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.

July 2006 Chewin’ the News with Shelley

 2006, Chewin' the News  Comments Off on July 2006 Chewin’ the News with Shelley
Jul 012006
 

Cookin’ at the Keyboard with Shelley

Summer Harvest

strawberriesI’m back! Life has finally settled down enough for me to send a newsletter. I certainly didn’t plan to take a three-month leave of absence. I had great intentions, but just couldn’t make time for everything.

The Sound of Music production that the girls were in consumed half of April and most of May. There were 43 cast members, 150 costume changes, and four performances. The twins shared the role of Brigitta. They did a great job and caught the audience by surprise at the curtain call.

After all the excitement, several in our family fell into bed with the flu. We rallied in time to make a trip to California for a niece’s graduation. For three weeks in June, we either had company, or we were company.

Once the dust had settled, I realized that it was time for strawberries. With Sarah on a missions trip to Mexico, four girls and I grabbed some boxes and headed for the fields. This year the picking conditions were perfect: no rain, dry fields, cloud cover, no allergies, and lots of large berries! After an hour or so, I suggested that we probably had picked enough. But the girls were having so much fun, they didn’t want to leave. When I finally called an end to it all, we had picked 75 pounds of berries!

I like to make jam, but I don’t like to make room in my freezer for all that sugar. So once again, I take the SANE (some assembly needed eventually) approach. I mash enough berries for one recipe of freezer jam and freeze in a quart-sized bag. When we run out of jam, we thaw the berries and make another batch.

The rest of the berries (except for the ones I put into pies – see the recipe below) were frozen on a cookie sheet and put into freezer bags. We’ll use them for smoothies this year. Even with all the freezer cooking we like to do, it’s nice to have some space for a summer harvest, even when it comes in unexpected quantities!

Recipe Section

Strawberry Glaze Pie

With so many berries on hand, I made two of these pies last month. Unfortunately, they were gone before I could get a picture. I think it’s the cream cheese layer that made them irresistible. Although this is not a freezer-friendly recipe, all of you Advantage Cooking software users will appreciate being able to import this recipe into your database. What a delicious way to celebrate summer!

Software Suggestions

Advantage Cooking Conversions (Part 2)

And now we resume our intriguing discussion of ingredient conversions. If you missed the first installment, or need a refresher course, take a moment to read my previous conversion  (March 2006) explanation.

Our last discussion focused on conversions as related to weight and volume measures of ingredients. Conversions are also important when it comes to ingredients that aren’t easily purchased at the grocery store. Many of my recipes call for crumbled bacon or cooked and chopped chicken, neither of which I can buy off the shelf. I would prefer that the grocery report would tell me how many pounds of bacon or chicken to buy, instead of how many cups. These conversions take two steps to complete. Let’s start with the bacon.

Locate “Bacon” in the ingredient list.
Under the Packaging tab enter “Pound Package”.

Locate “Bacon, crumbled” in the ingredient list.
Under the Packaging tab, be sure there are no entries.
Under the Conversion tab, enter the following:

From Amount

From Measure

To Amount

To Measure

To Ingredient

2

Cup

1

Pound

Bacon

16

Slices

1

Pound

Bacon

1

Pound

1

Pound

Bacon

These entries tell the software that if the recipe calls for 1 cup of crumbled bacon, add 1/2 pound of bacon to my grocery list. If the recipe calls for 8 slices of crumbled bacon, I want to see 1/2 pound of bacon on my grocery list. If the recipe calls for 1 pound of crumbled bacon, put 1 pound of bacon on my grocery list. No matter how the ingredient appears on my recipe, the software will do all the calculating, and tell me know many pounds of bacon to buy.

When it comes to cooked and chopped chicken, I prefer to buy chicken breasts. Here are the entries to make for the conversion:
Locate “Chicken Breasts” in the ingredient list.
Under the Packaging tab enter “Pound Package”.

Locate “Chicken, cooked and chopped” in the ingredient list.
Under the Packaging tab, be sure there are no entries.
Under the Conversion tab, enter the following:

From Amount

From Measure

To Amount

To Measure

To Ingredient

2

Cup

1.5

Pound

Chicken Breast

1

Pound

1

Pound

Chicken Breast

If a recipe calls for 2 cups of cooked, chopped chicken, then the grocery report will tell me to buy 1 1/2 pounds of chicken breasts. Otherwise, a pound of cooked chicken will equal a pound of raw chicken.

Locate “Onion” in the ingredient list.
Under the Packaging tab enter “Each”.

Locate “Onion, chopped” in the ingredient list.
Under the Packaging tab, be sure there are no entries.
Under the Conversion tab, enter the following:

From Amount

From Measure

To Amount

To Measure

To Ingredient

1

Cup

1

Each

Onion

1

Each

1

Each

Onion

You can adjust the conversions based on the size of onions that you usually buy. Larger onions might yield more than a cup of chopped onion, while smaller onions might yield less.

When it comes to shredded cheese, I prefer to buy the cheese and shred it myself. If you buy cheese already shredded, the following conversion is not necessary.

Locate “Cheddar Cheese” in the ingredient list.
Under the Packaging tab enter as many varieties of packaging as desired,
e.g. “Pound Package”, “2 Pound Package”, “5 Pound Package”

Locate “Cheddar Cheese, shredded” in the ingredient list.
Under the Packaging tab, be sure there are no entries.
Under the Conversion tab, enter the following:

From Amount

From Measure

To Amount

To Measure

To Ingredient

1

Cup

4

Ounce

Cheddar Cheese

1

Pound

1

Pound

Cheddar Cheese

Again, you can adjust the conversion based on your preference (e.g. 1 cup of shredded cheese = 3 oz. cheese).

Whenever I find something on my grocery list that makes me stop and think about how much of that ingredient I need to purchase, I take the time to add a conversion. A little bit of “brain work” at the computer saves me the frustration of “guessing” at the grocery store.

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

Closing Comments from Shelley

The ingredient conversions in Advantage Cooking are one of the keys to making the software a powerful tool, especially when generating a grocery report. If you have any questions, or need an example for a specific ingredient, click here to send me an email. Have a great summer!

 

         Shelley

 

July 2006 Chewin’ the News with Carol

 2006, Chewin' the News  Comments Off on July 2006 Chewin’ the News with Carol
Jul 012006
 

Kitchen Fun with Carol

SanteeHello everyone! It is just amazing how fast the summer flies by when you are busy. My sons have just completed their second year of summer physical education classes. Can you imagine having four hours of gym every day for three weeks? Sounds exhausting, huh! Oh how good it is to be young and to have so much energy. They have also completed the classroom portion of driver’s education. That’s another 3 hours of class a couple times a week. Add in two or three physical therapy sessions each week and you have lots of time running from here to there!

All of this summer activity can really put your menu planning skills to the test! I read recently that 40 percent of the cooks out there decide what they’ll have for dinner just by looking what they have in the fridge. Aren’t you glad that you know there is a better way! I have my menus planned for the month. I keep a calendar (also known as Monthly Menu Planner – Worksheet G in The Freezer Cooking Manual)  posted in the kitchen with lunches and dinners planned for each day of the week.  Knowing what we had planned for the week made it so much easier. I was able to rearrange my menu so that I could have simple meals the days the boys had to have dinner early before driver’s ed. I could make more complex meals when everyone was eating at the same time.

LightHouseIf you’re not into full menu planning, it is still a good to idea keep an updated copy of the Meal Inventory Checklist – Worksheet F (from The Freezer Cooking Manual). This worksheet helps you keep tabs on what you have left from your last cooking session. It also helps you plan for those on hand items you need to complete recipes (such as buns, tortillas, fresh vegetables, etc.). This worksheet is also helpful when putting together your weekly grocery shopping list.

I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July. It is great spending time with family and friends. We had lots of cookouts, saw a couple of firework displays, spent time swimming at the pool and at a local water park, and went to see a lighthouse on Lake Erie. We learned quickly that it is great to have snacks on hand that you can just “grab and go” to all the different group activities. Here are some recipes that are great to have in the freezer so you can just grab them when you are on the run:

It’s also great to have a frozen dessert ready to serve to cool off with after a day in the sun. Here are some great recipes:

 

Bonus Recipes

ChickenKabobs_2Chicken Kabobs
As I mentioned in the June newsletter, one of my goals for the summer was to try some shish kabob recipes. This recipe is my first (hopefully of many!). My family and I believe that it is a winner. Feel free to substitute any vegetables for ones that you like. You can use the traditional wooden skewers. Just make sure you soak them in water for a half an hour before grilling. This will help prevent the skewers from burning. This recipe is also a great marinade for chicken breasts if you are not interested in doing kabobs. Or you could do a mix if you have a picky eater in the house.

Mexican Rice
This is one of our favorite side dish recipes and it freezes very well. We make this recipe as a “filler” when we are having Chicken Fajitas for dinner. You can also use it in Taco Salad. It can be spicy or mild. You can reduce the amount of chili powder to control the heat. One recipe is enough for two meals for a family of five or six when used as filler for Fajitas.

Freezer Cook of the Month Contest Winner

Our winner this month is Julie. Julie has a great story to share about how her experience cooking the 30 Day Gourmet way has grown into a ministry at her church.

Julie says:

“I purchased the 30 Day Gourmet Cooking Manual when I was 8 months pregnant with our second son; we thought it’d be handy to have prepared meals in our freezer for after his birth. Then after doing Freezer Cooking for over a year, I thought it’d be a fun thing to do with a larger group; so I asked a few girlfriends from church to join me at the building and give it a try. The software was incredibly helpful, and continues to be a huge benefit to our ministry, which we call Meals For A Month.
Our trial run was July 2004, and we offered Cooking Sessions for the next year, until we moved into our new church building. During the break of getting settled in, we had 6 months off, during which we tweaked and improved Meals For A Month even more.

Participants contribute $90 for a 10 entrees, serving 6-8 people each. The leadership team buys the groceries and selects the recipes for the month.

Participants come on the designated Cooking Day and, in VERY ORGANIZED team fashion, make 10 meals for each participating family for the month. We have four menus which we rotate over the year; in the winter, we substitute the grilled recipes for more winter-friendly foods.

Beginning in April of this year, we expanded from one Cooking Session to three. Participants reserve their spots for future Cooking Days by registering and paying in advance. Checks are not cashed until the first of the month, and until then, people are free to change their minds about participating.

The foods are all healthy— we have calculated Weight Watchers Points for each entree; every participant takes home a packet with a refrigerator list- a summary of what non-perishables are needed to cook each entree, how they’re prepared/served, some tips on Crock-Pot Cooking, business cards, and information about what we believe at our church.

At the halfway point of each cooking session, we break for brunch and a short Bible study and prayer. MFAM’s mission is to reach out, invite and involve people who might not otherwise come into a church building, and who don’t know Jesus. It provides a non-threatening way to ask someone to come to church. After all, we all eat, enjoy new healthy foods, save money, and like feeling organized. What a fun way to bring along a guest, introduce them to other Christians, and have fun all at the same time! We stress that this is a non-profit ministry. The planners/leadership team do this as a ministry, not a job.

Another thing we do is prepare Sharing Meals at each session. Those are freezer meals which are assembled, and come with all non-perishable ingredients and preparation instructions, to be distributed to someone who could use a pick-me-up. A friend who’s feeling blue, a new mom, someone recovering from surgery, a new person who moves to the neighborhood, etc.

*Over 2700 meals prepared so far, plus more than 230 Sharing Meals prepared
* Over 160 people have participated, including 62 who aren’t members at our church
* 27 Bible studies

http://www.westhoustonchurch.org/connections/ministries/mfam.htm

Thanks for reading…and thanks even more for all of the help you have provided to our ministry, and to over 160 families in the Northwest Houston area!”

Wow… what a great story! It is amazing how cooking for a month for your own family grew into such a great ministry and opportunity to share your knowledge with others. Thanks for sharing your story with everyone!

Closing Comments from Carol

I hope you enjoy the recipes!

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

Strawberry Glaze Pie

 Low Sodium, Recipes, Snacks and Desserts, Under 350 Calories  Comments Off on Strawberry Glaze Pie
Jul 012006
 
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Shelley: With so many berries on hand, I made two of these pies last month. Unfortunately, they were gone before I could get a picture. I think it’s the cream cheese layer that made them irresistible. Although this is not a freezer-friendly recipe, all of you Advantage Cooking software users will appreciate being able to import this recipe into your database. What a delicious way to celebrate summer!

Click here to go to a Printer Friendly Page 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

12

24

36

48

60

72
Ingredients
Flour

1 C.

2 C.

3 C.

4 C.

5 C.

6 C.
Chopped pecans

1/2 C.

1 C.

1-1/2 C.

2 C.

2-1/2 C.

3 C.
Butter

1/2 C.

1 C.

1-1/2 C.

2 C.

2-1/2 C.

3 C.
Brown sugar

1/4 C.

1/2 C.

3/4 C.

1 C.

1-1/4 C.

1-1/2 C.
Fresh strawberries; divided

6 C.

12 C.

18 C.

24 C.

30 C.

36 C.
Sugar

1 C.

2 C.

3 C.

4 C.

5 C.

6 C.
Cornstarch

3 T.

1/4 C. + 2 T.

1/2 C. + 1 T.

3/4 C.

3/4 C. + 3 T.

1 C. + 2 T.
Water

1/2 C.

1 C.

1-1/2 C.

2 C.

2-1/2 C.

3 C.
Cream cheese

3 oz.

6 oz.

9 oz.

12 oz.

15 oz.

18 oz.
Sugar

1/3 C.

2/3 C.

1 C.

1-1/3 C.

1-2/3 C.

2 C.
Whipped topping

1/3 C.

2/3 C.

1 C.

1-1/3 C.

1-2/3 C.

2 C.
Whipped topping (for garnish)

1 C.

2 C.

3 C.

4 C.

5 C.

6 C.

Assembly Directions:
Mix together flour, chopped nuts, butter, and brown sugar. Press in pie dish and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Mash (or puree in blender) enough berries to measure 1 cup. Stir together 1 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons cornstarch. Slowly stir in water and crushed berries. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Cool.

Beat cream cheese together with sugar and whipped topping; spread in cooled crust.

Fill shell with berries, top sides down. Pour berry sauce over the berries and chill 3 hours. Garnish with whipped cream.

Freezing Directions:
Do not freeze this pie; the berries will collapse. The pie crust could be baked and frozen, and then thawed and filled at a later date.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 317 Calories; 16g Fat (44.0% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 43g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 28mg Cholesterol; 104mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1/2 Grain (Starch); 1/2 Fruit; 3 Fat; 2 Other Carbohydrates.

Orange Apricot Freeze

 Low Fat, Low Sodium, Recipes, Snacks and Desserts, Under 350 Calories  Comments Off on Orange Apricot Freeze
Jul 012006
 
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This is half salad, half ice cream and very refreshing! Use less sugar if you like.
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Advantage Cooking owners click here to download this recipe.

Recipes

1

2

3

4

5

6
Servings

6

12

18

24

30

36
Ingredients
Orange yogurt

16 oz.

32 oz.

48 oz.

64 oz.

80 oz.

96 oz.
Sugar

1/2 C.

1 C.

1-1/2 C.

2 C.

2-1/2 C.

3 C.
Canned apricot halves; drained

17 oz.

34 oz.

51 oz.

68 oz.

85 oz.

102 oz.
Chopped pecans

1/3 C.

2/3 C.

1 C.

1-1/3 C.

1-2/3 C.

2 C.

Assembly Directions:
Stir together yogurt and sugar until blended. Cut apricots into small pieces and stir them into the yogurt mixture. Add the nuts (optional).

Freezing Directions:
Spoon into muffin pan liners in a muffin pan or a shallow freezer container. To use the muffin pan liners, place them in the muffin pans and fill them with the yogurt mixture. Place the entire filled muffin pan in the freezer until the yogurt mixture is firm. Dump the frozen cups out of the pan and place them in a freezer bag or other freezer container. Seal and freeze.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 216 Calories; 7g Fat (27.1% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 37g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 3mg Cholesterol; 52mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1/2 Fruit; 1-1/2 Fat; 2 Other Carbohydrates.

Mexican Rice

 Low Fat, Recipes, Sides and Salads, Under 350 Calories  Comments Off on Mexican Rice
Jul 012006
 
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This is one of our favorite side dish recipes and it freezes very well. We make this recipe as a “filler” when we are having Chicken Fajitas for dinner. You can also use it in Taco Salad. It can be spicy or mild. You can reduce the amount of chili powder to control the heat. One recipe is enough for two meals for a family of five or six when used as filler for Fajitas.
Click here to go to a Printer Friendly Page 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

8

16

24

32

40

48
Ingredients
Oil

2 T.

1/4 C.

1/4 C. + 2 T.

1/2 C.

1/2 C. + 2 T.

3/4 C.
Onion, diced

1

2

3

4

5

6
Minced garlic

1 t.

2 t.

1 T.

1 T. + 1 t.

1 T. + 2 t.

2 T.
Uncooked long grain white rice

1-1/2 C.

3 C.

4-1/2 C.

6 C.

7-1/2 C.

9 C.
Chili powder

2 t.

1 T. + 1 t.

2 T.

2 T. + 2 t.

3 T. + 1 t.

1/4 C.
Salt

1 t.

2 t.

1 T.

1 T. + 1 t.

1 T. + 2 t.

2 T.
Tomato sauce

1-1/2 C.

3 C.

4-1/2 C.

6 C.

7-1/2 C.

9 C.
Water

3 C.

6 C.

9 C.

12 C.

15 C.

18 C.

Assembly Directions:
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions and garlic until golden. Add the rice to the pan and mix thoroughly. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir occasionally.

Freezing Directions:
Allow rice to cool. Place in meal sized freezer containers. Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw completely. Place rice in a microwave safe dish and microwave until hot stirring after every 2 to 4 minutes.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 178 Calories; 4g Fat (19.3% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 33g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 556mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 2 Grain (Starch); 1 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat.

Frozen Fruit Bars

 Low Sodium, Recipes, Snacks and Desserts, Under 350 Calories  Comments Off on Frozen Fruit Bars
Jul 012006
 
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This salad tastes great and makes a refreshing dessert or salad. You can also “open freeze” and then cut into individual squares and freeze for individual servings.
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Advantage Cooking owners click here to download this recipe.

Recipes

1

2

3

4

5

6
Servings

12

24

36

48

60

72
Ingredients
Cream cheese

9 oz.

16 oz.

24 oz.

32 oz.

40 oz.

48 oz.
Sugar

3/4 C.

1-1/2 C.

2-1/4 C.

3 C.

3-3/4 C.

4-1/2 C.
Strawberries; fresh, home frozen OR

1-1/2 C.

3 C.

4-1/2 C.

6 C.

7-1/2 C.

9 C.
Frozen strawberries; thawed

12 oz.

24 oz.

36 oz.

48 oz.

60 oz.

72 oz.
Crushed pineapple; drained

20 oz.

40 oz.

60 oz.

80 oz.

100 oz.

120 oz.
Bananas; quartered and sliced

2

4

6

8

10

12
Pecans; chopped

1/2 C.

1 C.

1-1/2 C.

2 C.

2-1/2 C.

3 C.
Whipped topping (like Cool Whip)

8 oz.

16 oz.

24 oz.

32 oz.

40 oz.

48 oz.

Assembly Directions:
Cream sugar and cream cheese together. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into a 9×13 pan or individual lidded cups.

Freezing and Cooking Directions:
Seal and freeze.

Comments:
Any kind of strawberries works fine in this salad – fresh or frozen. Thaw the frozen ones first.
If you make the salad with fresh strawberries or strawberries that you have washed and frozen, you might want to add a few drops of red food coloring for a pretty pink color

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 260 Calories; 15g Fat (49.6% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 32g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 21mg Cholesterol; 62mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1 Fruit; 3 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

Chocolate Smoothies

 Recipes, Snacks and Desserts, Under 350 Calories  Comments Off on Chocolate Smoothies
Jul 012006
 
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Tammy: This recipe was originally published by the Mega-cooking group, as Homemade Ice Cream. But it’s much more like a Frosty from Wendy’s, in my opinion. For variety, you can use white milk and a little bit of vanilla for a Vanilla Frosty, OR add some strawberries to the vanilla for a Strawberry Frosty. Because this makes so much, it will be easiest if you mix up one batch per bowl.
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Advantage Cooking owners click here to download this recipe.

Recipes

1

2

3

4

5

6
Servings

11

22

33

44

55

66
Ingredients
Non-dairy whipped topping

12 oz.

24 oz.

36 oz.

48 oz.

60 oz.

72 oz.
Chocolate milk

1/2 gallon

1 gallon

1-1/2 gallons

2 gallons

2-1/2 gallons

3 gallons
Sweetened condensed milk

14 oz.

28 oz.

42 oz.

56 oz.

70 oz.

84 oz.

Assembly Directions:
Dump the whipped topping into a large bowl. Using a whisk, stir the chocolate milk into the topping. Add the sweetened condensed milk. Stir to mix well.

Freezing Directions:
Divide mix into quart or gallon freezer bags, depending on the size/appetite of your family. Seal, label and freeze. Or, freeze in plastic cups or containers with lids. Or, foam cups/bowls with lids from Sam’s Club or a restaurant supply store.

Serving Directions:
Remove the freezer bag from the freezer and allow to thaw slightly on the counter. You want to be able to smash the contents of the bag with your hands, but you still want it to be partially frozen, with ice crystals in it yet. Some of the whipped topping may appear to separate in the freezer bag, so you will need to smash the bag around to re-mix it. Use scissors to snip off the corner of the bag, and squeeze the contents out into the desired number of cups. Serve with a spoon and enjoy!

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 330 Calories; 13g Fat (34.2% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 46g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 19mg Cholesterol; 198mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 2-1/2 Fat; 2-1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Chicken Kabobs

 Low Fat, Poultry, Recipes, Under 350 Calories  Comments Off on Chicken Kabobs
Jul 012006
 
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One of my goals for the summer was to try some shish kabob recipes. This recipe is my first (hopefully of many!). My family and I believe that it is a winner. Feel free to substitute any vegetables for ones that you like. You can use the traditional wooden skewers. Just make sure you soak them in water for a half an hour before grilling. This will help prevent the skewers from burning. This recipe is also a great marinade for chicken breasts if you are not interested in doing kabobs. Or you could do a mix if you have a picky eater in the house.

ChickenKabobs_2
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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
Oil

1/2 C.

1 C.

1-1/2 C.

2 C.

2-1/2 C.

3 C.
Red wine vinegar

1/4 C.

1/2 C.

3/4 C.

1 C.

1-1/4 C.

1-1/2 C.
Salt

1/2 t.

1 t.

1-1/2 t.

2 t.

2-1/2 t.

1 T.
Minced garlic

1 t.

2 t.

1 T.

1 T. + 1 t.

1 T. + 2 t.

2 T.
Black pepper

1/2 t.

1 t.

1-1/2 t.

2 t.

2-1/2 t.

1 T.
Dried basil

1/2 t.

1 t.

1-1/2 t.

2 t.

2-1/2 t.

1 T.
Dried oregano

1/2 t.

1 t.

1-1/2 t.

2 t.

2-1/2 t.

1 T.
Dried thyme

1/2 t.

1 t.

1-1/2 t.

2 t.

2-1/2 t.

1 T.
Boneless skinless chicken breast; cut into bite sized pieces

4

8

12

16

20

24
On Hand Ingredients
Bell peppers; seeded and cut into chunks

2

4

6

8

10

12
Cherry or grape tomatoes*

2 C.

4 C.

6 C.

8 C.

10 C.

12 C.
Onion; quartered and cut into chunks

2

4

6

8

10

12
Zucchini; cut into 1/2-inch slices

3

6

9

12

15

18

 

Assembly Directions:
In a bowl whisk together all of the marinade ingredients.

Freezing Directions:
Place marinade into freezer bag(s) or freezer containers. Add chicken. Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Half and hour before grilling, cut the vegetables into large chunks and add to the marinade with the chicken. Spray unheated grill with cooking spray. Heat grill to a medium temperature. Place vegetables and meat on skewers alternating chicken, zucchini, tomato, chicken, peppers, and onions as you go. Grill for 20 minutes or until the meat is completely cooked. Occasionally turn the skewers so that each side is grilled.

Comments:
*2 C. of cherry tomatoes = 1 pint
If you don’t have skewers, you could cook this as a grill packet. You can read about grill packets in the August 2005 edition of the newsletter. Another is to use a grilling tray. This recipe is also a great as just a marinade for full chicken breasts.

Nutritional Info:
The oil was not included in the nutritional analysis.
Per Serving: 209 Calories; 2g Fat (8.9% calories from fat); 31g Protein; 18g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 68mg Cholesterol; 358mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 4 Lean Meat; 3 Vegetable.

Birdie’s Banana Split Dessert

 Recipes, Snacks and Desserts  Comments Off on Birdie’s Banana Split Dessert
Jul 012006
 
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This dessert takes awhile to make because of the three trips into the freezer. It’s best to do it way ahead of time and pull it out as the guests are finishing their main course. Yummy!
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Recipes

1

2

3

4

5

6
Servings

12

24

36

48

60

72
Ingredients
Graham cracker squares

30

60

90

120

150

180
Bananas

3

6

9

12

15

18
Neapolitan ice cream

1/2 gallon

1 gallon

1-1/2 gallons

2 gallons

2-1/2 gallons

3 gallons
Nuts; chopped

1 C.

2 C.

3 C.

4 C.

5 C.

6 C.
Chocolate chips

1 C.

2 C.

3 C.

4 C.

5 C.

6 C.
Butter or margarine

1/2 C.

1 C.

1-1/2 C.

2 C.

2-1/2 C.

3 C.
Powdered sugar

2 C.

4 C.

6 C.

8 C.

10 C.

12 C.
Evaporated milk

1-1/2 C.

3 C.

4-1/2 C.

6 C.

7-1/2 C.

9 C.
Vanilla

1 t.

2 t.

1 T.

1 T. + 1 t.

1 T. + 2 t.

2 T.
Whipping cream

1 pint

2 pints

3 pints

4 pints

5 pints

6 pints

Assembly Directions:
For each recipe, cover bottom of a 9×13 pan with 14 graham cracker squares. (Crush the rest of the squares for the topping.) Slice bananas crosswise and lay them in single layer over crust. Slice the ice cream in 3/4” slices and place over bananas. Sprinkle ice cream with nuts and put pan in the freezer.

Melt chocolate chips and butter/margarine in a saucepan over medium heat. Add powdered sugar and evaporated milk. Cook until thick and smooth, stirring constantly. Cool in refrigerator or by setting the pan in cold water. Pour chocolate syrup over ice cream and return to freezer. Prepare whipping cream according to package directions and spread over chilled chocolate layer. Top with graham cracker crumbs. Cover with plastic wrap and/or foil and place pan into 2 gallon freezer bag.

Serving Directions:
Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving. (It thaws quickly!) Cut into squares and enjoy!

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 767 Calories; 48g Fat (54.5% calories from fat); 10g Protein; 80g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 103mg Cholesterol; 324mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1 Grain (Starch); 1/2 Fruit; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 9-1/2 Fat; 3-1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

June 2006 Chewin’ the News with Carol

 2006, Chewin' the News  Comments Off on June 2006 Chewin’ the News with Carol
Jun 012006
 

Kitchen Fun with Carol

carol2007Hello everyone! It’s good to be back. I appreciate your support in my leave of absence. My family has spent the last two months in crisis mode trying to deal with some hard issues. It is hard to believe how grief and sadness can take away your ability to function. I always thought that I would be able to cook from scratch no matter what the circumstances. It is second nature, right? I was wrong. It took all of my efforts just to keep going every day. It was such a blessing to have food in the freezer that I could just quickly heat and serve. It was also a blessing to have friends and family that supported and encouraged us. I have helped other people in need in the past with meals; family members, church members, a friend of a friend. Little did I realize how much of a difference this makes in the lives of the people we serve until I was on the other end of the situation. If you ever have the opportunity to help someone in need, do it. It will make all the difference in the world.

I know that summer has not officially started but it sure feels like it! We have gone from 70 degree days to 90 degree days in just a couple of weeks. It was such a dramatic shift for me that I went ahead and planned my summer menu. We switched into grilling mode two weeks early. Of course this also meant a whirl wind cooking day had to be planned to make the switch. With this done we are now fully stocked for the summer grilling season!

Summer menu planning is fun! There are so many great recipes to make this time of the year. We make a lot of marinades, barbecue, burgers, and grill packets. (You can read about grill packets in the August 2005 issue of Chewin’ the News.) We like to experiment with cooking different vegetables on the grill. One of my favorites is grilled zucchini. This summer we are going to experiment with different types of shish kabobs. I will keep you posted on the results. I love being able to cook outside, eating dinner together with my family on the deck, and sitting on the swing with my husband reading a good book. That is when you know that life is good. Below are some tips on summer menu planning.

 

  1. Recipes are usually categorized by main ingredient or recipe type such as beef, poultry, pork, soup, sandwich, main entree, etc. When I am planning for my summer menu I sort my recipes by cooking appliance instead. I am looking for recipes that can be grilled, cooked in the slow cooker, or microwave. I do consider an occasional recipe that is cooked on the stovetop but only if it has a relative short cooking time.
  2. For dinner I like to have a couple of recipes each week that scale up easily. This allows for sporadic entertaining! I always have extra pork chops, chicken breasts, hamburgers, and hot dogs on hand. You never know when you might be preparing food for a crowd.
  3. Take advantage of the great produce prices during the summer months. When fruits are in season, add them to you menu and freeze some extras for later in the year. We always buy extra berries, peaches and apples. We use them later in cobblers, pies, muffins or fruit smoothies. We also grow our own green peppers. I chop them up as they ripen and store them in freezer bags and use them over the winter when produce prices are high.
  4. Remember grills aren’t just for meats. Try grilling some vegetables as a side dish. Our current favorite combination is fresh sliced mushrooms, zucchini and green or red bell pepper. After cooking toss with a little fat free Italian dressing and some Parmesan cheese. It’s wonderful. We also like to grill pizza, corn on the cob, potato wedges, and baked potatoes. Try grilling pineapple slices for dessert. Grilling pineapple intensifies the sweetness of the fruit. Sometimes we add them to hamburgers or we just eat them plain. They are such a treat.
  5. I like to keep a lot of precooked meats on hand for easy summer dinner. This saves so much time in the kitchen when you want to grab a bite and go. I brown hamburger and package in 2-1/2 cup packages. I use this in chili and soft tacos. I cook pounds of chicken breasts on the grill. I slice some to use for sandwiches, fajitas, or to put on top of salad greens. I also cube the chicken to use in chicken salad sandwiches, Chicken Fried Rice, or I mix it in left over pasta salad to make a main dish.

 

Here are some of recipes that I included on my summer menu:

Lunches

 

Dinners

Bonus Recipes

Iced Oatmeal Cookies

My family has become addicted to these cookies. I picked some up at the local grocery store one week when I knew that I would not have time to make cookies. Everyone loves them. I then set out to make my own version of the cookie. These are not as crisp but have great flavor. The easiest way to ice the cookies is to hold the cookie upside over the icing bowl. Take the cookie and just barely touch the top to the icing. This gives the icing that rippled effect just like the store bought kind. Give it a try!

Oatmeal Scotchie Bars

My husband loved Oatmeal Scotchies as a kid. It was his favorite cookie that his mom made. Here is a bar version of the cookie that is great to pack for lunches. If I keep these around and don’t put them way in the freezer, they will just disappear.

Closing Comments from Carol

I learned an awesome kitchen tip from my sister-in-law, Lori. I always have a hard time opening jars. I’ve tried lots of methods to help me open them easier. I have one of those lid grips. I have tried tapping on the edge of the lid. I have tried try to “pop” the seal by prying the bottom of the lid with a butter knife. Lori showed me the easiest way to open a jar. You just hold it upside down with one hand and hit the bottom of the jar with the palm of your other hand. You’ll hear a hollow sound when you hit the jar. Turn it over and magically it opens with hardly any effort! Thanks Lori for sharing this.

I hope this issue of summer menu planning hints was helpful! Do you have any other topics that you would like to cover? Click here to send me an email. I enjoy hearing from you!

Have fun in your kitchen!

Carol

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