Freezer Meals

Today was the first day of a week of vacation I'm taking to prepare for Deacon's arrival. I started out by slip sliding my way to the grocery store around 8 AM. When Manning was born we didn't prepare any meals ahead of time, and I remember wishing we would have, so this time I am. I spent about twenty minutes online trying to figure out the best recipes to make ahead. I wasn't sure how much I'd get done, but it went much more quickly than I anticipated. Nathan didn't have to work until 1 today, so I waited until he was leaving to start. I made it my goal to finish all the "beef".

When I got married my mom gave me a cookbook that she made with all of my/our family favorites/staples. I was looking through it for ideas for freezer meals, and I decided to make her meatballs. I think people who buy frozen meatballs and pour bbq sauce over them are doing themselves a serious disservice. These meatballs are OMGosh good.

FYI- These are iPhone pics. I did forget to pick up chili powder at the store, but a quick google search told me to sub 2 parts cumin and 1 part paprika, both of which I had. Here are all of the ingredients mixed up.

I finished by putting the meatballs on some disposable plates I had, wrapped the plates in foil, and then put them in a freezer bag. I decided since it was 3 pounds of hamburger to save the recipe in halves so that we could get 2+ meals out of these meatballs. I read online that when preparing freezer meals it's best to double wrap- foil & freezer bags- to avoid freezer burn. On the bag I just wrote what is inside and where to find the instructions in case Nathan is the one cooking instead of me.

Next I browned another 3 lb. package of hamburger. See that utensil in the hamburger. Don't go to a Pampered Chef party and let them convince you that this $18 piece of junk will make browning hamburger easier. I hate it and only use it because I feel like I need to get my money's worth. A spatula works 100% better.

I took two/thirds of the ground beef (two pounds) and mixed up enchiladas. Simple- 1 pkg of shredded cheese, two cans enchilada sauce and two pounds of gbf. This is MORE than enough to fill 10 tortillas. Sometimes I like to mix in some tomato soup because the enchilada sauce is too spicy for me...I'm a wimp.

I forgot to get a picture of the finished product, but I packaged the enchiladas in a disposable baking pan and sealed the pan inside of a freezer bag. I labeled the package with what was inside and baking instructions.

Next, I used the remaining pound of hamburger to make up a lasagna. I change my recipe about everytime I make lasagna. Today I mixed 1 can of italian diced tomatoes, 1 can of spaghetti sauce and the hamburger. I layered this with cottage cheese and noodles. Basically, bottom up, sauce, noodles, cottage cheese etc. until I get to the top layer where I sprinkle about half a package of shredded cheese on top. I never boil my lasagna noodles ahead of time and they are never crunchy or hard. My mom gave me that tip a few years ago, and it amazes me how many people are wasting time boiling noodles that would be soft anyway. There is enough liquid in the spaghetti sauce and cottage cheese to make them plenty moist. Again, I wrapped the disposable baking pan with a freezer bag, labeled the bag with title and instructions for baking.

Next I mixed up the sauce for my mom's meatballs. I don't know why I did that out of order, but I did.

After I mixed it up I froze it in two portions since the meatballs were being frozen in two portions. This sauce is amazing and you should make it even if you cheat and buy the frozen meatballs.
All of this prep took about an hour and a half. Not bad for four complete meals that honestly, will have leftovers and will probably be more like 8+ meals. Manning was napping and still asleep at this point so I went ahead and poached the chicken breasts I'll use to make the remaining casseroles tomorrow.

This is six pounds of chicken breasts. I plan on making several chicken dishes tomorrow as well as browning more hamburger to freeze by the pound for quick meal prep and I'll update with how that goes. I hope this helps someone! If you have any questions about the "recipes" or ingredients etc. just let me know!

Elmer Fudd continued

I cannot imagine why anyone would think he could be named Elmer Fudd...

Friday Funnies

I have a few funny things on my mind tonight that I thought I'd share. Feel free to laugh with, or at, me.

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Nights like tonight I really wish that we had ponied up the cash for a video monitor. I'm not sure what the heck was going on in Manning's crib just now after we put him to bed, but it sounds like we missed quite the performance. I like to picture that he was walking around the edge of the crib like a tight-rop and his stuffed animals were following behind, but maybe I've seen too many movies about toys coming to life...

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Nathan was telling me a story a few weeks ago about when he took Manning with him to the bank. I'm still cracking up everytime I think about it, but it might not seem that funny in writing. Who knows? Anyway, Manning has been wearing a hat that he got for Christmas that is almost identical to this one all winter.

Nathan went to the bank and the conversation went something like this:

banker: "Oh, he's cute! He looks like that cartoon character. What's his name?"
Nathan: "Elmer Fudd"
banker: "His name is Elmer Fudd?!" quizzical/confused look on her face
Nathan: "Yep. Elmer Fudd."
*exit Nathan*

When he got to the car he realized that the banker wasn't asking the cartoon character's name, but rather our son's name. It cracks me up to think that somewhere there's a sweet lady walking around thinking about the crazy people that named their kid Elmer Fudd...we might name our kid after a football player, but a cartoon?! Never. We have standards.

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I feel like pregnancy lasts a month too long. I've been feeling really good until this week when I hit a wall. A wall that says happens to make your ankles swell, your back ache quadruple and your stomach grow a few new pink lines. The thing I find the most distressing is the cankles. As if I had any pride left, what with the leaking breasts and stretch marks, Now one of the few remaining parts of my body that was still slim, my ankles, have gone to pot. I guess I still have my wrists...and my ears. Can your ears swell? I'm certain that if they can, it will probably happen to me in the next few weeks. I'll keep y'all posted.

Have a great weekend!

These Are My Confessions...

Recently a few of my favorite bloggers, Amanda Moore Jones & Blue Eyed Bride have posted their "confessions" on their blog. They cracked me up, and made me feel normal! So... these are my confessions, Ur-sher style ;)

1. I don't remember to take my pre-natal vitamins. Ever.

2. I drink more Dr. Pepper than water.

3. I really like reading books and watching TV...so much so that when we talked about canceling our cable to save some money I literally had a panic attack...I just don't know how I could be a SAHM without having cable!

4. I can justify anything. If there is something I feel passionately about, I stick to my guns, but if I'm waivering, I can justify both sides until I feel like my head is spinning. For example, because a nurse at my pre-registration for Deacon's birth said that I'm really healthy overall, of COURSE I shouldn't feel guilty for not taking my pre-natal vitamins and drinking more Dr. Pepper than water through my pregnancy.

5. I worry that I'm not cut out to be a stay-at-home-mom...that I'll go crazy with no time away from two little babies.

6. I had cereal for supper tonight. Honey Nut Cheerios to be exact...and I dropped a few dry cheerios on the floor. I almost left them because I knew Manning would eat them in the morning.

7. Manning had oatmeal and yogurt for supper tonight. Apparently my body didn't get the memo that breakfast foods are for the AM.

8. I'm afraid we chose the wrong name for this baby, but there is literally not one other boy name that Nathan and I both could agree on.

9. My house is more clean right now than it has been since Manning was born...and Nathan did 90% of the work to get it there when he was on vacation last week...while taking care of Manning all day everyday. When I'm home alone with Manning I'm lucky to get a load of laundry done.

10. I only let Manning watch TV shows and movies that I like too...I refuse to let him watch the shows that will have me singing annoying songs in my head all day everyday. My favorites, therefore his favorites, are Yo Gabba Gabba, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, The Backyardigans and Veggie Tales.

11. I long for a much more simple life...sometimes I wish we didn't have any "stuff" at all. My dependence on material things disgusts me.

12. I've pretty much given up straightening my hair and I've started wearing it curly/wavy/scrunchy everyday. It's easier and more "natural" and I think the only thing I was waiting on was the right product. I might even become a morning shower person!

13. If I won the lottery I would never work another day in my life. I'd volunteer and donate a lot, but I am NOT a person who has a desire for a career...which I believe is part of the reason I have yet to find a job where I'm 100% happy.

14. I care WAY too much what people think about me. Even if it's someone I dislike and have no desire to be around, I wonder why they don't like me or want to be around me.

15. I want to start my own business, but I'm not sure I'll ever have the opportunity or means to do so.

Okay, it's your turn! Anything you'd like to confess?!

2011 Book Update- Swimsuit

Last night I read about 125 pages and finished my second book of 2011! I read Swimsuit by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro. While I've seen Kiss the Girls (and really liked it), I have never read any of Patterson's novels. A few of my twitter friends suggested it, and my friend Jennifer actually sent it my way to borrow. I think I'll definitely be reading more Patterson in the future. In my opinion it was well-written, and it was a fast read. The perfect book to read when you're trying to relax or just need a little "me-time". The book probably took me a total of 2 1/2 or 3 hours to read from beginning to end. Again, ideal for me because I don't have a lot of free time to read for recreation...mostly I'm reading boring business books for school.

In case you're interested in the book, here's the synopsis I pulled from amazon.com:


A serial killer with an urge to break into print propels this thriller from bestseller Patterson and collaborator Paetro (4th of July). Ben Hawkins, a former L.A. cop turned reporter and author, travels to Hawaii to look into the disappearance of model Kim McDaniels, who has fallen victim to a sadistic fiend who calls himself Henri Benoit. Ben meets with Kim's distraught parents, but the investigation soon runs into dead ends, even as the body count rises. Back in Los Angeles, Henri gets in touch with Ben, and offers the story of his life and the reasons he continues with his murderous spree. As part of the deal, Henri asks the reporter to write his tell-all book. Ben can't refuse given the killer's threat to his life as well as his girlfriend's. In just one of many clever twists, Henri proves to be the consummate storyteller. Patterson fans will devour this one in a single sitting. 


 Part of what I enjoyed about this book is that it's written from several points of view...which I always think makes a book easier to read and stay interested in because you're seeing insight from more than one character's thoughts. The only complaint or negative aspect I'd point out about the book is that it was very sexual. There were a few times where I was blushing or feeling embarrassed to be reading something SO sexually graphic. 


Let me know if you decide to read it!

Manning's First Haircut!

This weekend Manning got his first haircut. I've been putting it off because I knew he'd look a lot more like a boy than a baby after the cut, but the hair was getting in his eyes, and looking a little mullet-ish, so I knew it was time.

First, a few "before" pics...

During:

He was such a big boy! Look at that serious face. As long as Lindsey let him hold a comb or a race car, he sat pretty still and didn't cry or fuss at all!

After:

This is the best after picture I got, but he looks so handsome! I can't believe that our little guy is already 14 months old, and I REALLY can't believe that in about a month (or less, YIKES!) he is going to be a BIG BROTHER! We are so blessed!

Project 365

I had grand plans to do Project 365 this year. Then January 4th hit, I dropped my nice, expensive (still not paid off cough cough) dSLR and broke the screen...it's been sent to the repair geeks at Best Buy, but this kind of took away my steam! So, here are the first four pictures for Project 365, and hopefully I'll feel renewed and refreshed and hop back on the train when the camera is repaired, but I have to say, it's almost guaranteed that over 50% of my pictures will be of Manning and over 50% will be from my iPhone. If you see a pic of something other than Manning, and not from my iPhone, it took effort.

Okay here goes:

January 1st- we just hung out at home, and Manning had fun being freaking adorable.

January 2nd- Manning still being precious...see, this could be a boring year. Good thing we're about to have another baby so you can see pics of two different cuties.

January 3rd- Shortly after Manning turned 1, I gave up the dream of getting his baby blanket crocheted in a timely manner, and began working on one for Deacon. I've made a lot of progress due to my TV watching and housework-avoiding tendencies. I think it's going to be really pretty. I figure if the kid won't have a bedroom for the first several months of his life, he should at least have his own, new, handmade blanket.

January 4th- I don't talk about my job on the blog much, but it really has been such a great job to me for the last year, and I recently gave notification that I won't be returning after Deacon is born, but I am still so grateful that I had the opportunity to do what I've been doing. I plan on writing a very in-depth blog post about it when I'm gone (ALL GOOD THINGS!) but for now, this will have to do. One day a week I go to a small Amish tourist town to work. It's been a great learning experience, and Bertha's Cashew Crunch is my reason for living. ;) Bertha owns a small grocery store and makes this deliciousness by hand. She actually gave me this package this week, and I was SO excited!

2011 Reading List

A lot of people are blogging about their reading goals for 2011, and I wanted to join in the fun! I love to read, and my parents gave me a Kindle for Christmas, so I'm definitely going to read a lot this year. Especially because Nathan will be gone for months! I also have a really bad habit of having the TV on anytime I'm home alone with Manning, and this is something I need to stop. When Manning is playing by himself or with me I need to shut it off. Reading helps me not get so wrapped up in the time-suck that TV can be. I'd like to say I plan to read x amount of books each month, but with (hopefully) my last semester of MBA classes, having a baby and Nathan being gone, I want to be realistic. So, here are some of the books I hope to read in 2011, and I'd like to read twelve total. I'll add to this list as I think of new ideas.

1. Water for Elephants by: Sarah Gruen- I actually started the year off by reading this, and I finished it in only a few days. It was amazing, and I cannot wait to see the movie.



2. Bitter is the New Black by: Jen Lancaster- This author was suggested to me by Amanda, and I'm excited to get started with this book!

3. Redeeming Love by: Francine Rivers- I was asking for book suggestions on Twitter, and this was a suggestion that several people agreed on, so it's a must-read now. :)

4.Last Night at Chateau Marmont by: Lauren Weisberger- I've read all of Weisberger's other books, and I've had this one on my book shelf for awhile.

5. Decision Points by: George W. Bush- I've been slowly reading through this while I've read other fiction novels on the side. I RARELY read non-fiction, so it's hard for me to read it without taking breaks. That said, W did a much better job writing this book than I would've guessed and it's actually not boring at all.

6. Swimsuit by: James Patterson- I've also seen this one on several reading lists, and Jenn is going to let me borrow her copy when she's finished.

7. The Middle Place by: Kelly Corrigan- I've heard of Kelly, but had never read any of her books. A Twitter friend, Rachel, suggested it, and it sounds exactly like something I'd enjoy.

8. The Diplomat's Wife by: Pam Jenoff- I've just heard this book is good.

9. Mennonite in a Little Black Dress- This book has always caught my attention in the bookstore, but I've never bought it. I currently work with several mennonite customers, so I think it would be interesting!

10. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by: Steig Larsen- I've heard too much about this book to not read it. If I like it, I'll read the following two (or is it three?)

I'd love to hear what you have read or are reading. I'm not sure this list is a great representation of all the genres I enjoy, but I like chick lit, historical fiction, Christian books, mysteries/thrillers...pretty much all fiction.