I'm back!! Am I the only one whose life is mass chaos during Spring? Between baseball practices, games, field trips, awards ceremonies, graduation open houses, etc, I've met myself coming and going this past month. I'm hoping with the school year winding down, things will start to slow to that easy, summer pace. I've missed blogging and sharing with all of you, so here's hoping that time will be on my side once again.
Have you all caught the couponing bug like I have? I believe I can blame my contributor and dear friend, Cassie, for that! Seriously though, I never envisioned becoming a crazy couponer, but once you score some serious deals like I have, it becomes addictive. I'll be the first to admit, couponing takes some time and dedication, but it's MUCH easier if you use this awesome website that Cassie shared with me... http://www.savingaddiction.com/ . These gals do all of the work for you! You just choose the store, and they tell you what the best deals are, and where to get the coupons you need! It's amazing....some deals I've scored by using this site and my coupons are .17 for Lysol wipes, .49 for Chi-Chi's salsa, 1.45 for Ocean Spray juice, free Nivea bodywash, and the list goes on. Try it, you will LOVE it!
With the busyness of the last month fresh in my mind, I've discovered another wonderful time saver. Have you heard of freezer cooking, or once a month cooking? Me niether, but I'm a huge fan now. I have not done the once a month cooking yet, but for those of you brave enough to try it, Kendra suggests http://www.onceamonthmom.com/. I just checked out the website, and it's mind blowing! For those of you who are organization freaks like me, this website is a dream come true. Spreadsheets with instructions, recipes, shopping lists and labels for the freezer! I'm aiming to try this once the kiddos are out of school.
This past weekend, I searched for freezer cooking recipes. I found a few and and elated to say that I made 4 meals in one morning's worth of cooking and they are in the freezer for those nights when we are super busy or I simply don't feel like cooking. I love the feeling of knowing that I have options in the freezer, and it's going to be a huge time and money saver. No more calling in a pizza for delivery or running into town to grab subs. Below are a few super easy, super economical recipes that you can make ahead and freeze. I found these at http://www.momsbudget.com/ . Check out this site too...so many neat things to save all of us time and money!
Caribbean Jerk Chicken Freezer Recipe 2 1/2 lbs chicken pieces
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp ground red pepper flakes
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
Combine ingredients except chicken in a small bowl. Add chicken to a freezer bag, then add Caribbean Jerk mixture. Carefully move the chicken around so it is thoroughly coated, then freeze.
On cooking day, thaw in refrigerator and remove chicken pieces, disposing of the leftover marinade. Barbeque on a grill or bake in a 375 oven for approx 60 minutes (may vary depending on which chicken pieces are used.
Maui Wowee Chicken Freezer Recipe
Perfect for summertime eating in the backyard!
4 cups cooked chicken, diced
2 cups onion, chopped
2 cup green pepper, chopped
4 14oz cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans (15 oz.) pineapple tidbits
1 tbsp. soy sauce
In frying pan, heat 1 tbsp oil then saute onion and green pepper until softened. Add chicken and heat (or cook chicken at this stage if uncooked, then dice). Add cream of chicken soup, pineapple tidbits and soy sauce. Divide into two containers, allow to cool, then freeze.
On serving day. Thaw in refrigerator, then heat in saucepan on medium heat. Serve with rice or pasta.
Freezer Coleslaw Recipe 1 head cabbage, shredded
1 tsp salt
1 carrot, grated
1 green pepper, chopped
Coleslaw dressing
1 cup vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 cups sugar
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp mustard seed
Shred cabbage, place in bowl, and sprinkle cabbage with salt. Allow to stand for one hour, then drain any liquid. Then add carrots and green pepper.
In medium saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute, then pour on the cabbage mixture, stirring well. Freeze in freezer container.
On serving day, thaw in refrigerator, and serve.
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