Feed the freezer recipes - Page 3

[mamanurse]

Originally Posted by umsami

Most butchers will grind it for you at the store. BUT, if there is a Muslim community anywhere about...see if there is a halal butcher. Ground lamb is a staple in a lot of Middle Eastern cooking...so the quality and price is usually better. You can always call up a local mosque and ask if they know of a halal meat market near by.

Jews and Greeks also use a lot of ground lamb so if you can find a Greek or Kosher market, you might have some luck there.

I will say, however, that the halal markets are best because of all the delicious spices they carry.

[rainbowmoon]

: my MIL recently bought us a chest freezer and I absolutley it and now wish I had gotten one long ago! I just need more vegetarian ideas!!!

right now I have 6 bags of chocolate chips so we are making cookies to freeze. THe chips package said to only freeze up to 8 weeks. I highly doubt we will eat that many cookies though in 2 months (you never know though! ) so I will do one batch and do the rest making dough balls to bake later. thanks for the tip!

[jenniet]

:

[Amys1st]

Made a huge pile of taco meat tonight. Then I forgot how much I dont eat anymore so most of it went into the freezer for later :

[Anguschick1]

Made a double batch of spaghetti sauce on Friday in the crock pot...let it meld Sat and heated it back up today...canned what we didn't eat for dinner. There are also 2 dozen italian meatballs in the freezer now. I LOVE the fall and storing away food for the winter...



Would quick bread (banana, pumpkin, zuchinni, carrot, apple) be better if I froze it before or after it was cooked?

[wtchyhlr]

freeze quickbread AFTER you cook it

[umsami]

I recently discovered that rice freezes really well... so when I have extras, I just pop it in a ziploc baggie and freeze. Then, if I'm making stuffed peppers, rice pudding, or any sort of chicken-rice casserole, it's really easy to do.

Found these recipes:

Freeze Ahead Holiday Meals http://busycooks.about.com/cs/freeze...ezeholiday.htm (Recipes on 2nd page)

http://www.dinnersinthefreezer.com/

http://www.dinnersinthefreezer.com/

http://www.momsbudget.com/freezerrecipes/index.html

[Kerry]

Originally Posted by CryPixie83

I really need to get a freezer... all I have is the one on top the fridge

In one of the once a month cookbooks they showed a picture of an above the frigde freezer filled with 30 days worth of meals. They wasn't room for ice cream or ice cubes, but 30 days of meals frozen in did lock bags did fit.

[~ATenthMuse~]

Subbing.

[CryPixie83]

Originally Posted by Kerry

In one of the once a month cookbooks they showed a picture of an above the frigde freezer filled with 30 days worth of meals. They wasn't room for ice cream or ice cubes, but 30 days of meals frozen in did lock bags did fit.

How were they packaged? I can live without ice cream (just don't take away my chocolate!... ice cubes would be hard though... I love ice.

[Kleine Hexe]

Someone mentioned not freezing sour cream. So if I make stroganof to freeze do I put in sour cream or leave it out and add right before we eat it? Oh, and what about stuffed shells and lasagna with ricotta cheese? it seems like that would not work. I froze ricotta once but not in a meal and it was not pretty.

[Amys1st]

Originally Posted by Kleine Hexe

Someone mentioned not freezing sour cream. So if I make stroganof to freeze do I put in sour cream or leave it out and add right before we eat it? Oh, and what about stuffed shells and lasagna with ricotta cheese? it seems like that would not work. I froze ricotta once but not in a meal and it was not pretty.

If the meal is cooked, it should not be an issue.

[tinamaries]

subbing because this is such an awesome group of ideas when i have a minute i will come back and ask for a couple receipes

[Justice2]

Originally Posted by Anguschick1

Not at all...it's scary easy. I'm looking forward to canning on my new stove - it has a "power burner"! The hardest part for me is keeping enough water boiling to cover the lids well.

Basically, you cook whatever it is you're canning, boil your jars/lids to sterilize them, pour the hot/warm food into the jar (use a wide-mouth funnel, trust me on this one) leaving enough headspace (1/2inch to an inch, usually), set the lid on it, lightly screw on the ring, boil in the water bath for however long, pull out the jars and listen to the lids pop! It's one of those things that isn't hard to do, just time consuming.

Amy: Whatcha' canning? Anything yummy?:

Ok, for someone that has never even attempted to can something what exactly is "however long" mean in your explination????

These recipes are awesome. The only things I ever freeze are leftovers and bread. I make a ton of white, wheat, sourdough and french bread and there is usually 3-4 loaves in the freezer waiting to be baked! Now I have more things to put in there!

[Amys1st]

Originally Posted by Justice2

Ok, for someone that has never even attempted to can something what exactly is "however long" mean in your explination????

!

However long means- we have canned a lot and we know how long
But OTH, for those newbies like your self:

Sterilize jars first. Scrub them in the sink, rinse. Then drop in the canning pot empty to boil/sterilize for 15 minutes. Take out w prongs, line up, fill with whatever you're canning. Bang the jar lightly so any air bubbles come up. Seal tightly. Drop in water so its covered completly. Boil for 35 minutes or so.

After they come out of the hot bath, one by one they "pop" some right away, some over several hours. Sometimes we will hear them overnight that evening popping.

[Amys1st]

now that the weather is getting cooler, making bread dough up and freezing sounds like a great idea. Do you let it rise first before freezing??

[chasmyn]

This is a mighty excellent thread - I'm loving the recipes. Subbing but will come back with some of my own.

[Jennisee]

I used to freezer cook a lot, but I've fallen out if the habit. I have a freezer full of raw ingredients (meat, fruit, vegetables, cheese), but I need to make actual meals. This thread inspired me to call my mom to come help, LOL.

Some of my favorites in the past:
Meatloaf
Meatballs
Chicken alfredo
Chicken lo mein
Lasagna
Ravioli lasagna
Enchilada casserole
Turkey and stuffing casserole
Hot ham (or turkey) and cheese sandwiches
Chili
Quiche (usually with meat and cheese)
Breakfast burritos
Twice-baked potatoes
Banana bread and mini-muffins
Apple and peach pies (sometimes with crust, sometimes just the filling)
Graham cracker crust pies (peanut butter pie, chocolate pie, lemonade pie, etc.)

I also like to keep bags of cooked meat in the freezer--browned hamburger, grilled chicken, turkey, ham. It makes it easier to cook meals because I have already-cooked meat.

[Amys1st]

Ok- having a brain fart. Which of the list is ready to cook and which is ready to serve after reheated??

[ani'smommy]

Originally Posted by Amys1st

However long means- we have canned a lot and we know how long
But OTH, for those newbies like your self:

Sterilize jars first. Scrub them in the sink, rinse. Then drop in the canning pot empty to boil/sterilize for 15 minutes. Take out w prongs, line up, fill with whatever you're canning. Bang the jar lightly so any air bubbles come up. Seal tightly. Drop in water so its covered completly. Boil for 35 minutes or so.

After they come out of the hot bath, one by one they "pop" some right away, some over several hours. Sometimes we will hear them overnight that evening popping.

What a great thread! So, when food is canned like this, can it be stored in the cupboard? Or does it have to go in the fridge?