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.

Citrus Ginger Chicken

Low Fat, Low Sodium, Poultry, Recipes, Under 350 Calories Comments Off

Mar 012009

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This is a nice chicken marinade. It gives the chicken a subtle citrus flavor that is not too overwhelming. We usually make it with yellow mustard but next time I am going to try with spicy brown or honey mustard to give it a little more “kick”!

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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
Orange marmalade	1/4 C.	1/2 C.	3/4 C.	1 C.	1-1/4 C.	1-1/2 C.
Yellow, honey or spicy brown mustard	1 T.	2 T.	3 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 1 T.	1/4 C. + 2 T.
Ground ginger	3/4 t.	1-1/2 t.	2-1/4 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 3/4 t.	1 T. + 1-1/2 t.
Cayenne pepper	1/8 t.	1/4 t.	3/8 t.	1/2 t.	1/2 t. + 1/8 t.	3/4 t.
Oil	2 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 2 T.	1/2 C.	1/2 C. + 2 T.	3/4 C.
Boneless, skinless chicken breast	4	8	12	16	20	24

Assembly Directions:
Combine marmalade, mustard, ginger, pepper and oil in a mixing bowl. Stir well with a whisk until combined. Divide marinade evenly between freezer bags. Add chicken breasts to each bag.

Freezing Directions:
Remove excess air from bag. Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Coat grill rack with cooking spray. Heat grill to medium high or between 350 and 400 degrees. Place chicken on rack. Cook 10 minutes on each side or until instant read thermometer reads 170 degrees.

Nutritional Info:
Oil was not included in the nutritional analysis.
Per Serving: 183 Calories; 2g Fat (8.3% calories from fat); 28g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 68mg Cholesterol; 135mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 4 Lean Meat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

March 2009 Chewin’ the News

2009, Chewin' the News Comments Off

Mar 012009

Kitchen Fun with Carol

Hello fellow freezer cooks! Spring/cabin fever has officially hit my house. Spring is officially here and I am ready for it! It seems like it has been such a long winter this year but the spring bulbs are starting to bloom and warmer days are in our future. It is amazing how many neighbors come out once it warms up. Everyone is playing outside, riding their bikes, walking their dogs and the grills come out of storage. It is wonderful to walk through the neighborhood and smell all the first aroma of barbecue chicken and steaks on the grill. I have to admit that it inspired me to cook out as well. I am thinking about cooking some Bruschetta Salmon or hamburgers and some Grill Fries. Yum!

We are knee deep in household projects and menu planning as we prepare for the big graduation party in May. I am looking for some new finger food recipes to serve at the party. Does anyone have a recipe to share? You can post your recipes on the 30 Day Gourmet Facebook® fan page or click here to send me an email. I will try them and share my party menu with you in the May newsletter.

All the planning and projects in addition to the regular spring cleaning can be a little overwhelming at times. We are also still trying to replace some items that were damaged last year in the wind storms. We have spent the past several weeks price shopping gazebos, swing sets, outdoor fabrics and grills. You know how it is when you are shopping for seasonal items. You have to make your decisions quickly before the merchandise is out of stock for the year. It can be very stressful. I am glad I have meals in the freezer that I can put together quickly when we are in a rush.

I cannot believe that time has gone fast enough for it to be time for my youngest to graduate from high school. That just does not seem possible to me. It also made me start thinking about how long my family has been using 30 Day Gourmet. I believe it has been almost 10 years ( fall of 1999) since my sister-in-law, Lisa, introduced us to this wonderful cooking method (Thank you, Lisa!). I was looking through a binder of past menus and I actually have some of my original menus from that time period. They have some of the first recipes that we tried from The Freezer Cooking Manual, from the 30 Day Gourmet message boards, from Lisa’s personal cookbook, and my own recipes which were adapted for freezer cooking. Wow! It really takes me back.

Even though I have been cooking this way for 10 years it is still amazing to me how adaptable the system is to your own situation. I have definitely changed the way that I cook over the years. When I first started cooking ahead, I would cook everything I possibly could. I was working full time and 30 Day Gourmet helped me get control of my kitchen and helped me serve more nutritious food to my family. Now I use it for those meals that take a lot of prep time and to have lunches made ahead of time. It also helps me save a lot of money by buying and preparing food based on what is on sale. This has helped tremendously over the past 12 to 18 months as we have seen the cost of food sky rocket.

Freezer Cook of the Month

Our Freezer Cook of the Month is Jenn from Ft. Wayne, IN. Jenn has a great story about how cooking the 30 Day Gourmet way has saved her time AND money. Let’s hear Jenn’s story:

For me, 30 Day Gourmet is all about fun, friends, and financial freedom. I’ve done 30 Day Gourmet on and off for about 5 years, now. I end up doing a 6 week meal plan for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks about 4 times per year. We home school, have 5 kids with the youngest being 1 1/2 years old and he REALLY keeps me busy. As I’m cleaning up a drawer he got into, he’s already off finding something else to get into. Between the toddler and all the activities the bigger kids have, I sometimes end up feeling a little overwhelmed with activities. For a few evening’s worth of planning while I sit in front of the TV, one afternoon of shopping and 1 day of cooking; I get the reward of having a chunk of my responsibilities lifted off my shoulders. For me, 30 Day Gourmet is like having an extra adult in the house to help me and releases me to the fun things I WANT to do. Before I began 30 Day Gourmet, I would never have believed how much EASIER it makes my life.

Many times friends will want to visit on cooking day and I let them know that cooking day is on the agenda. They’re usually still eager to stop over for a cup of coffee and end up helping chop veggies while I stir a sauce. It’s a pleasant diversion and a genuine help rather than slowing me down. Before I started 30 Day Gourmet, I thought an entire day of cooking would be a huge imposition on my life and instead it’s become a welcome task that friends can join in.

It’s brought me closer to friends in other ways, too. Since I started doing 30 Day Gourmet, a neighbor and a few friends have begun and at least once a year we do a meal swap. I make 6 of my favorite meals and we swap so I get 6 different kinds of meals I may not have made on my own — and new recipes to try on my family without having to experiment! Recently, I’ve been freezing one portion of each dinner I make in a 30 Day Gourmet session in individual-sized bags. My husband has an elderly uncle who doesn’t cook and once a week, I take from the stores in my upright freezer and put several meals in his refrigerator/freezer. It’s also wonderful that I’m in a position to help a sick friend or someone who just had a baby without setting aside any of the other things I need to do in a day — we just pull out a dinner, write up last minute directions in a card and run it over!

I’ve ended up making 30 Day Gourmet “my own” by incorporating my own recipes and ways of doing things. For example, instead of a full 30 day cooking session, every other session, I’ll buy my meat for the month, cook it all up in various forms, put it in the freezer and cut my evening preparation in half. This allows me maximum flexibility and if someone joins us for dinner, I can just pull out extra meat rather than having to get out an entire meal that may have been too much food for one extra person.

Another twist I’ve done is in my price book. About once a year I update my price book comparing stores in the area. I hate shopping (another benefit of 30 Day Gourmet is that I don’t have to shop often) and so I shop at the overall cheapest store according to my price book rather than running from store to store. In January, I took an evening and my last 30 day grocery receipt and roughly determined the cost of each meal according to the ingredients. I was amazed that some meals I thought were really cheap weren’t and some meals I thought were expensive ended up not being that bad. This has helped me plan my meals and special events much better keeping cost in mind. If we want to buy fish for Lent, which ends up being pretty expensive for us, I just substitute a few cheaper meals or snacks rather than the more expensive ones. Using 30 Day Gourmet, I can pre-determine, almost to the dollar, how much I’ll spend on groceries!We are striving to get out of debt and this is one my thing I can do to contribute to our financial freedom…as well as enjoying my friends and easing up my life for fun – “fun, friends & financial freedom” could be the 30 Day Gourmet subtitle!

It is great to hear how freezer cooking can really make a difference in your life!

So, how do you make 30 Day Gourmet work for you? How do you use it to help you deal with a challenge in your life? How do you use it to help others? Do you have a funny cooking story to share? You can post your recipes on the 30 Day Gourmet Facebook® fan page or click here to send me an email.

Bonus Recipes

Citrus Ginger Chicken

As I said before, the warmer weather has really inspired me to get out and grill. This is a nice chicken marinade. It gives the chicken a subtle citrus flavor that is not too overwhelming. We usually make it with yellow mustard but next time I am going to try with spicy brown or honey mustard to give it a little more “kick”!

Focaccia Sandwich Bread

Several years ago we took the family to Disney World on vacation. One of the best counter service sandwiches we had during the trip was served on Focaccia bread. The herbs give it a great flavor and aroma. We love to use it for either Chicken or Turkey sandwiches. This recipe also makes great breadsticks!

Closing Comments from Carol

Easter is just around the corner. We have several family visits planned for the weekend. To save time, I plan my cooking ahead of time and pick meals that freeze easily. For example we enjoy having a family breakfast or brunch together on holidays. I like serving Baked French Toast or Breakfast Egg Casserole. The recipes scale well and are great for a crowd. If you are putting out appetizers before the meal, try the Party Cheese Ball, Veggie Dip, or Raspberry Fruit Dip. There are a lot of great recipes on the web site. Just click on the Recipes button in the upper right hand corner of the web site. Are you looking for a cookbook dedicated to holiday meals? Take a look at the Holiday Freezer Cookbook. It a lot of great recipes that can be used for any holiday gathering.

Do you have any other topics that you would like to cover? Do you have any cooking questions that need to be answered? Click here to send me an email. I enjoy hearing from you!

Happy Easter, everyone.

Carol

February 2009 Chewin’ the News

2009, Chewin' the News Comments Off

Feb 012009

Kitchen Fun with Carol

Hello fellow freezer cooks! Time is flying and it is the middle of February already. Amazing! There are so many things happening in our lives right now. Sometimes it is hard to keep up with it all. There is only two weeks until Spring sports start. I have one son in Track and Field and another son in Tennis. It is also their senior year. There is only three more months until graduation (of course the menu planning for the graduation party has already begun), only two more months to make final decisions on colleges, and it is also time to line up summer jobs. And then there is all the time we have spent applying for scholarships. What a whirlwind of activities!

Freezer Cook of the Month Update

I received an email from Rhea, last month’s Freezer Cook of the Month. She suggested that everyone should also try the buttermilk cookie recipe. Click here to view the recipe. Rhea also suggested using this recipe to make Chocolate Chip Cookies. Add 2 cups of chocolate chips to the recipe and omit the frosting. They are good. Give them a try!

Budget Questions

I am always looking for a bargain for the kitchen. One of my kids’ favorite things to do is to shop the after holiday sale for candy. We did this after Valentine’s Day. We were able to purchase candy at half price. I picked up some Reese’s® Peanut Butter Cups to make Deb’s Reese’s® Peanut Butter Cup Cookies. I also bought some Hershey’s® Hugs. We make Pretzel Sandwiches with them. Take any type of waffle pretzel and place a candy on top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 2 to 3 minutes or until the candy just starts to melt. Place another pretzel on top to complete the sandwich. They taste great and it is a lot easier than making chocolate covered pretzels.

I also received several price book questions after last month’s newsletter. Here’s one question I received:

Somewhere I read that all grocery stores have certain types of items on sale every 12 weeks or so (like the yearly white sales). I buy in bulk (I hate shopping). I would appreciate that information if you could find out if this is true. It would help everyone, we would know if something was on sale we had better buy now because it would be awhile before this item was really on sale again.

Thanks,

Orva

I believe that this is true from my experience shopping. For example, artificial sweetener goes on sale for 25 percent off about every 8 weeks at my local grocery store. A coupon is usually available from our local paper around the time of the sale. I try to buy the sweetener when it is on sale and I have a coupon. This can usually save me almost 3 dollars per bag.

The best way to track sales trends is by using a detailed price book. Here is an example of a Price Book Page. You start off by creating a page for each product that you want to track. You can use a loose leaf binder, spiral bound notebook, journal, or anything that you are comfortable using. The loose leaf notebook works well because you can easily rearrange the pages to make it easier to find the page you want to update. You add dividers to arrange the pages by product type such as dairy, breads, canned goods, produce, etc.

Each page in the notebook is dedicated to one product such as milk, peanut butter, bread, frozen peas, etc. On this page record information about the product as you shop at various stores. You record the store, brand, size, price, unit price and the date that you recorded the information. Anytime an item is on sale make an entry and highlight the price with a highlighter or place an asterisk(*) after the price. When the item is on sale again in the future you can start to gauge how often it goes on sale. This helps you plan the amount to purchase if you are going to stock up until the next sale.

Make sure you keep track of the unit price. The unit price is the price per ounce or pound. This allows you to compare the different prices and sizes equally. The lowest unit price is the best buy. It is good to go through this exercise. Sometimes it pays to buy a larger size if you are going to use the entire quantity.

Freezer Cook of the Month Winner

Our Freezer Cook of the Month is creativemom. She posted a story about her first cooking session! It reminded me of my first cooking session almost 10 years ago. My husband was my cooking partner as well. He is a great prep cook. Here is her posting:

With the start of a new year (and our third child coming in just 2 months) I decided this was the time to learn to fill the freezer for a month!

I had been reading and printing recipes from this website for the past few months along with reading & researching other freezer cooking books and websites. I’ve dabbled in freezer cooking for the past year trying various recipes or buying food (meat, cheese, veggies) in bulk and portioning them for recipes in the future, but never made entrees for a month because the thought of it was too overwhelming! I was definitely envious of those who cooked for the entire month, but I wasn’t sure I could handle the whole month…I was wrong!

With the help of the worksheets from the 30 Day Gourmet Manual (I found an older edition secondhand at a sale a few months ago), I planned out our menu and shopping list for the month of meals. I also took into account what we normally eat (pasta, breakfast for dinner, soups, etc.) and then I built a two week meal plan around it so I could repeat the plan twice in the month. I didn’t want to be too ambitious and not complete the meals so that will be my goal for February – more variety!!!

It helped me to make certain nights of the week certain cuisines (Tuesdays – Italian, Wednesday – breakfasts, Thursdays – Mexican) and it also helped that most Sunday nights are PIZZA nights in our home.

My husband and I spent the afternoon of New Year’s Eve and the morning of New Year’s Day cooking & assembling all the main entrees. It was a fun way to kick off the year together as a family. Our kids, ages 5 and 2, thought it was great that all kinds of foods were being cooked at once, they were especially excited about the mac ‘n’ cheese when I let them sample it!

We made the following:
Baked Ham Sandwiches
Italian Meatballs (spaghetti & subs)
Garlic Bread
French Toast Casseroles (members can access online)
Awesome Mac n’ Cheese
Hearty Burritos
Chicken Nuggets
English Muffin Breakfast Sandwiches
Veggie Soup
Black Bean Soup
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Fruit Slush
Granola Bars

A few things I learned during my first assembly day:
*Plastic disposable gloves are great for handling meats – especially when making nuggets and meatballs.
*extra measuring cups & spoons, large bowls and spatulas are helpful!
*having a husband who can watch the kids and wash dishes is GREAT-HELP!

Last night we enjoyed spaghetti, meatballs and garlic bread from the freezer along with a salad (made fresh of course) and my husband said “I love freezer dinners!” He knows I have much less meal-prep stress and he’s always amazed at how good the food tastes. Tonight we’re going to have French Toast Casserole & Fruit Slush…can’t wait!

Happy Freezer Cooking!

I was unable to reach creativemom so we’ll have to meet our winner next month. Creativemom, if you read this, please click here to send me an email to claim your prize!

Bonus Recipes

You may not know this but February is American Heart Month. According to the Center for Disease Control, heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. A healthy diet and lifestyle are one of the best ways that you can fight heart disease. For more information on heart disease visit the CDC or American Heart Association websites. This month’s bonus recipes focus on making traditional recipes a little more heart friendly. Enjoy!

Apple Cranberry Crisp
We love apple crisp in our house but we always seem to focus on the topping and not the fruit. This recipe focuses on the flavor of the fruit mixture and adds the new twist of cranberry and orange to traditional apple crisp. Cranberries are high in antioxidants. It is believed that they help protect against heart disease and cancer.

Slow Cooker Chicken Chili
After the release of the ebook Slow Cooker Freezer Favorite, I received several emails about making slow cooker kits for meals that are cooked fresh on the day that you serve them. This recipe is an example of that type of recipe. Chili is a winter staple for my family. This recipe is definitely more heart healthy because it it lower in sodium, fat, and calories than traditional chili. To achieve this, the ground beef was replaced with chicken breast. We also used reduced sodium tomato products such as no salt added tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Replacing canned corn with frozen corn also reduces the sodium content of the recipe. This recipe will be replacing traditional chili on our winter menu.

Closing Comments from Carol

I hope you enjoy the heart healthy recipes. It is a great feeling to know that the meals you are serving your family taste good and are good for them.

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

Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

Low Fat, Recipes, Soups & Sandwiches, Under 350 Calories Comments Off

Feb 012009

Share This Recipe

After the release of the ebook Slow Cooker Freezer Favorites, I received several emails about making slow cooker kits for meals that are cooked fresh on the day that you serve them. This recipe is an example of that type of recipe. Chili is a winter staple for my family. This recipe is definitely more heart healthy because it it lower in sodium, fat, and calories than traditional chili. To achieve this, the ground beef was replaced with chicken breast. We also used reduced sodium tomato products such as no salt added tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Replacing canned corn with frozen corn also reduces the sodium content of the recipe. This recipe will be replacing traditional chili on our winter menu.

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
Boneless, skinless chicken breast	1-1/2 lbs.	3 lbs.	4-1/2 lbs.	6 lbs.	7-1/2 lbs.	9 lbs.
Canned tomatoes with green chilies; undrained	14 oz.	28 oz.	42 oz.	56 oz.	70 oz.	84 oz.
Canned no salt added diced tomatoes; undrained	14 oz.	28 oz.	42 oz.	56 oz.	70 oz.	84 oz.
No salt added tomato sauce	16 oz.	32 oz.	48 oz.	64 oz.	80 oz.	96 oz.
Chopped green pepper	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Chopped onion	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Frozen corn	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Chili powder	1 T.	2 T.	3 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 1 T.	1/4 C. + 2 T.
On Hand Ingredients
Canned dark red kidney beans; drained and rinsed	15 oz.	30 oz.	45 oz.	60 oz.	75 oz.	90 oz.
Canned navy or great northern beans, drained and rinsed	15 oz.	30 oz.	45 oz.	60 oz.	75 oz.	90 oz.
Shredded Co-Jack cheese (optional)	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.

Assembly Directions:
Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add chicken and remaining ingredients to a freezer bag or freezer container.

Freezing Directions:
Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw mixture overnight in the refrigerator. Pour chicken mixture into slow cooker. Add kidney beans and navy beans. Stir to combine. Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours or until the chicken is fully cooked. Remove from slow cooker and place in bowls. Top with shredded cheese.

Comments:
This chili was an instant favorite with my family! You can control the spiciness by changing the amount of chili powder. You could also make the chili with canned tomatoes with jalapeños instead of the green chilies for a spicier chili or with no peppers at all for a mild chili.

Nutritional Info: with cheese
Per Serving: 379 Calories; 10g Fat (23.2% calories from fat); 38g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 89mg Cholesterol; 502mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1-1/2 Grain (Starch); 4-1/2 Lean Meat; 2-1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat.

Nutritional Info: without cheese
Per Serving: 305 Calories; 4g Fat (11.2% calories from fat); 34g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 69mg Cholesterol; 369mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1-1/2 Grain (Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 2-1/2 Vegetable.

Garlic Toast

Breads and Breakfast, Recipes, Under 350 Calories Comments Off

Feb 012009

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This is a great recipe to have on hand! Add more or less garlic powder based on your personal taste. Same with the Italian seasoning. This is a tasty and economical alternative to the expensive garlic toast you buy in the freezer section at your local grocery store.

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	24	48	72	96	120	144
Ingredients
Butter or margarine, softened	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Olive or vegetable oil	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Garlic powder	1/4 C.	1/2 C.	3/4 C.	1 C.	1-1/4 C.	1-1/2 C.
Italian seasoning	1/4 C.	1/2 C.	3/4 C.	1 C.	1-1/4 C.	1-1/2 C.
Parmesan cheese (optional)	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Italian bread, sliced 1-inch thick	2 loaves	4 loaves	6 loaves	8 loaves	10 loaves	12 loaves

Assembly Directions:
In a medium size bowl, mix together the butter, oil, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning with a spoon. Add Parmesan cheese, if desired. You want the mixture to be a nice spreadable consistency. If it’s too thick, add more oil… maybe a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is spreadable. Spread both sides of the bread slices with the mixture and put them on a cookie sheet.

Freezing Directions:
Put the cookie sheet of bread slices in the freezer. When they’re frozen, package the slices in a gallon freezer bag. Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the needed number of garlic toast slices on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. For even toasting, turn the pieces halfway through the baking time.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 183 Calories; 14g Fat (67.4% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 3mg Cholesterol; 268mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1/2 Grain (Starch); 2-1/2 Fat.

Awesome Mac ‘n Cheese

Recipes, Sides and Salads Comments Off

Feb 012009

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Here’s another version of Mac and Cheese but with sausage added for extra flavor. The ground black pepper quantity is completely up to you. A dash is equal to a couple of shakes of a pepper shaker. A pinch is equal to the quantity you could pinch between your thumb and index finger.

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
Makes	12 C.	24 C.	36 C.	48 C.	60 C.	72 C.
Ingredients
Uncooked elbow macaroni	3 C.	6 C.	9 C.	12 C.	15 C.	18 C.
Butter or margarine	3 T.	6 T.	1/2 C. + 1 T.	3/4 C.	3/4 C. + 3 T.	1 C. + 2 T.
All purpose flour	2 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 2 T.	1/2 C.	1/2 C. + 2 T.	3/4 C.
Salt (optional)	1/2 t.	1 t.	1-1/2 t.	2 t.	2-1/2 t.	1 T.
Ground black pepper	dash	pinch	1/8 t.	1/4 t.	1/4 t. + a dash	1/4 t. + a pinch
Milk	2 C.	4 C.	6 C.	8 C.	10 C.	12 C.
Velveeta cheese food (or store brand equivalent)	2 C.	4 C.	6 C.	8 C.	10 C.	12 C.
Smok-e-links sausages, sliced crosswise	1 lb.	2 lbs.	3 lbs.	4 lbs.	5 lbs.	6 lbs.

Assembly Directions:
Cook macaroni for 1/2 the time instructed on the packaging and drain. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium low heat. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper. Add the milk all at once; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Reduce the heat slightly and cook for two minutes more. Add the cubed cheese, stirring until melted. (Add more or less cheese, depending on taste.) Stir in cooked macaroni. Add the cut up sausages. Allow to cool and then freeze in a gallon-size freezer bag.

Serving Directions:
Thaw thoroughly, then heat in microwave oven, over low heat on the range, or at 350 degrees in an oven for 30 minutes.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 816 Calories; 53g Fat (57.7% calories from fat); 31g Protein; 56g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 105mg Cholesterol; 1762mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 3 Grain (Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 8-1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Apple Cranberry Crisp

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

Feb 012009

Share This Recipe

We love apple crisp in our house but we always seem to focus on the topping and not the fruit. This recipe focuses on the flavor of the fruit mixture and adds the new twist of cranberry and orange to traditional apple crisp. Cranberries are high in antioxidants. It is believed that they help protect against heart disease and cancer.

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
Cranberries, fresh or frozen	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Orange juice	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Brown sugar	2 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 2 T.	1/2 C.	1/2 C. + 2 T.	3/4 C.
Apples; peeled, cored and sliced	5 C.	10 C.	15 C.	20 C.	25 C.	30 C.
Instant or old fashioned oats	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 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.
Flour	2 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 2 T.	1/2 C.	1/2 C. + 2 T.	3/4 C.
Cinnamon	1/2 t.	1 t.	1-1/2 t.	2 t.	2-1/2 t.	1 T.
Butter or margarine	2 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 2 T.	1/2 C.	1/2 C. + 2 T.	3/4 C.

Assembly Directions:
Place cranberries, orange juice and 2 T. of brown sugar in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook until the skin on the cranberries start to break open (about 3 to 5 minutes). Remove from heat. Mix with chopped apples and toss to thoroughly coat.

In a separate bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Using a pastry blender or fork cut in butter until crumbly.

Freezing Directions:
Place apple mixture in a gallon freezer bag. Place topping mixture in a separate quart freezer bag. Seal, label and freeze.

Servings Directions:
Thaw apple and topping mixture. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8×8 pan with cooking spray. Place apple mixture in pan. Sprinkle oat mixture over the apple mixture. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 167 Calories; 5g Fat (23.6% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 32g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 48mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1/2 Grain (Starch); 1 Fruit; 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

January 2009 Chewin’ the News

2009, Chewin' the News Comments Off

Jan 012009

Kitchen Fun with Carol

Happy New Year everyone and welcome winter! Winter has hit here with a vengeance. It has been cold for months and we have had a ton of snow this winter. The weather seems to put everyone into hibernation mode in our neighborhood. It usually puts me in a reflective mood. I tend to spend time evaluating what I did last year and how I want to approach things differently this year.

I always set up budget goals for the year. This year it seems even more important with the state of the economy. Every place I can save money in the budget is money that can put towards paying off debt or saving for our emergency fund.

My cooking is no exception. I look at the family recipes. If the cost of a certain ingredient has gone up considerably over the last year, I will only use it in moderation. Take cheese, for example. Over the last year the price of an 8 ounce bag of shredded cheese has gone from $2 (not on sale) to $3 or more. Taking this fact into consideration I will go through my recipes and find the ones that use a large quantity of cheese and replace it with a recipe that is less expensive to make. Or I can wait until cheese goes on sale to make those recipes.

I also plan to use the On-Hand Inventory List (from The Freezer Cooking Manual) more this year for my cooking days. This helps save money in several ways. First, I will only purchase the items that I need for my cooking day. No need to buy an ingredient if it is already in the pantry. I also use the list as an inspiration for recipes to make. If I have 10 boxes of spaghetti on hand I could make Chicken Tetrazzini, Meatballs for Spaghetti and Meatballs (Master Meat Mix), or Chicken Patties for Chicken Parmesan.

I am also going to make sure my price book is up to date. Like most people I tend to let things “slide” through the holidays. Now I need to update my book and make sure I can spot a good sale. Do you need help getting started with your price book? Click here to take a look at the different methods I have used in the February 2007 newsletter to build mine. This time I will be using the quick comparison (Method 2).

Give it a try! It’s a great way to keep track of prices for the items you buy on a regular basis.

Contest Winners

Freezer Cook of the Month Winner

Our Freezer Cook of the Month is Rhea from Bakersfield, CA. She posted a story about how she uses left over buttermilk after making her homemade fried chicken. I tried several of the recipes. Here are two of my favorites.

Buttermilk Rolls

I enjoy making fresh rolls for my family. These rolls have a wonderful texture and they do not dry out like other rolls can. This recipe was written for the bread machine but you could make it by hand or with the use of a mixer with a bread hook. Give this recipe a try. I’m sure you will enjoy it.

Walnut Orange Muffins

I will definitely be adding this recipe to my 30 Day Gourmet recipe binder. It reminds me of some muffins that I sometimes purchase at the local bakery. They are moist and delicious. If you do not like walnuts, you can use pecans instead.

Bonus Recipes

Anyone out there a chocoholic? Here are some of my favorite chocolate cookie/dessert recipes on the 30 Day Gourmet web site. Some of these recipes are also great to make for school valentines parties. They are a hit with older kids as well.

Almost Candy Bar Brownies (members can access online)
Black and White Striped Cookies
Brownie Bites
Chocolate Cheerio Bars
Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls
Chocolate Peanut Clusters
Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies
Frozen Candy Bars
Frozen Peanut Butter Bars
Malted Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Muddy Buddies
No-Bake Cookies (members can access online)
Oreo Truffles

Here are some new recipes that I have recently added to my list of favorites. I hope you enjoy them too.

Deb’s Reese’s® Peanut Butter Cookies

This is a recipe I got from my friend Deb at her Christmas cookie exchange. They are so good. Every time that I have made the recipe, the cookies have disappeared. Trust me they are great cookies.

Crispy S’Mores Bars

The first time I made these bars my teenage sons ate half a pan before I realized it. They are very chocolaty and are a great “fix” for that chocolate craving. You can use any chocolate flavored cereal for the bars such as Cocoa Krispies® or Cocoa Pebbles®.

Closing Comments from Carol

I hope you enjoy all the baking recipes. I love to bake in the winter. It warms my kitchen and makes the house feel homey.

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!

Best wishes to you and your family this New Year!

Carol

Deb’s Reese’s® Peanut Butter Cookies

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

Jan 012009

Share This Recipe

This is a recipe I got from my friend Deb at her Christmas cookie exchange. They are so good. Every time that I have made the recipe, the cookies have disappeared. Trust me – they are great cookies.

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	36	72	108	144	180	216
Ingredients
Margarine	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Peanut butter	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Sugar	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Packed brown sugar	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Eggs	1	2	3	4	5	6
Milk	2 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 2 T.	1/2 C.	1/2 C. + 2 T.	3/4 C.
Vanilla	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.
Salt	1 t.	2 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 1 t.	1 T. + 2 t.	2 T.
Flour	1-3/4 C.	3-1/2 C.	5-1/4 C.	7 C.	8-3/4 C.	10-1/2 C.
Sugar	1/4 C.	1/2 C.	3/4 C.	1 C.	1-1/4 C.	1-1/2 C.
Miniature Reese’s® Peanut Butter Cups	9 oz.	18 oz.	27 oz.	36 oz.	45 oz.	54 oz.

Assembly Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. With an electric mixer beat margarine and peanut butter until thoroughly combined. Gradually add sugars. Cream well. Add egg, milk and vanilla. Beat well. Add baking soda, salt and flour. Mix well. Shape into small balls. Place sugar in a bowl and roll cookie dough balls in the sugar. Place each dough ball in a greased mini-muffin pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and press a peanut butter cup in center of each cookie. Leave in pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Carefully remove from pan and place on wire rack. Allow to cool.

Freezing Directions:
Place the cookies in a freezer container. Layers can be separated with wax paper. Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw and enjoy!

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 134 Calories; 7g Fat (44.6% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 6mg Cholesterol; 166mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1/2 Grain (Starch); 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Crispy S’Mores Bars

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

Jan 012009

Share This 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	24	48	72	96	120	144
Ingredients
Graham crackers	8	16	24	32	40	48
Semi-sweet baking chocolate	8 oz.	16 oz.	24 oz.	32 oz.	40 oz.	48 oz.
Oil	2 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 2 T.	1/2 C.	1/2 C. + 2 T.	3/4 C.
Margarine	3 T.	1/2 C. + 2 T.	3/4 C. + 3 T.	1-1/4 C.	1-1/2 C. + 1 T.	1-3/4 C. + 2 T.
Salt	1/4 t.	1/2 t.	3/4 t.	1 t.	1-1/4 t.	1-1/2 t.
Miniature marshmallows	5 C.	10 C.	15 C.	20 C.	25 C.	30 C.
Vanilla	1/2 t.	1 t.	1-1/2 t.	2 t.	2-1/2 t.	1 T.
Cocoa powder	4 t.	8 t.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 4 t.	1/4 C. + 8 t.	1/2 C.
Chocolate flavored cereal such as Cocoa Krispies® or Cocoa Pebbles®	6 C.	12 C.	18 C.	24 C.	30 C.	36 C.

Assembly Directions:
Line a 13×9 inch pan with foil. Grease bottom and sides of the pan. Place graham crackers on bottom of pan cutting to fit. Microwave chocolate and oil on high for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir until melted. Spread half of the melted chocolate over the graham crackers.

Microwave the margarine in a large microwave safe bowl on high for 30 to 45 seconds or until the margarine is melted. Add the salt and marshmallows. Microwave for an additional 1 1/2 minutes or until the marshmallows are melted. Add the vanilla and cocoa. Stir until mixed well. Add the cereal and stir until the cereal is well coated with the marshmallow mixture.

Press the cereal mixture over the chocolate coated graham crackers in the pan. Drizzle with the remaining chocolate. Allow to cool. Cut into 24 squares.

Freezing Directions:
Place the bars in a freezer container. Layers can be separated with wax paper. Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw and enjoy!

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 139 Calories; 6g Fat (35.8% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 22g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 118mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

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