Let me set the stage...
I recently had my kind and sorta cute freezer repairman over to look at my "no frost" freezer that was making all kinds of "frost". He said that I had packed too much in it. And he was right. It was bursting at the seams. That is until my hungry, grad school, son made a visit and took some meat off of my hands. But it still has plenty in it... too much to tell the truth.
I also recently purchased a Foodsaver system. You know the kind that sucks the air out of the bag you put food in. This things works great- just don't use it on bread. Bread never regains it's shape- oops!
It seems that I love to look at recipes and make menus and cook, cook, cook! But I often forget what is in my freezer and pantry. So I have 5 chickens, and 4 bags of crossiants, and 3 lbs of bacon, and 6 lbs of Bob Evan's sausage ( just in case I need to make a breakfast casserole!)... I could go on and on. I have meat very well wrapped in foil and then in freezer bags with no identification as to what lies inside!
So here is what I have decided... I am challenging myself to use what is in my pantry and freezer until all the meat ( and other stuff) is gone. I am limiting myself to $50.00 a week for groceries. This is big for me- I hate to admit this, but when it came to groceries and cooking I had no budget. Shame!!!!!
I will peruse my freezer and come up with creative meals. I am hoping to do this for 1 month. UGH! I'm sure this will be very hard on me! But it will be very good for my freezer and budget.
The worst part is that I know there is "game" meat in the freezer!!!! Not that Bobby has ever shot anything in all of his hunting trips, but his friends feel terribly sorry for him and bring us meet. I truely don't like game! Sorry to all of you wonderful game cooks. I just don't like that gamey taste. And I can't stand the smell of rendering game fat- little as it is! But I must buck-up ( ha, ha, I made a funny!) and just do it!
Come with me on this culinary adventure to purge and organize and cook in the process. I might need hand holding and lots of encouragement, but I know you are such a supportive group and will cheer me on.
So here goes...
Monday:
Bible Study Christmas Party- Out for dinner
Lobster Mac and Cheese for 30- Monday doensn't count, I committed to it long ago!
Recipe- Lobster Mac and Cheese: from The Neelys- Food Network
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/neelys/lobster-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe/index.html
Tuesday:
Rotiserre Chicken ( I have a rotisserie and a whole chicken... 4 to go!)
Nani's sauteed rice
Carrots with brown sugar glaze
Recipe: Carrots with brown sugar glaze
1 bag carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch rounds
3 TBS butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
Cook carrots in boiling water until al dente. Drain.
In a large skillet, melt butter. Put carrots in pan and cook for 1 minute. Add brown sugar and cook on low heat until sugar is meltted and covers carrots. So yummy!
Recipe: Sauteed Rice
http://stonegable.blogspot.com/2009/11/menu-nov-30-dec-4-2009.html
Wednesday:
Individual Chicken Pies
Individual Raspberry Cobblers with vanilla ice cream
Recipe: Individual Chicken Pies:
2 lbs cooked chicken, diced ( already in freezer)
1 meduim onion chopped
1 bag frozen peas and carrots
3 potatoes peeled , diced, cooked and drained.
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup flour
4 TBS butter
1tsp dry thyme
3 TBS fresh parsley
salt and pepper
pie crust (freezer from Thanksgiving)
egg wash
Preheat oven 375 degrees.
In a large skillet add butter and heat over medium heat till slightly bubbly. Add onion and cook until transulucent and soft. Add flour and stir. Cook flour for 4 minutes. Add chicken stock and whisk. Continue to cook until thickened. Adjust thickness if needed by adding more chicken stock. Add peas and carrots, potatoes, chicken, thyme, parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer to individual oven-proof bowls. And top with pie crust, overlapping the edge of the bowls and putting 2-3 slits in top of crust with a knife for steam. Using a pastry brush, brush on egg wash.
Put bowl on sheet pan and cook for 40-45 minutes.
Serve while hot.
Makes 4-6 servings, depending on the size of your bowls.
Thursday:
Roasted Garlic Pork Loin
Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Broccoli with Garlic Oil
Recipe: Roasted Garlic Pork Loin
see recipe from Thursday,
http://stonegable.blogspot.com/2009/11/menu-nov-30-dec-4-2009.html
Friday:
Sausage and Cheese and Roasted Broccoli Fritatta
Waldorf Salad
Recipe: Fritatta
http://stonegable.blogspot.com/2009/11/menu-nov-23-nov-30-2009.html
Saturday:
Out to dinner (yea!)
Sunday:
Turkey Noole Soup ( Made with carcus from Thanksgiving) - Look for recipe on future foodie friday.
Toasted Crossiants
Have a great week!
I am joining the Organize Junkie for Menu Monday.
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