Freezer Meals

Life is busy. I am learning slowly what its like to be a wife and a step mom. I am learning that its busy being a hockey step mom and working full time. I commend anyone that can do it all. I tried doing it all. I know I cant. I need help. I have a great support system around me. So if you are a mom and a busy one. take that 5 mins and relax. dishes can wait, vaccuming can wait. I am learning to do that. lets learn together.

One little thing that I do is called freezer meals. I freeze EVERYTHING. I started it. then I went outwest and my friend Cayla well she freezes everything also. So I continued to do so. I felt a little encouragement from her. I take one day cook about 4 meals or get a bunch of stuff ready and freeze it all!! lol

Here is website that will help you out. I highly recommend to start freezing meals!

http://www.favoritefreezerfoods.com/freezer-cooking.html

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Its Valentines Day. well tomorrow. I like it but I dont. Since Jonathan and I have been together its been 3 years. We havent spend a Valentines Day together. We both work. He works nights and I work days. So I am kinda excited for next year because it will be on a friday and we will be married. So I am just a little excited.

I didnt do any baking for Valentines Day. But I thought I would pass on one of my favorite recipes. This is from Paula Dean... gotta love Paula!

Red Velvet Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 - teaspoon vanilla
1 - cup buttermilk
1 - teaspoon salt
2 1/2 - cup flour
1/2 lb - (2 sticks) butter
2 - ounces - red food coloring
2 - tablespoons cocoa
2 - cups sugar
2 - eggs
1/2 - teaspoon baking soda
1 - tablespoon vinegar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs; add sugar. Mix cocoa and food coloring. Add butter and egg mixture; mix well. Sift together flour and salt. (sifting is a must here) Add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk.

Blend in vanilla. In a small bowl, combine soda and vinegar and add to mixture. Finish mixing and divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled.

Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for done ness. Remove from oven and cool completely.


Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
2 - 8oz pkg of cream cheese, softened (I used Philly)
2 - sticks butter, softened
1 - teaspoon vanilla extract
4 - cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
Chopped pecans or red sprinkles for garnish

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth.

Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.
before frosting

Homemade cleaning solutions

cleaning?

I don’t know what has gotten into me but I have been in a cleaning and throwing out mode all week!! And that’s all I have been doing. Last night at 8:30pm I felt the need to hand scrub my floors. Yeah its been nuts. But my house has been getting clean! Lol

 

But I think its the thought that spring is not too far away!!

 

1.       Keep cleaning supplies in the bathroom under the sink. This is so true. While am in there I usually grab something or clean something.

2.       To clean and kill germs off your sponge. Microwave your sponge for 2 minutes.

3.       Use a few drops of water, cream of tartar, and a sponge to get your stainless steel appliances looking brand new again

4.       Use a bounce sheet to clean your base boards

5.       Rub a faucet with waxed paper to prevent water spots and finger prints

6.       Clean blinds with an old sock

7.       So I spend money on those “dishwasher cleaner” but I was told to use dry lemonade mix. And let your washer do a run through. Makes sense. This is something I am going to try!

8.       Hate cleaning your fans? Simply slide each blade, one at a time, into a pillowcase and wipe off the blade with the inside of the pillowcase. All the dust, dirt, and debris will stay inside. Then simply shake out the case outside and throw it in the laundry bin.

Same difference...

Sometimes I make something and jonathan says "oh your making...whatever" and I am like no I am making whatever... Somethings in this world have many different names but can mean the same thing. Like this recipe... I call it Ham Mac and Tom... Jon calls is Goulash and Campbells website calls it Beef and Tomatoe Casserole.

You will need:
2 cups of uncooked rotini pasta I also use elbow macaroni
1lb lean ground beef
1 chopped mushroom
1 cup mushrooms
1 can of Tomato soup ( i use 2 sometimes)
1 cups of mozzarella
optional
1 can of diced tomato

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, without salt. Drain; set aside.

2. Brown beef, mushrooms and onion at medium-high heat in large skillet, stirring often.

3. Stir in mixture of soup heat to a boil, stirring often. Add cooked pasta. Reduce heat to low.

4. Simmer, covered, until mixture is heated through – about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Top with cheese

Tips and Tricks for the New Year

Brown Sugar~ did you know if you leave a marshmallow in your brown sugar it will stay soft? some people use bread but the bread leaves crumbs. this way there is no crumbs!

Heres a great tip for storing leftover pancakes and waffles. when you have leftovers, just place pieces of wax paper between then and store them in a ziploc bag in the freezer. No more store bought pancakes and waffles. just pop them in the toaster when you want them. and now you have a homemade breakfast thats easy to make and access.

Here's a kitchen tip for lemons! Lemons are one fruit we always have around teh house and sometimes we dont get to them fast enough, so instead of letting them rot or get hard, just juice some and freeze in ice cube trays. Once they are frozen pop them out and transfer them over to a ziploc bag. this works well when you have a recipe that calls for lemon juice.

Also lemons are great for cleaning the inside of your mircrowave.  put a bowel of water with a chunk of lemon into your microwave run it for 5 minutes. then wipe down with soap and water. the steam from the mix makes wiping your microwave down alot easier and smells fresh too!



while we are talking about freezing if you have chicken broth or beef broth (which are on sale for $1 this week at superstore) poor into a muffin tin or ice cube tray and then you always have them in stock. and when they are froze justput them in a ziploc bag.

and i just read this the other day.. you should keep your potatoes and onions away from each other... or they will turn green!

Bacon Wrapped Meatballs

I have been cooking up a storm. Lately anything I make is Jonathans new favorite!
I was at the grocery store one day and see these Bacon wrapped jalapanoe meatballs. I wasnt going to by them because of teh price and figured I could make these all by myself. Made them and they were a hit!!

Ingrediants:
1/2 pack of bacon
1 package of hamburger
1 jalapeno chopped into small pieces
shredded cheese
toothpicks

Directions
Pre heat oven at 350
mix jalapenos and hamburger together. and form into little balls. then wrap in bacon. and secure with a toothpick. Cook in oven for 30mins or until bacon is nice and crisp. Then cover each one with a sprinkle of cheese. put in oven for a few mns until cheese is melted.

Now I dont like jalapenos so some of them I put some bbq sauce in it just for a little taste. Enjoy!