Freezer Cooking. It's What's for Dinner.

Last week, chicken was $1.89 lb.

I bought 12 two pound packages.

Did you know I like bargain shopping? I DO!!

It appeared that NOW was the time to prep ahead and get some meals ready for the freezer, so onto
Pinterest, I went to find all the chicken dishes that looked so good when I posted them. :) After a trip to the store for a boatload of veggies, I was ready!

Today was the day. Everyone was still sleeping. I made my coffee and put my laptop on the top counter so I could start a new series on Netflix that I'd been wanting to watch but hadn't taken the time. I was a captive audience. It was quiet. No interruptions. I could chop, dice and bag while being entertained! It sounded like a great plan. Oh, but first, I had to wash everything by the sink, so I decided the show would start once I got back over the counter. By the time I had my cutting boards ready to go and had started the first episode, people started waking up. Before the first episode was over, everyone was up, getting breakfast, and.....milling around in MY kitchen space, mind you, to watch the show with me. Hmmm, why watch this on my 17" laptop screen when there is a  52" screen in the adjoining room? Rick brought the Roku up to hook it up to the big screen and, well, 6 episodes of Monarch Of The Glen later, not only did I have a successful cooking day, but we are now hooked on another Brittish tv show. Maybe that will help hold us over until Downton Abbey starts it's 4th Season in January!!! Woohoo!! Rick is SO excited!

So, here's what's in the freezer, ready to go.

I AM SO EXCITED!! Can you tell??

Precooked and ready to reheat:

(2) Chicken Pot Pies (once frozen, they will go into freezer bags to be later put into a crust)
Chicken Soup makings
Fajita Chicken w/ peppers

Ready to stir fry or throw into crockpot:

Stewed Chicken with peppers and Sweet Cooked Carrots for a side
Stir Fry chicken pieces and veggies
Hawaiian Chicken w/ veggies and pineapple
Chipotle Lime Chicken w/ veggies
Garlic Honey Chicken

We will make brown rice ahead to freeze, white rice, Wild Rice mixes, my favorite "healthier" pasta and crusty bread to go with different dishes.

So that we don't have to eat chicken every night, I did some more cooking as well. Yes, I am a bit crazy and I do tend to overdo it sometimes, but hey, I figured as long as I was making a mess.......

Mini Meatloafs are ready to freeze and I have pork neck bones cooking with pinto beans because I found a Bean's and Rice recipe I wanted to try out while reading Willie and Korie Robinson's new book, The Duck Commander Family. The rest of the pinto beans are soaking to be made into refried beans, YUM, and 2 pound of white beans have been soaking since last night for...well, I don't know yet, but I'll find a recipe and they'll be ready for me. :)

Rick just asked me what I had planned for dinner.

Umm....let's do PBJ's.



So, how about you? Done freezer cooking before and have any great tips? Please share!

2013. Go.

2013. So, here we go.

I have a feeling that this year will be quite the adventure. I’m looking expectantly to see how and where God leads me. Where God leads us. Jeremiah 29:11 continues to permeate my soul as a resounding proclamation to lay my fears aside and allow God’s way to unfold before me, being well aware of His presence, His love, and His goodness.

Holy Spirit, You are the great Counselor that leads me on, with Your gentle promptings. Isaiah 30:21 encourages me and reminds me of this.  “Whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears shall hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” You, Holy Spirit, know me inside and out. It is You who breathes life into me. Job 33:4 tells me, “The Spirit of God has made me, the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” You have great plans for me, and you will always be with me, praying for me! Romans 8:27 “He Who searches hearts, know what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints, according to the will of God.” Seriously?? Now that’s just overwhelmingly exciting! The Spirit of God, actually prays for me that I will know the will of God, the Father. Wow. MY Holy Spirit prays for ME, so that I may know the will of MY Father. And, MY Jesus, MY Savior, made it possible through His tremendous love-filled sacrifice. My, my, my. That is good news!!

So, yes. 2013, here we go.

I, (we) won’t be going on this grand adventure alone. Whom or what shall we fear? No one. Nothing. This adventure will be one of transformation. It’s already begun. I feel it rising up within me right now! Oh, it’s all in my head, you say? Well, yes, actually there is truth in that. In actuality, I’m told it starts in my mind. So be it.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then, you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is. His good, pleasing and perfect will.

Romans 12:2

A First Glimpse of Who I Am

I am a woman loved by God,living a blessed life with my amazing husband and five creative and unique kids! Because I am so loving adoringly by God,  it is my soul desire to love Him back through my life, seek out and live this life He has laid out for me every day and let His love shine through me. I love life, I love the friends God has given me and I love to laugh. And if truth be told, I'm also a self-proclaimed "Princess", although my husband says I am queen of this house.

Being Celebrated

 

 

“Happy Mother’s Day” heard from a little sleepyhead;

A kitchen cleaned up spotlessly with nothing being said.

Flowers place in pots by grateful eager hands;

Spontaneous hugs with sweet kind words from my little boy turned man.

Worship with friends, being honored, and loving words expressed;

A chocolate covered strawberry for me, and a reminder that I’m God’s Princess.

A special meal, with sweet kids and hubby of which I truly enjoyed,

Back home to oblige me with my pictures without getting too annoyed.

Little things in themselves, but put together they clearly say,

I am a loved Momma,each and every day.

      

so here goes

Too Many Books...cont.

Sooo...where I'm at with the books. I counted my books and came up with about 340 give or take a few, not counting our "educational" books. First step done.

Now, interestingly enough, a "glitch" has been added to my "get rid of books" challenge. In the last 2 weeks, we have had bags of clothing given to us for the girls and along with the clothes....more books!!  Over 100 books in all. Seriously? And for the most part, they are great titles! Oh boy. Hmmmm....maybe the new books will help me let go of some of the others that we don't care so much about. I suppose I could have said, "No thank-you", but are you kidding? Free books are always welcome here! Who knows what great finds you will be blessed with, right?

So.......I suppose I should start. Yep. That's what I need to do.

I've come to at least one conclusion.

At our house, books are a lot like bunnies.

I love bunnies!!

Too Many Books? Really?

I love reading.

I love books.

I don't think think there is such a thing as too much reading in one's life.

I have also been homeschooling our kids for 15 years. That takes lots of books. Right?

Well, I have come to the recent painful conclusion though, that there is, a possibility, a slight chance, maybe, that one could have too many books. *GASP*

It's painful to even write that. However, while recently wanting to change placement of one of my bookshelves ((I have three, not counting the various books sitting in numerous wicker baskets around the house.) it entered my mind that it may be time to purge and reduce my collection. *sigh*

There are more books scattered around on tables and Gracie has her own book shelf in her bedroom with numerous baskets, of course, filled with the books she has taken from our bookshelves to have a selection of her own. Some of my childhood favorites, I might add....;)
Because I have recently been subscribing to the "less is more" mantra, I am hereby challenging myself to get rid of 1/2 of the books in the house. Yep. 50%. Can I do it? Probably. I dare say, not without sincere pain and suffering, but probably. So, the first challenge I set before myself is to count them, so I know how many I have to get rid of. I don't have a time limit. Yet. Let's see how it goes. If I pull this off, I will probably have to reward myself! Maybe with....a new book!! Well...maybe not. Maybe a Kindle would be a better idea.

 I think I'll go through the kid's books first.