We have found yummy gluten free buns at Whole Foods. You can make your own if you'd like or eat this over GF pasta, toast or as a stand alone dish. Can't go wrong with this family-friendly meal.
Ingredients and Freezing Instructions:
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tsp garlic salt
pepper to taste
1 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 T. white vinegar
1 T. mustard
2) 8 oz cans tomato sauce (or use frozen spaghetti sauce from an earlier meal if you have any left)
In a large skillet, cook and stir gourn beef and onion until cooked through, drain. Add garlic and salt and pepper, chili sauve, brown sugan, vinegar, mudyastrd and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer uncoivered for 10 minutes. Cool and freeze in labeled bags. You can use 2 separate bags for these and eat them at different times if you desire.
Cooking Day Instructions:
Warm in a large sauce pan. Serve on warm gluten free buns, toast, or polenta rounds. You can serve with simple side dishes like gluten free potato chips and apples and carrots with peanut butter.
Price: $12 for 5 days (including GF buns), It would be $6 without buns for our family of 5 (some of us had GF buns, the others had regular buns)
I froze this in 3 different containers so we wouldn't have to have so many leftovers all in in a row
The verdict on a scale of 1-10: Everyone in the family loved this one and I'll give it a 9 out of 10
Monday, August 30, 2010
OAMC Month 1, Day 9: Hawaiian Pizza
Who doesn't like pizza? You can use your second batch of spaghetti sauce for the pizza sauce if you'd like. You can make your own crust or use a pre-made crust. We are using a pre-made gluten free crust. We like the Glutino brand pre-made crusts. If you make your own crust, you will want to bake it (most of the way) first and then put the sauce and toppings on and bake it the rest of the way.
Peperoni and pineapple is our favorite kind of pizza, so I'm calling it "Pawaiian".
2 pkg of pre-made pizza crusts (1 pkg for each day, because remember we are eating each meal for 2 days or more)
2T chopped or pureed spinach
1-2 cups of premade frozen spaghetti sauce (reserved from another meal) or you can buy a jar of pizza sauce
1 pkg pepperoni
1 can pineapple tidbits
dairy free shredded yellow and white cheeses
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix sauce with spinach puree. Layer pizza crust with sauce, then cheese, then peperoni, then a little more cheese on top. Bake for 15-30 minutes or until desired doneness (is that a word?). You may need to broil it for the last few minutes to brown the dairy free cheese.
Serve with a green salad and a fruit smoothie.
Price: $15 ($8 for the crust) for 2 days of meals for our family of 5
The Verdict on a scale from 1-10
Peperoni and pineapple is our favorite kind of pizza, so I'm calling it "Pawaiian".
2 pkg of pre-made pizza crusts (1 pkg for each day, because remember we are eating each meal for 2 days or more)
2T chopped or pureed spinach
1-2 cups of premade frozen spaghetti sauce (reserved from another meal) or you can buy a jar of pizza sauce
1 pkg pepperoni
1 can pineapple tidbits
dairy free shredded yellow and white cheeses
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix sauce with spinach puree. Layer pizza crust with sauce, then cheese, then peperoni, then a little more cheese on top. Bake for 15-30 minutes or until desired doneness (is that a word?). You may need to broil it for the last few minutes to brown the dairy free cheese.
Serve with a green salad and a fruit smoothie.
Price: $15 ($8 for the crust) for 2 days of meals for our family of 5
The Verdict on a scale from 1-10
OAMC Month 1, day 8: Marinated Flank Steak
Flank steak is a very inexpensive cut of meat. I have found it for less than $1 a pound at times and if marinated, it can turn out to be very flavorful and pretty tender. It's no Filet Mignon, but it's still tastes quite good.
This recipe comes from, "Once a Month Cooking" by Wilson and Lagerborg
Recipe and Freezing Instructions:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp gluten free Worcestershire sauce (wow, I actually spelled that right!)
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp fresh minced garlic
3 pounds flank steak
Put steak in a labeled freezer bag (I put it in 2 bags so we wouldn't have so many leftovers in a row), put the rest of the ingredients in, close bag, and shake well. Freeze.
Cooking Day Instructions:
Thaw. BBQ for 3-5 minutes per side. Cut steak ACROSS the grain. to make more tender. Serve with baked potatoes and grilled corn if desired.
Price: $7 for 6 days of meals for our family of 5
The Verdict on a scale of 1-10: I give it a 5, because the flavor was good, but the cut of meat wasn't very tender, even when marinated. I cooked it stove top in my grill pan and not on the outside grill because it was raining outside. Next time I would try it with a thicker cut of meat. My kids liked it the first day, but after that, not so much.
This recipe comes from, "Once a Month Cooking" by Wilson and Lagerborg
Recipe and Freezing Instructions:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp gluten free Worcestershire sauce (wow, I actually spelled that right!)
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp fresh minced garlic
3 pounds flank steak
Put steak in a labeled freezer bag (I put it in 2 bags so we wouldn't have so many leftovers in a row), put the rest of the ingredients in, close bag, and shake well. Freeze.
Cooking Day Instructions:
Thaw. BBQ for 3-5 minutes per side. Cut steak ACROSS the grain. to make more tender. Serve with baked potatoes and grilled corn if desired.
Price: $7 for 6 days of meals for our family of 5
The Verdict on a scale of 1-10: I give it a 5, because the flavor was good, but the cut of meat wasn't very tender, even when marinated. I cooked it stove top in my grill pan and not on the outside grill because it was raining outside. Next time I would try it with a thicker cut of meat. My kids liked it the first day, but after that, not so much.
OAMC Month 1, Day 7: Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
This recipe was given to me by my neighbor and it was super easy and super yummy. Who doesn't like tacos anyway? You could probably even make this taco meat with ground beef or with a roast. Try it out and let me know!
Ingredients and Freezing Instructions:
1 jar mild Pace Picante Sauce
6 chicken breasts
Place raw chicken and salsa in freezer bag and label. Yep, that's it.
Cooking day instructions:
Thaw and place in slow cooker for 6 hours, shred meat. I put in 2 different freezer bags. Serve in 100% corn tortillas or hard taco shells with any fixins you like. May be served with Spanish rice, and refried beans or with fried polenta rounds. Yum!
Price: $7 for 8 meals for our family of 5
The Verdict on a scale of 1-10: I will give this one an 8. This one tasted awesome, but after 4 days everyone was sick of eating it. I think next time I would break it up into 4 freezer bags and then cook it in my small slow cooker.
Ingredients and Freezing Instructions:
1 jar mild Pace Picante Sauce
6 chicken breasts
Place raw chicken and salsa in freezer bag and label. Yep, that's it.
Cooking day instructions:
Thaw and place in slow cooker for 6 hours, shred meat. I put in 2 different freezer bags. Serve in 100% corn tortillas or hard taco shells with any fixins you like. May be served with Spanish rice, and refried beans or with fried polenta rounds. Yum!
Price: $7 for 8 meals for our family of 5
The Verdict on a scale of 1-10: I will give this one an 8. This one tasted awesome, but after 4 days everyone was sick of eating it. I think next time I would break it up into 4 freezer bags and then cook it in my small slow cooker.
OAMC Month 1, Day 6: Baked Eggs
As I said in an earlier post, we are allergic to milk at our house, but not eggs, and eggs are a yummy staple that everyone likes. I haven't tried this recipe before, but it sounds good... so here we go:
This recipe comes from the book, "Once a Month Cooking" by Wilson and Lagerborg. Of course, it is edited by me to make it milk and gluten free
Recipe and Freezing Instructions:
6 gluten free bread slices, cut into cubes (we like Glutino Harvest Corn)
2 cups dairy free shredded cheese
1 cup cooked cubed ham
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
6 eggs
3 cups original almond milk (not vanilla)
Mix bread, cheese, ham, bell pepper, and onion; spread in a 13x9x2 baking dish treated with non-stick spray. Whip eggs and milk together and pour over top. Cover with foil and freeze.
Cooking day instructions:
Thaw. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Makes 8-10 servings.
Price: $9 for 4 meals for our family of 5
The Verdict on a scale of 1-10: I give this a 4 because my kids liked it but I didn't like it at all. It was too mushy and when we had it for leftovers it was even mushier (is that a word?!). The middle wasn't cooked and the edges were burning. I think it would be a lot better to put in a few different smaller pans and it would be a lot better.
This recipe comes from the book, "Once a Month Cooking" by Wilson and Lagerborg. Of course, it is edited by me to make it milk and gluten free
Recipe and Freezing Instructions:
6 gluten free bread slices, cut into cubes (we like Glutino Harvest Corn)
2 cups dairy free shredded cheese
1 cup cooked cubed ham
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
6 eggs
3 cups original almond milk (not vanilla)
Mix bread, cheese, ham, bell pepper, and onion; spread in a 13x9x2 baking dish treated with non-stick spray. Whip eggs and milk together and pour over top. Cover with foil and freeze.
Cooking day instructions:
Thaw. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Makes 8-10 servings.
Price: $9 for 4 meals for our family of 5
The Verdict on a scale of 1-10: I give this a 4 because my kids liked it but I didn't like it at all. It was too mushy and when we had it for leftovers it was even mushier (is that a word?!). The middle wasn't cooked and the edges were burning. I think it would be a lot better to put in a few different smaller pans and it would be a lot better.
OAMC Month 1, Day 5: Roasted Red Pepper Chili
Sorry, this post is a little crazy with the bullets. I can't figure out how to turn them off. SORRY!
My family LOVES chili. They don't like the stuff in the can, but the homemade stuff is to die for. This recipe is amazing, but a little on the spicey side (I'd say a medium). If you'd like to tone it down, add more broth and beans and a little less chili powder. It's perfect for us though
This recipe comes from Rachael Ray. I have modified it a bit to make more and to be more freezer friendly.
My family LOVES chili. They don't like the stuff in the can, but the homemade stuff is to die for. This recipe is amazing, but a little on the spicey side (I'd say a medium). If you'd like to tone it down, add more broth and beans and a little less chili powder. It's perfect for us though
This recipe comes from Rachael Ray. I have modified it a bit to make more and to be more freezer friendly.
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), 1 turn of the pan
- 3/4 pound chorizo (this is a Mexican sausage), chopped
- 2 pounds ground chicken
- 3 tablespoons chili powder, (3 palmfuls)
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin, (a palmful)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 can red beans (15 ounces), drained
- 1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes (28 ounces)
- Salt
- 4-8 cups chicken stock
- Heat a big, deep stock pot or dutch oven (I use an enameled French pot) over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon EVOO. Add chorizo and render its fat, 2 minutes. Push the chorizo off to the sides of the pot and add chicken meat. Brown and crumble the chicken, 5-6 minutes. Season the chicken with chili powder and cumin while it cooks. Combine the onions, garlic, peppers and beans to meats and cook another 5 to 6 minutes. Stir the broth into the chili and reduce the liquid a minute then add the tomatoes and heat through. Season the chili with salt, to taste, and reduce heat to low.
- Cool completely and place in labeled freezer bags.
- On cooking day, warm up in a large stock pot.
- Serve with Fritos scoops or tortilla chips, dairy free cheese, and dairy free sour cream. You can also add green onions and cillantro to the top if your kids will eat it, mine won't.
- Cost: $11 for 8+ meals for our family of 5
- The Verdict (on a scale of 1-10): 10, a family favorite. We put this in 2 different freezer bags to break up the leftovers.
OAMC Month 1 Day 4: Spaghetti
Sometimes I just get tired of meat and want something light. This recipe calls for Italian sausage, which is yummy, but I think I'm going to make mine with out it. Everyone likes spaghetti, so let's try it out!
This modified recipe comes from the book, "Once a Month Cooking" by Wilson and Lagerborg
Recipe and Freezing Instructions:
1 pound bulk Italian Sausage (comes in a package like ground beef, only it's sausage with Italian seasonings)
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
1 12 oz. can tomato paste
3 28 oz. cans Italian-style crushed tomatoes in puree (use one can fire-roasted if you can... mmmm...)
2 cups water
4 cloves minced fresh garlic
4 bay leaves
2 T. sugar
4 t dried basil
2 t dried oregano
4 T. fresh parsley
2 t. salt
1 16 oz. package gluten free spaghetti or pasta of your choice. We use Tinkyada brand.
In a large pot, cook and stir sausage (if you're using) with onion until brown; drain fat. Add remaining ingredients, except pasta. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Partly cover, and simmer for 2 hours. You can simmer in a crock pot on high for 2 hours if you'd like. Makes 12 cups of sauce.
Cool sauce and divide into 2 different freezer bags or containers and label them. One bag will be used for this recipe and will be used for something else, I haven't decided what that is yet, but I'm sure it will be yummy!
Cooking Day Instructions:
Thaw and warm sauce on stove and cook pasta according to package directions. Serve with dairy free Parmesan cheese and toast strips. We make toast strips by just cutting toast and butter lenthwise. Who doesn't like dipping anyway?!
Cost: $6 for 4 days of meals for our family of 5
The Verdict on a scale of 1-10: 10+, this was so so great, the homemade sauce was worth the wait!
This modified recipe comes from the book, "Once a Month Cooking" by Wilson and Lagerborg
Recipe and Freezing Instructions:
1 pound bulk Italian Sausage (comes in a package like ground beef, only it's sausage with Italian seasonings)
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
1 12 oz. can tomato paste
3 28 oz. cans Italian-style crushed tomatoes in puree (use one can fire-roasted if you can... mmmm...)
2 cups water
4 cloves minced fresh garlic
4 bay leaves
2 T. sugar
4 t dried basil
2 t dried oregano
4 T. fresh parsley
2 t. salt
1 16 oz. package gluten free spaghetti or pasta of your choice. We use Tinkyada brand.
In a large pot, cook and stir sausage (if you're using) with onion until brown; drain fat. Add remaining ingredients, except pasta. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Partly cover, and simmer for 2 hours. You can simmer in a crock pot on high for 2 hours if you'd like. Makes 12 cups of sauce.
Cool sauce and divide into 2 different freezer bags or containers and label them. One bag will be used for this recipe and will be used for something else, I haven't decided what that is yet, but I'm sure it will be yummy!
Cooking Day Instructions:
Thaw and warm sauce on stove and cook pasta according to package directions. Serve with dairy free Parmesan cheese and toast strips. We make toast strips by just cutting toast and butter lenthwise. Who doesn't like dipping anyway?!
Cost: $6 for 4 days of meals for our family of 5
The Verdict on a scale of 1-10: 10+, this was so so great, the homemade sauce was worth the wait!
OAMC Month 1, Day 3: Cheeseburger Pie
Ok, so I said no cheeseburgers, but I want to share this yummy recipe I found with you. It's SOOO good. My kids loved it. It's not very healthy, but if you need a day where your kids aren't complaining about what's for dinner, now is your day!
This recipe comes from The Gluten Free Homemaker. I have edited it to be milk free. Use TWO disposable round foil pans for this recipe.
Recipe and Freezing Instructions:
Brown the meat and cook the onion in a skillet. Drain any fat. Using a whisk, combine the mayonnaise, milk, eggs, cornstarch, and salt and pepper (to taste) in a large bowl. Stir in the cheese, beef and onions. Pour into two greased round foil pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
Cover with foil, freeze.
Cooking Day Instructions:
Thaw completely and place in a 350 degree oven until heated through. We put the oven on broil for a few minutes to brown the dairy free cheese.
Cost: $7 for 2 meals for our family of 5
The Verdict (on a scale of 1-10)
This recipe comes from The Gluten Free Homemaker. I have edited it to be milk free. Use TWO disposable round foil pans for this recipe.
Recipe and Freezing Instructions:
Crustless Quiche
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. plain/original almond milk (not vanilla)
4 eggs
2 Tb. cornstarch
salt & pepper
3 c. dairy free shredded cheddar cheese (we use rice cheese)Brown the meat and cook the onion in a skillet. Drain any fat. Using a whisk, combine the mayonnaise, milk, eggs, cornstarch, and salt and pepper (to taste) in a large bowl. Stir in the cheese, beef and onions. Pour into two greased round foil pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
Cover with foil, freeze.
Cooking Day Instructions:
Thaw completely and place in a 350 degree oven until heated through. We put the oven on broil for a few minutes to brown the dairy free cheese.
Cost: $7 for 2 meals for our family of 5
The Verdict (on a scale of 1-10)
OAMC Month 1, Day 2: Lemon Glazed Chicken Breasts
I want this to remind me of PF Changs yummy GFDF breaded Lemon Chicken. It's really out of this world! We'll see how this one goes. I hope it's worth the extra effort of pounding out etc...
This recipe comes from the book, "Once a Month Cooking" by Wilson and Lagerborg with some variations by me, of course.
Recipe and Freezing Instructions:
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 cup gluten free flour (we use the Blue Chip Group's featherlite blend)
1/2 cup dairy free butter or spread, MELTED (we use Earth Balance, it does very well in baking)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 + 2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2T. gluten free soy sauce
Cooking Day Instructions:
Pound chicken breasts to 1/2 thickness. Mix flour & pepper together. Dredge chicken through flour flour mixture. Lay breasts out flat on cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and flash freeze for one hour.
Mix together butter, honey, lemon juice and soy sauce. Place in quart size bag and label (mixture will be watery). Freeze glaze. Place frozen chicken breasts in separate bag and freeze. FYI: I put this in 2 different bags
Serving Day Instructions
Allow chicken breasts and glaze to thaw, Place chicken in baking dish, pour glaze over chicken and bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Glaze will thicken as it cools.
Serve with wild rice and a mixed green salad.
Cost: $9 for 2 days of meals for our family of 5
The Verdict (on a scale of 1-10): Super yum! Everyone loved this and had 2+ servings. It could have lasted longer if it wasn't so DARN good, it just disappeared.
This recipe comes from the book, "Once a Month Cooking" by Wilson and Lagerborg with some variations by me, of course.
Recipe and Freezing Instructions:
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 cup gluten free flour (we use the Blue Chip Group's featherlite blend)
1/2 cup dairy free butter or spread, MELTED (we use Earth Balance, it does very well in baking)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 + 2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2T. gluten free soy sauce
Cooking Day Instructions:
Pound chicken breasts to 1/2 thickness. Mix flour & pepper together. Dredge chicken through flour flour mixture. Lay breasts out flat on cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and flash freeze for one hour.
Mix together butter, honey, lemon juice and soy sauce. Place in quart size bag and label (mixture will be watery). Freeze glaze. Place frozen chicken breasts in separate bag and freeze. FYI: I put this in 2 different bags
Serving Day Instructions
Allow chicken breasts and glaze to thaw, Place chicken in baking dish, pour glaze over chicken and bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Glaze will thicken as it cools.
Serve with wild rice and a mixed green salad.
Cost: $9 for 2 days of meals for our family of 5
The Verdict (on a scale of 1-10): Super yum! Everyone loved this and had 2+ servings. It could have lasted longer if it wasn't so DARN good, it just disappeared.
OAMC Month 1, Day 1: Slowcooker BBQ Country Ribs
I love slowcookers and a lot of my recipes will utilize them. I tend to have more energy in the morning and it's nice to have dinner cooking all day and not not have to worry about it in the evening when I'm tired. This is a perfect summer of fall meal. It's great served over rice or mashed potatoes or even on a gluten free roll or bun.
This recipe comes from the book, "Once a Month Cooking" by Wilson and Lagerborg. I deviate from it slightly to make it easier and GFDF. NOTE: You can purchase a pre-made bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce if you wish to simplify this. I will be doing that, thank you very much. If you like it from scratch, then follow the recipe below:
Recipe and Freezing Instructions:
5 lbs boneless country ribs
1 1/2 cups ketchup (we only use brands that don't have that nasty high fructose corn syrup stuff)
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T. gluten free soy sauce
1 T. lemon juice
3/4 cup pineapple juice
OPTIONAL: 4 drops of hot sauce for spicey ribs
Makes 6-8 servings
Combine all ingredients (besides ribs) to make sauce in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool. Place ribs in labeled freezer bag, add sauce. Freeze. FYI: We put it in 2 bags to break up the leftover situation.
Cooking Day Instructions:
Thaw. Put entire package of yummy goodness into the slowcooker and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Shred. Serve on rice, mashed potatoes, or on a GF bun.
Price: $10 for 6 dinners for our family of 5.
The Verdict (on a scale of 1-10): I give this one an 8. We really liked it, but started getting sick of it after the 3rd day :)
This recipe comes from the book, "Once a Month Cooking" by Wilson and Lagerborg. I deviate from it slightly to make it easier and GFDF. NOTE: You can purchase a pre-made bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce if you wish to simplify this. I will be doing that, thank you very much. If you like it from scratch, then follow the recipe below:
Recipe and Freezing Instructions:
5 lbs boneless country ribs
1 1/2 cups ketchup (we only use brands that don't have that nasty high fructose corn syrup stuff)
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T. gluten free soy sauce
1 T. lemon juice
3/4 cup pineapple juice
OPTIONAL: 4 drops of hot sauce for spicey ribs
Makes 6-8 servings
Combine all ingredients (besides ribs) to make sauce in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool. Place ribs in labeled freezer bag, add sauce. Freeze. FYI: We put it in 2 bags to break up the leftover situation.
Cooking Day Instructions:
Thaw. Put entire package of yummy goodness into the slowcooker and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Shred. Serve on rice, mashed potatoes, or on a GF bun.
Price: $10 for 6 dinners for our family of 5.
The Verdict (on a scale of 1-10): I give this one an 8. We really liked it, but started getting sick of it after the 3rd day :)
What to do First
The first day of Once a Month Cooking (OAMC), you will be purchasing food (and using price matching and coupons, right?).
The second day you will have a preparation day where you make all of the 10 freezer meals and put them in freezer bags and label them.
From now on, I will be posting recipes for each day and how to prepare them to freeze and to cook on the day you will eat them. You will want to print out all of the recipes for the month and put them in order of how you want to cook them so you can be organized and so you can effectively multi-task.
Cooking all the meals for the month should take you about 2-3 hours.
Why only 10 meals? Well, for our family of 5, each meal can be consumed for 2 meals (leftovers the second day). It's hard for me to fit more than 10 in my freezer, and sometimes we go out to eat or eat at friends or family's homes. It seems like 10 meals lasts us for a little more than a month so it's perfect for us.
The second day you will have a preparation day where you make all of the 10 freezer meals and put them in freezer bags and label them.
From now on, I will be posting recipes for each day and how to prepare them to freeze and to cook on the day you will eat them. You will want to print out all of the recipes for the month and put them in order of how you want to cook them so you can be organized and so you can effectively multi-task.
Cooking all the meals for the month should take you about 2-3 hours.
Why only 10 meals? Well, for our family of 5, each meal can be consumed for 2 meals (leftovers the second day). It's hard for me to fit more than 10 in my freezer, and sometimes we go out to eat or eat at friends or family's homes. It seems like 10 meals lasts us for a little more than a month so it's perfect for us.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
5K's, 3 kids and eating freakishly healthy
Don't get me wrong, I like my gluten free Oreos and dairy free milkshakes. However, I'm currently training for a 5K race and getting over some serious health issues. I'd like to keep things on the healthy side.... While sometimes you just have a craving for cheeseburgers, there's not going to be much of that in my menu planning. Sorry folks... Ok, maybe a little since I'm not big on the willpower thing. Seriously though, I'm trying to make changes in my life and eating more cookies is not in the top 10. It's more like 11 :).
While it is just me and my 9 year old daughter who have food allergies, all of us eat that way while at home. It's just easier and I'm all about easy.
When I say that we are gluten and dairy free that is partly a lie because we eat eggs and we like them. Tell me I can't have eggs and you will have a riot on your hands. You can substitute what you like for eggs, but as for me and my house... we will eat our eggs.
While it is just me and my 9 year old daughter who have food allergies, all of us eat that way while at home. It's just easier and I'm all about easy.
When I say that we are gluten and dairy free that is partly a lie because we eat eggs and we like them. Tell me I can't have eggs and you will have a riot on your hands. You can substitute what you like for eggs, but as for me and my house... we will eat our eggs.
How I run this thing...
Ok, how I run this thing is... I'm cheap. I buy clothes on 1/2 price days at DI and Savers or on the discount rack. People ask me all the time where I get my clothes (not sure if that's a compliment or not) and I smile and tell them. They're usually shocked, but that's how I run. I like bargains. So, I run my grocery shopping the same way. Here in Happy Valley, the thing that makes me the happiest is that our local Super-Walmart and Super-Target do price matching. You can bring your ads in from any store and they will match the price for the same product. It's amazing! On top of that, I use coupons.com to get additional savings. People behind you in line hate you. Muahhhaha... but I have been known to fill up an entire cart for under $50 and then they ask me how I did it.
So, we will be running this thing on a budget.
So, we will be running this thing on a budget.
What was I thinking?
That's a good question and one my husband nearly always asks of me when I take on new projects. It's a valid question, no? Well, to answer that question honestly, I was thinking about my previous life... before food allergies. It was a nice life when I could go out to dinner and eat anything I wanted, even pizza. There were times I even ate ice cream before going to bed. Those were the days.
Enough reminicing, on to more weighty topics. Every night at about 5 o'clock I stand in front of the fridge and ask myself, "Self, what are we going to make for dinner tonight?" For some reason I never get an answer but get this blank stare from my kids seeming to say, Mom's lost it again. They don't know how right they are.
Anyhow, in my previous, pre-allergy life some girl friends and I did a Once a Month Cooking group. It was fabulous and I loved it. We each made one meal x 10 or however many people were participating that month and then we all got together and traded meals. Those were the days and I always had something to make for dinner. With my food allergies, I dare not ask anyone else to cook and eat like me, however, my sister-in-law obliged once and I'll never forget that. She liked it so much she moved to Texas.
Moving along, I wanted to create those Once a Month Cooking days, but there are unbelievably little resources to help me on my quest. There are plenty of allergy-free recipes out there but I have searched google for hours on end looking for blogs, books, or sites that lay out freezer cooking for those who are allergic to gluten and dairy... nada.
Basically, I'd like to help others out there who would like to do this too... or at the very least have a place to have all of my recipes in once spot so I can reference them.
See the next post for how it's going to work... I'm so excited, I can barely contain it!
Enough reminicing, on to more weighty topics. Every night at about 5 o'clock I stand in front of the fridge and ask myself, "Self, what are we going to make for dinner tonight?" For some reason I never get an answer but get this blank stare from my kids seeming to say, Mom's lost it again. They don't know how right they are.
Anyhow, in my previous, pre-allergy life some girl friends and I did a Once a Month Cooking group. It was fabulous and I loved it. We each made one meal x 10 or however many people were participating that month and then we all got together and traded meals. Those were the days and I always had something to make for dinner. With my food allergies, I dare not ask anyone else to cook and eat like me, however, my sister-in-law obliged once and I'll never forget that. She liked it so much she moved to Texas.
Moving along, I wanted to create those Once a Month Cooking days, but there are unbelievably little resources to help me on my quest. There are plenty of allergy-free recipes out there but I have searched google for hours on end looking for blogs, books, or sites that lay out freezer cooking for those who are allergic to gluten and dairy... nada.
Basically, I'd like to help others out there who would like to do this too... or at the very least have a place to have all of my recipes in once spot so I can reference them.
See the next post for how it's going to work... I'm so excited, I can barely contain it!
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