Stop Acting a'Fool

"Ummm wifey, do you realize you just called God a fly? Now I'm not sure but something tells me that may get you a heaven timeout!" Don't you hate it when they use your own stuff against you? I may need to explain.

I am one of "those" people who cracks inappropriate jokes at the worst possible times and then gets tickled to the point of uncontrollable laughter. There are a few that really get me and laugh inappropriately with me. I call them family; where else do you get this ability? And my friends that get me, well I will not name names to protect those that cannot claim me by blood.

Exhibit A- After my Deddy was diagnosed with esophageal cancer; he was scheduled for surgery to remove the tumor and surrounding tissue. I will not go into details but it is by no means a simple surgery and would have caused many months of painful recuperation and therapy. With that said, the pre-op appointment was probably not the place to have one of these moments. But there it was, in all of its inappropriate glory and it was all Milton’s fault. You see, Deddy had a hernia and he asked if Dr. Moran could “fix” during his surgery. Now, if you do not know where my mind went immediately then you are no John Hughes fan and we can no longer be friends. Ok, of course we can still be friends but there will be a mandatory movie night at my house a.s.a.p. There he was, Long Duck Dong, the first image to enter my mind.  And the first words to exit my mouth? “You gonna fix it so grandpa’s hyena don’t get disturbed?” Well there were two people in that room that thought that was hi-la-ri-ous and they were not my mother or the doctor. How was I supposed to know Milton would know what I was talking about and find it as funny as me? What’s that you say? He is my dad and that might be why I thought it was funny in the first place? Well, you are little late with that advice now aren’t you. I will let you know when I am no longer grounded..
What about this timeout in heaven thingie- that started with one of these inappropriate moments. I am striving for complete openness and honesty in this journey. I am going to share how it happens and not sugarcoat it. This means not making the things I think and say sanitized. I pray, a lot but it is not always in the most formal way. I have been known to start a conversation, “Really Lord? This is what you had in mind? I really liked things like they were.” So I will not be surprised if there is a chair in the corner with my name right by the entrance when I arrive at the Pearly Gates. I will still get to enter but I may have to sit a spell and think about what I have done. I know that is not how it works but saying I will get a heaven timeout forces me to stop and reevaluate what I have said and get myself back in alignment. Calling God a fly? I did no such thing. I said to dear hubby that God kept bringing me back to Operation P31 like a fly buzzing in your ear. The thought just would not go away. Crap when you put it that way, more time in the chair! Does it help that even flies are on of God’s creatures? I sure hope that chair is at least comfortable because I may be there a good long while..

Where does the journey start? The same place this blog started, my kitchen. We just got new carpeting in our den and flooring in the kitchen. Everything is in complete chaos and it is the perfect time to start. By the time the floor is in, we will have almost completely renovated our kitchen one piece at a time. This weekend I will have before and after photos. It will be an attempt at Proverbs 31:27. Fasten your seat belts; it’s going to be a bumpy journey. 

Cattycornered, Cattywhumpus, Off Kilter even

That is what this blog will be doing for a bit. Going a little all of the above. But first I feel I should share the actual pronunciation and meaning of the words in my title so that non-ENC folks can use them properly. :)
Cattycornered is technically cater-cornered meaning diagonally.
Cattywhumpus is catawampus meaning askew or awry.
Off kilter is out of kilter meaning out of alignment.

This blog started as a way to share my canning and cooking experiences. However, I found that through this blog, I am beginning to appreciate where I am from and who I am. I feel pulled in the direction to turn it into something more than food. I recently read My So Called Life as a Proverbs 31 Wife: A One Year Experiment by Sara Horn. It is a wonderful book and it really opened my eyes to the many blessings God has given me. Then came the question... "Am I presenting them (my blessings) in a way that is to his glory?" Dum dum dummmmmmm. Cue overly dramatic music and me with bent index finger to my lips. (Oh my dear sweet Mama, I am so sorry I watched the Young and the Restless with Grandma Turner every summer afternoon. It really did have an effect.) Well, take a minute call your mama and let her talk you up, put on your best dress, do your hair and make-up and maybe even hit the nail salon because you are going to need to feel good about yourself before you ask that question. It goes down hill faster than my dog down the steps when you say "chicken jerky". Translation- nope.

So that led to my really reading Proverbs 31. When I sat down I just knew I was going to have a perfect score. Ha! HA! I say. I have not failed a test this bad since high school geometry. (Oh honey- math is an evil four letter word.) The transcript for that conversation is below.

New Living Translation-
10 [b]Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies.
11 Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life.
12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

10 Well, I prefer sapphires because they are my birthstone but rubies will work.
11 Trust-Check! Enrich-Definitely! My chocolate hot pot desserts alone enrich his life.
12 Check! Ok if you don't count the time I hauled off and knocked the snot out of his arm for being a butthead about my new hair cut. Ok, so 1/2 check.

13 She finds wool and flax and busily spins it.
14 She is like a merchant’s ship, bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.

13 I spin it right on around in the washing machine BUT not the dryer
14 Does the Farmer's Market and the Whole Foods on Wade Ave count as afar? It is a bit of a drive from North Raleigh.
15 Have you met me? That would be a negative.

16 She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She is energetic and strong, a hard worker.
18 She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night.

16 If by fields you mean a Red Dot sale at Belk's and vineyard you mean wine, SUCCESS!
17 This one I feel comfortable saying yes without the risk of lightening.
18 Triple coupons at HT, baby. I am definitely more of an night owl

19 Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber.
20 She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy.
21 She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm[c] clothes.

19 I can sew a mean button there lovechops!
20 Hmmm... Could I be doing more?
21 Fear, worry? Me, nope not me, not one teeny tiny little bit. Never ever ever.

22 She makes her own bedspreads. She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.
23 Her husband is well known at the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders.
24 She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants.

22 I buy my own bedspreads and did I mention the Red Dot sale? Cute stuff thanks to those.
23 He really doesn't talk much but he is a good, kind man who is well thought of by his family and those who meet him.
24 Does helping make lawyers count?

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.
26 When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness.
27 She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness.

25 See 21
26 Crickets chirping... (still working on this one)
27 One word- ouch. Maybe I need to apply more of 17 to my household and not just my job.

28 Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her:
29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!”

28 No children of my own but I am HUGE on the 12 month to 8 year old circuit. He does praise me but again could I be doing more?
29 In my mind maybe but not by example not yet anyway.

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised.
31 Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

Well as we can all see, there is work to be done in the my 31 household! And that is what I am doing. I am starting a journey to get my home and life in order. I want others to see God through me. I want you to feel the love of God, family, and friends in our home. I plan on starting first with my house and yard. How do I do that?

Darn those crickets are chirping again...

BananaFanaFofana

The hiatus is over! Woo Hoo! The February Bar Exam has been administered and I can start cooking again and to celebrate... Homemade Banana Pudding.

Pardon me for a moment I am day dreaming of last Sunday morning. Where in the rehearsal room at church, we had breakfast casserole, pretzel crack and banana pudding. Worshiping the Lord and good food, the ultimate Sunday morning.

I grew up in a small church and some of the best Sunday lunches I have ever eaten were church potlucks OR getting to go to Cherry's BBQ both of which had Banana Pudding. Cherry's... now I really am daydreaming... Ok let me wipe the drool, I mean get back to reality. It started as an innocent post on Facebook about my friend Susan's pretzel crack. As in- we needed some A.S.A.P. I LOVE my friends. I am not sharing the recipe because I do not want others to know how to make it for the simple reason that I currently fit into my clothing. That led to a banana pudding request and then to breakfast casserole. So that is how breakfast Sunday came into being... Did I mention that I LOVE my friends? Those who request the food and those who make it.

I have made banana pudding in the past but it was a Paula Dean recipe. Not Yo Mama's Banana Pudding. It is delicious. Not traditional but delicious. When Lynn asked if we could bring something, I decided to put on my Supergirl cape and say "I can make banana pudding." Not bring make! I said it like I meant it- I owned that banana pudding- It was me and the banana pudding mano a mano. It would be a fight to the death and hopefully not the death of someone eating it. See- I had always cheated, instant pudding. Yes, there it is. A woman calling herself a southern cook owning up to using i-n-s-t-a-n-t pudding. It will be spelled or whispered going forward because that is what we do. Now I made it as homemade as possible by adding mashed banana but it was still well you know i-n-s-t-a-n-t. I do not even want to imagine the conversations my grandma has had with Jesus about her grandbaby using pudding from a box to make Naner Pudding, I am just glad she is not on lightening duty in Heaven. I would be toast, no not having it but being it. Ok- back to the pudding. It was time to put on my big girl Underoos and make homemade banana pudding, as in homemade pudding.

Here goes...

Ingredients:
4-5 ripe bananas
1 box of Nilla Wafers (See my realization below better make it 2)

Ingredients for Pudding:

½ cup sugar
1⁄3; cup cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
4 cups milk*
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

- Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in pan over medium low heat.

- Gradually stir in milk, stir well.

- Stirring constantly for 12 minutes, until it begins to thicken.

The mixture will burn quickly so stir constantly.

- Reduce heat and let cook for ten minutes.

I continued to stir on a regular basis. You may let this cook longer than 10 minutes until it is the consistency that you prefer.

- Beat 2 eggs with an electric mixer.

- Stir 1/2 cup of the cooked mixture into the beaten eggs very gradually while continuing to beat mixture with electric mixer.

- Repeat 3 times.

- Pour egg into cooked mixture.

- Stir well and cook for 2 more minutes.

- Remove from heat.

- When slightly cooled, stir gently, and add vanilla.

* I used fat free evaporated milk. The evaporated milk gives the pudding a rich creamy taste without all of the fat of 4 cups of 2% or whole milk which is what you would use when using milk.

I did not cut the sugar but the evaporated milk is sweeter than regular milk so you could possibly cut it down to 1/4 cup and still be fine.

Peel and slice your bananas on the diagonal. This will make them lay flat. Since you will be slicing for a few minutes, I recommend slicing them in a bowl with a little lemon juice, maybe a teaspoon. This will prevent the bananas from browning. Toss the sliced banana in, stir and you will have lovely naners not ugly naners. Layer your serving dish with Nilla Wafers, a layer of bananas and then a layer of pudding. Depending on the size of your dish you may have multiple layers. I think my pan was 9x13 and it was one layer with a nice amount of pudding on top.

Now I cannot say this strongly enough- I do not like meringue. I would say hate but my grandma is probably still mad about the i-n-s-t-a-n-t and may someday control lightening. So, there will be no meringue on my banana pudding, ever. Unless you ask me for it. There will be, however; whipped cream and additional Nilla Wafers if there are any left after eating them with milk. Ahhhh! Now I see why grandma bought 2 boxes, smart Lady.

One final note about the pudding itself. It does not thicken much more once refrigerated than the consistency in the pan. Continue to heat until as thick as you would like it in you pudding. If you will be adding lots of Nilla Wafers you can leave the mixture a little more "runny" so the wafers will absorb the moisture and become cakelike. Sorry- drooling again.


I will end this post with more daydreaming of Cherry's BBQ. I must admit, I have not been in some time since it is "on the other side of Wilson" but my great grandma was a waitress there so it is an establishment. And hopefully, it is still as delicious as I remember it. BBQ, pudding, pudding, BBQ. Yum.

Beans, beans, good for your heart

OK, I was born and raised in North Carolina with two very Southern grandmas. I do not leave the house without lipstick and mascara. And as much as I would like too, given my fond affection for jammie pants, I put on real clothes to go to the grocery. But sometimes you just have to be silly and the beans rhyme fits a silly day.

The second easy and healthy recipe is poached eggs over lentils. Yes- I know I started posting the 2 healthy recipes last week but life sometimes gets in the way of blogger land.

We went out on NYE and had a wonderful dinner at Vivace a wonderful restaurant here in Raleigh. The amuse bouche was lentils with speck. It was heavenly. We both wanted more than a little taste and I decided to make this a meal with a Southern twist, country ham of course.

This is what I came up with...

Black Lentils with Country Ham and Shallot served with a poached Egg

Yum! I know it sounds fancy but trust me it was easy.

Ingredients:

The lentils:
1 1/2 cups French caviar, or du Puy, lentils (regular lentils will work if you prefer them)
1 bay leaf
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste

3 eggs (1 for me and 2 for hubby)
1 slice of country ham (I used the biscuit slices you see in the grocery, you may use as much or as little as you like)
1 shallot
1 tsp of olive oil

The lentils:

Place the lentils in a small stainless steel pot and add 3 cups cold water. Add the bay leaf and bring to a simmer over medium heat. When the mixture comes to a light boil, reduce heat to low and cook uncovered for approximately 10 minutes add salt and continue cooking for 10 minutes, stirring a few times to ensure even cooking. The lentils should be firm but not crunchy, and the interior should be smooth. If at 20 minutes cooking time, they have not reached your desired doneness, continue cooking for an additional 5-10 minutes. You will want to check them so that they do not overcook.

In a small frying pan heat the olive oil over med low heat. Add your sliced ham and cook for 5 minutes. Add your shallot and cook for 5 minutes. Watch the shallot and don’t let it burn. We want to cook it low so that we get as much flavor as possible for when we add our lentils. When done, remove shallots and ham from heat.
Once the lentils are done, drain and add to the ham and shallot. Place the pan on a low burner to keep warm.

Poaching your eggs:

Heat 2 inches of water or broth with about 1 Tbsp. of vinegar in a wide, shallow pan to a steady simmer (or until an instant-read thermometer reads 180°). Adjust heat to maintain this temperature.

Crack eggs into into a measuring cups before adding water. This allows you to remove any bits of shell (I am so not a professional cracker), make sure the egg is not a yucky egg, and have more control when guiding the egg into the pan so you don’t break the yellow yummy goodness that will make your lentils extra special good.

Hold the cup right at the liquid's surface and gently pour the egg into the liquid. Repeat with remaining eggs, up to four eggs per batch.

Letting eggs come to room temperature before poaching them helps them cook more evenly. Also, the fresher the egg, the better it will hold its shape while poaching.
I like runny yolks for the poached eggs over lentils. I actually like runny yolks for pretty much any recipe that uses poached eggs, but especially for this recipe. The yolk makes for a delicious “sauce” over the lentils.

Cook room temperature eggs 2 minutes for runny yolks, chilled eggs for 3 minutes. Add an additional 2 minutes if you prefer a set yolk. This is your dinner make like you want it. That is the great thing about cooking you can have it your way, have it your way. (Yes there is music always playing in my head, some good, some- not so good like fast food jingles.) Using a slotted spoon, gently lift each egg out of the pan Set eggs on a paper towel to drain off as much liquid as possible.

Serve the poached egg nestled in the lentils with a green salad or whatever else you feel like doing. As you can see I gave a generous portion of lentils since this was our dinner. You can leave off the poached egg and serve this as a side. This will change the serving size to 4.

If my recipes sound a little wonky please let me know. This is my first attempt at writing them from scratch and I am writing as I cook. I may have written wrong or added wrong (my failure in all math related fields is of epic proportions). Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions.

As hubby would say, I hope its yummy to the tummy. :) j

Honey, I know what side my bread is buttered on...

...that is why not one single time in this post will you hear me say "I told you so." No siree, not once...

My wonderful hubby has degenerative disc disease. It is a common because, unfortunately, it is a natural part of aging. Basically, the discs between the vertebrae break down over time causing pain. And although wonderful hubby is still young, 15 years of basketball is catching up with him. He was diagnosed last spring after a horrible night of pain with no apparent cause. After a doctor's visit and spine adjustment, he started feeling better. Of course once you start feeling better, you lose the mojo to do what you need to do to "fix" it, a healthy diet, exercise and supplements. After almost a year of no problems, last week was BAD! We now have 6 weeks of therapy, a barrage of supplements, an exercise plan after therapy and the order to lose 15 lbs. Sound familiar? Two sentences up, the wifey's plan for health? Nope, no told ya so here.

Now that we do not have a choice, we are trying to avoid dieting and make some lifestyle changes. We are 50/50 on the healthy meter, we just need to crank it up. I have two recipes that may help. One absolutely wonderful and one that, well, let's just say, I tweaked a little too much and wound up with great flavor but a funky color. There are pictures scary purple people eater pictures.


Is That Color Found In Nature? French Onion Soup

Hubby LOVES French Onion Soup but it can be a not so friendly option. I made a few easy and delicious changes; however, one subistitution added bold color... a description better suited for a wall.

The recipe is:

2 lbs medium onions

1 tsp of fresh rosemary

2 bay leaves

3/4 tsp of salt

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp flour

1 1/2 c white wine

Ok- we are pressing pause for one second to explain the funky color. Hubby and I were drinking the white wine. It was delicious and who knew using red instead would cause our soup to look like it belongs at an ECU tailgate party so we kept sipping. In went the red and out came purple, Crayola could not be more purple if I tried purple. SO- stop sipping the white and dump it in instead.

4 c reduced sodium beef broth (chicken will work but it will not have the rich meaty flavor)

1/2 tsp black pepper (I love black pepper so I added more)

Peel the onions, half them down the length and slice them thinly. In a dutch oven, cook the onions, rosemary (thyme can be substituted), bay leaves and salt in the olive oil over med low heat, uncovered, for about 45 minutes, stirring frequently. The onions should be soft and golden brown. Add flower and cook for approximately 1-2 minutes cooking out the raw flour taste but not letting it get too brown. Stir in the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the broth and pepper and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.

I did not add the bread and cheese and bake in the oven. I placed a slice of brie over the soup just before serving and it was warm and gooey. And had almost the same effect, almost, but definitely not bad for a "knock-off" version. Oh- mistake number 2- I blended the soup. No, No, No!! It changed the texture too much. I was hoping to give it a creamier feel, don't do it. Bad idea. Step away from the blender and serve as is and you will not be disappointed.

I have lentil recipe that is divine in post number 2. :)

Don't You Make Eyes at Me...

Any young Southerner worth their salt has heard this on occasion but if you had my grandma, you only did it once. Only once because once was when you would have to pick your switch. Making eyes is the equivalent of rolling your eyes and not a good thing. Well I just made eyes and it was over, of all things, biscuits. I have been trying to make biscuits for some time now but to no avail. I have a pan that is currently serving as paper weights, another that is on some super secret military mission and another that, well let's just say 275 years from now there will be an archeological dig and people will be blessing my heart. After questioning several biscuit aficionados, the most common response was "Baby, you have got to use lard if you want a good biscuit." This is where the making eyes comes into play as in I "made" them and thought nope- cannot, am not, will not make biscuits with lard. I am trying to make yummy southern food that will not send me to an early grave or to an early bird sale for bigger clothes. Well, umm, errr, OK- never say never because you will eat your words. You will eat them smothered in honey jelly over a lard filled biscuit with a big cheesy grin on your face as you change in to elastic waist pants.

It all started with a trip to buy short ribs. Dang short ribs! I have started the tradition of Sunday Dinner at our house. We try and eat dinner at the table every night but some times that does not happen. Sundays are a non-negotiable. Butt- chair- 5:00 p.m., or earlier if we decide to have early dinner. I stopped by our local Compare Foods, which is an ethnic grocer here in Raleigh. You can find the bits and parts that not everyone uses but that are essential in Southern cooking. (As in do not be surprised to find the piggie's snout, ears and feet wrapped in plastic in the meat section.) As I was roaming the store picking up a few things, I turned the corner and there it was giving me the stink eye- laughing at me and my paltry biscuits- a lard display. I snorted and kept a'walking down the aisle, around the corner and right back to the lard. It knew my name and was calling me like Krispy Kreme after a workout. Somehow, a tub of Lundy's lard from Clinton, NC jumped in my basket and found its way into my refrigerator. I blame my mother-in-law. She is from Clinton and that lard was just trying to give her a little taste of home.

Now here comes the fun part, oh no not the making of the biscuits although that is fun, but the explaining to Brad how something that I said I would never use was now sitting in the refrigerator conveniently covered by parsley, hidden behind milk and on the bottom shelf so you could not see it through the glass. 5 minutes in and I hear "Hey bobbie, what's this stuff?" Please oh please not the lard, do not ask about THE LARD! "You bought lard? Are you feeling ok? Do I need to call someone?" Yea- Mr. Funny Guy/Smart (Insert PG-13 word here), you are sooooo cute.

Do I even need to tell you that they were the best biscuits I have ever made? And after telling my in-laws that I was making biscuits with lard they would wind up eating dinner with us?

So below is the recipe for the infamous lard biscuits. I made 1 substitution. The original recipe calls for 2 cups All Purpose (a-p) Flour. I used 1 c a-p flour and 1 c cake flour. You do not want to use a flour with a high protein content. That will make for tough biscuits so no bread flour. Cake flour has the lowest protein content making a lighter fluffier biscuit. I also recommend chilling the lard.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

1 c a-p flour

1 c cake flour

1 c buttermilk*

2 oz lard

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

* Regular milk may be used in the place of buttermilk.

In a mixing bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined.

Add the lard and butter. Using a pastry cutter, cut the mixture until only pea-sized lumps remain.

Pour the milk into the mixture. Using a spoon, stir until the flour is wet and clumps together.

Dust a silicon baking mat or parchment paper with flour. Form dough into a ball. Do not over work the dough, this will create a tough biscuit. Roll out the dough to the thickness you desire for your biscuits.

Using a biscuit or cookie cutter, cut your biscuits and place on a parchment or silicon mat lined cookie sheet.

Once you have cut the biscuits you can reform the leftover bits and cut those but they will be a little more dense.

Bake at 450 until golden- about 13-16 minutes depending on your oven. Set your timer and keep an eye on them.

Enjoy!!

PS-
I will be posting a healthy and delicious recipe soon that will almost counteract the biscuits. :)

Puttin on the Gritz

Trying hard to look like Gary Cooper (Super Duper)

Sorry- but you know I had to go there. That was one of the silly songs of my 80's youth and I had to share.

No- it is not a typo. I said puttin on the gritz because I have two new easy peasy recipes to share that have made my supper life easier. I love sitting down to supper with one handsome hubby and one begging doodle-bug, paws propped on the edge of the chair with a pitiful look on her face. Unfortunately, getting home at 6:30 or 7:00 means tired which means no thank you to dirty dishes and standing by the stove. So, my goal this year is to create an arsenal of easy and healthy meals that will allow us to do have a nice dinner with as little hassle as possible during the week. I am willing to put in the extra effort one or two Saturday per month to have weeknights be easy.

Crock pot chili was one of our suppers this week. Something we have all probably had hundreds of times but I love this recipe because if you forget to put everything together the night before you can do it in 15 minutes in the morning.

The ingredients are-

1/2 cup of black beans

1/2 cup of kidney beans

1/4 cup of speckled beans (Heck- I don't know what they are called but they look like speckled eggs and I love them.)

1 14 oz can of petite diced tomatoes

1/4 c of salsa (I used the HT brand cilantro. It tastes yummy and has a little kick.)

Now- here is the tricky part, as in I tried to trick my hubby. 1 link of smoked turkey sausage sliced.

I was going to make it sans meat but I decided to not throw him into shock just yet. Let's just say one bite in and he asked did I use real sausage. Dang it man. But he did like it. I promise. No, really he did.

If you prefer ground beef, brown it in the skillet the night before and put in with thother ingredients.

2 chipotle bullion cubes

1 onion- chopped to the size you prefer

Hot sauce to taste

Put all ingredients in the crock pot. Cover the ingredients with water, there should be about 1/2 inch over the ingredients. Turn on low and go to work. You will come home to a yummy smelling house and pretty darn good pot of chili. It tends toward a thinner consistency but hubby likes to put his cornbread in it so that works perfectly for us. If you prefer a thicker chili, you can always add a little cornstarch slurry.

I did find the next day for lunch it had thickened a little and was even better. Yum.

The next great thing was a knock spaghetti and meatball frozen meal like the ones you find in the grocery store $8.

Items needed:

Ice Trays

Zip top bags

Tomato/Spaghetti Sauce

Meatballs

Spaghetti/Penne/Angel Hair whatever pasta you prefer

I made a batch of tomato sauce:

1 pint jar (16 oz) of roasted garlic tomato sauce I canned this summer

1 14 oz can of petite diced tomatoes (I will definitely be canning more those this summer)

And any other ingredients you would like in you sauce. Dice the ingredients. They will need to be in small pieces.

I let that simmer for a while to develop a good flavor. If you really want to save time and effort crack open a jar of your favorite jarred sauce.

I would love to tell you I then made homemade meatballs but that would be a fib the size of Texas. I had pre-made frozen meatballs in the freezer from a great sale a few weeks ago, so in they went. If you do not have pre-frozen, BUY THEM, um I mean please feel free to make your own. Truthfully, they will be less expensive and can be used for lots of other meals.

I recommend doing this in steps, it makes it easier to handle and clean up. Once your sauce has the flavor you like, turn it off and let it cool. Take your ice tray and spray each cup with a quick blast of cooking spray or rub with a paper towel dipped in just a little oil. Fill each cup 1/4 to half way and stick in the freezer until frozen. I find one ice tray per bag works perfectly for Brad and I. Just saucy enough without being to much. However, this is your bag put as many cubes as you would like.

If you made homemade meatballs, cook them thoroughly in what ever manner works best for you, skillet or oven. You want to make sure they are completely done. The frozen dish is only reheated so the meatballs need to be thoroughly cooked. Take a cookie sheet or whatever size pan will fit in your freezer, line with parchment and place your meatballs on it. Place it in the freezer until your meatballs are frozen.

Cook your pasta. The key to this dish being successful is freezing each component separately and that you do not over cook your pasta. It needs to be al dente. Due to additional cooking time from the freezer to heat your meal, if you cook it too much it will be a soft mushy mess when you heat your dinner. Once your pasta is ready, drain, cool and spread on a parchment lined cookie sheet and freeze.

The reason I said steps worked best is I did not have room in my freezer for 2 cookie sheets and lots of ice trays. When my sauce froze, I pulled it out and put in my freezer bag along with my meatballs. If you have homemade meatballs, just put your sauce in the bag and put in the freezer. Add your meatballs once they are frozen. Once your pasta is frozen, add it to your bag and you now have a complete meal. I double bag mine in one gallon bags to prevent freezer burn, which is silly since I do not think they are going to last that long. :)

You may be tempted to throw all of the ingredients in at once and not freeze in separate steps. DO NOT do this. You will have one big clump in your bag that will take forever to heat. Your pasta will be over cooked and it will be eehhh. Eehhh meals are not a good thing.

I plan on trying different varieties of the dinner over the next few weeks. I will let you know what works and what does not and hopefully have pictures.

If you try it, let me know how it works for you. I would love to hear how you tweak things to match your tastes or to make the recipes better.

Thanks and Happy New Year!