Freezing meals...!

Well I work full time 40 hours a week and when I come home it feels like all i do is stand in the kitchen and cook as soon as I get home. SO I bought the Taste of Home: Freezer Pleasers. There are some pretty cool recipes in there but I've mostly have been freezing my own recipes. SO far I've frozen Taco mix (hamburger, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes, and rotel.) Mexican Rice (White rice, tomato sauce, onions, and green peppers.) A Marinara Mix (Hamburger, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, Italian spice, garlic powder, fennel, a can of hunts four cheese spaghetti sauce, and half a can of tomato paste.) And Chili for hot dogs (hamburger meat, chili powder, onions, garlic salt, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes.) I have hot dogs and buns in the freezer too. I'm boiling noodles for my marinara mix this weekend. This weekend I'm also going to freeze Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice, Kielbasa Pasta Bake, and Mini Meatloaves. I'll post recipes and pics.

Making meals ahead and freezing them gives you more time to do things before you have to go to bed on week days. The night before you go to sleep lay a frozen meal in the fridge and when you get home after work pop it in the oven until warm. Having the meals already made gives you time to make fresh baked breads to put on the table that you normally wouldn't have time to make. Hope this post gets you into freezing meals, it will save you time and money. What do you do if you don't feel like cooking one night? Call for a grease pizza, or pick up a bucket of grease chicken? Think about it I most definatly have!

Ikea's Sweedish Meatball Delight

Last night we went to Ikea and my sister loves their Swedish meatballs. If you are blessed enough to have an Ikea store near you they have an awesome little deal with purchasing their Swedish Meatball dinner. Here is how it works out.

2 Cream Sauce Packets - $1.81 (You pay .92 for one and .89 for the second)
1 package of the Swedish Meatballs - $5.55
1 package of the Potatoes Au Gratin - $2.69
1 jar of Ligonberry Jam - $2.99

Total: $13.04

You are basically saving $4.37 by buying the package deal. The regular price of the Cream Sauce packets are $1.29 each, Swedish Meatballs is regularly $7.99 and the regular price of the Potatoes Au Gratin is $3.79.

As for this particular Dinner is Served meal I will be adding egg noodles - $1.00 if you buy them at your local Dollar Tree or around $1.49 in a grocery store. So you are still coming out to the good with this dinner. As for preparation, just follow the packages instructions and it will truly come out great. I will add a stock photo here, and tonight I will add my own photo. This is really good and after adding some noodles it will definitely be a pleaser for the entire family.

On a side note I also bought the Almond Cake. I splurged and paid $4.99 for it but I LOVE this cake. My total purchase at the Ikea Food was $18.33 after taxes. Not so bad for a great meal and a great dessert!

Baked Ziti

1/2 pound of Hamburger - $3.49 lbs. (So for this recipe we are using only a half pound at $1.75)
1 can of Spaghetti Sauce - $1.00
1 package of Mozzarella - $1.77
1/2 a box of Penna Pasta - $1.42
1 cup of Ricotta - $1.99
2 tablespoons of Italian Spice - $3.85 for 1.50 oz.
1 tablespoon of Fennel - $3.85 for 1.50 oz.

Total Meal Cost: $17.37**

Boil your noodles and sit aside to cool. Meanwhile brown your hamburger and add the tablespoon of fennel and a pinch of Italian Spice. Allow the fennel to pop you'll smell it. Drain the grease and add the can of spaghetti sauce. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Return to your noodles add the ricotta, a teaspoon of Italian Spice, and 1/2 cup of mozzarella. Put half the noodles in a casserole dish and top with mozzarella, Italian spice, and meat sauce. Put the second layer of noddles and top that with the rest of the meat sauce, mozzarella and Italian spice. Bake uncovered for 30 mins.

**Please keep in mind that with the spices you are getting ingredients you will be using for future Served Dinners! As well as an extra half pound of Hamburger meat you can use later in the week as well.

Naughty Peanut Butter Bon Bons by the Dozen!

- 1 tub of Duncan Hines White Cake Icing - $1.69 (should be around $1.20 or so at Walmart, this was purchased at Harris Teeter)
- 1 jar of Peanut Butter - $2.69

Total: $4.38 - Not bad when you think about buying three candy bars a week out of a snack machine?

I just added spoon fulls of peanut butter until it is firm and hard to stir. You wont use the hole jar, you wont use much at all really, you will still have enough for PB&J for the kids (and yourself!)

Let it sit in the fridge for a bit to thicken and then rolled it all up into little balls, this makes A LOT of bon bons, dozens. Then you can roll chocolate sprinkles onto some and dip others completely in melted chocolate, some you can leave plain. Just freeze the ones you won't eat and pull some out throughout the week, that way you have candy whenever you want (oh and they are OH SO GOOD frozen as well!)

They are pretty awesome and pretty cheap to make too! I will give you a shopping list later on the evening today for a real meal, I want to apologize for not leaving one yesterday I got caught up in my sister's birthday. :)

My Chicken Pot Pie (PHOTOS!)

Here is my Chicken Pot Pie straight from the oven... Let your pie sit for a while when you remove it from the oven. Give the sauce inside time to thicken or it will just be a mess when you
cut it apart.

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie

(I shop at Walmart most of the time!)

1 Package of Original Pie Crust - Walmart Brand - $1.78
1 Package of Deep Dish Pie Crust - Walmart Brand - $1.98
1 Large can of Mixed Veggies - Walmart Brand - .67
1 Large can of Cream of Chicken - Walmart Brand - $1.54
1 Large can of Chicken - Walmart Brand in a can - $1.76

Total Cost: $7.73

Recipe:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all cans in a bowl. Usually in a package of pie crusts there are two. So you are making two Pot Pies. Lay out the two deep dish pies and fill each evenly with the mixture. Take your original pies out and using a knife cut around the side of the pie crust leaving half of the sides. Pop the remaining crust from the tin pan and place each one on top of the filling like a cap. It should fit perfectly on top. Cut a couple holes to vent the steam and Bake on a cookie sheet for 30-40 mins or until the crust is golden brown.

I have made sides with this such as sweet carrots or rice. Rice is always a nice addition to the plate.

*Pictures of my own pies will be posted tomorrow night.