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.

November 2010 Chewin’ the News

2010, Chewin' the News Comments Off

Nov 242010

Kitchen Fun With Carol

Hello everyone and Happy Holidays! I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving this week. I am looking forward to spending time with the family. We were invited to two meals this year and we are hosting one. It’s been fun planning our meal. Our before meal hors d’oeuvres include veggie platter with dip, cheese ball and crackers, and chips and salsa. The menu for the meal includes turkey, stuffing (fruit based recipe similar to the one in the Holiday Freezer Cooking ebook), rolls, potatoes, salad, fresh steamed green beans, beer bread and multiple desserts. I am still trying to find some time to make some Pumpkin Butter. YUM!

The holidays are upon us and it is time to start planning! This time of year can be completely crazy – decorations, shopping, parties, school concerts, cookie exchanges, etc. However, freezer cooking can be a tremendous help during the busy season. If you have not had a chance, check out our Holiday Freezer Cooking ebook. The ebook gives you all the recipes you need to freeze an entire meal plus much more. Click here to see a list of the recipes included in this ebook. You can also try out the Sweet Potato Soufflé, the Celebration Salad and the Merry Kiss-Mousse Pie for free!

Still need help planning? Check out our Holiday Menu Planning To Do List below. Download a copy of the Holiday Menu Planning to print off at home!

Holiday Menu Planning To Do List
Action Item	Date Due	X
Fourth Week of November
Send out invitations (if not already done) for any parties, potlucks, open houses or gatherings you are planning. Plan your menus for these gatherings and freeze as many recipes as you can!
Plan your hostess gifts for parties that you are attending.
Check your newspaper or community information centers and plan your family activities for the month. Make sure you plan your monthly menu around these activities.
First Week of December
Plan your menu for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Purchase your frozen turkey or place your order for a fresh one.
Plan your baking days. Make sure to plan at least one day to make frosted cookies with the kids! This is fun for everyone.
Start your freezer cooking for the holiday – hors d’oeuvres, side dishes, desserts, etc. Remember to fill out your Recipe Inventory Checklist as you complete your recipes.
Start planning and making gifts from the kitchen.
Second Week of December
Review your holiday menu. Make any freezer safe dishes that have not been made.
Plan your Christmas morning breakfast. (This is a great tradition to start if you have not. My family always asks for their favorite dishes on Christmas morning.)
Third Week of December
Make a list of any perishable items you need for your holiday menu.
Cross check your menu with your Recipe Inventory Checklist. Make any recipe that needs to be made.
Christmas Week
Pick up any last minute groceries.
Defrost any dishes and your turkey, roast, or ham. Remember, for turkey you need to allow 24 hours of defrosting time for every 4 to 5 pounds.

If you need some recipe ideas for the holidays, a great source for recipes is the 30 Day Gourmet web site! Click here to access our recipe database. Choose the kind of recipe you’re looking for (Side and Salad, Bread and Breakfast, etc.) and scroll through the list to see what sounds good to you. There are hundreds of recipes to choose from. There are lots of recipes on the web site that would make great last minute gifts. Some of my favorites are White Chocolate Snowmen (from the January 2007 newsletter), Hot Cocoa Mix, Pasta Fagioli Soup Mix, Peppermint Patties, Brown Sugar Cinnamon Coffee Cake, Brownie Bites, Pretzel Turtles, and Holiday Jar Cookies.

Bonus Recipes

To make the holidays a little less hectic it is great to have some recipes on hand that can be cooked in the slow cooker (a real time saver when you have all that Christmas shopping) or can be tossed together quickly! Here are a couple of my time saving recipes.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
This recipe is a splurge calorie wise but it is wonderful! We love it because it cooks in the slow cooker all day which makes serving dinner so easy after a long day. The sauce is rich and it is easy to put together on assembly day.

Turkey Sausage Pasta Toss

Turkey Sausage Pasta Toss
This is a great recipe to have on hand in the freezer. It is very versatile. You can cook the sauce in the slow cooker and serve it over freshly cooked pasta. Or you can toss it with cooked pasta and reheat it in the oven. The turkey sausage helps cut down on the amount of fat in the recipe.

Enjoy!

Closing Comments From Carol

I hope you enjoyed my holiday menu planning to do list. I would love to hear about your tips, suggestions, and favorite holiday recipe.

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

Turkey Sausage Pasta Toss

Poultry, Recipes Comments Off

Nov 242010

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This is a great recipe to have on hand in the freezer. It is very versatile. You can cook the sauce in the slow cooker and serve it over freshly cooked pasta. Or you can toss it with cooked pasta and reheat it in the oven. The turkey sausage helps cut down on the amount of fat in the recipe.

Click here to go to a Printer Friendly Page
Advantage Cooking owners click here to download this recipe.

Recipes	1	2	3	4	5	6
Servings	6	12	18	24	30	36
Ingredients
Sweet Italian sausage	19 oz.	38 oz.	57 oz.	76 oz.	95 oz.	114 oz.
Diced onion	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Diced green or red pepper	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Minced garlic	1 t.	2 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 1 t.	1 T. + 2 t.	2 T.
Canned tomatoes, crushed or diced	28 oz.	56 oz.	84 oz.	112 oz.	140 oz.	168 oz.
Italian seasoning	1 t.	2 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 1 t.	1 T. + 2 t.	2 T.
On Hand Ingredients
Ziti pasta (dry weight)	12 oz.	24 oz.	36 oz.	48 oz.	60 oz.	72 oz.
Shredded Parmesan cheese	1/4 C.	1/2 C.	3/4 C.	1 C.	1-1/4 C.	1-1/2 C.

Assembly Directions:
Cut sausage into 1/2 inch slices. In a large skillet, cook sausage, onion, green pepper and garlic until sausage is browned. Remove from heat and drain off any fat. Allow to cool.

Pour tomatoes into a freezer bag or container. Add Italian seasoning and sausage/vegetable mixture.

Freezing Directions:
Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw sauce overnight in the refrigerator.

Pour sauce in slow cooker and cook in low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. About a half an hour before serving, boil pasta according to package directions. Drain. Ladle pasta onto plates, pour sauce over the top and sprinkle with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese.

Comments:
You can also cook this dish in the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain. Pour pasta back into pan and add the sausage mixture. Stir to mix. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Pour pasta and sauce mixture into the pan. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly. Remove from oven. Serve with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 412 Calories; 11g Fat (23.1% calories from fat); 26g Protein; 52g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 78mg Cholesterol; 901mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 3 Grain (Starch); 2-1/2 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat.

September 2010 Chewin’ the News

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Sep 302010

Kitchen Fun with Carol

Hello everyone and Happy Autumn! This is one of my favorite times of the year. The weather is wonderful – beautiful sunny days great for cook outs and tailgating with friends and cool crisp nights great for cooking hotdogs and s’mores over a bonfire.

The weather has also been great for outside events such as the county fair (love visiting the animals!) and looking at the airplanes at the National Museum of the US Air Force. We visited the museum this month and it was such a great experience. There was so much to see and do. History can take on such a greater meaning when you experience things first hand. We visited the Presidential hanger and saw some of the planes used by former US Presidents. We toured a Nissen Hut like those used in England during World War II.

Gemini

Now you are probably thinking, “What does this have to do with food?” While at the museum we toured the Missile and Space Gallery. It was an impressive site! The missiles are so large. But my food related find was great, too! They had samples of foods that the astronauts ate while on missions. It was interesting seeing the foods that they took in space but they also talked about the cost of the food. The cost per person per day was $300 for the Gemini program. That’s $100 per meal. WOW!!

It made me think of my food budget at home. It’s nothing compared to the cost of food used in the space program but it is a reality that we all can relate. Food prices continue to rise but my food budget does not! What can you do to make the most out of your food budget? Here are some tips that I use to stay within my budget:

Keep your pantry organized. This includes your freezer as well as your pantry. Group like items together. Knowing what you have on hand can save you money on your cooking day as well as your weekly grocery bill.
Do a pantry challenge several times a year. This will help you clear those older meals out of your freezer before you have another cooking day. It can also help save money to pay for your next cooking day!
Keep your Recipe Inventory Checklist up to date. This list is a great place to start when planning your menu for the week.
Keep a price book. This helps you know when an item is really on sale.
Come up with the cost per serving for each recipe that you plan on making. It helps if you make a list and rank the recipes. Need to save money? Concentrate on serving the recipes that cost the least.
Consider ingredients and staple items that you have on hand before planning your next cooking day. Create your list of recipes from the items that you already have on hand.
Utilize coupons where it makes sense. If there is a coupon for an item that you would normally buy anyway, go ahead an use it! Every little bit you save adds up quickly!

I received several emails last month asking about menu planning. Menu planning can be a tricky thing if you are not used to doing it. Remember, you don’t have to be ultra organized to plan your menus! It just takes some thought about what your family likes to eat, how much time you have to prepare it, and what activities you have planned during the same time period.

There are several ways to plan a menu but the most important thing that you need is 20 to 30 recipes that your family likes. Look at the Big Book of Freezer Cooking, our ebooks, and the recipes on the web site. Find the recipes that your family would like to try. Make one of each recipe and make sure your family likes the recipes before you make multiples. This is an extremely important money saving step. You don’t want to have 3 of a recipe in the freezer that your family will not eat!

I picked out some of my favorite recipes and then showed them to the family and let them narrow it down to what they wanted to eat. It worked out well this time. They were very specific about what they wanted to eat during this menu rotation. Sometimes they don’t really have an opinion so I just have to “wing it” and make what sounds good to me. Once I have a list of recipes, I make 2 or 3 of each. I also look through my freezer to see what I have left over from my last cooking session and add these to my list of recipes. Then I take the list of recipes and lay out the menu. I try to vary each day by recipe type. For example, I would not serve 2 pasta based dishes in a row.

I usually do 3 rotations of my 4 week menu so each menu lasts about 12 weeks or 3 months. Once I get through 2 months (or about 8 weeks), I start planning my next cooking session. My menu is usually seasonal. For example, summer will be a lot of grilled items. Winter is the opposite with baked recipes and lots of slow cooker recipes.

I have also done themed menus in the past. For example,

Sunday is quick and easy meals.
Monday is oven baked recipes.
Tuesday is soup.
Wednesday is grilling.
Thursday is a slow cooker meal.
Friday is stovetop.
Saturday is Dad’s recipes or cook’s choice. (I love it when Dad cooks!)

Click here for a link to a newsletter with a theme based menu. Or your could plan your menu based on recipe type or ranking recipes based on cost – Mexican, Chinese, Beef, Poultry, etc. Click here (March 2006) for a link to a newsletter with an article on menus based on recipe types.

Be flexible! I also may not serve each meal on its menu day. Sometimes I don’t feel like eating spaghetti and meatballs when it is 90 degrees outside so I will swap out the meal on the menu plan with another one from later in the week. It gives you a little more flexibility. Or sometimes I will find a great deal while grocery shopping and I will swap out a meal with my bargain I found at the store. It’s a great way to add variety and maybe try something new.

Another trick is to file your old menus. I file mine by year in a 3-ring binder. They can inspire you when you get stuck and don’t know what to serve. Before you file your menus, make notes on it and remind yourself what you did and did not like about the menu layout.

Facebook® Questions

If you have been following us on the 30 Day Gourmet Facebook® fan page, you have seen some of the great questions that have been posted about 30 Day Gourmet, our recipes, and our new book, the Big Book of Freezer Cooking. I thought it would be great to share some of these questions with you.

Q: Hi everyone I just joined~ I just saw the pictures of the freezer meals stacked what an inspiration! I love it and it is my goal to do~ one question: what kind of freezer containers would everyone suggest I use? I love the labels too any thoughts and suggestions?

A: There are many containers that can be used in the freezer. Here are some of the suggestions we received:

Freezer bags: They save a lot of space in the freezer when you are trying to store a lot of different meals.
Reusable 8×8 or 9×13 containers: Look for the Glad Ovenware. They are great for freezing lasagnas. And because they are plastic, it’s easy to “pop” the frozen dish out of the pan and place it in a freezer bag once the dish is frozen or when you want to defrost the dish before baking. They also stack nice in the freezer.
Rubbermaid containers: To freeze baked goods or large batches of soups.
Ziploc Twist ‘n Loc containers: They come in a small (2 cup) and medium (3 cup) size. The small sized containers are great for freezing individual servings. Use them for soups and stews.
Check out yard sales and thrift shops for glass and metal baking dishes. I got a lot for about $1-$2 each. Most didn’t have lids so you have to freeze the dishes individually before stacking them, or use stiff corrugated cardboard cut to size between each dish.

Q: What labels/writing material should I use? Will tape stick to the containers in the freezer?

A: There are a lot of different ways to label packages.

I have written all the instructions etc on a recipe card and put the card in a sandwich bag inside the baggie with the meal. Works for me!
I always use a Sharpie when writing on freezer bags. They work out well.

Keep asking questions! We love helping everyone!

Bonus Recipes

Chocolate Oat Bars
These are great little bars for the lunch box. They have a great crunchy oat topping and a fudgy middle. Want even more chocolate flavor? Double the filling! They are delicious! Or you can cut the bars in half for little hands!

Steak Marinade Robusto
I have one more grilling recipe to share with you this fall so get out there and fire up your grills! This is a very robust steak marinade – strong flavor and very tender.

A great tip for grilling steaks – bring them up to almost room temperature before grilling them. The steak will cook faster and more evenly.

Closing Comments from Carol

I hope you enjoyed my tips on menu planning and cooking on a budget. I would love to hear your tips as well.

Have fun in your kitchen!

Carol

Steak Marinade Robusto

Beef, Low Fat, Recipes, Under 10g Carbs, Under 350 Calories Comments Off

Sep 302010

Share This Recipe

This is a very robust steak marinade – strong flavor and very tender.

A great tip for grilling steaks – bring them up to almost room temperature before grilling them. The steak will cook faster and more evenly.

Click here to go to a Printer Friendly Page
Advantage Cooking owners click here to download this recipe.

Recipes	1	2	3	4	5	6
Servings	4	8	12	16	20	24
Ingredients
Minced garlic	1 T.	2 T.	3 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 1 T.	1/4 C. + 2 T.
Worcestershire sauce	2 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 2 T.	1/2 C.	1/2 C. + 2 T.	3/4 C.
Red wine vinegar	2 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 2 T.	1/2 C.	1/2 C. + 2 T.	3/4 C.
Spicy brown mustard	2 t.	1 T. + 1 t.	2 T.	2 T. + 2 t.	3 T. + 1 t.	1/4 C.
Soy sauce	2 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 2 T.	1/2 C.	1/2 C. + 2 T.	3/4 C.
Oil	1/3 C.	2/3 C.	1 C.	1-1/3 C.	1-2/3 C.	2 C.
Black pepper	1/2 t.	1 t.	1-1/2 t.	2 t.	2-1/2 t.	1 T.
Any cut of steak	1-1/2 lbs.	3 lbs.	4-1/2 lbs.	6 lbs.	7-1/2 lbs.	9 lbs.

Assembly Directions:
Mix garlic, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, mustard, soy sauce, oil, and black pepper together in a mixing bowl. One recipe will make a little more than 3/4 C. of marinade.

Place steaks in a gallon freezer bag. Pour marinade over steaks.

Freezing Directions:
Seal, label, and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Remove steak from marinade and discard marinade. For extra flavor, season steaks with steak seasoning or additional seasoning of choice is desired.

Grill over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes on each side.

Nutritional Info:
Oil was not included in the nutritional analysis. Analysis was done using round steak.
Per Serving: 253 Calories; 9g Fat (31.4% calories from fat); 38g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 99mg Cholesterol; 719mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 5 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable.

Chocolate Oat Bars

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

Sep 302010

Share This Recipe

These are great little bars for the lunch box. They have a great crunchy oat topping and a fudgy middle. Want even more chocolate flavor? Double the filling! They are delicious! Or you can cut the bars in half for little hands!

Click here to go to a Printer Friendly Page
Advantage Cooking owners click here to download this recipe.

Recipes	1	2	3	4	5	6
Servings	16	32	48	64	80	96
Ingredients
Oil	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Unsweetened applesauce	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Sugar	1/4 C.	1/2 C.	3/4 C.	1 C.	1-1/4 C.	1-1/2 C.
Brown sugar	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Baking powder	1 t.	2 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 1 t.	1 T. + 2 t.	2 T.
Baking soda	1 t.	2 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 1 t.	1 T. + 2 t.	2 T.
Flour	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Whole wheat flour	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Old fashioned oats	1-1/2 C.	3 C.	4-1/2 C.	6 C.	7-1/2 C.	9 C.
Semi-sweet chocolate chips	3/4 C.	1-1/2 C.	2-1/4 C.	3 C.	3-3/4 C.	4-1/2 C.
Sweetened condensed milk	7 oz.	14 oz.	21 oz.	28 oz.	25 oz.	42 oz.

Assembly Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine oil and applesauce in mixing bowl. Add sugars, baking powder, baking soda, flours, and oats. Beat just until crumbles begin to form. Coat a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Divide dough in half. Press half of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of the pan.

In a small sauce pan, mix the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Heat over low to medium heat, stirring constantly, just until the chocolate chips are melted. Spread the chocolate mixture on top of oatmeal crust. Crumble remaining oatmeal mixture over top of the chocolate layer. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Freezing Directions:
Cool completely and cut into 16 bars. The bars can be frozen in the pan, stacked in a rigid freezer container in-between layers of wax paper, or frozen individually in zipper snack bags. Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw and enjoy!

Comments:
7 oz. of sweetened condensed milk = 1/2 C. + 2 T. (or 1/2 a 14 oz. can)

Nutritional Info: 16 servings
Per Serving: 293 Calories; 12g Fat (36.1% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 43g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 4mg Cholesterol; 129mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1-1/2 Grain (Starch); 2-1/2 Fat; 1-1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Nutritional Info: 32 servings
Per Serving: 147 Calories; 6g Fat (36.1% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 21g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 2mg Cholesterol; 64mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1/2 Grain (Starch); 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

August 2010 Chewin’ the News with Carol

2010, Chewin' the News Comments Off

Aug 172010

Kitchen Fun with Carol

Hello everyone! Wow! The summer has just flown by. It’s hard to believe that it is almost September. Everyone is talking about going back to school and the change of the seasons. My boys start their second year of college in just a couple weeks. We are so proud of them!

The change of the season always prompts me to do a cooking session. This summer I decided to stock up on meats as they went on sale all summer long. I stocked up on boneless skinless chicken breast (1.60 a pound), salmon (3.69 a pound), tilapia (2.99 a pound), and pork loin chops (1.49 a pound). I also got an incredible on day deal on ground beef. I always check the meat department when I stop into the grocery store – even if I am going there to purchase something totally different. You never know when you will run into a manager’s sale that is not advertised.

I shared my recipe lists on the 30 Day Gourmet Facebook ® fan page as I had each cooking day. I also used the new version of the Advantage Cooking Software for this cooking day. I love the grocery list. It’s great to take the list and go through your pantry to eliminate the items that you already have on hand. This can really save a lot of money on your cooking day. I also like the option of saving the grocery list as an Excel spreadsheet. Once you save it, it is very convenient to edit it before you go shopping.

Here’s the final tally of everything I have made for the next 3 months.

Beef:

Hamburgers (3)
Lasagna Rollups (2) from BBOFC
Perfect Little Meatballs (2 – enough for 24 meatball sandwiches)
Meatloaf (2) from the Members area

Pork and Fish:

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia (3) from BBOFC
Shrimp Carbonara (1) from BBOFC
Strawberry Glazed Pork Chops (2)
Sweet Apple Pork Chops (2) from the Slow Cooker Freezer Favorites eBook
Sweet and Simple Salmon Marinade (2) from BBOFC
Tilapia and Mango Salsa (3) from BBOFC

Poultry:

BBQ Chicken Pizza (2) from BBOFC
Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken (1)
Chicken Cordon Bleu (2) from BBOFC
Chicken Florentine Lasagna (2) from BBOFC
Chicken and Broccoli Lo Mein (3) from BBOFC
Elegant Chicken in Marinade (3) from BBOFC
Freezer Quesadillas (1) from BBOFC
Garlic Lime Chicken (3)
My variation of Italian Chicken (3) from the Members area
Oriental Sesame Chicken Strips (3) from BBOFC
Parsley Parmesan Chicken (3) from the Members area
Quesadilla Salad Marinade (3)
Turkey Wreath (3)
Turkey and Noodles (2) from the Members area

Soups and Sandwiches:

BBQ Roast Beef Sandwiches (1)
Bowtie Soup (1) from the Freezer Lunches to Go eBook
Hamburger and Rice Soup (1)
Iowa State Fair Guinea Grinders (3)
Sloppy Joe Sandwich Filling (3)
Slow Cooker Chicken Chili (3)
Tuscan White Bean Soup (2) from BBOFC

One of the best features of the software is the Recipe Inventory Worksheet that it creates for you. Just print it off after your cooking day and hang it on your freezer. As you remove recipes from the freezer check off the recipe on the list. Then you know exactly what you have on hand in the freezer. Click here to see a sample of my list from my last cooking session.

My next step in the cooking process is to create my menu. I take the list of recipes from the Recipe Inventory Worksheet and lay out my 4 week rotation. If I only have one or two of a recipe, I pair it up with other recipes to last for three rotations of the menu. Here’s what my fall menu looks like:

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Ravioli	Parmesan Crusted Tilapia	Sweet Apple or Strawberry Glazed Pork Chops	Chicken Cordon Bleu or Broccoli and Cheese Chicken	Hamburgers	BBQ Chicken Pizza or Chicken Quesadillas	Bowtie Soup,Hamburger Soup or BBQ Beef
Turkey and Noodles	Salmon	Soft Tacos	Parsley Parmesan Chicken	Lasagna Rollups or Shrimp Carbonara	Chicken Cranberry Wreath	Iowa State Fair Guinea Grinders
Tuscan White Bean Soup	Tilapia with Mango Salsa	Garlic Lime Chicken	Chicken Fingers	Chicken and Broccoli Lo Mein	Breakfast Egg Casserole	Meatball Subs
Italian Chicken	Sloppy Joes	Grilled Chicken Parmesan	Meatloaf	Chicken Florentine Lasagna	Oriental Sesame Chicken	Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

Want to get even more organized? Use the Advantage Cooking Software to create your base grocery shopping list for each week. Create a cooking day for each week in the menu rotation. From that, create a Grocery Report for “Serving Day Ingredients Only” and PRESTO you have a grocery list for the week. Cross off what you don’t need and add additional items not from the menu. It’s a great way to get organized!

Facebook® Questions

If you have been following us on the 30 Day Gourmet Facebook ® fan page, you have seen some of the great questions that have been posted about 30 Day Gourmet, our recipes, and our new book, the Big Book of Freezer Cooking. I thought it would be great to share some of these questions with you.

Q: I have the older “manual” that I bought about 10 yrs ago or so, does the new book have new recipes, or is it the same basic stuff. I have a few of the ebooks, so wondering if it’s worth the $.

A: The new book is totally different from the old book. Here are some of the changes that were made in the Big Book of Freezer Cooking:

The book uses concealed ring binding so it lies flat and is easier to use.
The cooking and assembly processes have been updated. We’ve added all new color photos of this process.
The Tally Sheet has been completely redone to make it easier to copy and use at home.
The book contains over 150 recipes – more than twice as many than were included in the Freezer Cooking Manual.
The majority of the recipes are new and have never been published in a prior version of our manual or on our website.
Every recipe includes a color photograph of the final product.
We also include nutritional analysis for every recipe.

Q: Thighs and drumsticks are on sale for .99 a pound. I need help with some recipes to use for these. Cooking is something that doesn’t “click” with me, so I don’t know if I could use these instead of breasts in recipes. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

A: When I buy thighs and drumsticks on sale, I usually end up cooking them in bulk in the crock pot. When they are done, I pull the meat off the bone and use it in any recipe that calls for cooked chicken such as Chicken Tetrazzini, Chicken/Turkey Patties, Chicken Noodle Soup, Chicken and Noodles, Chicken Quesadillas, etc. I just put 1/2 to 1 C. of water to the crock pot and sprinkle some seasonings on top – maybe garlic powder and either poultry seasoning or Italian Seasoning. I cook them with the skins on. Cook them until they are tender and the meat is falling off the bone (3 or 4 hours on high). Once they are done, take them out and remove the meat from the bone. I strain, defat and save the stock that is left in the bottom of the crock pot. This is great for soup.

Keep asking questions! We love helping everyone!

Contest Winner

I know from experience that packing lunches and having homemade snacks on hand for after school can save you a lot of money. For the August Freezer Cook of the Month contest, we asked you to post your favorite lunch recipes, snack recipes, or back to school cooking day stories on the 30 Day Gourmet Facebook ® fan page . The contest winner will receive a free copy of 30 Day Gourmet’s Big Book of Freezer Cooking!

And our Freezer Cook of the Month Contest winner for August is Lou! She had a great posting on the 30 Day Gourmet Facebook ® fan page about her back to school cooking day. Let’s hear from Lou:

I just finished a back to school session making: Ham/turkey w/ cheese, peanut butter and choc spread sandwiches (cut out with a fun sandwich cutter), half a huge loaf of whole wheat bread for each flavor. I have also done 2 dozen bread roll sandwiches (freezer sandwiches from the web site for DH), 1 batch of whole wheat granola bars w/ choc chips and nuts double cut so the kids don’t just eat that at lunch. I also made a double batch of zucchini bread and baked it in my mini loaf tray pans. It made 13 loaves which I then sliced into mini slices; they then went 3 to a snack size bag and in the freezer – 76 slices in total! The fruit dip has been made and portioned into dip containers and frozen and 4 rolls of different cookie dough will be taken out the freezer today and made into mini cookies. Also 8 bags of macaroni and cheese either to be put into a thermos or for a quick after school dinner.

I find mini ‘tasters’ of sweet stuff for lunch are best, that way they can have variety without filling up on dessert.

Great ideas! Thanks for sharing, Lou.

For some more helpful information on packing lunches, read the September 2004 newsletter, the September 2005 newsletter, the September 2008 newsletter, the Do’s and Don’ts of Packed Lunches and my ebook Freezer Lunches To Go. Good luck this school year!

You too can get in on the winning by posting your funny story, good deed, cooking tip, assembly day story, favorite recipe, etc. on the 30 Day Gourmet Facebook ® fan page, or click here to email it to me. Next month we are looking for your favorite back to school recipes!

Good luck, everyone!

Bonus Recipes

Perfect Little Meatballs

Perfect Little Meatballs

Just like the recipe title says, these are the perfect little meatballs! I love how they stay together even after reheating on serving day. It’s a very versatile recipe. I especially like to use them for meatball sandwiches. They are great for packing for lunch. Send them in a warmed thermos with some spaghetti sauce. Include a hotdog bun or a pita pocket and some shredded mozzarella cheese and you have a wonderful lunch!

Strawberry Glazed Pork Chops

Strawberry Glazed Pork Chops

This recipe makes the moistest pork chops you have ever tasted! I grilled the pork chops and they came out beautiful. The flavor is subtle and sweet. You can also bake them in the oven.

Closing Comments from Carol

I hope you enjoyed my fall cooking session. I would love to hear about yours.

Have fun in your kitchen!

Carol

Strawberry Glazed Pork Chops

Low Fat, Low Sodium, Pork and Fish, Recipes, Under 350 Calories Comments Off

Aug 172010

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This recipe makes the moistest pork chops you have ever tasted! I grilled the pork chops and they came out beautiful. The flavor is subtle and sweet. You can also bake them in the oven.

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Advantage Cooking owners click here to download this recipe.

Recipes	1	2	3	4	5	6
Servings	4	8	12	16	20	24
Ingredients
Strawberry preserves	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Red wine vinegar	3 T.	1/4 C. + 2 T.	1/2 C. + 1 T.	3/4 C.	3/4 C. + 3 T.	1 C. + 2 T.
Canola or olive oil	1/4 C.	1/2 C.	3/4 C.	1 C.	1-1/4 C.	1-1/2 C.
Lemon juice	1 t.	2 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 1 t.	1 T. + 2 t.	2 T.
Pork loin chops	4	8	12	16	20	24

Assembly Directions:
In a mixing bowl, whisk together preserves, vinegar, oil and lemon juice. One recipe will make about 1 cup.
Place pork chops in freezer bag. Pour marinade over pork chops.

Freezing Directions:
Seal, label, and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw pork chops in the refrigerator overnight.

To Bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray with cooking spray. Place pork chops on baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest piece of pork reads 160 to 170 degrees.

To Grill: Heat grill to medium high heat. Grill for 5 to 10minutes on each side or until the pork has reached and internal temperature of 165 degrees using an instant read thermometer.

Nutritional Info:
Oil is not included in the nutritional analysis.
Per Serving: 227 Calories; 5g Fat (20.5% calories from fat); 19g Protein; 27g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 47mg Cholesterol; 55mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 2-1/2 Lean Meat; 2 Other Carbohydrates.

Perfect Little Meatballs

Beef, Recipes, Under 10g Carbs, Under 350 Calories Comments Off

Aug 172010

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Recipes	1	2	3	4	5	6
Servings	8	16	24	32	40	48
Ingredients
Ground beef	2 lbs.	4 lbs.	6 lbs.	8 lbs.	10 lbs.	12 lbs.
Ketchup	1/3 C.	2/3 C.	1 C.	1-1/3 C.	1-2/3 C.	2 C.
Dry bread crumbs	3 T.	1/4 C. + 2 T.	1/2 C. + 1 T.	3/4 C.	3/4 C. + 3 T.	1 C. + 2 T.
Egg	1	2	3	4	5	6
Dried onion flakes	2 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 2 T.	1/2 C.	1/2 C. + 2 T.	3/4 C.
Garlic powder	1/2 t.	1 t.	1-1/2 t.	2 t.	2-1/2 t.	1 T.
Black pepper	1/2 t.	1 t.	1-1/2 t.	2 t.	2-1/2 t.	1 T.
Salt	1/2 t.	1 t.	1-1/2 t.	2 t.	2-1/2 t.	1 T.

Assembly Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ground beef, ketchup, bread crumbs, egg, onion flakes, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in medium bowl. Mix lightly but thoroughly; shape into 1 inch meatballs. Place meatballs in two 15X10 jelly roll pans or shallow roasting pans. Bake 18 minutes or until browned. Place meatballs in a gallon size freezer bag.

Freezing Directions:
Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw meatballs in refrigerator.

Comments:
Serve with spaghetti sauce as meatball sub sandwich. Serve with spaghetti sauce over spaghetti for spaghetti and meatballs. Serve with BBQ sauce as an appetizer.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 276 Calories; 16g Fat (53.8% calories from fat); 25g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 103mg Cholesterol; 347mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 3-1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Fat.

Triple Chocolate Meltdown Copycat

Recipes, Snacks and Desserts Comments Off

Aug 172010

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Nanci: Our family loves Applebee’s Triple Chocolate Meltdown but at $5 each with no volunteers to share, it’s a bit spendy. This year, I went looking for a recipe and found several. The one below was adapted from a recipe I found on www.thepioneerwoman.com. She uses a whipped cream topping but my family wanted the rich, chocolate topping just like Applebee’s.

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Recipes	1	2	3	4	5	6
Servings	8	16	24	32	40	48
Cake Ingredients
Semi-sweet baking chocolate	8 squares	16 squares	24 squares	32 squares	40 squares	48 squares
Butter	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Powdered sugar	2 C.	4 C.	6 C.	8 C.	10 C.	12 C.
Whole eggs	4	8	12	16	20	24
Egg yolks	4	8	12	16	20	24
Flour	3/4 C.	1-1/2 C.	2-1/4 C.	3 C.	3-3/4 C.	4-1/2 C.
Chocolate Sauce Ingredients
Semi-sweet baking chocolate	8 squares	16 squares	24 squares	32 squares	40 squares	48 squares
Whipping cream, light or heavy	1 quart	2 quarts	3 quarts	4 quarts	5 quarts	6 quarts
Sugar	1/4 C.	1/2 C.	3/4 C.	1 C.	1-1/4 C.	1-1/2 C.

Preheat oven to 400-425 degrees (the cakes are prone to burning on the bottom so if your oven runs hot like mine does, set it to 400). Spray 4 custard cups* per recipe with cooking spray and place on cookie sheet. Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl on high for 1 minute or until butter is melted. Whisk until chocolate finishes melting.

Stir in sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour. Divide between cups.

Bake 13-14 minutes until sides are firm and center is soft. Let stand 1 minute.

While cakes are baking, make chocolate sauce. Chop chocolate pieces into 4 smaller pieces. In a saucepan, heat half the whipping cream with the sugar until boiling. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Add remaining cream and stir until thicker and smooth.

After cakes have cooled for a few minutes, run a knife around each cake to loosen them, then invert them onto individual plates. Top with warm Chocolate Sauce letting the sauce drip down the sides of the cake. Serve warm. When cut, “lava” chocolate will spill out of the warm cake. Serve with ice cream, if desired.

Comments:
*I purchased the custard cups at Walmart for about $1.50 each. I plan to explore other uses for them too.

*Many of us would never consider sharing our cake but “technically” 1/2 a cake is enough for a filling dessert!

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 1095 Calories; 96g Fat (73.2% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 65g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 395mg Cholesterol; 315mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1-1/2 Grain (Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 18-1/2 Fat; 2-1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

July 2010 Chewin’ the News

2010, Chewin' the News Comments Off

Jul 282010

Kitchen Fun With Carol

Hello everyone! Whew! This summer sure has been one of the hottest that I remember in a long time. We have been running the air conditioner and grilling out as much as possible. How have you been trying to beat the heat?

My husband and I visited the new polar bear exhibit at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. It’s been a long time since we have had polar bears at our zoo. The last time was about 20 years ago and I remember taking my daughter, Amanda, there to visit. The new exhibit space is wonderful. They have a swimming area where the polar bears, Aurora and Anana, play. You can view them from above the water or from a glass enclosure below.

The day we visited the zoo they had exhibits where they talked about the enrichment activities they have for the animals. They had all sorts of piñatas filled with treats for the animals, boxes the animals would try to open, and we even saw the big play balls the elephants push around. We got to see one of these activities first hand when we visited the polar bears. They make large “popsicles” for the bears in five gallon buckets. They placed them in the exhibit area and we watched as the bears interacted with the frozen treats. It was fun to watch plus it made me think of all those frozen summer treats people enjoy!

Frozen Summer Treats

If you have been following us on the 30 Day Gourmet Facebook® fan page, you know that I picked up an ice cream maker on clearance a couple of weeks ago. A special Thank You to everyone who posted recipes for me to try! I have used an ice cream maker before. I borrowed my brother’s last year to try some recipes but I have never owned one myself. My husband and I have been testing recipes the last two weekends. It has been fun! I would not deem all the recipes we tested as a success (isn’t that the way it usually works!), but it was still fun to try them.

I have always wondered what the difference is between sorbet, sherbet, and ice cream. After some research, I have found out that according to the FDA:

Sorbet is a frozen dessert made from sweetened liquid and fruit juice or fruit puree. There are no dairy products in sorbet.
Sherbet is a frozen dessert containing between 1 percent and 2 percent milk products.
Ice cream is a frozen dessert containing more than two percent milk products. It must also contain at least 10 percent milk fat and weighs not less than 4.5 pounds per gallon.
Ice milk contains less than 10 percent milk fat. Most of the time you will see this labeled as low-fat ice cream.

I’ve always been leery of making homemade ice cream recipes that use raw eggs. I’ve found a solution for this issue. You can use a pasteurized egg substitute product, such as Egg Beaters®, instead. All bacteria are killed during the pasteurization process so it is considered safe to use.

I also experimented using different dairy products including lower fat or fat free milk, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and half and half. Using the lower fat products will change the texture of the dessert but they were still very good.

Contest Winner

Our Freezer Cook of the Month is Peggy! She posted a recipe on the30 Day Gourmet Facebook® fan page for Homemade Ice Cream. We tried the chocolate version with chocolate pudding and chocolate milk. My husband loves it and he is not really a die hard fan of chocolate ice cream. This recipe is very creamy and it makes a lot. We only made a half batch and ended up with 8 cups of ice cream. Try it yourself! I think you will like it!

You too can get in on the winning by posting your funny story, good deed, cooking tip, assembly day story, favorite recipe, etc. on the 30 Day Gourmet Facebook® fan page, or click here to email it to me to be entered in our contest. Next month we are looking for your favorite back to school recipes!

Good luck, everyone!

Post Your Review And You Could Win A Gift Card!

Nanci just added a “Reviews” tab to the 30 Day Gourmet Facebook® fan page, so let’s have a contest! Here are the rules:

Post your 100+ word review of our new cookbook (30 Day Gourmet’s BIG Book of Freezer Cooking) under the Reviews tab on the 30 Day Gourmet Facebook® fan page by midnight on August 1st, 2010.
Nanci will put all of the “posters” names into a hat and have her 17 year old daughter pull out a winning name.
The winner will receive a $25 gift card to Olive Garden/Red Lobster/Longhorn Steakhouse/Bahama Breeze!

Let the reviewing begin!

Bonus Recipes

Mango Sorbet

Mangoes are one of my favorite fruits. I’ve just started cooking with them and they are amazing. They are sweet and very flavorful! The first time we had Mango Sorbet it was served with fresh blueberries. It is a wonderful combination. Serve it at your next backyard gathering.

Sherbet Your Way

This recipe is very versatile. You can change the flavor of gelatin and juice concentrate that you use to create your personalized flavor of sherbet. Try orange juice concentrate and orange flavored gelatin, limeade concentrate and lime gelatin, pineapple juice concentrate and pineapple gelatin, or grape juice concentrate and grape gelatin. The combinations are endless!

Closing Comments from Carol

I hope you enjoy the frozen dessert recipes. Next month I hope to share some back to school recipes. School starts in the next couple of weeks for lots of families. I know from experience that packing lunches and having homemade snacks on hand for after school can save you a lot of money. So I’m looking for your lunch or snack recipes and for your stories of your back to school cooking days.

Have fun in your kitchen!

Carol

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