Over the summer I’ve fallen off my batch cooking wagon and my meal planning habits. Now, it is time to get back into shape in the kitchen and get back into shape myself! In order to get myself in better shape and to keep HandyMan and Gbaby’s hollow legs full, some meal planning [...]

Filed under: Menu Planning | 3 Comments »

I have fond childhood memories of making  fresh granola and homemade yogurt with my mom.  Since apples rarely fall far from the tree, this is a practice that is now a regular activity in my kitchen.  I make a batch of granola that will usually last us the month and make fresh yogurt a quart [...]

Filed under: Breakfast~Brunch | 1 Comment »

This week my big cooking project was Chicken.  It was my goal to have cooked chicken, broth and Chicken Pot Pie filling for the freezer.  After giving my Crock Pot and stock pot good workouts, my missions were accomplished!
I’ve been following Kate at Kitchen Stewardship and decided to follow her instructions for making broth.  I [...]

Filed under: Freezer Friday, Main Meal, Sides~Soups~Salads | No Comments »

I am very fond of warm cinnamon rolls.  This recipe is great for batch cooking and the frozen batches reheat well enough that you’ll never guess that they spent time on ice.  Topped with cream cheese frosting, these delectable pastries are great on a brunch menu or on their own.  Along with the recipe below [...]

Filed under: Breakfast~Brunch | No Comments »

It has been great this week to be back in the kitchen!  With three of my four fall craft fairs a thing of the past, I had some time to play in the kitchen.  We were recently gifted with two lovely butternut squashes from a friend’s garden.  They had graced the window sill [...]

Filed under: Freezer Friday, Recipes, Sides~Soups~Salads | No Comments »

This week I made apple sauce and marinara to stash in the freezer.  Our local farm stand has ten pound bags of apples that are “seconds” for $5 this time of year.  For applesauce, this means that I have to be ready to make it within a day or so of getting the apples [...]

Filed under: Freezer Friday | No Comments »

As promised yesterday, here’s the recipe for my Chicken Pot Pie.    In the area of the country where we live now, I think it may be better known as Chicken & Biscuits, but I’m really not sure.  Look it over and let me know what those around your dinner table would dub this pot [...]

Filed under: Main Meal | No Comments »

This week I’ve been gone, so nothing has gone into my freezer. So I’ll pass along a few tips I’ve picked up to help avoid freezer burn.  These ideas will help you better protect your food once it heads to your freezer.  Freezer burn is when ice builds up on your food in the freezer [...]

Filed under: Freezer Friday | No Comments »

Planning meals to keep your grocery line on budget can be quite the challenge, but there are a few basic principles that can help you succeed.  Here are a few ideas that include shopping sales, skipping convenience foods and batch cooking.
It is easy to dream of meal plans and saving money on the food that [...]

Filed under: Budgeting, Shopping | No Comments »

Cooking healthy foods for your families does not have to strap you for cash, but it often does require a bit more planning. First, in order to shop on a budget, one must set a budget. Once you’ve established what your allowance is for groceries, the key is to know what you’re shopping for and when [...]

Filed under: Budgeting, Shopping | 1 Comment »