I've been one busy crazed woman in the kitchen this weekend.
Key word being crazed.
This Fall is going to be busy. I'll be working three jobs, plus taking every paying gig I can get through the schools: namely taking tickets or working concessions at sports events.
Swear this is the Neocon plot to keep the previous middle class crawling in the dirt, so we have no time to fight them. We used to be comfortable. Now we're pinching pennies into 8 or 9 parts, working every waking hour, and live in fear that the car will break down.
The best thing for my family right now would be once-a-month-cooking. Ever tried it? Over two days you shop, chop, prep, and assemble 20-30 main dishes for your freezer. Some people actually DO this!
Well after today I think it might drive me bat-shit-crazy. I mean truly right over the deep end into drooling, hallucinating, straight-jacket insanity.
So this weekend, I put the following into the freezer:
Two tuna casseroles
Two baked ziti
One chicken pot pie
Two bags of chicken thighs marinated for the grill
One bag of browned hamburger and onions ready for tacos or whatever
One bag full of chopped garden onions.
A double batch of "breakfast cookies" with oatmeal, choc chips,dried cherries, and pecans
Coming yet this fall:
Roasted homegrown tomato sauce
Onions, onions, onions
Carrots
Lots more pesto
I'm so sick of my kitchen and dirty dishes. My chapped hands and sore feet tell me I'd better hurry and come into some money so I can hire a staff. Then cooking can be fun again!
11 comments:
Isn't life in conservative America wonderful?
I have that book- and a couple others that discuss bulk cooking. I never really tried it full on but I did make loads of cooked hamburger with onions and green peppers to have in the freezer for last minute chili or sloppy joes or whatever. I try to do that whenever I can. And whenever ground beef is on sale.
A few unexpected (and unexpectedly large) monetary outputs lately have me pinching pennies at the grocery as well. Gone are the days of ordering fancy Pizza Luce whenever, now the thought of spending $$ on stuff like that kind of freaks me out.
It sucks, but try and think of it this way: I grew up in a home that dealt with food much the same way you are now- gardening, making do-ahead meals, utilizing freezer storage, making things instead of buying them ready made, etc...
It taught me: how to cook (and led me to a pretty great career), how to be resourceful with food, that I should never waste food, and most of all, it taught me that homemade is always better than store-bought.
I know it's tough, but your kids will gain so much from this! (do you enlist them to help in the kitchen?)
Hang in there, baby...
:)
I can't do the monthly thing, but I do try to cook for the week on Sundays. the nice thing is, once I clean up that evening, I don't have much to do during the week.
I so look for any way to keep costs low and make sure we use everything we have.
Hug to you Mom!
That sounds about like the cooler you brought up to the cabin the last time you visited. And I don't think there were a lot of leftovers.
You're eating healthier and saving money, it's a win win.
I made your roasted tomato sauce again this year! Last weekend - fabulous as always - I don't measure anything any more and have lots of add ons - you just cannot go wrong!
You are awesome and industrious! OK, I know about two of the jobs (middle school + Archer?) but what is the third? You are crazy busy. I can hardly believe it.
I have done this and have recipes, books and ideas if you're interested. Just let me know. A couple of my neighbors were just saying yesterday that they wanted to do this as a group.
You do sound crazy busy! Remember to stop and take care of yourself, breathe deep and just be to de-stress yourself. Hang in there :)
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