t had those in quite a while. But I need some more room in my freezer before I can do that!

Final Thoughts

Well, that’s it from me this month. It’s almost time for the kids to come home, and start the rounds of homework, evening routines and music practice. Oh… a little bit of “business” before I close.. if you change your email address, you need to access your Yahoo account and change the information there, instead of emailing us your address change. Our Newsletter is sent out using Yahoo, and they maintain your email addresses for us.

Tammy

February 2006 Chewin’ the News with Shelley

2006, Chewin' the News Comments Off

Feb 012006

Cookin’ at the Keyboard with Shelley

An Unexpected Place, at an Unexpected Pace

A dear friend of mine has five kids – three biological children, ages 12 to 20, and two young foster brothers waiting to be adopted. Her husband owns his own business and works long hours from time to time. They recently purchased a larger, older home in order to make room for the two (very active) little boys, and are in the midst of remodeling. They home school, with the two teenagers taking classes at the local community college. As a family ministry, they have been planning a youth conference sponsored by our church. My friend has been dealing with a season of life that is rolling by at an unexpected pace.

Life was busy enough, she thought…and then the water heater broke and flooded the garage. Then the baby fell and, several hours later, had minor surgery on his eye. Then a car accident, that could have been fatal, put the oldest daughter in ICU for a few days. Sitting by a hospital bed, waiting for the MRI results, my friend found herself in an unexpected place.

Friends and family rallied around them, caring for children, providing meals, grocery shopping, cleaning house, doing laundry. When I offered a day of my time doing anything she needed, she requested some meals for her freezer. There wasn’t much time to plan, so we didn’t do anything elaborate. My daughter and I cubed 10 pounds of raw chicken, chopped 15 pounds of cooked chicken, and browned 25 pounds of ground beef and a little Italian sausage.

It’s been two weeks since I spent the day at her house. Yesterday she told me on the phone that the youth conference was a success, her daughter is healing beyond the doctor’s expectations, and they’re hoping to be moved in the next six weeks. And with relief in her voice, she thanked me for the taco meat that she pulled from her freezer for dinner that night.

We can’t always foresee or control the place where the road of life will take us. And sometimes the pace at which we travel is even out of our control. But there are things (like freezer meals) that we can do to fill in the pot holes and smooth out the speed bumps along the way, whether it’s your road or someone else’s. (I didn’t think of this until I was driving home from our cooking day. While I was labeling and dating the freezer bags, I wished I would have used the Sharpie to pen a few words of cheer on each of the packages. What a surprise it would have been each time she went to her freezer!)

Recipe Section

No-Cook Lasagna

With the ground beef and Italian sausage already fried, it’s easy to make up this “Lasagna Package” for the freezer. Now you can have lasagna at your fingertips without having to layer all the ingredients before freezing. I left all the ingredients and the recipe with my friend (see above) after our cooking day. She can have a fresh, homemade pan of lasagna in the oven in 10 minutes!

(I don’t have a picture this month, but most lasagnas look alike, don’t they?)

Software Suggestions

Dissecting Recipes

The biology book that my oldest daughters will be studying next year tells me that they’ll be dissecting a crayfish, perch, and frog. The very thing I dreaded in high school is back again, this time it’s likely to happen in my kitchen! Yuck. Although dissecting biology specimens is not exactly my idea of fun, I love to to dissect recipes. Sounds strange, I know, but read on to learn how it works.

When freezing meals I have several goals in mind. Primarily, I want to save time, save money, conserve freezer space, serve delicious food, and make it painless to put a meal on the table. All five of these goals can be accomplished by cooking only part of a recipe. Let’s use the “No-Cook Lasagna” as an example.

After chopping the onion, I fry the ground beef and Italian sausage. Then I grate the mozzarella cheese and hunt for the Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper. You might want to print the recipe for reference, but I end up with a freezer bag of fried meat, a bag of grated cheese, and a bag of powdered seasonings/spices.

Time is saved because I prepare multiple quantities of the recipe while the time-consuming tasks of chopping onion, frying meat, hunting for seasonings, and washing the pans and utensils need to be done only once. Money is saved because the spaghetti sauce, ricotta cheese, and lasagna noodles aren’t purchased until I serve the meal, or until they’re on sale at the store. Freezer space is conserved because I’m storing only the meat and cheese, not the fully layered casserole. My homemade lasagna is delicious because I’ve cooked the portion of the recipe that, in my opinion, freezes the best. Finally, it’s easy to put the meal on the table; all the time-consuming tasks are done!

Believe it or not, it gets even better. Advantage Cooking actually keeps track of a “dissected” recipe. For any ingredient in a recipe, set the “use on” field to indicate whether this particular ingredient is a “cooking day” or “serving day” item. Serving day ingredients are marked with an asterisk* on the printed recipe. I like to use the Move Ingredient buttons to position the “cooking day” ingredients at the top of the recipe and the “serving day” ingredients below.

In addition, three options are available for the Grocery Report. For any group of recipes selected, the grocery list can include:

all ingredients,
“cooking day” ingredients only, or
“serving day” ingredients only.

Advantage Cooking is a great tool when it comes to dissecting recipes, unfortunately I haven’t thought of a way for it to take my place when it comes to dissecting frogs. If I do, I’ll let you know.

Download a trial version of the software! It’s free!

Closing Comments from Shelley

My husband and I attended a “Love and Respect” marriage conference at the beginning of the month with Emerson and Sarah Eggerichs. It was excellent. Go to www.loveandrespect.com to learn more.

We had snow on Valentine’s morning. It was our first snow in two years. My oldest daughter said that only in Oregon City do we go out to play in a centimeter of snow. (We did have a little more than that…but not much more.) The girls had a great time walking around in the white powder and we even have a miniature snowman out on the deck. They have been protecting it from the sun for three days, but he’s getting pretty skinny! (Too bad it doesn’t work the same for me.)

God bless your family as we wind up another winter and look forward to spring!

Shelley

February 2006 Chewin’ the News with Carol

2006, Chewin' the News Comments Off

Feb 012006

Kitchen Fun with Carol

Hello cooks!

First I want to say a big thank you to all of you who sent me winter exercise ideas! You sent so many interesting options. I want share some of these ideas with you in case someone else out there is looking for some suggestions. Here are some of the ideas that I received:

An idea for winter months that may sound just plain wrong: do you have an indoor pool at your park and recreation center or YMCA? Water fitness is awesome – a good program is well rounded and hits all four elements of good physical fitness: strength training (just from resistance to the water alone as well as water weights, noodles, etc.), flexibility (stretching in the water – you’d be surprised at how much more you can do with the buoyancy help), core strength (similar to pilates mat when you exercise with toes up), and cardio (water aerobics, especially deep water, is a tough workout). A lot of city/county programs offer discounts in the winter months because people don’t think of pools during colder weather.

Also, many hospital-affiliated rehab centers offer water aerobics and some gyms offer pool-only memberships. Also, check local churches. Ours offers (all for free): men’s open basketball, floor aerobics, pilates, powerflex, volleyball and more. Volunteering in an Upward Bound program (I think mostly Baptist churches) would offer you benefits as well. Tracy

Have you considered a treadmill? I don’t just mean for you but also for your dog. I’ve seen it before and it works (after a bit of coaxing). Luanne

I decided to try a combination of walking and a stability ball. We have had a very mild winter so far with temperatures averaging 12 degrees above normal. That makes walking bearable. As for the stability ball, I have had one for about a year but it did not come with a video. I found an inexpensive video at Walmart and I am giving it a try. (What would we do without Walmart!) It has three levels of exercise – beginner, intermediate and advanced. The American Heart Association recommends that you engage in some physical activity for 30 to 60 minutes three or four days a week. This will be my beginning goal. Eventually, I would like to be exercising five days a week. The American Heart Association sponsors a web site called Just Move. This site has lots of information on the correlation between exercise and heart disease. They also provide a place for you to keep an exercise diary. You can set goals for yourself and track your progress. Again, thanks for all of the suggestions!

February usually makes you think of Valentine’s Day. But it is also time for Super Bowl Sunday! I know lots of people who are planning a party with friends and family. Even if you are only watching the game for the great commercials, I thought it would be great to talk about recipes that are fun and easy to prepare for a crowd! There are so many 30 Day Gourmet recipes that work well for gatherings. My favorites are the finger foods that are easy to serve, disappear as the night goes on and clean up easily. Here are some of my favorites:

Chili and Sandwiches

Desserts:

Dips:

Finger Foods:

Snack Mixes:

Snackin’ Mix
Teddy Bear Snack Mix

Good luck to all of you out there who are are planning a party! I hope it is a fun time for everyone.

Bonus Recipes

Brownie Bites

Recipe of the Month Contest Winner

February Recipe of the Month… Cheddar and Broccoli Stuffed Potatoes

Our winner this month is Nancy with her recipe for Cheddar and Broccoli Stuffed Potatoes. I have been looking for more potato recipes and this one is great! To get a more fancy looking potato, you can pipe the filling though a star tip on pastry decorating bag. It makes them look ruffled. This is a great recipe to have on hand for lunch. They are very filling.

Click here to view/print the February recipe of the Month.

Congratulations Nancy! Thank you for posting this wonderful recipe.

Freezer Cook of the Month Contest Winner

Our winner this month is Amyjoy from Boise, ID. Read how a 30 Day Gourmet freezer meal baby shower has changed her life.

Amyjoy says:

“I have been raving about my new cooking “lifestyle” to everyone I can. My life has totally changed and it has been a very easy change to make. It started last January, one year ago when my sweet friends through me a “freezer meal” shower right before I had my third child. It was going to be a scheduled C-section and my second boy so I didn’t need lots of clothes or toys, I needed help! So, we enjoyed freezer meals for an entire month which was plenty of time to get me back on my feet. Then my friend was also going to have a baby a few months later, she wanted the same yummy food stash as me. So we formed our “freezer meal group”. We totally love the different yummy meals, ease of our days, and the fun it allows. Thank you for the book, the website, the great format and easy recipes that have always turned out! This is Awesome!!!“

We think so too! We are glad that you are enjoying the freedom that comes with your new cooking lifestyle. Enjoy!

Closing Comments from Carol

I hope you enjoy the finger food recipes! Enjoy the game and we will talk again next month!

Do you have any recipes that you would like to share? I’d love to try and share them with everyone. You can post your recipes on the 30 Day Gourmet Facebook® fan page or click here to send me an email. Or do you have any other topics that you would like me to cover? Click here to send me an email. I enjoy hearing from you!

Have fun in your kitchen!

Carol

Cheddar and Broccoli Stuffed Potatoes

Low Fat, Recipes, Sides and Salads, Under 350 Calories Comments Off

Feb 012006

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Recipes	1	2	3	4	5	6
Servings	8	16	24	32	40	48
Ingredients
Potatoes	4	8	12	16	20	24
Butter or margarine, softened	1 T.	2 T.	3 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 1 T.	1/4 C. + 2 T.
Milk	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Frozen broccoli; thawed and chopped	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Shredded cheddar cheese	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Salt	1/4 t.	1/2 t.	3/4 t.	1 t.	1-1/4 t.	1-1/2 t.

Assembly Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake potatoes in oven for 1 hour. Remove. Cool before handling. Slice in half lengthwise. Carefully remove pulp leaving a 1/4-inch shell; reserve pulp and set potato skins aside. Combine potato pulp with butter in a medium bowl. Beat until fluffy. Pour in milk. Mix well. Add broccoli, cheese and salt to potato mixture. Mix well. Spoon potato mixture into reserved potato skins.

Freezing Directions:
Cool completely and then flash freeze on a cookie sheet. When frozen, place in gallon freezer bags. Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw and place in an ungreased shallow baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden and heated through.

Comments:
To serve immediately, place skins in a 15x10x1 inch baking pan (a jelly roll pan). Bake for 15 minutes or until tops are browned.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 104 Calories; 4g Fat (35.3% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 9mg Cholesterol; 142mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1 Grain (Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat.

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