Edith's freezer tip--freezing beans

I don't have a recipe to share, but I have a freezer tip I learned from my sister that has saved me time and money. I like to cook my own beans and try not to use the canned beans from the store if I can help it. So after cooking a large quantity of dry beans I will put 1/2 - 1 cup in the small "snack" baggies. Then I put about five or six of the snack baggies in a quart size freezer bag. Then when I need beans I pull out a small baggie and thaw it.

Pam's Chicken Curry

Here's another one my kids like.
It's also from Fix, Freeze, Feast

Chicken Curry
Makes 3 entrees, 4-6 servings each

1 warehouse tray (about 6 lbs.) boneless, skinless,
chicken half-breasts
1 cup butter
2 cups chopped onions (about 2 medium)
1/4 cup curry powder
2 Tbs. minced ginger
2 Tbs. minced garlic (about 18 cloves)
2 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. chicken bouillon granules
2 tsp. salt
1 cup flour
4 cups water
4 cups milk
2 Tbs. lemon juice
3 one-gallon freezer bags, labeled
Also can add:
carrot pieces, green or red peppers

Rinse and trim chicken as desired. Cut chicken into bit-sized pieces and cook in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove from hear and cool. Divide cooled chicken evenly among freezer bags.

While chicken cools, melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add curry powder, ginger, garlic, sugar, bouillon, and salt; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes longer. Mixture will be like a paste. Gradually add the water and milk; cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened. Whisk to make a smooth sauce. Add lemon juice only after sauce has thickened. Cool Sauce.

Divide cooled sauce evenly over the chicken in freezer bags.

Seal and freeze.

To cook:
1. Completely thaw one entrée in the refrigerator.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, bring the chicken and curry sauce to a simmer and cook until heated through. Do not boil.
3. Serve curry over your favorite rice

Accompaniments for Curry:
Top with any of the following: toasted coconut, toasted almonds, fresh apple pieces, pineapple tidbits, raisins, dried cranberries, chopped scallions, mango chutney, hot chili paste and/or sweet chili sauce.

(I warm this up in the crock pot)

Pam's Beef and Bean Burritos

I have a few teenage boys who are always hungry when they come home from school and late night activities. I discovered that by making my own freezer burritos, they have something quick and filling to make.

Here's the recipe that I adapted mine from. I usually can get a lot more than 40 with this recipe. It's very basic, but when you cook them up you can add any topping to it you want.


Beef and Bean Burritos
(from "Fix, Freeze, Feast" by Kati Neville and Lindsay Tkacsik)
Make 40 + burritos

1 warehouse size tray (about 6 lbs.) lean ground beef
1 cup taco seasoning
3 cups water
40+ ten-inch tortillas
4 (28 oz) can refried beans

Brown beef in a large stockpot over medium hear until no longer pink, about 20 minutes. Drain and discard fat. Add the taco seasoning. Stir in water and simmer mixture over medium hear for 20 minutes, or until the liquid is almost entirely evaporated. Cool.

Spread 1/4-cup ground beef and 1/3 cup refried beans on each tortilla. Wrap burrito-style and then wrap each one individually in foil.(I just stick each one in a fold-oven sandwich bag.) Divide burritos into gallon-size freezer bags.

Seal and freeze.

To cook:
Thaw in the refrigerator or reheat them straight from the freezer.

Microwave: frozen about 2 minutes.

Oven: bake in foil at 375 for 30 minute if frozen.
300 for 30 minutes if thawed.

Heather's Pesto

I love to make Pesto and freeze it for the year. We always have a huge basil "bush" and I love to get the most out of it. Here's a post from my blog with the recipe as well: http://dancetocreate.blogspot.com/2009/08/pesto-recipe-revisted.html

Pesto Recipe:
3 cups of fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
3-4 cloves of garlic
1/2-3/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese (we did half mozzarella to cut the cost)
1/4 cup pine nuts (we also did some with almonds)
optional: 1/2 cup fresh parsley - we didn't add this

Mix in food processor or blender until pureed. Eat fresh or put 1/2 cup - 1 cup in freezer bags and use all year.

Sylvia's Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Mix 'em all together. Roll into walnut size balls. Smush a criss-cross with a fork and bake at 350degrees for 13 minutes

Ariane's Candy Cane Cookies

Candy Cane Cookies

1 c butter
1 c powdered sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 almond extract
1 t vanilla
2 1/2 c flour
1 t salt
1/2 c sugar and candy canes

Heat oven to 375. Mix thoroughly butter, powdered sugar, egg and flavorings. Blend in flour and salt. Divide dough in half; blend red food color into one half. Roll dough betwen hands to make long tube. Cut tubes into 5 inch pieces. Twist a white and red tube together and shape into a candy cane. Bake about 9 minutes or until set and very light brown. Mix crushed candy canes and ganulated sugar. Imediately sprinkle cookies with candy mixture.

Carla's Cranberry & Vanilla Chip Cookies

Cranberry & Vanilla Chip Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon imitation butter flavor
1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries (craisins)
2/3 cup white vanilla chips

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray. In a large bowl, combine butter & sugar; beat unti light & fluffy. Add eggs & butter flavor; mix well.

2. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour, oats, baking soda & salt; mix well. Stir in cranberries & vanilla chips. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets. Cool on wire racks 15 minutes or until completely cooled.

High altitude: (above 3500 ft): Decrease sugar to 1 1/4 cups; increase flour to 2 cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Tricia's Utopia M&M Cookies

Utopia M&M Cookies

1 1/2 cup Butter Crisco
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 Tb vanilla
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs

Cream together above ingredients.

3 1/4 cup flour
1/2 Tb salt
1/2 Tb baking soda

Combine above ingredints and mix with wet ingredients. Mix in 1 cup chocolate chips, 1 cup M&M's and another 1/4 cup flour. Bake at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes. Take out of oven when still light in color and let cool on cookie sheet.

Pam's Molasses Cookies

Molasses Cookies

Cream Together:
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses

Sift in:
2 cups flour (I usually use 1 cup white and 1 cup wheat)
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. soda
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves

Roll in sugar
Bake at 325 for 10 minutes. LEAVE on pan for 1 minute.

Heather's Ginger Snaps

Ginger Snaps

1/4 c butter
1/2 c sugar - cream together

1 egg
1/2 c molasses - add to butter/sugar mix

Mix the following dry ingredients in a separate bowl:
1 tsp baking soda
2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter/molasses mix. It will be a bit sticky. Make small round balls (quarter sized) and roll each in sugar - covering well. Place on cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Bake at 400 for 9-10 minutes

(http://dancetocreate.blogspot.com/2010/02/gingersnaps.html) I just made these on Sunday and posted about them!

Cynthia's Chocolate Crinkles

Chocolate Crinkles

2 C. white sugar
1 C. baking cocoa, sifted
1/2 C. vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 C. all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C powdered sugar (for rolling)

1) Mix sugar, cocoa, oil in a medium bowl.
2) Beat in the eggs one at a time.
3) Add vanilla and mix well.
4) Sift dry flour, baking powder and salt together. Stir into chocolate mixture. Mix well.
5) CHILL dough, covered, for FOUR HOURS. (You can cheat in the freezer if you must, but don't skip this step!)
6) Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Using 1 tablespoon of dough for each cookie, form dough in balls. Roll each in powdered sugar.
7) Bake on a greased cookie sheet 7 minutes (for fudgy cookies) or 9 minutes (for crisper cookies). Cool on tray 5 minutes before removing to cooling rack.

You can also substitute peppermint extract for the vanilla and roll the dough in blenderized candy canes. Yum.

Beth's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies

2 cube butter
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 - 3 cups flour
chocolate chips

cream together butter and sugars. add eggs and vanilla and mix. Add dry ingredients and chocolate chips. mix.
Cook at 350 for 10 minutes.

Edith's Chocolate Cookie Bars

Chocolate Cookie Bars

Directions:
Melt these three ingredients in a pan on the stove,
then add 2 tsp vanilla and set aside.
12-oz bag chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3T butter


Then cream together these three things:
1 Cup butter, softened
2 Cup sugar
2 eggs

Then add:
2 Cups flour
3 Cups oats
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Spread 2/3 of dough on cookie sheet with fingers, it will be very sticky. Pour on chocolate mixture. Then sprinkle/drop the remainder of the dough on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until top is lightly browned.

A call for recipes

Thanks to all those who posted cookie recipes. I will copy and post them in individual posts so they will be searchable under my labels. I loved getting all these new ideas. Since I am running low on new ideas myself, I am asking all of you to help me out. Please post your favorite freezer cooking recipe that you have used in the comment section on this post. No free gift cards to give away this time, but it will really help the variety on this site. I will copy all comments into new posts. I need some new ideas to try in a week or two when I start filling my freezer. Thanks.

A Winner!

We technically had 9 comments. Random.org chose #6 which is Tricia. Email me and I'll get your gift card in the mail.

Thanks so much for participating.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies & A Contest!!

Freezer cooking doesn't always have to be about the main dish. Desserts freeze great too. This doesn't always have to be a big effort either. Last week I wanted to make cookies for play group. I didn't want to cook all the cookies, so I made up what I needed and froze the rest. To freeze cookie dough, simply scoop out the dough with a small ice cream scoop (I think mine is a 1 inch scoop). Place the balls on wax paper on a cookie sheet and pop in the freezer until they are solid. Transfer to a ziploc bag. When you are ready to cook, just plan on baking for a couple extra minutes. Watch them closely, but usually it takes about 3 extra minutes.

Here is my favorite oatmeal cookie recipe.

OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
½ cup shortening
½ cup butter
¾ cup white sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cup flour
2 eggs
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup coconut
8 oz Heath bits
2 cups chocolate chips

Cream shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and beat. Add remaining ingredients. Drop on sprayed sheet. Bake at 350° for 10-12 min.


Now for the contest! I admit I am curious as to who actually reads this blog. I haven't been really active lately about posting new recipes, but my freezer is getting low so I really have to start cooking again. If there are many people interested in freezer cooking, I will really try to be more active about keeping it up. So, help me get the word out. Pass this blog onto your friends and tell them how fabulous it is to have a freezer full of food.

The winner will receive a $15 gift card to Smiths/Kroger.

To enter simply provide your favorite cookie recipe in the comments section along with your name. The winner will be picked randomly. I will post the winner next Monday, February 15th. Good luck!