OAMC Chicken Session!

Chicken OAMC plan


Once a month cooking mini session! I don’t really have time to do a full 30 meal, 30 side dishes, 30 breakfasts 30 lunch session all at once, or even in a weekend. So I am doing stages. I have a baking plan, a breakfast plan, chicken plan, beef plan, bean plan, cheese plan and a veggie plan. It comes out to 60 meals, but I figure I can do this for one week every 2 months and still be way ahead of the game.


This is to make the main dishes. I will post another OAMC plan for the side dishes.

Total of 26 meals

Note- If you are using frozen chicken to freeze before cooking, you can NOT defrost and re-freeze. This breeds germs. You must use fresh chicken and then freeze, or keep frozen chicken frozen or cook before freezing.

Meals:
BBQ chicken sandwiches with carrot sticks
BBQ chicken over rice with brown sugar carrots
Cowboy Chicken with dill potatoes and salad
Chicken Chilaquiles with salad
Chicken Stew with rolls
Chicken with orange rice with broccoli
Pizza Chicken with salad
Chicken Noodle Soup with rolls
Chicken Chili with rice and veggies
Marinated Chicken with baked beans and mashed potatoes
Citrus Chicken with mashed potatoes and veggies
Lemon Mustard Chicken with brown sugar carrots and noodles
Honey Mustard Chicken Nuggets with rice and dilled potatoes
Cheesy Chicken Strips with French fries and carrot sticks
Chicken with herbs with twice baked potatoes and salad
Lemon thyme chicken with salad
Tarragon lemon roast chicken with salad and pasta salad
Roast Sticky Chicken with baked beans and salad
Rosemary lemon chicken with oranges and dill potatoes
Chinese Chicken over rice with veggies
Teriyaki chicken wings
Forbidden City Chicken with rice and salad
Fajitas with rice and beans
Chicken Skewers with baked beans and salad
Oven Fried Chicken Strips with baked beans and salad
Mexican Chicken Lasagna with salad
All purpose Chicken and broth



Master Ingredients List:

2 lbs. Fresh chicken thighs 6 lbs. frozen chicken thighs Total - 8 lbs of chicken thighs – de-boned and skinned
12 lbs. frozen chicken breasts, 8 lbs. fresh chicken breasts Total - 20 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 bag of frozen chicken wings
2 lb. chicken breast tenders cut into 1 inch pieces – not frozen!
5 – as big as you can find, at least 3 lb. broiler-fryer chickens
3 bottles BBQ sauce
¾ c. vegetable oil + 8 T.
10 flour or corn tortillas cut into ½ inch strips
3 ½ cups salsa or salsa verde
½ c. cheddar cheese, shredded. 2 oz
3 c. shredded Mexican style cheese
1 egg
1 cup mozzarella cheese
8 oz. sour cream
¼ c. milk
1 c. shredded cheese
2 c. buttermilk
8 T. butter
2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese
4 small onions sliced
4 stalks celery, chopped
9 cloves garlic
19 md. Green onions, chopped, 1 c.
2 lbs. small red potatoes
2 lg. red peppers - 1 cut into thin strips & 1 chopped
1 lg. yellow pepper cut into thin strips
1 lg. green pepper cut into thin strips
½ c. chopped cilantro
1 lb. fresh green beans or 18 oz. frozen, defrosted and drained
6 med. Carrots, sliced
1 large or 2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 T + 1 t. fresh sage leaves, chopped or 1 ¼ t. dried
3 ¼ + 1/3 c. soy sauce
¼ c. red wine vinegar
1 t. oregano
½ t. basil
1 ½ t. garlic powder
½ c. + 1/3 c. + 3 T. lemon juice
Tabasco sauce
¼ c. + 2 T. chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 2 T. + 2 t. dried
2 T. chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 T. grated lemon peel
¾ t. dried tarragon leaves
2 t. paprika
1 t. cayenne pepper
1 t. onion powder
1/3 c. + ¾ c. brown sugar
1 T catsup
2 T. cornstarch
4 T. toasted sesame seeds
1 T. vinegar
1 T. curry powder
1 t. cinnamon
¼ c. lime juice
½ t. cumin
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 ½ t. lemon pepper seasoning
1 t. Italian seasoning
1/8 t. + ½ t. ground red pepper
¼ c. honey mustard
4 t. garlic salt
1 ½ tbsp chili powder
3 ¾ tsp cumin
3 ½ tsp ground ginger
7 t. fresh thyme leave, chopped or 4 t. dried
salt
pepper
¼ c. chopped pecans
½ t. paprika
3 T. flour
1 package long grain and wild rice mix
2 ¾ c. orange juice
2 c. spaghetti sauce
24 ounces rotini pasta
½ c. BBQ sauce
6 oz. tomato paste
½ can pineapple chunks
1 c. tomato sauce
¾ c. bread crumbs
2 c. cheese flavored crackers, crushed to make 1 c. of crushed cracker crumbs.
16 flour tortillas
bamboo skewers
shake and bake or mix some up with 4 c. flour, 4 c. ground crackers, 4 T. salt, 2 T. sugar, 2 t. garlic powder, 2 t. onion powder, 3 T paprika, ¼ c. vegetable oil. Mix well and store in fridge.
lasagna noodles
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can chopped green chilies
1 can sliced black olives
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can lima beans



Dishes:

4 Storage Containers: 1 for Chicken Stew, 1 for chicken noodle soup, 1 for BBQ chicken sandwiches, 1 for BBQ chicken over rice
2 - 2 qt. casserole
Square baking pan 8x8x2
1 – 3 qt. baking dish


Processes:

The day before, Place in crock pot: 1 onion sliced, 1 carrot, sliced, 1 celery stalk, sliced. Set cleaned chicken on top, neck up. Pour ½ c. water over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 8 – 9 hours. Remove chicken from pot, and set aside until cool. Meanwhile, strain and defat stock. Place in fridge for use on cooking day. Remove chicken from bones and set aside for Mexican lasagna, chicken chili and chicken chilaquiles. (approx. 5 c. chicken)

BBQ Chicken Part 1 - In crock pot, combine 6 lbs of chicken thighs and 3 bottles of BBQ sauce. You may have to do this in 2 or 3 stages, depending on the size of your crock pot. 2 lbs of chicken per bottle of sauce. Let this cook on high for 5-6 hours, or until chicken is fully cooked. We will come back to this later. This is for BBQ chicken sandwiches, BBQ chicken over rice, and Cowboy Chicken.

Chicken Stew – Cut 2 lbs of fresh chicken thighs into 1 inch cubes. In a large bowl, combine 3 sliced carrots, ½ c. chopped onions, parsnips, butternut squash, 2 cups chicken broth, 2 cups water, 1 T chopped fresh or 1 t. dried sage leaves, 2 t. chopped fresh or ¾ t. dried thyme leaves, ½ t. salt, ½ t. pepper. Transfer to a storage container. To serve, place in crock pot in the morning. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours. Mix 3 T. flour, and 3 T. melted butter. Gradually stir into stew until blended. Cover and cook on high setting for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.

Chicken Chilaquiles – Spray 2 qt. casserole with cooking spray. Heat ½ c. oil in 10 inch skillet over medium high heat. Cook tortilla strips in oil 30 to 60 seconds, stirring occasionally, until light golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon, drain on paper towels. Arrange half the tortilla strips in bottom of the casserole. Top with 2 cups of reserved shredded chicken. ¾ c. salsa, and 1 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Repeat with remaining tortilla strips, 1 c. of salsa and 1 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Freeze. To eat, defrost in fridge, then bake in a 375 oven uncovered about 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden brown.

Chicken with Orange Pecan Rice – Spray square baking dish with cooking spray. Mix long grain and wild rice mix, seasoning packed from rice, 2 c. orange juice, ¼ c. chopped pecans in pan. Place 2 lbs frozen chicken breasts on top of rice mix. Sprinkle with ½ t. paprika. Freeze. To eat, defrost in fridge. Bake in a 350 oven for 35-45 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and chicken is no longer pink in center.
Chicken Noodle Soup – In storage container combine 2 c. water, 2 c. reserved chicken broth, 2 c. reserved chicken, 2 sliced carrots, 3 sliced celery stalks, 2 T Italian seasonings. Freeze. To eat, defrost in fridge. Put in stock pot, add 8 ounces of rotini noodles. Cook until noodles are done and soup is hot.

Chicken Chili – In storage container, combine 2 c. reserved chicken, ½ cup barbeque sauce, ¼ c. onion, chopped), 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1 can tomato paste (6 oz), 1 ½ tbsp chili powder, 1 ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp ground ginger, 1 can kidney beans, or 2 cups cooked dried from bean plan, pineapple juice (reserve pineapple), and 1 ½ c. salsa. Freeze. Freeze pineapple in a zip closing bag. To eat, defrost in fridge then, cook 8-10 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high in crock pot. Add pineapple and cook until warm (about 15 min on high).

Marinated Chicken – Combine ½ c. soy sauce, ¼ c. vegetable oil, ¼ c. red wine vinegar, 1 t. oregano, ½ t. basil, ½ t. garlic powder, ¼ t. pepper. Pour over 2 lbs of frozen chicken breasts in ziplock bag. Freeze. To eat, defrost in refrigerator, pour into a casserole dish and cook in a 375 oven for 25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in middle.

Citrus Chicken – Combine ½ c. orange juice, ½ c. lemon juice, ¼ t. rubbed sage, 1 ½ inch section fresh ginger, peeled and minced, 3 cloves of garlic, minced and a few drops of Tabasco sauce. Place 2 lbs. frozen chicken breasts and marinade in a zip lock bag. Freeze. To eat, defrost in refrigerator, pour into a casserole dish and cook in a 375 oven for 25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in middle.

Lemon Mustard Chicken – Combine 2 T. vegetable oil, 1 T. Dijon mustard, 1 T. lemon juice, 1 ½ t. lemon pepper seasoning, 1 t. Italian seasoning, 1/8 t. ground red pepper. Place 2 lbs of frozen chicken breasts and marinade in a zip lock bag. Freeze. To eat, defrost in refrigerator, pour into a casserole dish and cook in a 375 oven for 25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in middle.

Honey Mustard Chicken Nuggets – In medium microwaveable bowl, combine ¼ c. honey mustard, 3 T. butter, 1 t. garlic salt. Microwave uncovered on high for 45 to 60 seconds or until butter is melted. Place bread crumbs in large zip lock bag. Add 1 inch pieces of chicken tenders to mustard mixture. Stir to coat. Shake chicken pieces in bag of bread crumbs until coated. Freeze. To eat, place frozen chicken nuggets on cookie sheet. Cook in a 400 oven for 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.

Cheesey Chicken Strips – Cut 2 lbs of fresh chicken breasts into ½ inch strips. Mix 2 c. crushed cheese-flavored crackers and ½ c. shredded cheddar cheese in a large zip lock bag. Beat an egg in a large bowl. Add chicken strips to egg and toss to coat. Remove chicken from egg, allowing excess to drip off. Place chicken in bag of cracker mixture. Seal bag and shake to coat evenly with cracker mixture. Freeze. To eat, place frozen chicken strips in a single layer on a cookie sheet and cook in a 400 oven for 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in middle.

Chicken with Herbs – In bowl, combine 8 md. Green onions, chopped, 2 T. fresh rosemary leaves or 1 T. dried, 2 T. chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, 2 T. lemon juice, 1 t. salt, ½ t. pepper, 1 clove garlic, finely chopped. Remove giblets, rinse and pat broiler chicken dry. Rub mixture over whole chicken and place 2 T. of mixture in cavity of chicken. Freeze. To eat, defrost in fridge. Insert meat thermometer in thickest part of inside thigh muscle, but not touching the bone. Cook in a 350 oven for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until meat thermometer reaches 180 degrees.

Lemon Thyme Chicken Breasts – In zip lock bag, mix 1 T. grated lemon peel, 4 t. chopped fresh thyme leaves or 2 t. dried, 2 t. garlic salt, ½ t. pepper. Add 2 lbs frozen chicken breasts and shake to coat. Freeze. To eat, defrost in fridge. Cook in a 375 oven for 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.

Tarragon-lemon Roast Chicken – Remove giblets. Rinse broiler chicken, pat dry. Skewer neck skin to back and tie legs to tail. Twist wings under back. In a small bowl, combine 1/3 c. lemon juice, 1 T. oil, ¾ dried tarragon, 2 cloves garlic, chopped, ½ t. salt, ¼ t. pepper. Brush over chicken. Freeze. To eat, defrost in fridge. Insert meat thermometer in thickest part of inside thigh muscle, but not touching the bone. Cook breast side up in a 375 oven for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until meat thermometer reaches 180 degrees.

Roast Sticky Chicken – Combine 4 t. salt, 2 t. paprika, 1 t. cayenne pepper, 1 t. onion powder, 1 t. dried thyme, ½ t. pepper, ½ t. garlic powder. Remove giblets from chicken. Rinse chicken, clean cavity and pat dry. Rub spice mixture into chicken both inside and out making sure it is evenly distributed and down deep into skin. Freeze. In separate bag, freeze 1 c. chopped onions. To eat, defrost chicken and onions in fridge. Insert meat thermometer in thickest part of inside thigh muscle, but not touching the bone. Stuff cavity with onions, and roast uncovered at 250 degrees for 5 hours. After one hour, baste with pan juices every half hour (or use an oven bag! And no basting required.) Let rest 10 minutes before carving.

Rosemary Lemon Chicken – Remove giblets and neck from broiler chicken. Rinse chicken, drain and pat dry. Working with chicken breast side up, fold wings toward neck, then fold up and under back of chicken so they stay in place. Cut lemon in half, squeeze enough juice from one half of lemon to make one tablespoon. Cut remaining lemons into large chunks. Place lemon chunks and 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary or 1 t. dried inside of body cavity of chicken. With string, tie legs and tail together. Place chicken in a large roasting pan. In a cup, mix 2 T. fresh rosemary or 2 t. dried, 2 T. oil, 1 t. salt and ¼ t. pepper. With pastry brush, brush chicken with mixture. Cut 2 lbs of red potatoes in half. Place potatoes in roasting pan around chicken. Drizzle with the 1 T of lemon juice and 3 T. olive oil and sprinkle with ¾ t. salt and ¾ t. pepper. Toss to coat. Freeze. Freeze green beans separately. To eat, defrost in fridge. Insert meat thermometer in thickest part of inside thigh muscle, but not touching the bone. Cook in a 350 oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, basitng with pan drippings occasionally. When chicken turns golden cover with a tent of foil. After 1 hour and 15 minutes add green beans to rasting pan and toss with potatoes. Roast 1 hour longer, basting occasionally until thermometer reaches 180.

BBQ Chicken Part 2 – Remove BBQ chicken from crock pot and divide into 3 portions. Put 2 portions into 2 storage containers. These will be 1 portion for BBQ chicken sandwiches, and 1 portion for BBQ chicken over rice. Reserve the other portion for Cowboy Chicken.

Pizza Chicken – Place 2 lbs frozen chicken thighs in ziplock bag.Sprinkle with ½ t. salt and ¼ t. pepper. Top with 1 small onion sliced and 2 c. spaghetti sauce. Freeze. Also freeze 1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese. To eat, defrost in fridge. Place in crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 4 – 6 hours or until center of chicken is no longer pink. Meanwhile, cook and drain 16 oz. rotini pasta according to directions on box. Serve chicken over pasta.

Cowboy Chicken – In a 2 quart casserole dish, mix reserved BBQ chicken, 1 can garbanzo beans, 1 can lima beans, 1 can or 2 cups cooked dried kidney beans from bean plan. Freeze. Also freeze 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese. To eat, defrost in fridge. Then cook in 350 oven for 30 to 35 minutes until bubbly. Sprinkle with cheese and cook for 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

Chinese Chicken – Place 4 lbs frozen chicken thighs in a zip lock bag. In a bowl, mix together 1 T. oil, ½ c. water, 1/3 c. soy sauce, 1/3 c. brown sugar, 1 T. catsup, ¼ c. orange juice, ½ t. crushed red pepper, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1 green onion, sliced. Add sauce to chicken in zip lock bag. Freeze. To eat, defrost in fridge. Place in a 3 qt. casserole and cover. Cook in a 350 oven for 1 hour, stirring once. Mix 2 T. cornstarch and 1 T. water. Add to sauce and stir to mix. Cook for 15 minutes longer or until sauce is thickened.

Teriyaki Chicken Wings – Divide frozen wings between to gallon ziplock bags. In a 4 cup measuring cup, combine 1 c. soy sauce, ¾ c. brown sugar, 1 T. vinegar, 1 t. garlic salt, 1 t. ginger. Divide sauce between the bags. Freeze. To eat, defrost in fridge. Cook in a 400 oven for 30 minutes, turning once.

Forbidden City Chicken – In a 2 quart casserole, place 2 lbs frozen chicken breasts. In a bowl, mix ¾ c. soy sauce, 2 T melted butter, 1 T. curry powder, 1 t. cinnamon, 1 t. ginger, 1 clove garlic crushed, 2 dashes Tabasco sauce. Spread over chicken and freeze. To eat, defrost in fridge. Sprinkle with ½ c. sesame seeds. Cook in a 325 oven for 1 hour, covered, until chicken is no longer pink in center.

Fajitas – Cut 6 lbs of fresh chicken breasts into ½ inch strips. Divide into 3 parts, and set 2 parts aside. In a zip lock bag, mix together 2 T. oil, ¼ c. lime juice, ½ t cumin, 1/8 t. cayenne. Add the meat. Freeze. In another freezer bag, mix 1 lg green, 1 lg. yellow and 1 lg. red pepper, all sliced, and 1 onion sliced. Freeze. To eat, defrost both bags in the fridge. In a large skillet, heat 1 T. oil until very hot. Add the meat with the marinade and stir fry over high heat until meat is cooked, 3-5 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside. Add 2 T oil to skillet and heat until very hot. Add peppers and onions and stir fry until crisp tender, 3-5 minutes. Return meat to skillet and heat through. Serve with tortillas and any extras.

Skewered Chicken – Marinate 1 reserved part of chicken strips in 1 c. soy sauce for 15 minutes. Put chicken on skewers, piercing in several places, like sewing them on. Freeze. To eat, defrost in fridge. Grill, until chicken is cooked through.

Oven Fried Chicken Strips – Soak last part of reserved chicken in 2 c. buttermilk for 15 minutes or longer. Dip each strip into shake n bake or homemade shake n bake, coating well. Bake in 350 oven for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Freeze on a cookie sheet and then transfer to a gallon bag. To serve, cook directly from freezer in 350 oven until hot or in microwave.

Mexican Chicken Lasagna – Spray 3 qt. baking dish with cooking spray. Cook 12 lasagna noodles half way. They should be slightly stiff. In large bowl, combine 2 cans cream of chicken soup, 8 oz. sour cream, ¼ c. milk, 1 ¼ t. cumin, ½ t., 2 c. reserved chicken, 1 can chopped green chilies. Spread 1 ¼ c. of chicken mixture in bottom of 3 qt. casserole dish. Top with 4 lasagna noodles. Spread 1 ¼ c. chicken mixture over noodles. Sprinkle with ½ c. chopped green onions and ½ c. chopped cilantro. Sprinkle with 1 c. of shredded Mexican style cheese. Top with 4 noodles. Spread 1 ¼ c. chicken mixture on noodles. Sprinkle with 1 c. chopped red bell pepper and 1 can sliced ripe olives. Sprinkle with 1 c. of Mexican Style cheese. Top with 4 noodles. Spread with remaining chicken mixture. Freeze. Freeze remaining 1 c. of Mexican style cheese. To eat, defrost in fridge. Cook in 350 oven for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cook for 15 minutes longer. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

OAMC - Beans, beans and more beans!

Once a month cooking mini session! I don’t really have time to do a full 30 meal, 30 side dishes, 30 breakfasts 30 lunch session all at once, or even in a weekend. So I am doing stages. I have a baking plan, a breakfast plan, chicken plan, beef plan, bean plan, cheese plan and a veggie plan. It comes out to 60 meals, but I figure I can do this for one week every 2 months and still be way ahead of the game.

This is to make the main dishes. I will post another OAMC plan for the side dishes.
Makes 7 meals and 8 side dishes

Meals:

1. Southwest enchiladas with salad and veggies
2. split pea and yam soup with rolls. (Yes, I know it’s not technically a bean, but it fits in here.)
3. Rice and Bean roll ups with salad and rice and beans
4. Baked Beans - goes with marinated chicken, roast sticky chicken, chicken skewers, and oven fried chicken strips.
5. Vege Mexican deep dish pizza with salad (one with meat will be in the beef OAMC plan)
6. Vege Pot Pies - served with veggies (one with meat will be in the beef OAMC plan)
7. Empanadas - served with salad and rice and beans. (One with meat will be in the beef OAMC plan)
8. Bean Burritos for a quick lunch or eating on the run
9. Refried Beans for side dishes

Master List of Ingredients:
1 can 14.5 ounces whole tomatoes, undrained
6 small green peppers chopped, 3 c.
2 med. roma tomatoes chopped
6 med. onions, chopped, 3 c.
2 small yams peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces
1 med. Potato, peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
¼ c. chopped fresh cilantro
1 t. ground cumin
¾ t. salt
½ t. Italian seasoning
2 c. brown sugar
4 T. molasses
4 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. chili powder
¼ t. pepper
1 t. honey
1/8 t. crushed red pepper
16 ounces dried yellow split peas.
5 cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained or 2 lb. dried kidney beans (save out 1 can or 2 cups cooked for beef plan), cooked + 2 can or 4 c. kidney beans for chicken plan (chicken chili and cowboy chicken) total 3 lbs dried
5 cans refried beans or 10 cups of homemade + 10 cans or 20 cups for side dishes
8 cans small white beans, rinsed and drained or 2 lbs. dried small white beans cooked.
1 can black beans with cumin and chili spices (or add your own spices if you use dry beans)
3 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained or 6 cups cooked dry beans – 6 lbs if also making refried beans, 1 lb, if not. Set aside 4 cups or 2 can for beef plan
1 c. ricotta cheese
28 flour tortillas (8 inches) - I always get extra tortillas because I tend to stretch out how many enchiladas and roll ups I can make.
2 ¾ c. shredded cheddar cheese - 11 ounces
4 c. shredded cheese any kind – 16 ounces
¾ c. margarine or butter
8 oz. unsalted butter + 5 T unsalted butter, chilled
¾ c. shredded Monterey jack cheese - 3 ounces
6 ounces sliced Canadian style bacon, coarsely chopped
1 ½ c. thick and chunky salsa
1 c. cooked rice
1 - 8 ounce can of corn or 1 c. frozen corn
3 c. tomato sauce
7 ½ c. biscuit baking mix
1 ½ c. cornmeal
1 can chopped green chilies
2 c. flour
1 egg


Baking Dishes needed:
2 - 13x9x2 casserole dish
10 - Storage containers for split pea soup and 4 for beaked beans and 5 for refried beans.
2 pie plates

Processes: I am listing these out in a way that economizes time and effort!

First, do any chopping or shredding as indicated in ingredient list.

Cook any rice that needs to be cooked.

If using dried beans, soak your pinto beans the day before you plan to cook. Throw them in the crock pot overnight and in the morning they will be ready for cooking or mashing. Take 29 cups of soaked and cooked pintos and mash into refried beans. Divide as follows: 5 parts of 2 c. each, set aside for meals. 5 parts with 4 cups each, place in storage containers and freeze for side dishes. To eat, defrost in fridge, and heat in a pan on the stove until hot all the way through.

Also soak and cook black beans, kidney beans and small white beans. Beans can be cooked ahead and stored in fridge for up to 4 days.

Make empanada dough - Combine 4 c. flour, 8 oz. + 5 T. butter, 2/3 c. ice water, 2 beaten eggs and 1 t. salt. Mix lightly with your fingers until it starts forming small, pea-sized pieces. Stir in the ice water, a little at a time, until it forms dough. (A fork works well for this) Knead lightly until the dough comes together in a ball. Divide dough in half and wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 - 12 hours. One half is for bean empanadas and one half is for the beef plan.

Split Pea and Yam Soup - Mix in the crock pot: 7 c. water, ¾ t. salt, ½ t. Italian seasoning, ¼ t. pepper, yams, potatoes, ½ c. onion, split peas, and Canadian bacon. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours. This can be cooking while you prepare all the other dishes. Spoon into storage container. Let cool, and freeze. To reheat, heat in a pan on the stove, stirring occasionally until heated through.

Southwest Enchiladas - In blender, mix 1 can 14.5 ounces whole tomatoes, ½ c. chopped onion, 1 clove of garlic and blend until smooth. Cook blended mixture, 2 T of cilantro, 2 t. honey, 1/8 t. crushed red pepper in 2 quart saucepan over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a medium bowl, mix 2 cups or 1 can pinto beans, 1 c. ricotta cheese, ½ c. bell pepper, 1 t. cumin and 2 T. cilantro. Spread ½ c. tomato sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish. Spoon ½ c. bean mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up tortilla and place seam side down on tomato sauce in dish. Spoon remaining tomato sauce over filled tortillas. Sprinkle with ¼ c cheddar cheese and ¼ c monterey jack cheese. Cover with foil and freeze. I use a food saver once the food is frozen. On eatin’ day, defrost in refridgerator, then cook in a 375 oven for 25-30 minutes, or until it is hot and bubbly.

Rice and Bean Roll Ups – Spread ½ c. salsa in an ungreased 13x9x2 baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix rice, roma tomatoes, ½ c. bell pepper, black beans, corn. Spread about 1 c. rice mixture on each tortilla. Roll up tortilla. Place seam sides down on salsa in baking dish. Spoon remaining 1 c. salsa over tortillas. Sprinkle with ½ c cheddar and ½ c monterey jack. Cover and freeze. To reheat, defrost in your refridgerator and then cover and bake in a 350 oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Baked Beans - In large skillet, saute 2 c. onion and 2 c. green pepper together until onion is cooked (5 minutes). Transfer to a HUGE pot or bowl. Add remaining ingredients, adding salt and pepper to taste if desired. Cool to room temperature and divide into 4 portions in storage containers. Freeze. To serve, defrost in fridge, and then reheat on stove until hot.

Mexican Deep Dish Pizza – In large bowl, combine the following: 7 ½ c. biscuit baking mix, 1 ½ c. cornmeal, 1 ½ c. water, ¾ butter or margarine, melted. Divide dough into 3 parts, and set 2 aside for Pot Pies. Grease 2 pie plates and divide 1 remaining part of dough into 2 pieces. Pat the pieces down into the pie plates, on bottom and sides. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven. In a med. Bowl combine, 8 oz. tomato sauce, green chilies, 1 t. chili powder, ¼ t. cumin. Spread 1 can or 2 c. refried beans over the crust. Top with tomato sauce, and then sprinkle with 1 ½ c. shredded cheese. Freeze. To reheat, defrost in fridge and then bake in a 350 oven for 10 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Garnish with tomatoes, lettuce, olives or sour cream.

Pot Pies – Grease a muffin pan. Using one part of set aside dough, line the bottoms and sides of the muffin pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Fill cavities with 2 c refried beans and 1 ½ c. shredded cheese, evenly distributed among cavities. Roll out remaining dough and cut out circles slightly bigger than muffin tin cavities. Place “lids” on the cavities, and pinch sides to close. Freeze. Pop the pot pies out of the tin, and store in a zip lock freezer bag. To serve, microwave for a few minutes.

Empanadas – Roll out pre-made empanada dough to ½ inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter or a cup, cut out smallish circles. Using 2 c. of refried beans, place a teaspoon of refried beans in the middle of each one. Top with a pinch of cheese. Brush edge of one side with a little water. Fold edges together to seal. Bend to resemble a crescent mon and crimp edges with the side of a fork. Freeze on a cookie sheet. Once frozen transfer to a freezer bag. To eat, bake with out thawing in a 400 degree oven for 5 – 10 minutes or until lightly browned. OR bake first and then freeze.

Bean Burritos – Warm tortillas slightly. using 2 c. of reserved refried beans, place ¼ c. refried beans in center of tortilla. Sprinkle with 1/8 c. of shredded cheddar cheese. Roll into a burrito. Repeat for 16 burritos. Freeze on a cookie sheet and then transfer to a zip lock bag. To eat, microwave on high for 1 minute. Turn over and microwave for another 1.5 minutes or until heated through.

Why I love raw food...

I love raw food. I consider myself a raw foodist even though I frequently fall off the wagon, and I rarely have a day that I eat 100% raw. I am what you would call "raw till dinner". It is too much work for me to make 2 dinners at night. No, I don't eat raw meat. Yes, I would eat unpasteurized cheese if I had access to it.

Early last fall, I quit the raw food and went back to the conventional american diet. There were lots of reasons, including stress, but the main reason was my school schedule. It was difficult to carry my food in with me to school, and I was getting some crazy looks. So I caved, and started eating chips instead of peppers and tomato wedges.

3 days ago, I officially renewed my commitment to a better diet. I just love how quick the results come rolling in! 3 days of mostly raw and some pants that haven't fit me in a couple months are back on my hips. 3 days and my skin is clear. Literally... no more blemishes at all. You go to bed with those little bumps, and maybe one or 2 pimples, and you wake up and it's smooth... I would say like a baby's butt, BUT, baby's butts aren't really that smooth, and I have problems comparing my face to an ass. so.. smooth as something really smooth. For me this always happens the night after my 3rd day raw. You go to sleep your same old self, and wake up with a fresh new complexion! Love it!!

Year in review? Not here!

All over the place I am seeing people look back on their accomplishments of the last year. Their favorite books, highlights, recipes, vacations and more. You won't be finding any of that in the Arevalo household. 2009 was a black swirling vortex that sucked me in. 2009 wasn't all that I wanted it to be. 2009 was hard, and grueling, and sometimes cruel. There were moments that I did not think I would make it through. But I did. 2010 is my first step in a different direction. 2010 is my fresh start. And every fresh start needs a theme song.

(So damn easy to say that life’s so hard
Everybody’s got their share of battle scars
As for me I’d like to think my lucky stars that
I’m alive, and well

It’d be easy to add up all the pain
And all the dreams you set and watch go up in flames
Dwell on the wreckage as it smolders in the rain
But not me, I’m alive

And today you know that’s good enough for me
Breathing in and out is a blessing can’t you see
Today is the first day of the rest of my life
And I’m alive, and well
I’m alive, and well

Stars are dancin’ on the water here tonight
It’s good for the soul, and there’s not a sole in sight
But this motors caught it wind and brought me back to life
Now I’m alive, and well

And today you know that’s good enough for me
Breathing in and out is a blessing can’t you see
Today is the first day of the rest of my life
Now I’m alive, and well
Yeah I’m alive, and well

Garden Planning

Yes, I know, it is negative a bijillion degrees outside and the ground is covered in snow. I am spending my days dreaming of fresh veggies right from my yard. I have decided that gardening is something that I will be handing down to my kiddos so I am starting a garden journal.

In the first section I have calendars with planting dates, transplanting dates, harvesting dates and such. I also have a detailed garden layout plan, where I will be planting each item and how many will go into each square.

The second section has info about each type of seed. Latin names, sun requirements, how to know when it is best to harvest, When and where it was purchased and what I spent.

The third section is the section for lists, logs and recording. In no special order

• Purchase Log
• Weather Log
• Catalog Wishlist
• Seed Starting Log
• Planting Log
• Pest Log
• Harvest Records
• Preserving Records

Next will be the diary section where I will record my thoughts and views and gardeny actions, followed by a page for "What I want to do differently next year."

I think this is really going to help me track changes and trends and get better at gardening!

So I am planning an even bigger garden this year. Adan is going to have to build me 7 more boxes. Hopefully he is cool with that! It is going to be tricky to find a place for such a big garden this spring. Our yard is bordered in the back by a tree line. In the morning, our yard will be shaded by the house, and in the afternoon, the trees will be shading the yard. There is a place were the house shadow won't reach, but there is another tree in the yard that will shade the space at this time. I am going to have to offset the garden a bit so that maybe that tree won't shade everything. The rub with all this planning is that I won't know how it's going to work out until the trees have filled in and everything is already planted. I guess I am just going to have to use my guess as to how it will work out!

If you want the garden layout for this season, post in the comments and I will email it to ya!

This year we will be planting:
Early Snowball Cauliflower - 3
Farmer's Extra Early Cauliflower - 3
Red Russian Kale - 3
Cherry Belle Radishes - 32
Lettuce Blend Lettuce - 4
Green Magic Broccoli - 2
Green Sprouting Calabrese Broccoli - 2
Coronando Crown Broccoli - 2
Green Arrow Peas - 144
Purple Pod Beans - 144
Blue Lake Beans - 72
Sultans Beans - 72
Strawberry Popcorn - 24
Yellow Dent Corn - 24
Golden Cross Corn - 24
Boston Pickling Cucumbers - 2
Japanese Climbing Cucumbers - 4
Listada de Gandia Eggplants - 3
Bell Boy Peppers - 2
Sweet Pepper Mix - 4
Chocolate Beauty Bell Peppers - 2
Napoleon Sweet Bell Peppers - 2
Tolli's Sweet Italian Peppers - 2
Mortgage Lifter Tomatoes - 6
Roma Tomatoes - 6
Golden Rave Tomatoes - 6
Gurney Girl Tomatoes - 6
Sweet Baby Girl Tomatoes - 6
Aunt Ruby's German Green Tomatoes - 6
Yellow Pear Tomatoes - 6
Green Tomatillos - 2
Burpee Golden Beets - 16
Danvers Carrots - 64
Nantes Carrots - 64
Envy Carrots - 64
Paris Market Carrots - 64
Yellow Crookneck Squash - 1
Black Magic Zucchini - 2
Anna Swartz Hubbard Squash - 1
Burgess Buttercup Squash - 1
Waltham Butternut Squash - 1
Bibb Lettuce - 8
Iceberg Lettuce - 8
Jack o Lanturn Pumpkins - 2
Lumina Pumpkins - 2
Gurney's Giant Magic Pumpkin - 2
Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce - 8
Buttercrunch Lettuce - 8
Bright Lights Swiss chard - 4
Crimson Sweet Watermelon - 3
Aunt Molly's Ground cherry - 1
America Spinach - 9
Teton Spinach - 9
Gurney's Giant Cantalopes - 3
Bidwell Casaba - 1
Charantais Melon - 1
Boule d' Or Melon - 1
Strawberries - 72

Holy beans, that is a long list!! Can't wait for harvest time!!!

Fun with fabric!

Since we have moved into the new house, I have been trying to go room by room and finish any sewing decorating projects, like curtains or rugs or whatever. I finished the kitchen today!

I had purchased some coordinating fabrics for the old house, greens, and purple and pretty, and never got around to putting up the curtains or making the rug... I had that fabric for a year!!

I feel super proud of my self for finally using it up. I made 2 curtains for the entry way, in an olive green leafy print. The ties are in purple. I made a fabric strip version of a hanging curtain for the doorway to the kitchen and I made a woven rug. I even have enough fabric to make a rug for the laundry room!

So the story about the fabric strip curtain: From our front door you can go to your left and go down a short hall to the living room or you can go to the right and in to the kitchen. The door way to the kitchen is wide, and I hate that people entering our house are going to stare right into the kitchen! BUT I love the openness and the view right out to the street. So my compromise was this version of a beaded curtain.

The rug was also super easy. Same basic principle as the woven placemats you made in elementary school. I just cut strips out the length of the rug, and then more for the width, and wove them, under, over, under, over. Then i put on a binding, with mitered corners, like you would for a quilt. I am NOT good at sewing a straight line. That is my goal for this year. Figure out how to sew straight. Entonces, my binding doesn't look super great, but you can't tell unless you look close. Also this was my first time with binding and with mitered corners. All in all, super easy and a fun learning event. I finished it in 2 days, so definitely a weekend project.

I have embraced my mother's advice that perfection is in the little details, so my iron has become my best friend. I ironed all my seams, and measured them to make sure they were uniform. Yes, mom, I measured. All the fabric strips were ironed in so no raw edges would show. My ironing board is feeling a little worn. I think I may need to replace him.

It feels super good to be able to sew and to be tackling these projects that have been on the books so long! Entry way, done! Kitchen done! Next project, laundry room rug! Then on to the Living Room!!

Pics!


Curtains in the entry way.


Fabric Strips laid out on the craft table


View of the fabric strip curtain from the front door.


Close up on the fabric strips


Weaving the rug


The finished product.


My sad, sad ironing board.

Christmas!

I made them all pose prior to opening presents. :)




Christmas in the Arevalo household was really nice. Adan was home for once so we got to do all the santa chores together. I did not make it to be until about 2 AM, but the kids let us sleep in until 8 AM, and then only one was up.

Santa was very nice to us this year! The boys got bikes from Santa, and Lucy got a lap table with art supplies from Santa. I got a brand new digi camera and a wireless printer. From us, AJ got his first cell phone, and Alex got a PSP. Lucy got a tag reader and 4 books. We also do a secret santa in our family. Everyone draws a name, even the kids and everyone has a chance to pick something and give it to another person. AJ got $20 bucks from grannie, Lucy got an easy bake oven from me, Alex got a transformers game for his PSP from AJ, I got a tote bag that says I grow my own food from Katie, and Adan got a bunch of tool sets from Jerry. All of the secret Santa gifts were perfect and suited the receiver so well!

We had a really relaxing day. Mom and Jerry and Grannie came over about 11:00. We ate homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast and had chicken, ham, potatoes, jello salad, green salad and rolls for a late lunch or "linner" as we like to call it. The boys and Adan took a bike ride. Lucy made us all some itty bitty, teeny weeny little easy bake sugar cookies. Grannie took naps in the "box room". My mom and I sat and knitted and crocheted while we watched various Christmas movies... of the muppet variety. I lurve me some muppets.

I haven't blogged in foreeevvvveeerrrr, my imaginary readers won't know, but in the intervening months we have moved again and are in a new house. More on that later.