Holiday Break

I'm off for the holidays.

Take some time and browse the site,
try past recipes and hints
and freeze happy!

See you next year!

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Fancy Baked Penne

Baked Penne with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound penne rigate
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups whole milk
10 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups shredded provolone
1 cup finely grated Parmesan
 
2 disposable aluminum pans


To Prepare
Butter two alluminum 9x13" pans. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta, and return to pot.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer, whisking frequently. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Off heat, gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.

Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta mixture between pans; sprinkle each with 1 cup Parmesan.

To Freeze
Cover tightly with foil, and freeze, up to 3 months.

To Serve
Take directly from freezer, no need to thaw. 
Preheat oven to 400, and bake (still covered in foil) on a rimmed baking sheet until center is hot, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove foil; bake until top is golden, about 15 minutes more.

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Maple Corn Bread

Maple Corn Bread

1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup corn meal
1/2 Tbl baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 Tbl canola oil

To Prepare:
In a bowl, combine flour, corn meal, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, beat egg, milk, syrup and oil. Stir into dry ingredients, just until moistened. Pour into a greased 9-inch square baking pan. Bake at 400° for 20 to 22 minutes. Cut into squares. Serve warm.

To Freeze:
Remove corn bread from pan. While still warm, wrap loaf in extra heavy foil. Or, place individual pieces in sandwich bags and freeze together in a gallon freezer bag. Label and freeze.

To Serve:
Thaw and serve. Heat briefly, if desired.

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Trays for freezing baby foods

So, in the past year I have purchased a few items from CSN stores online. And I have discovered some pretty great products. I thought I would share one.

CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find everything from stylish diaper bags, to modern bar stools, or great cookware!

Since we're discussing freezing homemade baby foods, I thought we should talk about freezing options.  Of course, you can use traditional ice cube trays, but there are also other options out there.

Like the KidCo Baby Steps Collection.  It has some great features that make it worth the additional cost.  Locking lid seals foods tightly inside, a writing surface for date and meal prepared, each section is a single, 1 oz. serving and they're dishwasher safe.  These run around $6-8 per tray. 

Let us know if you have tried this product and what your thoughts are.

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Baby Food : Stage Two EARLY MEAL Recipes

Brown Rice Chicken & Peach Delight
1/2 c cooked boneless chicken - chopped
1/4 c cooked brown rice
1 ripe peach
1 tb peach juice (white grape or apple juice may be used or juice may be left out)
1 tb milk
2 ts wheat germ

- Mix all ingredients together
- Transfer to blender/food processor and puree or chop to make textured for older babies.




Creamed Chicken & Potato
2 tsp butter
1 tsp unbleached flour
1/4 c Low fat milk
1/4 c Chicken, cooked, boned and-shredded
1/4 Potato, baked and cubed (try using sweet potato.)
1 tbls Grated white cheddar cheese

- Melt butter in small heavy pan over low heat. Stir in flour and blend well and then add milk and stir until smooth.
- Cook over low heat until mixture begins to thicken, then add chicken and potatoes. Stir for about 2 to 3 minutes more or until heated through. Feel free to add a few vegetables.
- Add cheddar and stir until melted.





Green Beans and Potatoes
1/2 c. cooked potatoes
1/4 c. steamed green beans


- blend cooked white potatoes and green beans together
- add a bit of pear or applesauce for extra appeal

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Baby Food : Stage One VEGGIE Recipes

Stage 1 Homemade Baby Food Recipes are age appropriate for those babies who are between 4 months and 6 months. Many babies start solid foods between 4 months and 6 months so we have included fruits and veggies that your 4 month old beginning eater will be able to tolerate. Of course these recipes are also just yummy for babies who are older as well!

Stage 1 baby foods are thin and runny and are foods that are the lowest on the allergy scale. They are typically those foods that are also more easily digested by a tiny tummy. Some of these foods include, sweet potatoes, butternut or winter squash and carrots.

Please keep in mind that current recommendations advise that babies should start solid foods at 6 months of age.

Sweet Potato
makes 3 cups or about 30 cubes

2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (skin on), cut into 2-inch pieces
Formula, breast milk, or water, as needed

- Arrange sweet potatoes on a steamer rack in a large pan over 1 inch of water.
- Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Steam until potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes.
- Pulse in a food processor, or pass through a food mill fitted with a medium disk.
- Add formula, breast milk, or boiled and cooled water as needed.
- Fill 1/4-cup plastic containers or ice-cube trays with purée.

Green Beans
makes 2 2/3 cups or about 30 cubes

2 pounds green beans
Formula, breast milk, or water, as needed

- Arrange beans on a steamer rack in a large pan over 1 inch of water.
- Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Steam until beans are tender, about 8 minutes. Plunge beans into cold water to stop the cooking.
- Pulse in a food processor, or pass through a food mill fitted with the medium disk. Add formula, breast milk, or boiled and cooled water as needed.
- Fill 1/4-cup plastic containers or ice-cube trays with purée.


Green Peas
makes 2 2/3 cups or about 30 cubes

2 pounds green peas
Formula, breast milk, or water, as needed

- Arrange peas on a steamer rack in a large pan over 1 inch of water.
- Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Steam until peas are tender, about 8 minutes. Plunge peas into cold water to stop the cooking.
- Pulse in a food processor, or pass through a food mill fitted with the medium disk.
- Add formula, breast milk, or boiled and cooled water as needed.
- Fill 1/4-cup plastic containers or ice-cube trays with purée.


Carrots
makes 3 cups or 30 cubes

1 1/2 pounds organic carrots, peeled if not organic, and cut into 1" pieces
Formula, breast milk, or water, as needed

- Arrange carrots on a steamer rack in a large pan over 1 inch of water.
- Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Steam until carrots are tender, about 12 minutes. Plunge carrots into cold water to stop the cooking.
- Pulse in a food processor, or pass through a food mill fitted with the medium disk.
- Add formula, breast milk, or boiled and cooled water as needed. Fill 1/4-cup plastic containers or ice-cube trays with purée.

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Baby Food : Stage One FRUIT Recipes

Stage 1 Homemade Baby Food Recipes are age appropriate for those babies who are between 4 months and 6 months. Many babies start solid foods between 4 months and 6 months so we have included fruits and veggies that your 4 month old beginning eater will be able to tolerate. Of course these recipes are also just yummy for babies who are older as well!

Stage 1 baby foods are thin and runny and are foods that are the lowest on the allergy scale. They are typically those foods that are also more easily digested by a tiny tummy. Some of these foods include, sweet potatoes, butternut or winter squash and carrots.

Please keep in mind that current recommendations advise that babies should start solid foods at 6 months of age.  (wholesomebabyfood.com)

Baby Applesaucemakes 4 1/4 cups or about 48 cubes

4 pounds apples (skins on), washed, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup water

- Simmer apples in a large covered saucepan with water until tender, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer mixture to a blender. Working in small batches, blend until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve; for a coarser texture, pass apples through a food mill or pulse in a food processor.
- Fill 1/4-cup plastic containers or ice-cube trays with purée.


Pear Puree
makes 2 1/2 cups or about 28 cubes

3 pounds pears, washed, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup water

- Simmer pears in a large covered saucepan with water until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain; reserve cooking liquid. Transfer pears to a blender.
- Working in small batches, blend until smooth. Add reserved liquid if needed. Pass through a fine sieve for a smooth texture, or mash with a fork.
- Fill 1/4-cup plastic containers or ice-cube trays with purée.


Pear Plum Puree
makes 3 cups or about 30 cubes

1 1/2 pounds pears, washed, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 pounds ripe plums, pitted and quartered
1/3 cup water

- Simmer pears and plums with water in a large covered saucepan until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain; reserve cooking liquid.
- Transfer fruit to a blender. Working in small batches, blend until smooth. Add up to 1/3 cup boiled and cooled water if needed.
- Pass mixture through a fine sieve for the smoothest texture. Fill 1/4-cup plastic containers or ice cube trays with purée.
- Use same method for other fruit combinations.



Stone Fruit Puree
makes 3 cups or about 30 cubes

2 pounds ripe *plums, pitted and quartered
1/4 cup water, plus more as needed

* Use the same method for peaches, apricots, and other stone fruits.

- Simmer plums with water in a large covered saucepan until tender, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer plums to a blender. Working in small batches, blend until smooth. Add up to 1/3 cup boiled and cooled water if needed.
- Pass mixture through a fine sieve for the smoothest texture.
- Fill 1/4-cup plastic containers or ice-cube trays with purée.

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"Make Your Own Baby Food" Month

I am expecting our 3rd baby near the end of this month. And we have all heard that with each baby the parents become more lax, however, I'm getting the hang of this baby thing and now feel a greater push to feed this new little one organic foods and foods free of preservatives as often as possible. Since we now live in an area with an Amish Farmer's Market it was my chance to purchase inexpensive, chemical free fruits and veggies and stock my freezer with good foods for this baby.

Each Monday this month I will be sharing recipes for making your own baby food. It's easy, affordable and healthier than grocery store options. Of course, I will probably still have some of those around, but any amount of change is a good change!



The rules are simple: Steam vegetables until tender, simmer ripe fruits until soft, and poach meats until fully cooked.

Basic equipment: a steamer basket, a blender, a food processor or food mill, and a strainer. Babies should start with silky, smooth purees the texture of runny yogurt. As the months go by, and your baby moves from gumming food to using his or her milk teeth, your purees should become thicker and chunkier; switch to a food processor or food mill fitted with a medium or large disk.

Freeze the baby food in single-serving airtight containers labeled with the ingredients and the date. You can even freeze food in ice-cube trays; for many babies, one cube is enough. To store, transfer frozen puree cubes to a freezer bag. As your baby grows and begins to eat more, increase the size of the containers -- or simply serve two at a time.

Some baby-care books warn against using microwaves, but most mothers we know use one. Because microwaves heat from the inside out, however, food may be hot inside but cool to the touch, so stir the food until no hot center remains. Test it with your finger and mouth; the food should be barely warm or room temperature. If you don't want to use a microwave, you can thaw or warm the food in a saucepan or in a heat-proof bowl over simmering water.

Visit each Monday this month for easy baby food recipes!

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Shrimp in Spiced Tomato Sauce

This sauce gets a nice kick from ginger and coriander -- add a little more salt than you normally would so the shrimp become seasoned as they simmer.



Shrimp in Spiced Tomato Sauce
Serves 4

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion, cut into medium dice
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger (from a 1-inch piece)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound large frozen raw shrimp (peeled and deveined)
Chopped cilantro, for serving
Couscous (optional), for serving

To Prepare:
- In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add onion and ginger; cook until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add coriander, cayenne, and lemon zest; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, breaking them up as you go. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook 10 minutes.
- Season tomato sauce with salt and pepper and let cool to room temperature.

To Freeze:
- Place shrimp in a one-gallon freezer bag and pour cooled tomato sauce on top.
- Press out air, seal bag, and freeze flat. Store in the freezer, up to 2 1/2 months.

To Serve:
- To serve, thaw shrimp mixture in refrigerator overnight.
- Transfer to a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high; cook until sauce is hot and shrimp are opaque throughout, about 3 minutes.
- Serve sprinkled with cilantro, with couscous alongside if desired.

* recipe and photo from marthastewart.com

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Freezing Blanched Veggies

Often vegetables need to be blanched before freezing. Here is a quick and simple guide for blanching common vegetables. Blanching vegetables helps preserve color and texture.

After blanching vegetables in boiling water immerse immediately into cold water then drain. I often reuse the same water again and again. A large pasta type pot works great for blanching. You can submerse the vegetables into the pot already in the strainer.

Allow approximately a gallon of water for a pound of vegetables. Vegetables will need to cool for the same time as they are blanched.

Preparing Your Vegetables

Peel, trim and cut vegetables into uniform sizes. Look at the chart below to find the time needed. Extra large pieces may need to blanch a minute longer than the table calls for.


Blanching Timetable Chart for Vegetables

Asparagus: Blanch 2 minutes – 3 -4 4 minutes for large asparagus

Beans: green- Blanch for 3 minutes.

Beans: lima, butter or pinto - Blanch small beans 2 minutes, medium beans 3 minutes, and large beans 4 minutes.

Beets: small beets – 35- 30 minute, medium ones 45 – 50 minutes. If you leave the stem on top they won’t bleed into the water as bad.

Broccoli: Blanch 3 minutes.

Brussels Sprouts: Blanch small, 3 minutes; medium, 4 minutes; large, 5 minutes

Carrots: Blanch tiny, whole, 5 minutes; diced or strips, 2 minutes

Cauliflower: Blanch 3 minutes.

Corn: Whole small ears for freezing – 7 minutes, medium ears 9 minutes and large size ears 11 minutes. If you are going to take the corn of the cob for freezing blanch for 4 minutes and remove from cob.

Okra: Blanch small pods 3 minutes and large pods 4 minutes.

Peas: Shelled. Blanch for 1-2 minutes, chill, freeze.

Snap Peas: Blanch 1 1/2minutes

Spinach and other greens: Blanch 2 minutes

Summer squash: Blanch for 3 minutes.

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Freezing Bread

All bread products freeze beautifully. From pitas to tortillas to regular loaves. Here are some tips on freezing loaves of bread.

If you've just baked your own bread or purchased it warm, make sure you allow it to cool before freezing to avoid soggy bread or mold.

To Freeze. Wrap your loaf using two clear plastic bags. Then, seal it using masking tape and place it in the freezer.

To thaw your frozen bread, take it out of the freezer and let it come to room temperature, about 3 hours.

To serve the bread hot, wrap your bread in parchment paper and foil and place it in an oven heated to 400 degrees for 3 or 4 minutes to restore its crisp texture.

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Breaded Pork Chops

Here's another great recipe from Martha Stewart. Stack the breaded chops in the freezer, and remove as many as you need when you're ready to eat. Any chopped fresh herb can be substituted for the sage. These chops can go straight from freezer to oven for a fast meal in minutes.

This recipe makes 8 chops, but can be doubled.


Breaded Pork Chops

4 large eggs
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons packed finely chopped fresh sage
8 bone-in pork chops (1 inch thick and 2 1/2 to 3 pounds total)
2 cups plain dried breadcrumbs
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup vegetable oil

To Prepare:

- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, mustard, and sage and let stand 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pound each pork chop (avoiding bone) between two pieces plastic wrap to a 1/4-inch thickness.
- Spread breadcrumbs on a rimmed baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture onto another rimmed baking sheet. In batches, season pork chops with salt and pepper and coat in egg mixture. Gently shake to remove excess, then dredge in breadcrumbs, pressing to adhere.

To Freeze:

- Layer pork chops between sheets of freezer paper and transfer to two 1-gallon freezer bags. Press out air, seal bags, and freeze flat. Store in the freezer, up to 6 weeks.

To Serve:

- Heat broiler. Place a rimmed baking sheet in broiler to heat.
- For each frozen chop, combine 1 1/2 teaspoons melted butter and 1 1/2 teaspoons oil; brush on both sides.
- For each batch of two, place chops on sheet and broil until both sides are deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Make sure each chop has reached an internal temperature of 160* F

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Freezing Stock

Some recipes require just a little stock, and the leftovers from a whole can won't keep forever in the refrigerator. Freezing unused stock or a homemade batch in 1-cup muffin tins makes it easy to store in small amounts.

Use a 1 cup measure to ensure accurate measuring. Fill tins with stock and freeze, covered.

Once they are completely frozen, pop portions out of tin; store them in resealable plastic bags labeled with the date (frozen stock keeps for about two months).

If you need smaller amounts you can also choose to free stock by Tablespoonfuls in an ice cube tray.

*photo from marthastewart.com

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Chicken Cutlets with White Wine and Garlic

Nobody does it better than Martha Stewart...am I right? And this recipe is no exception. It's so easy to make, freeze and a cinch to thaw and prepare. It's fancy enough for a special dinner, but easy enough for a week night meal with the family.

Freezing and thawing the chicken cutlets in the marinade infuses them with flavor. This recipe serves 4, but can easily be doubled or tripled.



Chicken Cutlets with White Wine and Garlic

8 chicken cutlets (about 1 1/4 pounds total)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup dry white wine (*or substitute with White Grape Juice or chicken stock)
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Chopped fresh flat leaf parsley (optional)

To Prepare:
- Stack cutlets in a double layer in a 1-gallon freezer bag.
- In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons butter, wine, garlic, and thyme and whisk to combine. Season with pepper.
- Pour marinade into bag with cutlets. Press air out of freezer bag, seal, and freeze flat. Store in the freezer, up to 2 months.

To Serve:
- Thaw chicken in refrigerator overnight. Remove cutlets from bag and discard marinade. Gently shake chicken to remove liquid and season with salt.
- In two batches, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons butter and 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high; add half the cutlets to pan and cook until browned and cooked through, 4 minutes total, flipping halfway through and adjusting heat as necessary to prevent pan from over-browning.
- Serve chicken sprinkled with parsley if desired.


* Please note that when cooking with alcohol that studies have proven that the alcohol does not cook out, even under extremely high temperatures and prolonged cook times. Keep this in mind when serving to children, those with liver problems or those who refrain from alcohol consumption.

For more research information and scientific study results click here.
For alcohol cooking substitues click here.
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I'm Back!

YAY!
Our new computer arrived today.
It's delightfully fast and ready for action!
That means I will starting to post each week again.

Thanks for your patience!

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Computer Crash!

All posts are currently suspended until we get a new computer.
I HOPE that is sooner than later!

If you have found this site helpful and want to donate funds towards keeping it up and running please click the donate link in the right hand toolbar. Any amount is greatly appreciated!

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Candied Carrots

This is dedicated to my Mom, since I have never cared for candied carrots. LOL!
But MANY of you love them...so here's a recipe for you!



Candied Carrots

2 pounds carrots, cut into sticks
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper

To Prepare
- Place carrots in a large saucepan; add 1 in. of water. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and set aside.
- In the same pan, combine the butter, brown sugar, salt and pepper; cook and stir until butter is melted.
- Return carrots to the pan; cook and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes or until glazed.

To Freeze
- Allow to cool. Place in freezer bag or freezer container. Label and freeze.

To Serve
- Heat in microwave or in saucepan over medium heat and serve.

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Reader Question : Reusing Supplies

Sangeetha N. writes...

Hello!

I just stumbled upon your blog and I've started following you.

Q. I was wondering if and how you reuse your ziplock bags. I've thrown so many because of the gooey oily film that they tend to have after defrosting, I don't trust that washing would clean it up well enough. But I feel guilty about using so much plastic, so I use a fair bit of tupperware. But that requires more space, and if i don't manage to fill the tupper, there is freezer burn.

A. I generally do NOT reuse plastic baggies. One reason is food safety. Because some foods are not thoroughly cooked before freezing, there is the potential of contaminating vegetables if re-using a bag which previously stored raw or partially cooked meat. I know it seems a waste, but I haven't found a better way.

Q. I haven't found a good labeling system for the tuppers. What do you use? I was writing on the tupper with a crayon, but now I have a bowl labeled "mixed veggie" that contains beef, hehe. Should I use stickers?

A. You can use stickers or blank labels and remove them each time or use a wipe-off marker like those made for wipe-able message boards. You can also use marker straight on the tupperware and then remove the writing later with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.

Q. Is it safe to freeze cuts of meat in just cling-wrap? I sometimes do that in a hurry and I don't know if its unsafe. For instance chicken legs just wrapped up tight in cling film.Thanks a ton!

A. You can as long as it is wrapped well so that during the freezing process no raw juices can escape and leak onto other packages in your freezer. There is no other reason to avoid this except the possibility of freezer burn. The more you wrap the better the quality of your product will remain.

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Cranberry Orange Scones

This week's recipe is courtesy of Ina Garten (a.k.a. "The Barefoot Contessa") from Food Network. My daughter and I watched this episode and practically shorted out the TV remote with drool. These look delicious! And they also received a solid 5 stars from Food Network viewers who have tried the recipe.

This recipe brings to mind two great tips for Freezer Cooking...

Tip 1: Pretty much every bread recipe freezes well

Tip 2: If you watch cooking shows keep a listening ear tuned to the host suggesting freezing. Ina mentioned freezing this dough ahead and baking it as needed.



CRANBERRY ORANGE SCONES
Recipe by Ina Garten

4 cups plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar, plus additional for sprinkling
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cold heavy cream
1 cup dried cranberries
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water or milk, for egg wash


To Prepare
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix 4 cups of flour, 1/4 cup sugar, the baking powder, salt and orange zest.
- Add the cold butter and mix at the lowest speed until the butter is the size of peas.
- Combine the eggs and heavy cream and, with the mixer on low speed, slowly pour into the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough will look lumpy!
- Combine the dried cranberries and 1/4 cup of flour, add to the dough, and mix on low speed until blended.
- Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it into a ball. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. You should see small bits of butter in the dough. Keep moving the dough on the floured board so it doesn't stick.
- Flour a 3-inch round plain or fluted cutter and cut circles of dough. You can also choose to cut them into more traditional triangle shapes with a sharp knife.
- Place the scones on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Collect the scraps neatly, roll them out, and cut more circles.
- Brush the tops of the scones with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar.
- Flash freeze raw scones on a cookie sheet and transfer to gallon size ziplock bag when completely frozen.

To Bake
- Bake at 400* for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are fully baked. The scones will be firm to the touch. Allow the scones to cool for 15 minutes.

Optional Glaze
- Whisk together 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar and 4 teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice and drizzle over the scones.

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Freezer Chicken Enchiladas

Freezer Chicken Enchiladas
Serves 4-6 (can easily be multiplied)

Ingredients
1 (29-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 medium onion , chopped
3 cloves garlic , minced
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons minced canned pickled jalapeños
10 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Cooking spray

To Prepare
1. Blend tomato sauce, onion, garlic, chipotle, cumin, coriander, salt, and broth in blender until smooth. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add tomato mixture, bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until mixture is reduced to 3 1/2 cups, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl and refrigerate until cool, about 1 hour.

2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Toss 3/4 cup sauce with chicken, 1 cup cheese, cilantro, and jalepeños.

3. Place 5 tortillas on baking sheet and lightly coat both sides with cooking spray. Bake tortillas until just pliable, about 2 minutes. Working quickly, transfer one tortilla at a time to work surface, fill with 1/3 cup chicken mixture, and roll tightly. Transfer, seam side down, to large plate. Repeat warming and rolling process with remaining 5 tortillas.

To Freeze
1.Place plate in freezer until enchiladas are frozen, at least 1 hour.

2. Place remaining sauce in freezer safe container and press 2 layers of plastic wrap directly onto surface of sauce. Tightly wrap enchiladas in bundles of 5, first in plastic and then in foil. Freeze for up to 2 months.

To Serve
1. When ready to serve: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Defrost enchilada sauce in microwave on defrost setting, about 12 minutes.

2. Coat 13 by 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange frozen enchiladas in single layer in baking dish and coat tops with cooking spray. Bake until tops of tortillas are just beginning to flake, about 20 minutes. Remove dish from oven, top enchiladas with 1 1/2 cups sauce, and bake 10 minutes longer. Sprinkle enchiladas with remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese and bake until cheese melts and center of casserole is hot and bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes.

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Emilie's Classic Lasagna

I've shared Everyday Foods' Lasagna Primavera and my own Manicotti recipe, but sometimes there is just nothing like a classic. This recipe is my go-to recipe for good old, beefy, cheesy noodly lasagna.

After many a failed/bland/watery lasagna recipes I finally perfected this one which has everything we want in a lasagna. We like the cheesiness of ricotta, but dislike the pasty texture, so we use half ricotta and half cottage cheese. This gives a smooth texture and is less expensive. This recipe also has the perfect blend of seasoning and spices in the cream mixture, which would otherwise be much too bland.



EMILIE'S CLASSIC MEAT LASAGNA

15 oz. container ricotta cheese
16 oz. container cottage cheese
3 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1 c grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1&1/2 pounds ground beef
3 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 c. diced onion
2 jars Marinara Sauce (find a brand that does not appear too watery in the jar...the thicker the better)
16 flat lasagna noodles

1 aluminum 9x13" or larger baking pan

To Prepare
- Bring large pot of water to a boil (I hate the gummy texture of the no boil kind, but you can go for it if you want to). Cook lasagna noodles for 6-7 minutes. When ready to layer lasagna, take noodles out one at a time with tongs.
- In a large bowl combine ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, 1 c. mozzarella cheese, 1/2 c. of shredded Parmesan Cheese, salt, dried parsley, dried basil, black pepper and eggs.
- Cook beef in medium-large sized pot with onion and garlic until browned. Pour off fat. Stir in pasta sauce.
- In baking pan, assemble layers as follows...lasagna noodles, a third of the ricotta cheese mixture, then a third of the meat sauce mixture. Repeat layers. Finish with lasagna noodles and sauce.

To Freeze
- Wrap uncooked lasagna in plastic and then foil and store in freezer.

To Serve
- Thaw completely in refrigerator for 24 hours prior to cooking.
- Bake, covered in foil, at 400* for 30 minutes or until hot in the center. Add remaining cheese and bake 10 more minutes. Let rest 15-20 min.

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I'm OFF

for EASTER break!

See ya next Monday.

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Freeze-A-Thon Part IV - Utilizing Your Frozen Foods

Well, you made it through the month of March here at FREEZE HAPPY! And hopefully you have a freezer filled with delicious meals, side dishes, desserts and time-savers. But now what? There are a few ways to maximize your use of these meals and make sure you are reaping the benefits of your work so far.

Here are a few tips for using your freezer food....

Sunday Selection: Make a new part of your Sunday routine. On Sunday morning, pull out meals from your freezer and put them in the fridge. This can be 5 meals (if you are completely eating from the freezer or just one meal. It's up to you. But since most of the recipes here maintain best quality if baked from a thawed state, this is an important step to reducing your stress.

Make Ahead Monday: Stretch your frozen foods and give yourself a weekly break by using a frozen meal on your busiest weekday. Our busiest day is Mondays. I am still cleaning the house from a weekend, getting back into the swing of the week and moving back into schedules. So each Monday is Make-Ahead Monday.

Stock Your Staples: You made some meals ahead this month, but don't forget to dedicate some time to freezing time savers. Like pre-made cookie balls, pre-cooked rice and ground meats and freezing leftover stock, eggs, etc.

List It: Some find it helpful after their Freeze-A-Thon to make a list of everything they made and putting it on the freezer. Then, as you pull items out, you cross them off your list. This makes knowing what you have a breeze and also lets you know what ran out first for when you are planning your next Freeze-A-Thon!

Well, this has been an amazing month, packed with information! I hope you feel confident, inspired and ready to fill your freezer!

ALL posts in this series..
Freeze-A-Thon Part I - Organization
Freeze-A-Thon Part II - Preparation
Freeze-A-Thon Part III - Execution
Freeze-A-Thon Part IV - Utilizing Your Frozen Foods

Read more...

Freeze-A-Thon Part III - Execution

Execution Step 1: Gather Supplies

Take out all of the tools you will need for your recipes including mixing bowls, large spoons and measuring cups & spoons. Also take out frequently used ingredients like salt & pepper, diced onions, etc. Next, grab your storage containers and sharpie markers and get them ready to go. You may choose to pre-label your containers by writing meal name and simple cooking instructions onto foil sheets or ziplock baggies.

Grab some sweet tunes. This process is supposed to make your life easier, but the process itself should not be torture. Grab your favorite upbeat music, like the kind you might work out to...one that really gets your but shaking and just begs to be sung along with. Set up a stereo in the kitchen and shimmy and shake your way through your Freeze-A-Thon.

Execution Step 2: Assemble and Store

Remember my game plan from last week's post?

1. Meatloaf (raw beef)
2. Hamburger Patties (raw beef)
3. Beef Tamale Pie (cooked beef)
4. Shepherd's Pie (cooked beef)
5. Beef Quesadillas (cooked beef)

Thoroughly clean work area

6. Creamy Italian Chicken (raw chicken)
7. Thanksgiving Casserole (raw chicken)
8. Crisp Chicken Burritos (cooked chicken)
9. Chicken Parmesan (cooked chicken)
10.Chicken Quesadillas (cooked chicken)

So, I would start with beef. I would portion out the raw ground beef needed for the meatloaf into a large bowl. Add the other meatloaf ingredients into the meatloaf bowl (be careful not to touch the raw beef at this point) and set aside. Now portion your hamburger patty beef into a separate bowl. Add salt, pepper, Worcester sauce (or anything else you like to add into your hamburger mix) into the bowl.

Now you have a bowl of unmixed meatloaf ingredients and a bowl of unmixed hamburger patty ingredients in front of you. Tear of multiple sheets of wax paper and lay them on the counter. Now put your hands into your hamburger mix, mix the ingredients and form into individual patties, separating and staking each patty with a piece of wax paper.

No need to wash your hands just yet, now dig your hands into the meatloaf mixture to combine ingredients. Once mixed put raw meatloaf mixture into the pan(s).

Now wash your hands.

With your hands clean, label and cover the meatloaves and put them in the freezer. Wrap stacks of hamburger patties in plastic and then foil. Label and store in freezer.

Next, put the rest of the beef into a large non-stick pot with some diced onion and salt & pepper and brown.

The rest of your beef entrees use already browned ground beef. Lay out all of your aluminum pans and start assembling your remaining meals. Portion out the cooked beef into each recipe from the pot as you go. Once finished, label, cover and freeze. Clean work space thoroughly, wash your hands again and begin your chicken dishes.

Chicken dishes should also be sub-categorized into chicken meals prepared with raw chicken (washing area and hands thoroughly when finished) and those using already cooked chicken.

Execution Step 3: Accept what you did as a job well done

If you didn't get it all finished...no big deal. If everything was not as smooth as you had hoped....shake it off. Maybe, despite your careful planning you found yourself missing an ingredient or losing a recipe...that's fine.

Remember that ANYTHING you get accomplished signifies and entire evening you saved yourself slaving over a hot stove or simply staring into the fridge wondering what to make for dinner. It's not a tragedy if you spread this over two days instead of one or you simply give up on a meal you ran out of room for in your freezer.

And once you start eating your meals from your freezer you will learn a lot as well. What worked for you, what your family loved, what they didn't love.

Each time you do this process it will get easier and more streamlined until you are a PRO and you start your own blog and push mine to the bottom of the heap...wait, don't do THAT. As the amount of meals in your freezer grow, so will your confidence, competence and knowledge.

That's it.
You're ready.

Now, my good friends...
GO FORTH AND FREEZE!!!

ALL posts in this series...
Freeze-A-Thon Part I - Organization
Freeze-A-Thon Part II - Preparation
Freeze-A-Thon Part III - Execution
Freeze-A-Thon Part IV - Utilizing Your Frozen Foods

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Freeze-A-Thon Part II - Preparation

Preparation Step 1: Chop, chop, chopping

A day or two before your Freeze-A-Thon you need to prep your food. That means grating all of your cheese, chopping all of your vegetables, cutting down and chopping up any rotisserie chickens you bought for recipes using pre-cooked chicken (or cooking, cooling and chopping raw chicken for the same recipes). Fill your fridge with bowls filled with these items and you'll be ready to roll on the big day.


Preparation Step 2: Making a game plan

I like to make a game plan on just how I am going to put these recipes together and in what order. This is especially necessary if you have limited counter space. I generally group proteins together, it's easier and it helps prevent germs. So let's look at the sample menu I am working on...

These are already divided by protein, but you should sub-divide each category by meals prepared with raw proteins and cooked proteins. This will not only keep order, but will reduce risk of bacteria transfer.

So my game plan would look like this...

1. Meatloaf (raw beef)
2. Hamburger Patties (raw beef)
3. Beef Tamale Pie (cooked beef)
4. Shepherd's Pie (cooked beef)
5. Beef Quesadillas (cooked beef)

Thoroughly clean work area

6. Creamy Italian Chicken (raw chicken)
7. Thanksgiving Casserole (raw chicken)
8. Crisp Chicken Burritos (cooked chicken)
9. Chicken Parmesan (cooked chicken)
10.Chicken Quesadillas (cooked chicken)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ALL posts in this series..
Freeze-A-Thon Part I - Organization
Freeze-A-Thon Part II - Preparation
Freeze-A-Thon Part III - Execution
Freeze-A-Thon Part IV - Utilizing Your Frozen Foods

Read more...

Freeze-A-Thon Part I - Organization

So, you've made a few recipes, learned some great tips from this site, you've freed up some freezer space and now...you're ready. It's time to host a Freeze-A-Thon. I am going to walk you through the process over the next three weeks. If you prep well and stay organized you can make a crazy amount of home-cooked freezer meals in one afternoon. And I can show you how.

Organization Step 1: Plan your menus.

I organize this step much like I do my weekly meal plans, by protein and lack of protein. So, to create a variety I might choose to create...

5 beef meals
5 chicken meals
5 "other meat" meals
5 vegetarian meals

Now, look over your recipes (or the recipes on this site) and find 5 you would like to make from each category. Choose meals you know your family would like and you can throw 2 or 3 in that are new to try and find new favorites to add to your rotation. Also, make sure to add a few side dishes and desserts.

So my example monthly menu might look like this:

Beef:
Super Simple Meatloaf
Beef Tamale Pie
Shepherd's Pie
Beef Quesadillas
Cheeseburgers

Chicken:
Creamy Italian Chicken
Crisp Chicken Burritos
Thanksgiving Casserole
Chicken Parmesan
Chicken Quesadillas

Other Meats:
Ham & Cheese Stromboli
Pork BBQ
Ham and Potato Casserole
Tuna Casserole
Brinner (Breakfast Dinner)

Vegetarian:
Bean Burritos
Macaroni and Cheese
Vegetarian Taco Soup
Pesto
Veggie Jambalaya

Sides:
Freezy Cheese Straws
Make Ahead Garlic Bread
Cheesy Potatoes

Desserts:
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Fruit Crisp Topping
Surprise Cake

Organization Step 2: Gathering and Printing Recipes

Now, I know what you're thinking....print every recipe? Just trust me. You do NOT want to be digging through books and keeping pages open while in this process. You will want to take every possible step to make this process as easy as possible from start to finish and organization of information is key.

Organization Step 3: Assessing and Buying Ingredients.
First, print out the following downloadable worksheets to help you plan. You need (1 copy) Menu Plan and (2 copies) of the Grocery List. Download each by clicking the images below.

Grab your printed MENU PLANNER and start by filling out the meals you have planned. Mine would look like this...

With me so far?

Now grab one copy of your GROCERY PLANNER and the recipes you printed. Start with the first recipe listed (for me that would be meatloaf...see the recipe here). With the recipe and the grocery list side by side, start listing the ingredients of the recipe in the correct area of the grocery list. When needed, list each ingredient in an incremental amount. Like 1/2 c. chopped onion. Continue with the remaining ingredients in the meatloaf. I am doubling mine to make two meatloaves. Each meatloaf calls for 1/2 c. chopped onion so next to the 1/2 c. chopped onion I would put two ticks...


Once you have finished, put an x in the box next to meatloaf on your MENU PLANNER under ING to indicate that you have transferred the ingredients for that recipe onto your grocery list.

Now proceed with the remaining recipes. I am going to show examples having completed this process for ONLY the Beef and Chicken categories. My Menu Planner now looks like this...

And my Grocery List planner looks like this...

Next, take a look in your cupboards, freezer and fridge and cross items off of your list that you already have.

Then add the incremental amounts remaining to form total amounts you need to purchase from the store. Now it's time to use your 2nd Grocery List. My ticks next to pounds of ground beef added up to 10 so I am going to write 10 lbs. ground beef on my blank grocery list and continue until all ingredients are itemized and grouped by grocery store section.


Now get out there and GO SHOPPING!

As you may have guessed by my colossal 10 pounds of ground beef needed, this is a great opportunity to go to a price club like Sam's Club or Costco. Sam's Club and Costco also sell large amounts of sandwich ziplocks, gallon size ziplocks and aluminum pans. If you are reluctant to buy 50 aluminum pans either go in with a friend or buy these individually at WalMart or at Dollar Stores.

Don't feel intimidated by this process. It is much easier than it looks and makes your shopping and Freeze-A-Thon experience much less difficult.


Also make sure you have the basic tools needed as found in THIS POST.

Possible Additional Tools: You will be needing and using a lot of mixing bowls and measuring cups and spoons. The good news is, these items are all extremely inexpensive so you can afford multiple sets. I like to have two sets of this WalMart brand plastic mixing bowl set, two sets of plastic measuring spoons and two sets of plastic measuring cups. Trust me, this will make your Freeze-A-Thon much easier and save the time of washing additional dishes between assembly.

Any Questions?

ALL posts in this series..
Freeze-A-Thon Part I - Organization
Freeze-A-Thon Part II - Preparation
Freeze-A-Thon Part III - Execution
Freeze-A-Thon Part IV - Utilizing Your Frozen Foods

Read more...

Hosting a Freeze-A-Thon: Introduction

So, you've made a few Freeze Happy recipes,
learned some great tips from this site,
you've freed up some freezer space and now...you're ready.

Time for a full blown Freeze-A-Thon!

If you prep well and stay organized you can make a crazy amount of home-cooked freezer meals in one afternoon. And I can show you how.

I am going to walk you through the process over the next three weeks.

Starting with Organization then Preparation and finally Execution.

There will be helpful tips, downloadable worksheets and lots of inspiration!
So check back each Monday this month and let's get started!

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Sorry I was Late!

I am so sorry there was no post this Monday, but I had good reason...I was freezing food.

I taught a workshop on Freezer Meals to a local group of women. I provided a delicious meal for 15 straight from my freezer and it only took 15 minutes to get it made (the time it took to boil the boxed pasta and bake the breadsticks).

On the Menu:
- Whole wheat pasta with Mini Meatballs in marinara sauce
- Whole wheat pasta with vibrantly green Pesto (that made me dream of Summer)
- Freezy Cheese Straws
- Green Salad from a bag with bottled dressing
And for Dessert:
- Chocolate Surprise Cake
- Blueberry cobbler with Fruit Crisp Topping

I love sharing this information with others. When you see the possibilities of what Freezing can do for you...there's no way to keep from being excited!

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Chocolate Surprise Cake

Well, it doesn't get much easier than this.
And it's a fabulous cake to have in your freezer for unexpected company or to lessen stress over the holidays or around birthdays! The surprise is the whipped cream center....shhhh!



Chocolate Surprise Cake

1 pkg boxed chocolate cake mix
1 pint heavy whipping cream
3 Tbsp. white sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar or 1 tub chocolate frosting

To Prepare
- Bake cake per box directions. You can make it a 9x13" or use cake pans to make two small round cakes.
- Place on a wire rack and cool completely.
- Beat heavy whipping cream with sugar until stiff peaks form.
- Split cake into two layers using serrated knife or cake splitter.
- Fill center of cake with *whipped cream and replace top layer.

To Freeze
- Wrap entire cake in plastic wrap and store in freezer for up to 6 months.

To Serve
- Remove from freezer and let thaw on counter for 30-60 minutes or thaw in fridge overnight.
- Top with a light dusting of powdered sugar or frost with chocolate frosting and top with chocolate curls.

* If you can't eat dairy you can replace the whipped cream with Cool Whip.

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Fruit Crisp Topping

Hmmmm....it's been a while since I shared something sweet, and since Valentine's Day was yesterday I thought it was appropriate.

This is a great little trick for whipping up delicious fruit filled desserts in a snap. You can top entire pies with this, fruit crumbles or homemade muffins as well.



FRUIT CRISP TOPPING
Makes 8 cups (enough for 4 - 9 inch pies/crumbles)

1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1/2 c. packed lt. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1&1/2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled

Optional
1/2 c. finely chopped nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc)
1 c. quick oats

To Prepare
- Mix dry ingredients. You can sift together or stir vigorously with a whisk.
- Cut butter into small 1/2" cubes. Use a pastry cutter or knife to break up butter into pea sized (or slightly smaller) balls.
- Flash freeze on a cookie sheet for 1 hour.
- Break up any large clumps with fork or hands.
- Store in small zip lock freezer bags by 2 cup increments (4 bags total). Label with marker.

To Serve (on pies/crisps)
- Sprinkle contents of one bag (or 2 cups) over a 8x8" pan of sweetened fresh or frozen fruit or on top of a crustless 9 inch pie.
- Bake at 375* for 40 minutes

To Serve (as muffin topper)
- Prepare any muffin recipe.
- Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. of crumble on top
- Bake per your recipe instructions.

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Freeze Ahead Already Baked Dinner Rolls

I know many people who are cooking for just one or two. Making homemade rolls can be tough when you only need a few and don't want the rest to go to waste. This recipe from America's Test Kitchen (available for free on their website) promises fresh baked rolls anytime and you can break off as many or as few as you would like and leave the remaining rolls frozen for another time. These are rolls that you cook and THEN freeze...reheating when ready. Later this month I will post a recipe to make your own dough balls (like Rhodes rolls).



Freeze Ahead Dinner Rolls
Makes 15 large rolls.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter , plus 2 tablespoons for bowl and baking dish
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/3 cup honey
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
5-5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon yeast (rapid rise or instant)
2 teaspoons salt
1 large egg , plus1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, shut oven off. Grease large bowl with 1 tablespoon butter. Line 13 by 9-inch baking dish with foil, leaving overhang on all sides. Grease foil with 1 tablespoon butter.

2. Place milk, honey, shortening, and remaining 3 tablespoons butter in large measuring cup. Microwave on high power until milk is warm (110 degrees) and butter and shortening begin to melt, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir well. Don't get the milk mixture too hot, or the dough won't rise.

3. Mix 4 1/2 cups flour, yeast, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with dough hook. Turn mixer to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together, increase speed to medium, add 1 egg, and mix until dough is smooth, about 2 minutes. Add another 1/2 cup flour and knead until dough is shiny and smooth and comes away from sides of mixing bowl, 6 to 7 minutes (add up to 1/2 cup more flour if dough is too sticky). Turn dough onto unfloured surface and knead briefly to form smooth, cohesive ball. Transfer dough to buttered bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in turned-off oven until dough has doubled in size, 50 to 60 minutes.

4. Punch down dough on floured surface and divide into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into thick cylinder and cut each cylinder into 5 equal pieces. Working one piece at a time (keep remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap) and following photos, form dough pieces into smooth, taut rounds and arrange in prepared baking dish. Lightly press on dough rounds so they just touch each other. Cover baking dish with plastic wrap and return to turned-off oven until dough rounds have doubled in size, 50 to 60 minutes.

5. Remove dish from oven and heat oven to 375 degrees. Unwrap baking dish and brush rolls with egg-water mixture. Bake until rolls are deep golden brown, 25 to 27 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Using handles of foil sling, remove rolls from baking dish and cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Remove foil from rolls, return to rack, and cool completely.

To Freeze
Keeping rolls together or seperating into individual serving sizes, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil; freeze for up to 1 month.

To Serve
Remove plastic wrap and foil (reserve foil) from rolls, wrap in reserved foil, and defrost at room temperature for 2 hours. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake foil-wrapped rolls on baking sheet until heated through, about 30 minutes. Serve.

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Stuffed Green Peppers

I know what you're thinking...

Emilie! I can't freeze green Peppers!
It' goes against everything you believe in!
The water content is too high!!!

Of course, you're right! This recipe freezes just the filling and you add it to your fresh green peppers before cooking. Stuffed Peppers are a great meal for a cold winter day at home, but are fancy enough to serve to company.



Makes 6

Ingredients:
6 green bell peppers
1 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or chuck
1 1/2 cups cooked long-grain rice
shredded mild Cheddar cheese, about 1/2 to 3/4 cup, optional

Preparation:
- Cut tops off peppers; remove seeds and membranes. Chop edible part of tops and set aside. Rinse peppers under cold water. Place peppers in a large pot; cover with salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain peppers and set aside.

- Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Sauté chopped green pepper (from tops), chopped onion, and chopped celery for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, crushed garlic, oregano, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

- In a large mixing bowl, combine egg with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Gently stir to blend; add ground beef, cooked rice, and 1 cup of the tomato mixture. Mix well. Stuff peppers with meat mixture and place in a 3-quart baking dish. Pour remaining tomato mixture over the stuffed peppers.

- Bake at 350° for 55 to 65 minutes. If desired, top stuffed peppers with a little shredded Cheddar cheese just before peppers are done; bake until cheese is melted.

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Freezing Fresh Fruit

Freezing fresh fruit is easy and perfect for keeping farm fresh produce in your rotation all year long.
Here are a few things to remember...


- Always wash, stem, pit, peel or slice fruits before freezing them; in other words, prepare them so they are ready to eat.

- Some fruits require pretreatment to prevent darkening. Ascorbic acid (the most effective), citric acid, or lemon juice may be used for treating these fruits. Steaming for a few minutes before packing is enough to prevent firm fruits, such as apples, from darkening.

- For small, whole fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and cherries. Simply spread the fruit in a single layer on a shallow tray and freeze; then remove and quickly package in labeled freezer bags or containers. Remove as much air as possible from containers and allow no head space. Seal and return promptly to freezer.

But Emilie, why are you talking to us about freezing fresh berries in January where most fruit is out of season?

Good question. And the answer is....Cranberries.



Cranberries are fantastically resilient. You can purchase fresh cranberries in bags in your grocer's produce department. Put the bag straight into the freezer for these tart red berries all year long. But buy them NOW because many grocers only carry fresh cranberries in the holiday months.

So this week head to your local grocery store, grab some and freeze them for use in apricot cranberry tarts in the Spring, cranberry scones in the Summer and warm cranberry orange sweet bread in the Autumn.

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Triple Chocolate Muffins

It's been a while since I featured a breakfast recipe. We all hear a million times over that breakfast should not ever be skipped. And maybe the fact that this is a chocolate muffin negates the health benefits of not skipping breakfast, but I choose to overlook that fact.



TRIPLE CHOCOLATE MUFFINS
Yield: 12 muffins

5 ounces Semisweet Chocolate
2 Baking Chocolate Squares
1/3 cup Butter
3/4 cup Sour Cream
2/3 cup Brown Sugar - packed
1/4 cup Light Corn Syrup
1 Egg
2 teaspoons Vanilla
1 1/2 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Chocolate Chips - semi-sweet or milk

To Prepare
- Mix semisweet chocolate, baking chocolate, and butter together, then melt carefully in microwave or over simmering water in double boiler. Allow to cool to lukewarm.
- Mix sour cream, sugar, corn syrup, egg and vanilla. Blend with melted chocolates. Blend flour, soda and salt, then add to the chocolate mixture and blend very well. Add the chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into 12 paper-lined or greased muffin tins.
- Bake in preheated 400 degree F oven for about 20 minutes. Remove from muffin tins and allow to cool on wire racks.

To Freeze
Cool completely, then freeze in individual baggies, removing as much air as possible from each baggie before sealing.

To Serve
Reheat in microwave for 15-20 seconds or until just slightly warm.

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