Make-ahead-meals

I think I just successfully completed what I am calling a Make-ahead-meal day. Over the last few months, I have found myself on more than one occasion, forgetting about dinner until about 4pm and then I am scrambling to either thaw meat or poultry I had broken up after a trip to the bulk food store, or rummaging through the pantry. After my husband Steve came home with a 3 pound box of macaroni style noodles and said, "these were on sale" and I decided to cook the whole box and once and make macaroni and cheese for the freezer, it dawned on me that this may not be a bad idea for other dishes as well.

Of course, timing is everything and I haven't had much... but this past weekend I decided enough was enough. I was going to find what store had the best deals for the week and I was going to create a menu for the freezer based on those items.
There were two things that really made this Make-ahead-meal day possible.

1. Steve was home for Presidents' Day
2. There were some great deals at one of our local supermarkets this week

I made a list of the things I already had in the house (onions, cheese, tuna, spices) and what dishes I wanted to make based on what was on sale. When I flipped through the flyer I saw that block cheese, pasta, ground beef (something we don't get often) and whole chickens were on sale.

These are the dishes I decided to make

Mac n Cheese
Tuna Casserole
Chicken Casserole
Tex-mex tamale
Garlic Bread Sloppy Joes
Meatloaf
Tater Tot Hot Dish
Enchiladas

The three casseroles (including the mac n cheese) were pretty easy to put together. While the pasta was boiling, I shredded cheese for each ( i used different kinds since i bought 3 kinds at the store) and put the other ingredients in the stoneware I was freezing them in. Mixed them all together and let them cool before covering and freezing.

The dishes involving the ground beef I think I made more complicated than they needed to be. I bought the meat in the family packs and since the packages total were not quite double or triple to what I needed, I separated it into two different pans to brown. While the meat was cooking, I put together my meatloaf and then tended to the other things that needed chopping; onions, peppers, jalapenos. I carefully separated each into bowls for each recipe (again, I think I thought too much)

All in all, I think it took longer than it should have, but was well worth the time. I stretched $104 in groceries into nine dishes (we roasted two chickens the day before) with ingredients left for on the fly meals. Each dish will get us a dinner and at least 2 left-over lunches.

I am so thrilled to have been able to stretch my usual grocery budget into meals that will last us weeks.

A recipe to savor and share. . . Apple Butter

Over the last 3 years, my husband Stephen and I have been making apple butter. I absolutely love going apple picking in the fall and find the flavors of apple butter to be fantastic year round.
So we drive out to my favorite apple picking place in New Jersey (no matter where I live, I will always go there!) and load up on our favorite varieties. Steve has always loved tart apples, while I prefer sweet. We usually come home with between 40 and 50 pounds of apples in the following varieties. Braeburn, Golden Delicious, Fuji and Stayman Winesap.

Bringing home all of these apples the first season sent me searching for a wonderful apple butter recipe.
Every recipe I have found for pie and apple butter calls for using tart apples. Being a fan of the sweeter varieties, I use my favorites instead. The flavor is just as delicious and in pies Gala apples stand up really well, especially if they are fresh! I had hoped that mixing in a few sweet apples would make this apple butter unique and with all the requests I have gotten for it over the last few years, I think we have a winner.

I have altered this recipe many, many times to get it just perfect!

I hope you enjoy it.

Homemade Apple Butter

6 lbs. Apples (I use a mix of Stayman Winesap, Fuji and Braeburn)
2 qt  water or apple juice
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoonful cinnamon
1/2 teaspoonful ground cloves

Tools needed

Large pot
Food processor or food mill
Long handled spoon for stirring
Mason jars (if canning)

Core and quarter the apples (skin on or off, it's your choice) Once the apples have been quartered, cut the quarters in half. This allows for them to fit better into the pot, cook more evenly and fit better into the food processor.
Combine the apples and water(or juice) in a large pot. Cook apples until tender, stirring occasionally. Put everything through the food processor or food mill until smooth (basically applesauce at this point)

Transfer contents back into your pot and cook until the fruit is thick enough to round up in a spoon, anywhere from 5 to 8 hours. This part is all about personal preference. Some like their apple butter really thick, while others like it more like a flavored applesauce.

Add sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Continue cooking slowly until mixture thickens back up, about an hour.

If you are canning the Apple Butter, pour into hot sterilized jars to within 1/4 inch from the top of the jar. Adjust lids.
Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Makes approximately 6 pints of Apple Butter

Just another Thursday...

I've been reading in books and seen comments online about mom's who have discovered how much better their day goes when they can get up before their kids do and enjoy some "mommy" time.
Seemed like such a great idea! Simple too, right?
So, feeling motivated and determined...I set my alarm for an hour and a half before my kids usually get up. I thought it was a safe enough buffer so I could enjoy my shower and maybe even a cup of coffee before the mayhem began.
That was a week ago... the first morning of my new "me" time, Connor, my oldest woke up five minutes after my alarm went off so no mommy time. Every day last week, both the boys were up early and by the end of the day, I was too exhausted to think about getting up early considering I was now, having trouble falling asleep.
Today was an especially exhausting day. Why I am not entirely sure, but I am looking forward to having my husband's help this weekend so I may find the umph to fall asleep and finally begin my days a little early.