Fabulous Freezer Meals

Moving the blog

2010-02-19T21:42:00.001-08:00

This weekend, my husband has been helping me re-do my website: www.freezerdinner.com. He really is a genius when it comes to website work. I'm so lucky to have him.

I will be transferring the posts from this blog over to the new website and by next week this blog will simply re-direct to the www.freezerdinner.com page. You can subscribe there to a mailing list to receive updates when I post new recipes.

I will be looking over the final proof of the book this weekend and I've already posted the new book cover on my website. Books should be available for a pre-order on amazon.com as early as next week!

Thank you for your emails.

2010-02-10T20:54:00.000-08:00

Thank you for your sweet emails Amy and Jenny. I am sharing them so anyone out there who is still considering trying out these recipes will trust that they are delicious and will try them out. Freezing meals has helped me so much in our home and I know that having a daily family meal strengthens families. I hope we can all continue to make a daily family meal happen in our homes.
Happy cooking everyone.

Email sent tonight from Amy: Jenn, I know I have already told you that I love the recipes in this book, but I have to tell you again how wonderful and time saving they are. I wasn't using your book for a while and I have now gotten back to a planning a menu and making time to cook and freeze some extra food. My family loves your recipes and they look forward to what new meal we will be having....so we eat together more often.

I would like to pass this on to the sister's in our R.S. here in San Bernardino. I know a few of the sisters that I have shared your cook book with are interested in trying it out themselves.

Thank you for sharing your gift with so many!
-Amy

Email sent yesterday from Jen:

Hi,
I received your book on Monday and have been loving it. Thank you for sending it quickly! Tanner plays basketball on the high school team and Andrew on the Jr. High team. We have games every night this week, we love to support our kids in all their activities; this means a lot of bleacher sitting and usually eating out at greesy fast food (Yuck) Your cooking ideas have been so great for our family! It has been so wonderful to have great meals ready or nearly ready. I made more Honey bread (it turned out perfect again!), your chili and corn bread casserole, cooked two different kinds of pork roast for BBQ and Sweet Pork, browned 6 pounds of ground beef making 1/2 into taco meat ( I loved how juicy the meat was with the water added, what a great idea!) made the orange chicken which everyone loved and tried the sweet beans and rice! Yum, seriously, I just wonder why I have never cooked this way? I made brown rice because I love the nutritional value and never feel like I have time to make it on a normal busy night. Anyway, just wanted you to know how delighted I am with your book. I also have many friends and family members who are looking forward to you new book being published.
Happy Cooking,
Jen

Creamy Chicken Alfredo

2010-02-09T09:42:00.000-08:00

Creamy Chicken Alfredo is another one of our family favorites. In fact, it is my husbands all time favorite. Also, it is a crockpot meal and a freezer meal. Double time saver! This was a breakthrough in recipes for me because I use to buy this pasta and sauce mix from Costco for the convenience. It probably costs $12 per bag and serves 8. After a number of experiments, I figured out how they make this meal. Now this meal costs less then $6 for 8 servings.

Creamy Chicken Alfredo

Yield: 8 servings

2 packages Italian dressing mix*

1½ cups water

2 cans (14 ounces each) cream of chicken soup

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese

2 to 3 tablespoons garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 package (12 ounces) penne or spiral pasta

With a hand mixer, beat together the Italian dressing mix, water, cream of chicken soup, cream cheese, and garlic powder in your crock pot.
Place chicken in the slow cooker and make sure the chicken is covered in the sauce mixture. Cook 3 hours on low. When done, whisk in 1 cup of milk to thin the sauce. Remove the chicken and shred it with two forks. Place the shredded chicken back in the sauce and salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling water for 12 minutes (al dente). Rinse with cold water in a strainer. Freeze pasta flat on a baking sheet for 1 hour. Remove from freezer and place two cups of frozen pasta in each sandwich-size zip-top bag.
When the sauce has cooled, place 2 cups of sauce in separate sandwich-size zip-top bags, label, and stack next to frozen pasta bags in freezer.

To serve: Remove the plastic bags and defrost frozen sauce in microwave for 2 minutes on high. There should be some ice chunks left in the sauce. Heat a skillet on medium-high heat. Drop one bag of frozen pasta and one bag of defrosted sauce into a skillet on the stovetop. Add 4 tablespoons water and cover with a lid. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until sauce is warm and creamy. Serve with crusty garlic bread and a salad. Top with fresh Basil if you have some on hand. Delicious!

*If you don't have a Italian dressing packet mix you can make this one from scratch:

Italian dressing packet mix (1 package): 1 tablespoon parsley, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon garlic (bottled minced is fine or fresh), 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon basil, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

When will more books be available?

2010-02-08T20:50:00.001-08:00

I've received a few emails lately with this question: "Please let me know what stores will have your new book. I have made all the recieps off the web site and I am wanting more."

Books will be in all Deseret Book stores and available on Amazon.com I will let you know what other stores they will be in as soon as I know. My publisher is working furiously to get the books printed and on the shelves by March. I have my doubts though...I'm hoping they will be in stores before the end of March. I've been told cookbooks takes extra time to typeset and print.

I'm so excited to see what the cover will look like and how they will lay the book out. Until then, please try out the recipes on the blog. I will continue to post at least two new ones a week. The recipes I post are my all time favorites. Also, feel free to email questions you have about recipes or stocking your freezer. I love to post them on the blog to help everyone including myself learn more.

I also received this email recently and it made my night. Thank you Jenny. She said:

"I can't tell you how much my family and I have enjoyed your recipes! I have four children, Brandon is getting ready to serve his mission in Ghana in April, Tanner is 16, Andrew in 13 and Candace in 9. Candace is my pickiest eater, but we have all loved the Pot Stickers, Chimi's and the Honey Bread; it was so easy and fast and wonderfully tasty I do want your new book, but will get the Dinners on Ice book now so I can keep my freezer full and my life simplified! "

I can't wait to heat and eat all your yummy recipes!

Thanks again,

Jenny

P.S. I will keep an eye out for your new book, but let me know when you know!

Sirloin Beef Tips with Mushroom Gravy

2010-02-05T21:37:00.000-08:00

My husband was in charge of a community Senior Social for the past few years where we use to live. Lucky for us this dinner was catered every year and our job was to decorate and round up some entertainment to preform during the meal. My dad even played his accordion for us one year (thanks dad.) and the seniors always requested Sirloin beef tips with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, rolls and mint brownies. One year we ended up with a lot of leftovers and that is how this recipe ended up in this book.

Instead of throwing away all the leftovers we bagged them up and let the helpers all take home a bag or two of this delicious beef and gravy to freeze. This meal is so delicious and the meat is so tender even after it has been frozen in your freezer. Also if you are a bit squeamish about mushrooms, let me let you in on a little secret with how to cook them. If you heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large flat skillet, drop your mushrooms on top and do NOT stir them for a very long time, they will brown on one side and end up tasting more like potato chips then soggy gray slugs. I promise. The secret is to not stir them. Let them sit until they reduce in size and you are sure they are browning on the bottom, then flip them to brown the other side.

Sirloin Beef Tips with Mushroom Gravy

Yield: 12 servings

2 (8 oz) packages fresh mushrooms, sliced

4 tablespoons butter

3-pound sirloin tip roast, trimmed of fat and sliced into ½-inch cubes

1 packet onion soup mix

1 can (10 ounces) cream of chicken soup

1 can (15 ounces) low-sodium beef broth (or 1½ cups water with 2 beef bouillon cubes)

Sauté 8 oz of fresh mushrooms at a time in a skillet with 2 tablespoons of hot butter (do not stir; just let mushrooms sit for about 10 minutes, then flip and brown the other side).
Cube your roast, and trim off the fat, place the meat in a slow cooker (use slow-cooker liner for easy cleanup). Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Serve over cooked rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes.
Cool remaining beef tips and gravy and freeze in zip-top bags. Label “Beef Tips and Gravy.”

To serve: Defrost beef tips and gravy in a microwave-safe bowl on high until warm. Serve over mashed potatoes, or with vegetable of choice.

Question: Freezing Corn tortillas

2010-02-05T13:57:00.000-08:00

Question: Hey Jenny - so I can't find my cookbooks yet & I'm trying to freeze some enchiladas. Could you tell me, what is the best way with corn tortillas? Should I cook them first (like I do when I'm just making it for dinner that night) or is it better to just to make it up without cooking the corn tortillas? Thanks!

Answer: With corn tortillas, I would definitely cook them first. The more your dinner can be finished, the better. Corn tortillas also taste terrible when they are not cooked. Also a good rule of thumb is bake your frozen enchiladas at 350 degrees F until they are defrosted (1 1/2 hours). You will have to let me know how it turns out. I haven't tried frozen enchiladas before with corn tortillas. I'm sure it will turn out great, as long as you cook them before hand. Do you have a red enchilada sauce you'd like to share? ;) I have delicious green sauce recipe, but I don't have any good red sauce recipes.

Chimichangas are a family favorite.

2010-01-23T11:41:00.000-08:00

Chimichangas are one of our very favorite freezer meals. They are considered a freezer meal because every thing is stored in the freezer (pre-cooked shredded beef, flour tortillas, shredded cheese) and then you simply defrost, assemble and fry. I like to serve my chimi's on top of a bed of lettuce topped with salsa and sour cream. They are delicious!

To prep for the Chimi's all you need is to buy a 3-4 lb beef or pork roast, (whatever is on sale) trim the fat and place it in your crockpot with 4 cups of water on low overnight. I also like to pour a few tablespoons of soy sauce and red wine vinegar on the meat to tenderize it and add flavor while it cooks. In the morning you simply shred it with two forks. Do not drain the liquid, it will help marinade the meat while it is in the freezer. I also like to add 2 Tablespoons or more of cumin and 2 tablespoons or more of brown sugar, salt and pepper until the meat tastes full of flavor.

Bag up the meat in sandwich sized plastic baggies with a little liquid from the crockpot and freeze flat.

When you decide it is Chimichanga night, pull out one of the baggies of shredded beef, some frozen tortillas (I buy a big bag of 30 flour tortillas and keep it in my freezer), shredded cheese and toothpicks to assemble.

Defrost the meat in the microwave until warm. Place desired amount of meat in each flour tortilla, then sprinkle with cheese. Tuck sides of tortilla in first, then roll up and seal the seam with a toothpick.

Heat 1-2 cups canola or vegetable oil in a hot skillet on medium-high heat. When oil is hot, place 3 or 4 rolled tortillas in hot oil, seam side down. Turn tortillas when golden brown on bottom. Brown the other side of the Chimichangas and then place on a paper towel.

To serve: Pull out toothpicks and place chimichangas on a bed of lettuce and top with salsa and sour cream. Serve warm. Freeze leftover chimichangas. Bake frozen at 425°F for 11 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown and heated through.

Trying to lose weight this year?

2010-01-20T21:31:00.000-08:00

I mentioned in a previous post (New Years Resolutions) that I love the snack ideas the Kristi Approved Live the Life program mentions. I ordered 2 boxes of Carbrite protien bars from www.Allstarhealth.com and I really like them. When ever I get my late night chocolate brownie cravings, or need something on the run, this protien bar does the trick where cookies and chocolate leave me wanting more. These bars are sugar free, but taste yummy and help me stay full for a very long time. I first ordered the S'mores, and they tasted like a chocolate covered marshmallow with a bit of a bitter after taste. They still were better then a Quakers Granola bar that I use to eat on the go. They are just too sweet for me. I ran out of the S'mores bars a week ago and I have really missed them.

My favorites hands down are the chocolate mint brownie and the toated coconut. s I LOVE the toasted coconut bars they remind me of Mounds bars, and have chunks of chocolate in them. They are so good and filling. I also like that there is a flat $5 shipping charge for everything you order. Finally, I am eating what I want (I normally eat pretty healthy, but tonight we ordered Domino's deep dish pizza and I loved every bite.) I am full all the time and the weight is continuing to melt off. I am teaching Zumba twice a week and lifting weights at least one day a week. You can see my previous post "New Years Resolutions" for more great snack ideas or go to Kristi Approved to see how to melt off the unwanted fat. Finally a program that actually works, for life!

My parents are both marathon runners and they run 6-7 miles every morning for over 10 years. They started Live the Life a few months ago and finally the unwanted extra weight is coming off! I believe it is because of the nutrition portion of the Live the Life program is fantastic. Except you have to eat the same thing every day for a week for 18 weeks. That is why I have not joined the program. I love variety in my meal plan. In this program you get a recipe book for 18 weeks worth of meals. My brother-in law has also done the 18 weeks plan and lost 25 lbs and my sister has finally lost her unwanted weight (and she was at the gym for years before starting this program working out for 1-2 hrs daily with no results.) She is now toned and trim as can be. If losing weight and getting toned is your goal, I know this program works, in 18 weeks and it is healthy. No shots, no drugs, just eating right and daily exercise.

Honey Wheat Bread

2010-01-19T20:09:00.000-08:00

I don't know if it is because when I make homemade bread I feel like I am a domestic goddess, or if it is because it saves us an enormous amount of cash each month (bread and cereal were the most expensive part of our food budget. We make a lot of french toast and sandwiches at our house.) but for some time now I have been making homemade honey wheat bread and I keep my freezer stocked with it.

I love knowing what is in my wheat bread. I know there is no high fructose corn syrup or preservatives and whatever else they put in store bought "wheat" bread. Also, my bread is made with freshly ground wheat. I bought a Nutrimill a few years ago and I love it because it is quiet, fast and very compact. Also, freshly ground wheat has much more nutritional value than store-bought flour. A lot of the vitamin content of the whole grain is lost to oxidation in the first 24-48 hours after being ground. Whole wheat flour that is packaged for the grocery store shelves has to have a long shelf-life, so preservatives are added, and also natural oils have to be removed so they don't spoil and turn the flour rancid. Also, white flour has had the wheat germ and bran removed, and has very little nutrition left in it, except for the few vitamins and minerals that are added for "enrichment".

Another reason why I make wheat bread instead of white bread is because freshly ground whole grain flour is good for digestion as well as controlling weight and blood sugar levels and also lowering cholesterol. So given all these wonderful things homemade wheat bread does for you, I wanted to share this recipe.

You are going to LOVE it. This bread comes out just beautiful, and moist.Your house will smell amazing and it is also pretty much fool proof.

The last great part of the this recipe is that it will make 5 loafs of bread, or you can make 4 loaves and roll out the 5th loaf into the shape of a large pizza crust.So you can stock your freezer and make dinner all at the same time. It is wonderful to have a pizza crust in your freezer! I found one in my freezer on Sunday and it was a great combination with a salad and some frozen White Chocolate Macadamia Nut cookie dough. It was a nice quick and easy dinner. I love having food in my freezer. Sunday was kind of a rough day for our family.

To make this bread every few weeks like I do, you will need a Nutrimill (or an electric wheat grinder) and 4 metal bread pans. It may seem expensive at first, but you will save money in the long run by having these items in your home.

Honey Wheat Bread

Yield: 5 loaves or 4 loaves and one pizza

5 cups warm water

1 cup honey

1 cup olive oil (any oil works)

2 tablespoons yeast

¼ cup gluten

1 cup hot water

12 cups whole-wheat flour

6 cups white flour

1½ tablespoons salt

1 cup sunflower seeds (optional)

I start this recipe by pouring 10 cups of red wheat into my Nutrimill wheat grinder.

Heat 5 cups of water in microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour 5 cups warm water, oil, and honey into a large mixer and mix. Add the yeast, gluten, and 1 cup of hot water, then 12 cups of wheat flour. Add 6 cups white flour, then mix for 5 minutes. Add the salt and the sunflower seeds. If the dough sticks to your fingers, add more flour. Depending on the humidity in the air, you may need more flour.

Turn oven on lowest setting (170ºF) . After mixing he dough for 5 minutes, place it on a greased counter and shape it into a big circle. Next, cut the dough into five sections with a knife.

Shape each dough section into a long oval shape and place in greased bread pans. ( I like to make 4 loaves of bread and use the last piece of dough for a pizza. To make the pizza, roll the dough flat, fold over the edges to make the crust and poke all over with a fork. Then let it rise with the bread for 25 minutes. To serve right away, add toppings and bake it at 425ºF for 15 to 18 minutes or until cheese has melted and is golden brown.) To freeze the dough, bake the crust at 500 degrees F for 4 minutes, then when cool, wrap it in layers of plastic wrap and freeze.

Let all the bread dough rise in a warm oven for 25 minutes. Then bake the wheat bread at 350ºF degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Butter the top and then let bread rest for 10 minutes. Remove loaves from pans and cool on a wire rack. Freeze in bread bags or large zip-top bags.

To serve: Defrost bread for 1 minute on high in the microwave, or let the bread defrost on the counter and slice. This bread also makes excellent french toast or a stuffing mix when dried and is delicious when paired with homemade raspberry or apricot freezer jam.

Soup and Cheesy breadsticks

2010-01-12T12:33:00.000-08:00

We have had a lot of company lately and I love it. We recently moved to be in the middle of both families for that reason. We love company. My dream is to open up a bread and breakfast one day. I just love to have people visit and I love to serve them delicious food.

One of the easiest ways to feed all the company for me is have soup and breadsticks.

Check out these babies I made today. I'm so excited about them! They taste just like the breadsticks from the Pizza Factory. The secret is the dill sprinkled on top. You could use your own homemade freezer bread dough or rolls for this recipe. These refrigerated bread sticks are freezable as well, so you can stock up if you prefer them. To defrost, set them in your refrigerator over night or on the counter for an hour or two.

Cheesy Pull-a-Parts

Makes 24 breadsticks

4 tubes (11 ounces each) refrigerated breadsticks (24 breadsticks)

3–4 cups grated mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup garlic salt

1 tablespoon dried dill

2 teaspoons salt

Pizza sauce or ranch dressing (or both)







Preheat oven to 375 Degrees. Unroll the breadstick dough and separate breadsticks leaving pairs of breadsticks together. Spinkle 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese in the center of each pair of breadsticks and sprinkle with garlic salt. For each pair, fold breadsticks together lengthwise and pinch the edges to seal. Twist the stuffed breadsticks 3 times and place 1 inch apart on a ungreased nonstick baking sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and cool for 5 minutes before serving. Brush the tops with olive oil and sprinkle on salt, dill and more garlic powder. Serve with warm pizza sauce or ranch dressing. Pizza sauce: Yield: 1 cup 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce 1 teaspoon garlic 1 tablespoon oregano Stir sauce together with garlic and oregano and warm.

Make this Cheesy Hamburger Soup to go with the bread sticks. This freezes well and has an amazing flavor. I need to make more today to feed a large group of family that is coming to visit tomorrow night.

Cheesy Hamburger Soup

Makes 8 to 10 servings

1 pound browned ground beef (diced ham or shredded chicken)

1 cup onion, diced

1 cup celery, diced

3 cups water

3 cubes beef bouillon

4 cups diced potatoes

2 large carrots, shredded

4 tablespoons butter, melted

¼ cup flour

2 cups shredded cheese (I like the Colby and mozzarella cheese mixed)

1½ cups milk

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

salt and pepper to taste

Sauté the onion and celery with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot until the onions have softened. Add browned ground beef, water, and beef bouillon cubes. Bring water to a boil. Add potatoes and carrots and boil for 10 minutes.

In a small saucepan, stir together butter and flour. Mix until smooth and add milk. Stir until thickened and add 2 cups shredded cheese. Mix together until melted. Pour the cheese mixture into the large pot of boiling water with vegetables. Add basil and parsley, then warm up. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve warm or freeze when the soup has cooled. Pour the soup into double layer zip-top bags, then label and freeze flat.

To serve: simply defrost soup on the microwave on high until it is warmed all the way through.

White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies

2010-01-09T15:58:00.000-08:00

We are going to visit family tomorrow and so my kids and I made cookies today. I've been wanting to make these for a very long time. They are so good. I forgot how good they are. I've eaten 3 now...and I still want more. Maybe we won't be taking them with us, we'll just keep them here to enjoy.

I always double or triple my cookie recipes and then simply roll half of the dough into a log shape in layers of plastic wrap (in a log shape) and place them in a large zip top bag for the freezer. I write the cooking directions right on the zip top bag (350 degrees F, 12 min.) on the bag.

Here's the recipe:

White Chocolate-Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

1 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups oats

1 1/2 cups White Chocolate Chips

4 oz bag macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Mix flour, sugars, salt, and soda. In a separate bowl, cream butter, egg, and vanilla. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, mixing thoroughly. Stir in oats, then the white chocolate chip mixture. (Batter should be stiff.)

Roll extra dough into 1 or 2 log shappes and wrap each in plastic wrap, then place in freezer or bake right away.

To serve: Warm cookie dough in microwave for 10 to 20 seconds or until dough pulls apart. Drop by spoonful on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350ºF for 10 to 12 minutes until cookies are golden brown. Cool for 3 minutes on cookie sheet, then place on a wire rack.

Mmmmm pot stickers.

2010-01-09T12:54:00.000-08:00

Mmmm, pot stickers from the freezer for lunch with steamed veggies. My 6 year-old's favorite meal of all time.
When I was 19 I spent a year in Xi'an, China and while there I learned how to make pot stickers. They are a very traditional food, especially during the Chinese New Year. They say.... the more you eat, the more wealth and health you will have all year long AND they are so easy to put in your freezer. And oh yes, they taste amazing, we always wish we had more. You can put what ever you want in them, make them vegetarian, or add in nuts and berries, etc.. In restaurants in China they wheel out carts with hundreds of different kinds for you to choose from.

Pot Stickers

Makes 10 to 12 appetizer-size servings

2 packages of circle wonton/dumpling wrappers (2-inch circles)

2 cup thinly sliced Napa/bok choy cabbage (diced sweet potato works as well)

1½ pounds ground pork sausage

4 teaspoons minced fresh or bottled ginger

1 green onion, finely chopped

2 teaspoons soy sauce

Dice cabbage into very tiny pieces. Discard the rest of the cabbage or use in a soup. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except wonton wrappers, mixing well with hands.

Lightly flour 2 cookie sheets. Put some water in a small bowl to dip your fingers in. Wet one side of a wonton wrapper and spoon 2 teaspoons filling on the center of the wrapper. Fold in half like a taco and pinch edges closed. If the edges don’t seal, wet them with your fingers and pinch edges until they seal. Continue filling wonton wrappers until sausage mixture is gone.

Place pot stickers on a lightly floured cookie sheet and freeze for 1 to 2 hours. Then put frozen pot stickers into a large zip-top freezer bag. Pull out pot stickers as needed for dinner.

To serve: Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a non-stick skillet, then place frozen wontons in the skillet on high heat. Add 3 tablespoons water and cover with lid to steam the pot stickers. Cook until liquid is gone, about 7 or 8 minutes. When pot stickers turn brown and crispy on one side, flip them over and cook the reverse side until it is brown and crispy. If you flip them too early, they will stick to the pan. Also, only cook them on a non stick skillet.

Serve potstsickers hot with dipping sauce.

*A more healthy way to cook pot stickers is to drop them into a pot of boiling water . When they float to the top, they are done. Serve hot with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 clove garlic, minced

Combine ingredients and place in small bowls for each person to dip pot stickers in. For a spicy sauce, add 1 teaspoon hot sauce or chili pepper flakes.

After making pot stickers today I threw some chopped califlower and carrots in the pot with 2 Tablespoons of water and covered them with a lid for about 8 minutes. They got some of the yummy left over bits on them and I topped them with a little of the dipping sauce. De LISH!

Watch this video to learn how:

Parmesan Crusted Chicken and Rice Bake

2010-01-08T15:00:00.000-08:00

I'm so happy I don't have to make dinner to night! I just pulled out a Parmesan Crusted Chicken and Rice from the freezer and put it in the oven. In 2 hours dinner will be ready. Now, off to the gym to try out the new Turbokick class!

Here you go, you are going to love this one!

Parmesan-crusted Chicken and Broccoli

Yield: two 9 x 13-inch pans (6 to 8 servings each)

2 pounds cooked chicken, chopped

2 pounds broccoli, steamed (frozen usually cost less)

4 cups cooked rice

Sauce

6 cans (10¾ ounces each) cream of chicken soup, divided

1 1/2 cups water

2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream

½ cup milk

1 teaspoon onion powder (or ½ medium onion, diced)

Topping (per pan)

2 packages crushed buttery crackers (such as Ritz)

4 tablespoons butter, melted

4 teaspoons garlic salt

4 teaspoons parsley

¾ cup grated parmesan cheese

Steam broccoli in microwave for 6 minutes. Cube chicken and cook for 6 minutes in microwave on high. In a medium bowl, blend together 2 cans of Cream of Chicken soup and 1 1/2 cups of water. Divide this mixture in the bottom of two foil pans. Spread the cooked rice over the sauce in each 9 x 13-inch pan. In a medium bow, mix together the remaining 4 cans of Cream of Chicken soup, sour cream, milk and onion powder. Top the rice with broccoli, then chicken, and then the sauce.

Mix the topping in a zip-top plastic bag and sprinkle on top of both casseroles. Wrap casseroles in layers of plastic wrap, label (“350ºF for 30 minutes, or 1 hour frozen”), and freeze.

To serve: If casserole is frozen, remove plastic wrap and bake casserole at 350ºF for 1 hour 20 min. Or defrost casserole for 24 hours in refrigerator and then bake at 350ºF for 40 minutes or until warmed all the way through.

Freezer Chicken Pot Pie

2010-01-06T23:48:00.000-08:00

Dinner tonight was a hit! The best part about it is that all I had to do was take it out of the freezer and put it in the oven. I made several Chicken Pot Pie's months ago and I was relieved to find one in our freezer because I have been cleaning the house all day and we had gymnastics from 5-6:30 p.m. I had to get the family fed before we left so the kids would have energy to keep up with there class. Tonight was not a good night for me to be spending any time in the kitchen and so I am grateful for this freezer meal.

This recipe is one of our family favorites and I have a family of VERY picky eaters, so you know it is good when I say they loved it.

Chicken Pot Pie

Yield: 2 pot pies (6 to 8 servings each)

4 cups cubed cooked chicken (or ham or turkey)

4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

2 cups sliced carrots

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup butter or margarine

1 cup flour

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon pepper

3 cups chicken broth

1½ cups milk

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen corn

pastry for two double-crust 9-inch pies, or use biscuit/baking mix to make crust I buy the ready made cursts (2 in a box) for $2.00 from Walmart.

Boil potatoes and carrots in a large stockpot. In another pot, boil cubed chicken for 8 minutes. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer vegetables for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain vegetables and chicken and set aside.

In a large skillet, sauté onion in butter until tender. Stir in the flour, salt, thyme, and pepper until blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the chicken, peas, corn, potatoes, and carrots. Remove from heat.

Crust option 1: Line two 9-inch pie plates with bottom pastry; trim even with edge of plate. Fill pastry shells with chicken mixture. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pies. Cut slits or decorative cutouts in pastry. Place over filling; trim, seal and style the edges. Bake one pot pie at 425ºF for 35 to 40 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

Crust option 2: Mix together 2 cups biscuit/baking mix, 1¼ cups milk, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, ½ teaspoons celery seed. (Mixture will be thin.) Sprinkle over top of chicken pot pie. Bake at 350ºF for 30 to 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cover and freeze remaining pot pie for up to 4 months.

To serve frozen pie: Cover edges of frozen piecrust with foil; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 425ºF for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350ºF and bake for 70 to 80 minutes longer, or until crust is golden brown.

New Years Resolutions

2010-01-05T21:51:00.000-08:00

My New Years Resolutions are:

1. Read at least 3 scriptures a day.
2. Work out at the gym 3 days or more a week.
3. Eat more vegetables.

I am not a dieter at all, in fact, I run from diets. My goal is just to have my hunger be satiated and to enjoy what I eat. I do eat healthy and I'm not a fan of a ton of butter, or food dripping in grease, (unless it is deep dish pizza, or Maddox french fries, yum!)

But I do not like to restrict myself when it comes to food because I LOVE food. I'm always thinking about what to make next so I can eat it. and share it with everyone. Life is too short in my opinion to always be watching what I eat. Counting calories drives me batty!

Instead, my theory is that if I exercise daily (20 minutes weights, at least 30 minutes of cardio) eat healthy (don't use a ton of cheese or butter and eat lots of fruits and veggies) and do overdo it on treats, then I will be happy with my body.

The frustrating part is that every time I get down to my dream weight and body size, I get pregnant again. ;) It is worth it, but keeps me working, that is for sure. Here is a picture of me at my dream weight, just before I found out I was pregnant.

I just had my 4th baby (Sierra Roxy Stanger) so lately I've been extremely hungry and painfully thirsty all the time. I need constant nourishment, but I don't have a lot of time or energy to make 6 or more meals a day.

My sister Dixie has been doing a very popular diet called Kristi Approved and she and her husband have both lost a ton of weight. For the first time I think this diet is good one. It is a life style change and it promotes nutritious eating and exercise. I will not be signing up to do Kristi's diet, because I really hate to be told what to eat or how to work out, but I do like her snack ideas.

My cupboards are now stocked with these items for snacking and I've been very satisfied the past few weeks, whereas before the hunger wouldn't go away.

64 oz of water a day or more
Light Yo-plait yogurt (3 large tubs)
1 (16 oz) container cottage cheese (this is power food when mixed with yogurt.)
5 dozen eggs (to scramble or cook however you like)
String cheese
Jerky
Kashi crackers (these are a lot better for you then regular crackers) I love the cheese crackers, but hate the roasted garlic crackers by Kashi)

Doctors CarbRite Diet bars (sugar free, no hydrogenated oils, no artificial sweetners) I ordered a big box of the S'mores bars...not my favorite because I like texture in my food and it tastes like a marshmallow covered in unsweetened chocolate. They would taste better if you set it on a graham cracker, but I don't buy those because I don't want hydrogenated oils in my body if I can help it. ;) I'm going to try the coconut or cinnamon next. I do like these bars better then granola bars because they are not as sweet and I am full for hours after I have one.

I ordered them from this site: http://www.allstarhealth.com/ They are probably cheaper to buy if you live by a health food store. I paid $28.10 plus $3.50 shipping for 24 bars. Pricey, but I'm not snacking as much on other goodies, bread, or anything else I use to grab from the cupboards.

The final thing I love from Kristi Approved snack ideas is her recommendation for this protein powder. :

CYTOSPORT Complete Whey Protein Cocoa Bean 5 lbs
Quantity = 1 @ $40.95

I have been using a Costco Chocolate protein powder for a quick snack when
I'm hungry and I don't want to make anything for over a year now and it is
just nasty compared  to this Cytosport protein powder.  This Cytosport powder also
mixes a lot better (I have no lumps in my shake now)
With the new Cytosport powder, I mix together two full scoops of powder with 1/2 cup
of ice, 1/2 cup of water and 2/3 cup of 2 % milk all in a Magic bullet mixer and
it tastes like a frosty from Wendy's to me. I am also satisfied for hours
and I don't crave all the goodies I normally do when I am eating more protein
every day.

Anyway, I have been feeling great (satisfied for hours) and am losing the baby weight quickly with these power protein snacks, healthy meals that we make pretty (much anything we eat is in my book) and working out. I teach Zumba twice a week and I've been attending a weight training class, Piyo and a Turbokick once in a while. Hopefully I will be able to get back in my jeans in no time. Please share your nutrition tricks with me if you know of anything else that helps you stay full, is healthy and tastes good.

Veggie Stir-fry

2010-01-05T19:24:00.001-08:00

I want to share this great stir-fry recipe with you for when you want a delicious meal that is fast and very good for you.

Tonight we had a veggie stir-fry.
You can use any vegetables you have in your fridge.

Yield: 4 servings

1/2 head cauliflower chopped (into 1/2 inch pieces)
1/2 bag carrot chips (they are similar to baby carrots, just sliced like waffle chips)
1 potato (sliced into very thin strips (julienne) with my mandolin)
1 cucumber (peeled, sliced in half then quartered)
1/4 cup pineapple tidbits
1/4 cup cashews, roasted and salted

Basically you want to chop all vegetables to be the same size as a pineapple tidbit. I first sliced the potato and soaked it in water for a few minutes to get some of the starch out. If you keep the starch in, they get kind of slimy or gummy.

Then heat 2 T oil in a frying pan over high heat. Add in a teaspoon of chopped garlic to flavor the oil, then drain your potato strips and add them to the hot pan. Stir fry them until they are browned. Add in the vegetables and pineapple to the pan (except for the cucumber) and 2 T water (or pineapple juice) and cover the frying pan for 8 minutes. This will steam all the vegetables.

Mix together this sauce: 3 Tablespoons of light soy sauce, 3 Tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon of water, 1 green onion chopped, 1 teaspoon minced garlic. I like to add in 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar, but the sauce will be delicious without it.

When veggies are crisp and tender, add in the sauce, stir quickly to cover all the veggies. Take a taste and add a little more brown sugar or salt to taste. Serve warm. The potato strips will be soft like thin noodles and the veggies should be just tender, but crisp. Top with cucumbers and cashews. You can serve this on rice, but I didn't want to take the time to make it and I wasn't stocked up in my freezer ( we've had a lot of company for the holidays so my freezer is pretty empty right now.)

Enjoy

Good Things Utah

2010-01-01T14:53:00.001-08:00

For those of you that missed it, this is my most recent video on how to make Freezer Chicken Puffs. These are so delicious and before I figured out how to freeze them we would rarely have them for dinner. Now, they are quick and easy to pull out of the freezer and my family loves them!

My story.

2009-12-23T19:42:00.000-08:00

Well, it is time to tell my story. I am about to go nationwide with my book formerly known as "Dinner on Ice" (in January 2010) with Leatherwood Press (my publisher) and my dreams of being a published author are finally coming true. Let me share with you how I got to where I am now. If I can get published, I truly believe you can too.

7 years ago I started experimenting with freezing meals. This was just before I had my first baby and I wanted to be ready. I was working as an apartment manager while putting my husband through school at BYU and money was tight as well as time. The first freezer meal I made was chicken enchiladas and when it came time to defrost the food and serve it for dinner, it came out just horrible. The cheese sauce separated and it looked and tasted nasty. We ended up throwing it out and I felt just sick for wasting all that food. I didn't cook another freezer meal for 5 years.

5 years later I took a cooking class at Orson Gygi from an incredible Chef named Kathy and while she was teaching us she talked about how organized she was when she had teenagers at home. She had meals for the week all cooked up and in the freezer for each night of the week. (And this was a gourmet Chef, so I'm sure the meals tasted amazing.) Her children were each assigned a day of the week to get dinner on the table using the frozen food.
I didn't think anyone could be that organized, so I took it on as my personal challenge. I still dream of being that incredible mom who has a sparkling clean house with homemade baked goods on the counter and delicious food on the table for my family to enjoy together every night.

After the class, I went to the public library and found a book on how to freeze meals. The book I found taught once a month cooking. I took the book to the grocery store with me and bought everything it said I would need to make 30 meals. Then I started the prep work. Because I have small children, it took me 4-5 days just to get the prep work done. (You have to chop a lot of vegetables and cook a lot of meat to get ready to assemble 30 meals.) Also, I only had one set of pots and pans so every time I used them, I had to wash them. Finally after all the prep work, I assembled the meals and some were good, but others my family did not like (I have a family of very picky eaters.) I ended up eating a lot of the food (and then I became sick of it) that my family would not eat.

I also tried out Dream Dinners (a place that has recipes and food ready for you to assemble) and my family did not like the meal (Orange Cinnamon Chicken) I brought home. Once again, I ended up eating all the food and hating it by the end of the week. Dream Dinners was also quite pricey and I figured out it would cost double the money to use their services as it would be to make the same thing at home. I could better cater to my families tastes if I made my own freezer meals so I started experimenting with my own favorite family recipes.

Soon after I began experimenting, I started noticing I had more time to play with my family and that I spent less time cooking and cleaning in the kitchen. I also noticed an increase in savings in our food budget every month. Some months we had a few extra hundred dollars. We were also eating out less. I was excited to start using the money somewhere else (like to get my hair done or to buy some new clothes, etc..)

After I got better and better at stocking my freezer with the basics for easy meals and came up with better freezer entrees, I decided it was time to start sharing the recipes with others. I began to teach free cooking classes in my neighborhood and then got a job teaching cooking classes at a local entertainment arena called Thanksgiving Point once a month.

Teaching the basics of how to freeze fantastic meals was very popular and I often had full classes. Students started to ask for more and more recipes and one suggested that I make a cookbook. At first I thought the idea was crazy, me write a cookbook? But after teaching for a year or two, I had quite the collection of great recipes and writing down recipes became quite easy. I contacted a few other cookbook authors that were also teaching at Thanksgiving Point and one author (Janet Eyring, Author of 101 things to make in a Slowcooker) told me she got started by publishing her own cookbooks at a local copy center and selling them for $15 a book. After she sold 3000, she took the book to a publisher and they jumped right on it. She went nationwide quickly and sold hundreds of thousands of books.

I started to sell books at my cooking classes and after a year of that, my husband built me a simple website, www.freezerdinner.com, with a paypal button that anyone could purchase a book on. I started to sell a few books a week and shipped them to customers from my local post office. This is the second rendition of the book. My first one looks pretty homemade. I 'll have to scan a copy of the front page and get it on this post.

I tried using Amazon to sell my books, but they took such a huge commission out for selling each book and I had to ship books to them 10 at a time (and some were damaged in the process) it made it so it wasn't worth it. Through paypal, I started to get hits from all over the nation. During my cooking classes I would have a Deseret News photographer show up and write an article about my class, or someone from the Daily Herald would come. Having an article in the newspaper would really boost website hits and book sales. These are some pictures from my class that the Deseret news photographer took.

Also, I noticed while I was working out at the gym that there were t.v. spots for chef's on some local television shows and I thought "I can do that" so I started emailing the local t.v. stations to see if I could make a guest appearance. Studio 5 was the first station to let me make an appearance and the segment went really well. I started selling books via my website to small towns all over the state of Utah; towns I had never heard of before. I also started selling books to Idaho and Wyoming! It was so fun to reach a much larger audience through television. It took me a while, but I was able to win the heart of the production manager for Good Things Utah and land a t.v. spot there as well. When viewer ratings went way up while I was on, I was invited to return again and again. I was also able to do an appearance with Maria Carr on KJZZ "The Home Team" as well as a morning show in Pocatello, Idaho. I've been on 8 or 9 times now. It is finally starting to be not stressful, except I still don't know which camera to look into. It is always an adrenaline rush and I'm grateful for a 6 minute segment every few months.

After selling around 2000 copies I started to send my book to a few publishers and I landed a contract with a national publisher (Gibbs Smith in Layton, Utah)! The plan was to print 10,000 copies and they would take care of everything, the printing, selling and shipping of the book nationwide. In return they would send me a ckeck in the mail every month. Man, was I ecstatic!
Unfortunately 3 months later, when the economy took a dive, Gibbs Smith had to let my book go. I was devastated. It was just awful to have a taste of what it would be like to be published and then have it taken away.

After loosing the contract, I started to submit my book to literary agents all over the nation and not a one was interested in representing me. Most of the agents said it was just too hard to get a publisher for cookbooks. I decided to continue doing things on my own with the book until I could find a publisher by myself. I also decided to redesign the cover to possibly catch the attention of a publisher.

We (I say "we" because I used a great photographer, and a graphic artist) redesigned the cover at the beginning of this year (2009). I had Kenneth Linge take the pictures in his Orem Studio (he did a fantastic job) and Tyson Zimmerman designed the front cover for me. With the help of numerous friends, we decided to rename the book "Dinner on Ice".

I did notice an increase in sales after we redesigned the cover (especially at a local boutique (The Holy Cow boutique) and in the middle of the year, a friend of mine (Lisa Bergantz with SMAART ideas) found an LDS publisher that I hadn't heard of before. I sent a book to Leatherwood Press and a few months later I heard back from them. At long last, they were interested in publishing my book! A few months later we met and set down a timeline to get the book printed and in stores and now we are on the homestretch with getting things wrapped up.

Also, a few months ago, Gibbs Smith, publishing contacted me about a project they were working on and gave me the opportunity to author a BYU Tailgating party cookbook. I am also doing a final edit on this book and it should be out in the Fall of 2010. After I finished the BYU cookbook, they contacted me again to author a U of U cookbook. It has been a BLAST coming up with tailgate party ideas for these two schools. I can't wait to see the final result! They are both cookbooks with 30 recipes and pictures on every other page.

What I've learned from this whole experience is to not give up, because your dreams will never come true if you quit. I'm also very grateful for the opportunities that have been sent my way and for people willing to give me a chance to teach my ideas. Family dinner is very important for me to have in our home because it strengthens family relationships to eat a daily meal together. I hope some of my ideas will help you in your home. Thank you for taking some time to read through my experiences.

Chicken Marengo

2009-12-11T21:34:00.000-08:00

Here is a delicious recipe for anyone looking for some variety in their weekly meal plan. This is our new favorite because the chicken comes out so tender, and the flavors are so delicious, you can't stop eating, even when you are full. This is also a meal that freezes well. It's called Chicken Marengo.

Chicken Marengo

Yield: Serves 8

5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed

1 packet Spaghetti sauce mix (or beef stew mix)

2 T olive oil

1 C dried onions (or 2 med onions diced)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 C water

2 t beef bouillon (or 2 cubes)

1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1/2 lb mushrooms chopped (optional)

1 T margarine

4-5 Cups of cooked rice

Cube and trim the fat off the chicken breasts. In a bowl, stir the packet of Spaghetti sauce mix in with the cubed chicken until all the meat is covered with the dry mix. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add chicken and quickly brown on all sides. Do not overcook chicken, or the meat will be dry. Add onions and garlic stirring constantly. Add the water, beef bullion and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Scoop rice on a serving dish and then remove chicken from heat and place half of the Chicken Marengo on top of the rice. Scoop the other half into a bowl and cool in the fridge. You will bag this up when cool and freeze it for another night. Add mushrooms to skillet with 1 T margarine and cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Do not stir, if you are patient, your mushrooms will come out brown and crisp on the bottom. Flip and brown the other side and then pour the mushroom mixture over chicken and sprinkle with parsley to garnish. When you are ready to bag up the second half of the Chicken Marengo, place it in a large zip top bag and label "Chicken Marengo, warm and serve on rice"

To serve: Defrost Chicken Marengo in refrigerator overnight or in the microwave for 5 minutes or until warmed through. Serve over warmed up cooked rice.

Dinner is in the Freezer coming Jan 2010!

2009-12-09T17:03:00.000-08:00

We are currently sold out of "Dinner on Ice" books and a new book "Dinner is in the Freezer" will be in stores January 2010. This will be an expanded version of Dinner on Ice and Fantastic Freezer Recipes. Watch for details.

"Dinner is in the Freezer" is a collection of over 150 great-tasting, easy-to-make recipes that can be frozen, then reheated and served later. This book teaches how to stock your freezer so you will always have a delicious meal ready to serve. No more weekly meal planning, no more weekly shopping trips and a family that is always well fed. With simple instructions and recipes that use every day ingredietns, this book will help save you time and sanity.

Question and Answer about Fantastic Freezer Recipes

2009-11-12T13:40:00.000-08:00

Question:
Jenny,
I purchase your book "Fantastic Freezer Recipes" at Quilted Bear in Ogden. Is this the same book as "Dinner on Ice"?

I was interested in making the "Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie" recipe on page 54 but the instructions call for Pudding Mix but this is not included in the ingredient list. Would you please clarify this for me?

Thanks

Answer:
Thank you for ordering! Yes "Fantastic Freezer Recipes" is basically the same book as "Dinner on Ice". I simply replaced the cover a few months ago to capture the attention of a publisher (which worked!) and added a few more recipes to it. With the "Big Fat Chewy cookies" I had pudding mix in the origional recipe because it makes most cookies softer and works as a preservative., One day I made the recipe without the pudding mix and didn't notice a difference. I decided to take out the pudding mix because...pudding mix does get pricey and I forgot to take it out of the directions before the books were printed. It has since been corrected. You can use pudding mix, or leave it out. It calls for a 3.4 oz box of pudding mix.

Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Thank you,

Jenny Stanger

Getting ready for the holidays.

2009-10-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

I can't believe the holidays are here! I had a recent question about freezing foods for a holiday party.

Question: HeyI have a question. I am thinking of throwing a Christmas party and I wanted to try to cook some things now like hourdurves and desserts before hand to help with the cost and energy. Do you have some ideas how to do it the best was just like with cookies how to freeze the best way for them to turn out so they don't clump together.

Answer: Good idea to start now with party foods. The trick to not having things clump together is (for cookies, cupcakes, cinnamon rolls) is to freeze them a 1/2 inch apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet for 1 hour. Then you can take them off the cookie sheet and simply drop them all into a zip top bag to serve later at your party. To defrost, just let them sit (separated) on the counter for 15-30 minutes.

Most everything freezes well. Do not freeze frosting though, it will separate.

Question: How about things with cream cheese like a cheese ball?

Answer: Good question.

Yes you can freeze cheeseball, if you do it before you roll it in the nuts.

It will last for one month. Freeze it in a zip top bag with all the air squeezed out. Defrost it in your fridge over night. Roll it in nuts 30 minutes before you serve it ans then let it sit at room temp. until you serve it.

Freezing Cake balls.

2009-05-19T12:32:00.000-07:00

Q. Hey, I'm e-mailing the expert with a freezing question! I'm making cake balls for my sister's wedding reception next week. I'm not sure if you've heard of or made the cake balls yet. They are kind of a big thing around here. It's just a crumbled up cake mixed with frosting and then formed into balls. Then the balls are dipped in melted chocolate and voila, cake balls! One of my friends has made them and frozen them before dipping them into the chocolate and frozen them after dipping them. She says both times as they are thawing they get little condensation droplets and look weird, but still taste fine.

I wondered if you have any tips for how I could freeze these things without them getting the condensation droplets on them. I was hoping to make up all the cake balls and then freeze them this week, and then dip them next week just before the wedding. Any tips would be great if you get a chance. I'm not really sure how I got roped into making these things. If freezing them isn't going to be a good option then I can just make them all next week, I just thought I would see what my options were and if you had any good ideas!

A: Hi Gwen, the problem I see with freezing these is the frosting inside the cake balls. Frosting does not freeze well because it will separate and hold in a lot of moisture. That's why little droplets form on them after they are frozen. My advice is to bake all the cakes up to 2 months ahead of time, crumble them when cooled and freeze in zip top bags. Squeeze all the air out of the bags and stack the zip top bags like bricks in your freezer to make room for all of them.
A few nights before the reception, pull out the frozen crumbled cake bags and let them defrost on your counter with the bags open. This will let some of the moisture escape. Mix in the frosting, and form the balls. Refrigerate them for a day or two so they won't crumble when you dip them, and then dip in melted chocolate when it's reception time. These look so yummy, I can't wait to try them myself!
Another tip for melting your chocolate, I learned that you can put bakers chocolate buttons in a oven safe bowl and set in your oven on the lowest setting (150 degrees) for as long as you want. It will melt and if it hardens up a bit while you are dipping, just stick it back in the oven until chocolate melts. This way you don't have to worry about burning the chocolate in the microwave or using a double boiler. This won't work with regular chocolate chips, just bakers chocolate. Chocolate chips have too much wax in them so they tend to burn.

Response:

Hey Jenny, thanks for your freezing tips. I did a trial run yesterday and made them up today and I think it's going to work PERFECT. So I've been baking cakes all day and I just put the last of 16 cake mixes in the oven and I'm so glad that part is out of the way!

By the way, I figured out a way to make chocolate mint cake balls. I picked up some Andes mint chocolate chips and dipped the chocolate (devils food cake and chocolate frosting) cake balls in the melted andes mints...HEAVEN!!!! I think they are my new favorite cake balls. Thanks for the idea!

-Gwen

Most recent t.v. appearance.

2009-05-06T20:48:00.000-07:00

Hello my fellow foodies and time savers. Click here to view my most recent Good Things Utah guest chef appearance for some great ideas on a variety of meals using meatballs. And they are delicious!! The secret ingredient is Parmigino Reggiano cheese. Mmmmmmm Good.

The New Cover!

2009-02-06T18:07:00.000-08:00

It is finished and the new books are printing now. Taah daaaah! The book is more perfected and there are number of new recipes. I will be doing a guest chef appearance on Good Things Utah on March 26th 10am. Tune in to learn more great time saving tips.

New book cover

2009-01-22T13:12:00.001-08:00

I am looking for a graphic designer. Please let me know if you know anyone that is good. This is the picture I want to use for the new cover of my book. The new title is: Dinner on Ice: Easy family meals to make now and eat later.

Q and A Muffin Tin freezing.

2008-08-15T11:58:00.000-07:00

Question:

I bought your book about 2 months ago. Our afternoons have completely changed because I am not stressed about dinner or ignoring kids while trying to prepare the meal. Thank you for all the great ideas and recipes. I like your metal muffin tin idea on your blog, but I am wondering if it is difficult to get the pureed food out of the metal tin. What is the best way to get the food out of the tin? Thank you,
Meagen

Answer:

I'm so glad the book is working for you Meagen. Thank you for your email, you made my day. The pureed food is easy to get out of the tin if you set it on the counter for 10 minutes at room temperature. As soon as the food defrosts just a little, you can pop the frozen puree right out and place it in a large zip top bag and back in the freezer. I do lot of banana squash puree and then add cinnamon and brown sugar and powdered oatmeal for my baby. I also often make a veggie noodle and beef or chicken soup.(Using veggie noodles called Wacky Mac) It's pretty simple. 5 C water, 2 C chicken stock or broth, 1 pkg curly noodles, 1 C diced veggies, 1 pkg country gravy mix, 1 lb shredded chicken or beef (precooked and frozen). Cook in a large pot and boil for 10 minutes. This is great to freeze in a muffin tin for baby. So healthy and easy to heat up and serve.

Best of luck and keep in touch if you have any more questions.

-Jenny Stanger

Q and A about broccoli.

2008-08-12T11:54:00.000-07:00

Q. I just bought your book and I am so excited to try the receipes. I noticed that you could freeze rice and it tastes good when you microwave it. One of my husbands most favorite meals is brocolli and rice. Is there anyway to freeze broccoli so it keeps in the off season and so he can reheat it in just minutes for lunches. He only has half hour for lunch.

thank you

-Angela

A. I'm so glad you bought the book! Thank you for your business. Prepping Broccoli is similar to pre-cooking the rice. You steam the broccoli for 7 minutes ( I love my microwave steamer which is a plastic bowl with a tight lid on it. There is a small piece of plastic you set inside that seperates the broccoli from the water in the bottom.) Once the broccoli is steamed you can freeze the broccoli in a metal cupcake pan (fill each muffin hole with broccoli) for 1 hour if you would like it in already formed in serving sized portions for his lunch. After it has frozen for an hour or two, place the frozen broccoli shapped cups into a large zip top bag. For his lunches you can pull out one muffin shapped frozen broccoli and heat it in the microwave until warm. Please let me know if you have any more questions. I also use this method to freeze baby food. I puree vegetables or pour soup into my muffin tin to freeze for baby. Also, if you have leftover chicken broth, the muffin tin is a great way to freeze it into 1/2 Cup size portions to use later.

Thanks again and enjoy,

Jenny Stanger

Cafe Rio Copycat Recipe

2008-07-02T12:48:00.000-07:00

Because of the huge response to the post about Cafe Rio recipes, I decided to post the recipes that were sent to me. They are delicious.

Chicken

5 lbs chicken breast- boneless skinless

1 small bottle zesty italitan dressing

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tpsp cumin

3 cloves garlic, minced

Mix all ingredients together in a large crock pot.

Cook on high for 5-7 hours. Remove chicken and shred with fork. Reserve a small amount of juice and pour over shreeded chicken to keep moist. Keep warm.

Pork

1 bottle of honey BBQ sauce

1 Tbsp honey

1 liter of Dr. Pepper or Coke

Place all ingredients in large crockpot and cook on low all night. In the morning take the raost out leaving the juice in the crockpot, shred the roast. Then place the shredded roast back in the crock pot and leave it on low.

Lime Rice

In a sauce pan saute:

2 Tbsp butter

1 yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

In a large pot, bring the following to boil

6 2/3 C water

8tsp chicken bullion

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

2 tsp cumin

2 small cans diced green chilies

2 Tbsp lime juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 Tbsp lime zest (optional)

Add onion and garlic to boiling water. Add 3 cups long grain rice. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. You can freeze a whole lime or just lime peels for future zesting. Just place in a ziptop baggie and freeze.

Fresh Salsa

4 fresh tomatoes, chopped

1 white onion, chopped

1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp lime juice

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Combine ingredients together in a medium bowl.

Cilantro Lime Dressing

1 pkg of Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch Dressing dry mix (There is a subsitution for this you can make from scratch in my book.)

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup mayonnaise

1-2 tomatillos, peel

1 clove garlic minced

1/3 bunch cillantro, chopped

1/2 tsp lime juice

1/2 small jalapeno, seeds removed

Blend ingredients together in a blender. Add additional mayonnaise if dressing is too thin. Keep refrigerated. This sauce will not do well frozen. I will figure out a way to make it possible to freeze because this is my favorite part of them meal. It is the mayonnaise that does not freeze well, so I will try subsituting in plain yougart or sour cream.

Serve in the following order:

Tortillas, Shredded cheese, Chicken or Pork, Black or Pinto Beans, Lime Rice, Red and Green Leaf Lettuce, shredded, Salsa, Guacamole, Fresh Cilantro, Parmesan cheese, Fresh lime slice, Cilantro Lime Dressing, Enjoy!

I'm working on making some homemade granola bars and granola, but when I'm done I will be making this for dinner. Typing up the recipe has made me hungry.

Pizza Dough Recipe

2008-07-02T12:45:00.003-07:00

In my latest printing of the Fantastic Freezer Recipe cookbook, the pizza dough recipe is missing the amount of minutes you need to pre-cook the dough. On page 38, step number 8, precook the pizza dough for 4 minutes at 500 degrees.

2008-06-19T19:02:00.000-07:00

What about chicken?

2008-06-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

Question:
Hello, I just bought your book and have been enjoying stocking my freezer! Do you have any ideas for freezing chicken? In the past I have just seasoned it then froze it, but your marinades are so wonderful that I thought I would see what you do for chicken. Thanks, the book is great!

Summer Carter

Answer:

Thank you for your purchase. I am glad you have been enjoying the recipes.

Basically for all my Chicken recipes except for two, you need cubed chicken. I haven't done this yet, but I think I will next time I go to the grocery store, see if the butcher will cube my chicken breasts for me. I have had them cube a ham before, slice chicken breasts in half, fajita strip a beef roast, it seems like they would cube chicken. They do this all free of charge and it saves me tons of time!

When you get home, place 4 cups of cubed chicken into each zip top bag, after chicken is all bagged pour in a marinade, label and freeze.

I have been using a marinade made from scratch, (the recipe is in the emergency substitutions, let me know if you don't see it.) Any marinade will work (I'm a big fan of Lowry's 30 minute marinades), even Italian salad dressing makes a great marinade.

Another option for chicken would be to after marinating, lay out 10 chicken breasts on foil lined baking sheets. Bake them in the oven at 350 for 25 minutes. Check to make sure meat has been cooked through, cool the meat, cube it and then bag up chicken cubes in zip top bags. The pre-cooked cubed chicken will be a little more dry then raw, marinated frozen chicken cubes.

I just discovered a precooked turkey breast that you can buy at Costco ( found in the Deli section) and it costs around $4.95 a pound. It costs more then chicken breasts, but saves a lot of work and clean up to buy it this way. It tastes like it's been smoked and has some seasoning around the outside of the meat (it is the size of a football). I think I may switch to using the Turkey breast instead of chicken for cubing because it is so much easier. It is precooked, easy to cube and has very little fat.

-Jenny Stanger

Inexpensive Foil Pan Tips

2008-03-30T22:54:00.000-07:00

I have been doing freezer meals for about 4 months now and I am exctied to get new ones to try. I saw in the book that your hubby like Bajio's. I love it but I also like Café' rio and I got the recipe for the pulled pork, lime rice, the dressing and the chicken. I know you can't publish them but I will send them to you if you want them for your own use. --Tamaree Stoddard

Tamaree, thank you so much for sharing a Cafe Rio recipe with me. I'm especially interested in the lime rice! It all sounds so delicious. I've been looking for a yummy green sauce to put on our burritos for a long time but I have been having a hard time remembering to buy it. When I do remember I can't find it at the store. Maybe the dressing will be what I've been searching for. --Jenny Stanger

Jenny, I attached the recipe. Let me know if it worked. Sorry, I don't have the recipe for the green sauce. My friends buy it at Walmart and they get on the isle with the mexican food. I know that they will sell it to you at café' rio. I have bought the little tortilla chips that they put on top of the salad, the tin pans, and the tortillas from them. I like the uncooked tortillas from Sam's or Costco better because they aren't as big and fit in the pan better. Also, did you know that the foil pans I use for my freezer meals I get at Zurchers and they are only 33 cents for the 8 inch. I usually make 2 meals at on one recipe as I don't like a lot of left overs. But they have tons of different sizes there. I get the ones for the salads there also when I do it for a party but last time I got them at Bajio's and they were only 22 cents. If you ever come across the recipe for the Green chili chicken from bajio's please send it to me. That is the one I am dying for. --Tamaree Stoddard

Excellent tip on the 8 inch foil pans. I've sure been looking for a better price then what I've been paying. Thank you so much for your tips. So, Walmart green sauce eh? I'll keep searching for a good recipe, but for now Walmart will have to do. I tried some of the uncooked tortillas from Costco over the weekend at a friends house and I LOVE THEM. At first I thought it was a whole lot more work and more expense, why would anyone by them. But now I know. They are so much better. So you can buy foil pans from Bajios? --Jenny

Here is a recipe for the green chili chutney. http://www.chow.com/recipes/10670

I'm going to try it out and see if it is as good. -Jenny

Oh my heck! I can't wait to try this. I have been looking for this for ever. I hope you like the salad. You could use the dressing that I sent you with it also. Yes you can buy the foil pans at Bajio's and they are a little cheaper but they are the round ones. You can also buy the torilla strips pretty cheap to put on top of your salad. At zurchers they have every size of foil pans and they also have lids if you want them. You just made my day with this recipe. I think I will make it tomorrow. Thanks again! Tamaree

Question about the Chicken Manicotti Recipe

2008-03-30T21:58:00.000-07:00

Q. I have a question on the recipie for the sauce. I don't have a costco card. Can you get the commercial size Spaghetti sauce at Walmart? How many oz is it? Also do I need to line the pan with Aluminum if I use one of the ones you used on the show? Just wondering. Or can I just spray it with nonstick spray? - Lant Family

A. In answer to your questions, you do not need to line aluminum pans with aluminum. Just spray with non-stick cooking spray. If you are using glass or metal baking pans you can line them with aluminum, freeze the food for 1-2 hours, then take out of your pan and wrap in plastic wrap to place back in your freezer. To bake, unwrap and place back in metal or glass baking sheet. I didn't use to have a Costco card and so I would buy 4 large cans (29 oz I believe) of Hunts Spaghetti sauce and 4 large (29 oz) cans of diced tomatoes from the grocery store. The costco cans are 106 oz each. So, it comes out to be about the same. Please let me know if you have any other questions. It helps me know where I need to make edits on my instructions. Thanks Jenny!