2009

I am just so thankful for a healthy child.  I can not find words to express my gratitude to God for what he has given me.  Please read the link.  This family has a 7 year old little boy who suffers from ALD.  Please pray for him and his family.

www.teamgreene09.blogspot.com

Party Chicken

8 Chicken Breasts

8+ pieces of bacon (depending on how much you like bacon)

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

1 cup of sour cream

*Wrap the bacon around the chicken breast

*In a separate bowl, combine the soup and sour cream

*Put the wrapped chicken in a greased baking dish

*Spoon the soup/sour cream mixture over the chicken

*Bake at 350 for 2 hours

I wrapped all the chicken but only cooked 1/2 of them.  I put the other wrapped chicken breasts in a freezer bag.  Then when I added the soup/sour cream mixture, I only added 1/2 and put the other half in the freezer bag on top of the chicken.  If you know me, you know that I am all about OAMC (once a month cooking).  I am a busy working woman, mother, and wife.  In order for my family to eat home cooked meals, I must prepare them ahead of time!

Let me know what you think!

Meat Loaf

If you have a FAVORITE meat loaf recipe, I am sure that it will freeze well.  I used this one and added a little of tomato paste.  I put mine into 4 small, aluminum, loaf pans.  I cooked 2 loafs at a time (for some reason, they really shrunk during cooking), plus my family members are not big dinner eaters.  It still did leave plenty for a leftover meal for lunch!  Good luck and let me know how your OAMC (once a month cooking) is going!

Freezer Meat Loaf Recipe

3 pounds ground beef


1/2 cup dry bread crumbs


3-1/2 cups milk


1 cup minced onion
  

2 eggs


2 tablespoons salt


2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce


1/4 tsp ground pepper

Combine all ingredients. Divide into two foil loaf pans (9"x5"x3"). Wrap, label and freeze.

On cooking day:
Remove from freezer and unwrap 2 1/2 hours before cooking. Preheat oven to 350F, cooking for 2-1/2 hours. Shorten cooking time by removing from freezer in the morning, checking for doneness after one hour of cooking.

MINE DID NOT TAKE 2 1/2 HOURS OF COOKING SO KEEP AN EYE ON IT!

Another "Once a month cooking" recipe

This is a great recipe to double or triple, freeze, and pull out at the last minute (that is what I did tonight).  Yummy, yummy, delicious!

Chicken Quesadillas Freezer Recipe

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced


1/2 tsp garlic powder


1/2 tsp pepper


1/2 green pepper, diced


1 medium onion, chopped


1 15-oz can diced tomatoes


2 cloves garlic, minced


8 flour tortillas


2 cups Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese, grated

In large skillet, cook chicken with garlic powder and pepper until throroughly cooked. Remove from skillet and set aside. Next, simmer tomatoes, green peppers, onion and garlic, continuing to simmer until liquid is evaporated. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Using a small amount of olive oil, fry each side of tortillas in skillet, then place on a cookie sheet. Top four tortillas with 1/4 cup cheese, 1/4 of the chicken mixture, 1/4 of the tomato mixture, topping with 1/4 cup of cheese and second tortilla. Press gently and place in ziploc freezer bag or wrap for the freezer.

On cooking day: Preheat oven to 375F. Do not thaw! Simply place the quesadillas on the cookie sheet straight from the freezer, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is fully melted. Cut into wedges (pizza cutter works best) and serve with salsa, guacamole and/or sour cream.

Taco Soup

 Here is another YUMMY one a month cook it and freeze it recipe!  Madison didn't care for it but she doesn't like anything tomato based so I wasn't surprised!  I wish that I had frozen smaller portions (maybe one or two cups per baggie) so they would lay flat in the freezer instead of a big, fat, lumpy bag.  Oh well, you live and you learn!

Let me know what you think!

TACO SOUP

2 lbs Ground Beef

1 medium Onion, chopped

1 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Pepper

1 package Ranch Dressing Mix

15.5 ounces Canned Whole Kernel Corn

1 can (15.5oz) Canned Diced Tomatoes

1 can (15.5oz) Canned Ro-tel Tomatoes with Green Chilis

3 cans (15.5oz) Ranch Style Texas Beans

2 cups Water

Directions:

Brown ground beef and onion. Drain. Add meat and remaining ingredients to crockpot. Cook on low for 4 hours. Serve.

For added flavor serve over tortilla chips and offer sour cream and shredded cheese.

Servings:

12

Freezing Instructions:

After fully cooked, place soup in medium or large plastic ware or gallon size zipper freezer bags. Make sure to leave at least 1/4 inch space above the liquid as it does expand during freezing.

Frozen meal 1

Cream Cheese Chicken

1 .7-ounce envelope Italian dressing mix


1/2 cup butter


2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast


1 10.75-ounce can cream of chicken soup


1 8-ounce package cream cheese

Turn slow cooker on High. Place butter in bottom of slow cooker. When the butter has melted, add one envelope Italian dressing dry mix. Stir into butter until well mixed. Cut chicken breasts into 1" strips. Place in slow cooker and stir to coat with butter and dressing mix. Cover and cook on High for 2 hours. Remove chicken to plate to cool. Add cream of chicken soup and cream cheese. Stir to melt and mix well until smooth and creamy. Remove sauce from slow cooker and allow to cool. Place chicken and sauce into a gallon resealable freezer bag. Label. Freeze.

To serve: Thaw overnight in the fridge. Heat until piping hot and bubbly. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or hot buttered noodles.

 I pre cooked my wide egg noodles, mixed them with the good stuff and froze it.  I wish I had frozen it in the baking dish but I didn't and it was still great!  

Let me know if you like it!

Mandy

It's all good until you fall into the pond

Well, over my 8 years of teaching, we often visit Chattanooga Nature Center for a wonderful field trip!  We usually only go when the kiddos are in 2nd grade.  We actually get into the pond (up to your knees) and catch "critters".  The students identify all the animals and learn SO MUCH!  Well, I was up to my knees and my shoe was stuck in the mud.  As I was trying to find and retrieve my shoe, I slipped.  Yes, I slipped and did not recover!  I tried, oh I tried so hard but was unsuccessful.  I was up to my chest in COLD, muddy water.  Keep in mind, it was 9:30 in the morning and was probably only about 55-60 degrees.  BURRR!

That all being said, it was a wonderful field trip!  All of the kids were so well behaved and learned so much.  I was cold and wet until 4:30.  When I got home, I jumped right in the shower.  I was still covered in pond slim and smelled a little.  

I am glad that I was able to leave 2nd grade with a BANG!

Why do people raise their hands in church?

While at church this morning, Madison leaned over to me and asked "Mommy, why do people raise their hands in church?".  I told her that when people feel happy about Jesus and God, that they raise their hands.  Madison told me that I could raise my hand because church makes me happy.  I told her, yes church makes me very happy (but of course I could raise my hands b/c I was holding her).  I could tell that she was thinking about what I said.  While we were singing our praise and worship music, she raised her little hand while she sang.  It darn near broke my heart.  Tears were streaming down my face!  Madison didn't think anything about it b/c I often become very emotional during service and cry almost every time.  She knows that they are happy tears b/c Mommy loves church.  My dear, sweet Madison!  She is an AMAZING child!

Baby in the bed

So right now, my time that I allow for blogging, facebook, myspace, email and such is being interrupted by a 35 pound 4 year old monkey face.  Yes, Madison is in bed next to me.  I don't even think that she is asleep yet.  She gets clingy when she is not feeling well.  I think that she is cutting her 6 year molars.  But come on peeps, she is only 4 for crying out loud.  I am hopeful that when she FINALLY does fall asleep, Andy or I can carry her back to her bed.  Hopefully!

Oh well.  Tomorrow is another day.  

Have a restful night!

Mandy