TexasMadness
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Registered: 03-2007
Location: Austin, Texas
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Once-a-month cooking
Anyone here ever tried once-a-month cooking? I've decided to give it a shot. There are plenty of nights on the weekdays where I just don't have the energy to cook a meal. And I try to cook all the time so that I can eat healthier and less expensively.
So this weekend is my inaugural run. I decided to split it up over two days so as not to wear myself out totally (still have some residual pain from the surgery). So yesterday I picked out the recipes, went shopping and made 2 of the 8 dishes. I had purposely picked recipes that I already had most of the ingredients for from my vegetable delivery. So most of the food will be local organic!
Here's what I picked:
Root vegetable puree (finished)
Pesto-spinach lasagna (finished...smells sooo good)
Savory fruit filled squash
Spinach rice casserole
Barley rice pilaf
Creamy Swiss Chard
Brown rice and broccoli
Potato and onion casserole
Everything will be frozen and then baked when needed. Some of the dishes seem more like sides, but I can quickly make some pasta or something to go along with them. It'll be nice to have at least one part of the meal pretty much done.
I hope I have enough room in my freezer!
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1/20/2008, 3:38 pm
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Saijen SilverWolf
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Registered: 10-2004
Location: Upper North East Tennessee
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Re: Once-a-month cooking
I would love to do that, but I honestly don't have the room in any of my freezers....I have a large upright freezer and a small chest freezer in the basement, and of course, the freezer in the kitchen with the fridge. The big freezer is full of frozen veggies and a little venison. The chest is full of venison, and the one up here is full of veggies and venison and microwave meals for me for lunch (I don't like to cook for just one, so I get the low carb/low sodium/low calorie meals).
If we ever get to a place where I have the room, I'd probably do once-a-month cooking. Sure would make life a lot simpler! And less messy LOL.
--- Blessed Be,
~*~ Saijen ~*~
~~*~~ .~~*~~ |
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1/21/2008, 3:30 pm
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TexasMadness
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Re: Once-a-month cooking
Well, turns out that my freezer is the limiting factor as well. All I have is the bottom section of my fridge. But I don't really have anything in there, so I figured I could fit a month's worth of dinners in there. Well, not looking so good! Plus I only have enough flat surface to freeze two casseroles at once (it's one of those big bin types with no shelves). I've been talking about buying a stand along freezer for a year now. Maybe it's time to just do it!
So yesterday I only got two more recipes done since that's all I could freeze. I'll do two more tonight and the next night and then I'll be done. And I think I might just have to start shopping for that freezer...
My current favorite freezer is way out of my budget. It's made by Sunfrost who make the most efficient freezers and fridges on the US market. It's about $3,000!!!
http://www.sunfrost.com/refrigerator_models.html
It's the model F-19. I like that it has two compartments and you can turn one off if you are not using it. It uses half the energy of the average freezer it's size. But at three times the cost, that's a long payback period...if you ever reach it. The extra cost would have to be written off as helping the environment instead of making a economically sound choice. Sigh.
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1/21/2008, 7:02 pm
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Eeshul
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Registered: 06-2008
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Re: Once-a-month cooking
I've thought about this as well, but am also lacking in freezer space - the only one being the one attached to the fridge and I try to keep that full - that really helped while I've been sick - whew!
I've even thought about just trying it for 2 weeks, but still not sure about the space. Oh for a big kitchen, or a basement or a spot for a couple of freezers :-) I wonder if I could can a casserole :-)
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6/22/2008, 8:57 pm
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TexasMadness
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Re: Once-a-month cooking
We are finalizing our plans for the kitchen remodel. A stand-alone freezer was my only hard set requirement! Hopefully, we'll have everything started and finished by the end of the year. I can't wait!
I had a friend that canned bread and cake...surely you can can a casserole then!
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6/23/2008, 7:22 pm
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Eeshul
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Re: Once-a-month cooking
Canned cake - hmmm, more possibilities. I know that you can can meat but it takes forever but it might have to become a standard and I can can a bunch of homemade chicken/dumplings, or my pepperoni casserole
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6/23/2008, 7:27 pm
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