I tried out more recipes from Chef Tess this week, and after getting the "thumbs-up" from my family, I've assembled some of those meals in jars. My goal is to have at least a three-month supply of ready-to-cook meals.
I used to think, "I've got my food storage; I can whip together a meal." That's true, but in times of sickness, stress, or tight schedules, having meals already assembled is a great help. The meals tend toward mass-marketed convenience foods (which I generally avoid), but when I put them together, I know exactly how to pronounce the ingredients. They are mild enough to be easy on sick tummies, too. And honestly, it's embarrassing to remember how many times I have run to the store to buy mac and cheese, chicken noodle soup, and applesauce when someone in the family caught a bug. Not that I plan on 3 months of sickness, but at least I'll be prepared.
(I even canned 18 pints of applesauce on Saturday, and I have more to can this week. I've been fortunate to find very inexpensive apples. Canning in March is so much more enjoyable than canning in the heat of the summer!)
Without further ado, here's the recap:
Monday: Turkey Noodle Skillet Meal (scroll down for the recipe)
Tuesday: Soft Tacos
Wednesday: Chicken Noodle Soup and Spinach, Carrot, and "Pineapple" Zucchini Salad (Remember this post about canning zucchini? I had a burst of inspiration to use a pint of canned zucchini in the salad--no dressing required!)
Thursday: I ate dinner at the celebration of Relief Society's 170th birthday.
Friday: Our second attempt at Broccoli, Cheese, and Rice Casserole was met with better results. (Again, scroll down--many of Chef Tess' recipes are on that link.)
The key to its success was, indeed, a new can of freeze-dried broccoli. If your broccoli looks like this:
Do your family a favor, and buy a new can!
Saturday: Salmon burgers and rutabaga oven-baked fries. Tasty enough, but rutabaga has too much water content to make crisp fries. Probably won't attempt that again.
Sunday: Baked chicken breasts, baked potatoes, and artichokes. The artichokes were 100% an impulse purchase at the store, but I don't regret it one bit!
Thankful thought: Thanks for the peace that comes from a well-stocked pantry!
I used to think, "I've got my food storage; I can whip together a meal." That's true, but in times of sickness, stress, or tight schedules, having meals already assembled is a great help. The meals tend toward mass-marketed convenience foods (which I generally avoid), but when I put them together, I know exactly how to pronounce the ingredients. They are mild enough to be easy on sick tummies, too. And honestly, it's embarrassing to remember how many times I have run to the store to buy mac and cheese, chicken noodle soup, and applesauce when someone in the family caught a bug. Not that I plan on 3 months of sickness, but at least I'll be prepared.
(I even canned 18 pints of applesauce on Saturday, and I have more to can this week. I've been fortunate to find very inexpensive apples. Canning in March is so much more enjoyable than canning in the heat of the summer!)
Without further ado, here's the recap:
Monday: Turkey Noodle Skillet Meal (scroll down for the recipe)
Tuesday: Soft Tacos
Wednesday: Chicken Noodle Soup and Spinach, Carrot, and "Pineapple" Zucchini Salad (Remember this post about canning zucchini? I had a burst of inspiration to use a pint of canned zucchini in the salad--no dressing required!)
Thursday: I ate dinner at the celebration of Relief Society's 170th birthday.
Friday: Our second attempt at Broccoli, Cheese, and Rice Casserole was met with better results. (Again, scroll down--many of Chef Tess' recipes are on that link.)
The key to its success was, indeed, a new can of freeze-dried broccoli. If your broccoli looks like this:
Do your family a favor, and buy a new can!
Saturday: Salmon burgers and rutabaga oven-baked fries. Tasty enough, but rutabaga has too much water content to make crisp fries. Probably won't attempt that again.
Sunday: Baked chicken breasts, baked potatoes, and artichokes. The artichokes were 100% an impulse purchase at the store, but I don't regret it one bit!
Thankful thought: Thanks for the peace that comes from a well-stocked pantry!
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