Cooking in bulk saves money and time

Stock up your freezer by cooking twice as much of your favorite meals, and freeze half for another night.

Dishes that freeze well include:

• pasta casseroles such as homemade macaroni and cheese, baked spaghetti casserole, or lasagna
• enchiladas
• desserts such as coffee cake, cookies, and pies
• soups
• vegetable side dishes such as broccoli/squash casseroles
• taco meat
• spaghetti sauce

Bulk cooking

Bulk cooking is the same idea on a larger scale. You spend a day or two cooking and fill your freezer with a variety of foods. I’ve done a small version of this before. It is a lot of work, and you need a lot of available freezer space. However, you can save a lot of money by purchasing your meat in large quantities.

Learn more about bulk cooking from these sites:

• Bulk Freezer Cooking
• Wise Bread
• 13 Bulk Cooking Recipes

My favorite “cook and freeze” recipe

On a busy day, my favorite meal to throw together is spaghetti. I can thaw the homemade sauce in the microwave and have dinner done within 20 minutes. Lasagna is a close second, so I like to stock up on both.

The following makes about 1 large or 3 small lasagnas and 3-4 dinner’s-worth of spaghetti sauce. I have some great recipe’s for more complicated sauces, but this is the easy and quick version that I make most of the time.

First you need to make a large batch of Spaghetti Sauce

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

• 3lbs of meat of your preference. I use:
  • 1 lb. ground turkey, browned and drained
  • 1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
  • 1 lb. Italian sausage, browned and drained
• 4 jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce (look for buy one get one free sales on these)
• 1 large tomato sauce
• Italian seasoning to taste (I add about 2 Tbsps)
• 1 Cup of water

Simmer all the ingredients on low for about an hour.

Easy Lasagna

• 1 box of lasagna noodles
• Small Ricotta cheese
• 1 package of provolone cheese slices
• 2 packages of 5 Italian cheese -shredded

Cook the noodles for about 10 minutes and drain.

Use a one cup measuring cup to scoop out a cup of sauce and spread it out to cover the bottom of the pan.

Alternate the following layers until you fill the pan:

Noodles
ricotta cheese
Sauce
Provolone cheese (rips into small pieces)
Sprinkle some shredded Italian cheese

Repeat.

Wrap up and label items for the freezer

Wrap for freezer and label

After the lasagna had been made, the leftover sauce is frozen in dinner-serving sizes.

Prepare your food for the freezer by wrapping them in foil. Use a Sharpie to write what it is and the date. I wrote “SS” which stands for Spaghetti Sauce in my special shorthand.

Freezer to Oven

Bake the lasagna in a 350 degree oven for about an hour if frozen and 30 minutes if thawed.
5 minutes in the microwave will thaw the spaghetti sauce.

More recipes

I’m always discovering some great sites for recipes. Here are a few new ones:

For soup lovers: Seriously Soupy

For cheap dinners: Five Dollar Dinners

For chocolate lovers, like me!: Chocolate Butterscotch popcorn - can you say YUMMY?!?

To even out that sweet calorie filled popcorn, find out how to make healthy popcorn at Crunch Time Food .

I don’t know why I never thought of the cost savings of this option. I just bought a microwave popcorn bowl and we are going to try it out tonight during the “Camp Rock 2″ premier. I know…exciting. Ha Ha

Interesting craft ideas

Learn how to make a pretty wreath using, can you believe, used coffee filters! Find out how at The Vintage Bench.

Bento box lunch alternative

Bento box lunches are all the rage. The real boxes are expensive. This lady found a much cheaper alternative at Pacifier in my Pocket.

Now to fill them with something more interesting than peanut butter and jelly. Check out Wendolonia – Thanks Amanda from First Day of my New Life for this link.

Now let’s get this Friday started with some dancing

I am a child of the disco era…so I could not resist dancing to some of my old favorites in my friend’s collection of disco videos. Groovy! Check it out at My Top 10 Disco Favorites Plus One and just try not to dance. Thanks, Mitch, for a fun ride back in time.

Handmade gift idea

Bake some delicious cookies and present them in a beautiful gift package created from a Pringles can.

This is a great idea for a back-to-school gift for your child’s new teacher. Add a tag saying “Have a great year!” to the front.

Find the recipe and package creation instructions at The Paper Pony. Print this easy gift idea and keep it in your Custom Cookbook in a tab called “gift ideas”.

Endless cooking advice and recipes

Ever realized you are missing an ingredient and wish you know what you could use as a substitution?

Check out Chef Tom’s recipe forum at Recipesnoop.com. It is full of recipes, tips, definitions, and advice. I don’t think there is a cooking question that doesn’t have an answer in this extensive collection of cooking information.

You can get his free cookbooks, too. I have been trying out his recipes 2-3 nights a week for awhile, and they are easy and delicious.

Quarterly room clean out

I periodically go through the kids’ rooms and clear out the junk, but I like the idea of scheduling it on a quarterly basis. Find out more at PenelopeLovesLists.com.

Cheap decorating idea for a small kid’s room

Check out how cute little dresses hanging on a clothesline looks in a little girl’s room at Momspark.net. You could use sports-type shirts and baseball hats to create a boy version.

Shameless self promotion

Check out my new blog at Finding The Humor. My favorite post is “What I could have done with $900″.

Did you discover any cool finds this week?

Easy Breakfast Casserole

I made this Green Eggs and Ham Our Way breakfast casserole this week, and it was a hit. Letting kids assemble their own mini version is a great activity for a girl’s sleepover party.

Are you “emotionally unprepared” for that new dress?

After writing the article about irrational purchases recently, I laughed when I saw this Zappos.com commercial. Rather than letting it hang in a closet with the tags still on, she was smart and returned it .

The girls and I laughed our way through a Zappos commercial-watching marathon on YouTube. Whoever is responsible for these is a genius!

Cool ice tray shapes

Momlogic.com found some of the coolest ice cube trays! Having a party? Wow your guests with one of these for an interesting conversation piece.

Funniest article I’ve ever read

Maybe I am the last to discover this funny lady, but I’m now a daily reader of The Meanest Mom. She deserves the title of “Funniest Blog”. Check out her story “Paper Underpants” if you need a good laugh.

Make your own frappuccino and save $$$

14 coffee recipes and 7 other ways to use leftover coffee. I’m sipping on a homemade frappuccino as I write this. Delicious!

A free cookbook from a fabulous chef

I enjoy cooking more when I’m trying out a new recipe. Chef Tom has a wonderful blog full of recipes at ChefTomCooks. Join his mailing list for a free cookbook.

10 Awesome USB Thumb Drives

Need a gift for the person that has everything? Check out these unique thumb drives. They are just cool! I want a transformer.Thanks, James at Evolutionary Designs, for sharing that find.

Plastic spoon puppets

It’s raining outside, and your toddler needs a project to stay busy. Grab some scraps of fabric, felt, or even paper and create a plastic spoon family. Find the details along with other creative projects at Mommy Mayhem Survival Guide

Decorating with balloons and other party ideas

EmbracingHome.com has great tips on decorating with balloons, party ideas, and even a “Princess and the Frog” baby shower guide.

20 Junk Foods that are OK to eat

This caught my eye on Twitter, and I had to check out the list of Junk Food at MensFitness.com. Wow! A Twinkie is a better choice than a doughnut or cake.

Did you discover any cool finds this week?

Yummy Pancakes

I am the worst pancake maker. They always turn out thin and rubbery, so I can’t wait to try out a new pancake recipe as well as a few others from DelightfulRepast.com

Boost Energy

21 ways to boost your energy has some great tips on how to get your energy back. I’m going to try the peanut butter banana smoothie when I start to dose off this afternoon!

Eco-friendly replacement for cotton balls

Tired of going through cotton balls like crazy? With two teens in the house, we use a lot! Check out eco-friendly face cleaning with facial scrubbies which you can wash and reuse. Fantastic idea! I ordered some to try out.

Social media fun and my favorite blog

Addicted to Farmville? Spend too much time on Twitter? Social media addicts will love Blogsession. This is currently my favorite blog to read because the author is creatively hysterical. Even her “follow me” description on the right of the blog makes me laugh.

What’s your name again?

I can never remember people’s names. I think I am the worst. Tips for Remembering Names had some great advice I will attempt to use.

Toy Story 3, a Life Lesson

I am a huge Don Miller fan and highly recommend his book “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years”. It is about how you can change what you are doing to live a better story, and it’s one of my all time favorites. He has a wonderful article, Toy Story 3: What We Can Learn From a Great Story, on his website in a three part series. I find his insight on life inspiring and interesting.

Find anything interesting this week that you would like to share?

A collection of cool stuff I found this week:

Environmentally conscious toothbrush

Radius Toothbrush makes an environmentally conscious toothbrush. You can replace the tops of the brush! I discovered this thanks to Random Recycling.

How to make a grocery bag holder

My sister knitted a grocery bag holder for me that I love. I was wondering how you could make one without having to knit (since I don’t). I found easy instructions on how to sew one from a blog full of make-it yourself ideas. Go to MakeIt LoveIt for the instructions. OK, I don’t really sew well either, but I’m willing to try.

Recipe Sources

I am always on the hunt for some new recipes as I just get tired of the same old thing. I discovered some wonderful recipes on the following sites:

• Chocolate chip cookies made using a cake mix at Heavenly Mommy
• Brandie Castle Cooking
• Mommie Cooks

Print some new recipes and place them in your Custom Cookbook.

Other cool stuff

McDonalds is offering free small Mochas on Mondays, and that is one of my favorites! Guess where I will be Monday? I think it is nationwide and it ends August 3rd. Thanks to The Organizing Genie for the tip. Check out her organization site.

Flying cars are coming soon! WOW! Check it out. It is the car we have been waiting for since we watched the Jetsons as kids. Of course, the price tag is a bit steep.

Did you find any cool stuff this week?

What’s for dinner tonight?

Credit for these quick and easy dinners goes to my good friend Melissa, a busy mom of 5 kids who also owns a photography business. She certainly knows how to serve up a delicious dinner in a matter of minutes. Check out her gorgeous photography at: www.contemporarycaptures.com/blog

Stuffed Pasta Shells with Sauce

• 1 box frozen stuffed large shell pasta
• 1 large jar prepared spaghetti sauce (26 oz)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Lay the frozen pasta shells in a casserole pan, pour sauce over them, and top with cheese.
Note: if you like spinach, you can add a layer before adding the sauce.

Cover with foil.

Bake at 350^o for 45min-1 hour until the shells are warm.

Serve with a salad and bread.

Chicken and Yellow Rice

• boneless chicken breasts
• olive oil
• garlic salt
• Vigo yellow rice packet
• peas

Drizzle chicken with olive oil and sprinkle on some garlic salt.

Bake at 350^o for 45min-1 hour until done.

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces.

Cook the yellow rice according to directions. For better flavor, substitute part or all of the liquid required with the the chicken stock from the baked chicken.

Mix the rice, chicken and a can of peas (warmed and drained) for a complete meal.

Pepper Steak

Melissa said this recipe is a family favorite. It was a huge hit at my house, too. Confession: I craved this steak for several days after eating it...it was so good. I may have dreamed about it.

• favorite steak sliced into thin pieces – flank steak works well
• 3-4 green peppers, sliced
• garlic salt
• 1 or 2 gravy packets

(Note: I left out the gravy to save calories and it was still wonderful)


• white or brown rice

Cook the rice according to the instructions.

Mix the gravy packet, according to the instructions, and heat in a small pan until boiling.

In a frying pan, cook the steak in a pan with garlic salt and a pad or two of butter until browned. Let the pieces drain on a paper towel.

Toss the green pepper slices in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the steak back to the pan and pour in the gravy. Mix well.

Serve over rice with a salad.

Mini Hamburgers with Gravy

• ground sirloin, about 1/4 lb per person
• 1 packet of gravy
• egg noodles or rice

Form the meat into small patties, add in seasoning to taste.
Make the gravy in a small sauce pan according to the directions.
Cook the mini patties in a skillet until done.
Add the gravy and serve over rice or egg noodles.

Spaghetti Casserole

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 small onion
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 can cream of chicken or mushroom soup
• 1 lb. spaghetti noodles, cooked and drained

Brown meat and onion with any seasonings you prefer.

Mix together the spaghetti sauce, 1 1/2 cups of cheese, cooked noodles, and soup and stir well.

Add mixture to a casserole dish and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.

Bake 20-30 minutes in a 350^o oven until heated.

What is your family’s favorite quick and easy meal?

It’s 6:00 pm and you, tired and hungry, are just walking in the door. Whether you have had a stressful day at the office, just finished a chaotic taxi shift to various activities with the kids, or simply forgot to defrost the meat for dinner, you want something easy and fast.

The kids are revolting and dramatically threatening to pass out if they don’t get food “right now”.

Easy dinners to the rescue

The exhausted chef hands the kids some yogurt to hold them off (and get them out of the kitchen) while coming to the rescue with a delicious meal created in under fifteen minutes.

Avoid breaking down and running to the nearest fast food by keeping the ingredients for quick meals on hand.

Here are a few of my family’s favorites.

Meatball Subs

• 1 package of frozen meatballs (small bag…or get a large and use half)
• 1 jar of Marinara sauce
• 1 small package of mozzarella cheese
• 4-6 Hoagie rolls from the grocery store deli

1. Defrost the meatballs in the microwave for a few minutes if you didn’t thaw them in the refrigerator during the day.
2. Place the meatballs and marinara sauce in a skillet and warm them up for 10-15 minutes on low.
3. Spoon warm meatballs and sauce into hoagie rolls and top with mozzarella cheese.

Add a side salad and some fruit for a complete meal in minutes.

Vegetable Tostadas

• 1 can of petite diced tomatoes, drained well
• 1 can of yellow corn, drained.
• 1 small can of sliced black olives, drained.
• Basil – 1 tsp dried or 1 Tbsp fresh
• Feta cheese (optional)
• Cream cheese or can of refried beans – your choice
• Package of tostadas

1. In a bowl, mix the tomatoes, corn, olives, basil and cheese.
2. Spread cream cheese or refried beans on the tostada.
3. Top with the vegetable mixture.

It is that simple. This is one of my favorite summer meals. You could play with the ingredients and create variations with other vegetables.

Chicken Salad

• 1 can of chicken (or leftover chicken from last night’s meal)
• 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 3 Tbsp Sweet pickle relish
• celery, two stalks, chopped
• bread

1. Mix the chicken, a small amount of mayo, pickle relish, some juice from the pickle relish (to keep the mayo amount to a minimum), and celery. Stir well.
2. If too dry, add more pickle relish juice.
3. Toast some bread and make sandwiches.

Add a salad and a fruit and you have a light, fast dinner.

Looking for more recipes – help!

Can you ever have enough quick dinner recipes? No way!

I am looking for more last-minute dinner ideas. I am creating a “Quick Meal” recipe book for the website, so you can print the meals you choose and add them to your own Try-It Cookbook. Add a new category for “quick meals”.

Have any family favorite last-minute meals to share?

I need more recipes! Leave them in a comment or email them to me at info@simplehomeorganization.com. Don’t forget to let me know how you want to be credited for your contribution such as “Julie B.” or “Fabulous Mom in Texas”.

What do you do with the stack of recipes you want to try?

You know…that pile of paper you ripped out of magazines, printed from online, or a friend emailed you. Mine were just stuck in a file and forgotten about until I found a great solution.

Easily organize them into your own custom cookbook

You will need:

• one 1.5″ 3-ring binder (wide)
• a set of tabs (wide)
• some clear sheet protectors

Label your tabs in the categories you like (Main Dishes, Sides, Desserts, Breads…etc). Now slip your recipes into the sheet protectors and place them behind the category they fit in. Don’t forget you can use the front and back (two recipes per page if they are only a page long).

Now you have your own “Try-It” Cookbook that is ready to be used. You can add and take out recipes at anytime, so it is a constantly evolving cookbook. If your family gives the thumbs down on one, just toss it.

I like to add a note at the top of the recipe if there is something I would do differently next time or a star if we really liked it. You could even add a tab for “Family Favorites” and move the recipe into this category if it is a “hit”.

I use a “Special Occasions” tab for fun, crafty cooking ideas, for example, how to make snowmen out of marshmallows and candies, the awesome Jell-O Pudding Halloween haunted graveyard instructions, cake decorating ideas, etc.

Now those recipes you want to try are organized and easily accessible the next time you plan your meals. I have been using mine a lot since I put it together, and my family is thrilled to have new meals to try out.