Spork and Skewer

I know I promised I would do a post after our cooking day. I know it has been two weeks. I have no excuse. Please forgive me!

I would like to introduce you to some of our Freezie Cooking members.

Amanda

Melissa

Miranda

Me (Katie)

Cheryl was also present, but she left before I pulled out the camera (if only everyone had been so lucky!)

Notice my cute penguin apron. Kim (another one of our cooks), who could not make it, embroidered it. I love it!

Miranda and I started cooking around 8:30 am and the group finished by 3:15. We are getting good.

So far, Miles and I have had the kabobs, which were good, but the only freezer prep needed was cubing and marinating the meat. We also ate some of our chili pepper burgers last night for dinner. These had tons of flavor. The green onions and green chillies made these burgers extra tasty. I will let you know how the rest of the food is as we eat it. I will also try to post some pictures of the prepared food.

I know I owe you recipes. Baby is waking up, so those will have to wait until another day. See you soon!

Next Sunday, the 27th of February, my group of girlfriends (we call ourselves the Freezies) will be getting together for our third session of freezer cooking. Each of us will take home eight entrees and one side. Each dish serves 4-6, and will be packaged to keep in the freezer and pull out to thaw and pop in the the oven or on the stove top when life gets hectic. I will be documenting our day of cooking and publishing recipes next week.

Here is our upcoming menu:

1. Steak Shish Kebabs
2. Chicken Cordon Bleu
3. Sante Fe Meatloaf
4. Cranberry Pork
5. Stuffed Peppers
6. Asian Glazed Chicken
7. Chile Pepper Burgers
8. Taco Pie
9. Hashbrown Potato Casserole (side)

 Wow, life can sure get hectic. As you most of you know, Miles and I are now the proud Mommy and Daddy of our new little girl, Alice Katherine. She was born at the end of December, and I think we are finally settled in. I feel it is time for me to return to my blogging. Since our life is so full of love, it seems very appropriate to post my Valentine meal from earlier this week.

Miles and I had a very low key Valentines Day this year. Since Alice is just seven weeks old, we are home a lot. We also decided it would be a smart idea to conserve funds this year, soooo... needless to say, we stayed home for Heart Day this year. Actually, it was kind of nice. Miles cooked a chicken dinner for me on Saturday, and I cooked these Salmon Love Pockets (yes, I named them) on Monday, which was Valentines Day. They look fancy, taste fantastic, and are baby friendly to prepare because they can be made ahead of time, perhaps while baby is sleeping. Miles cleaned his plate, I bet you and your sweetie will do the same.

 Printable Recipe

Miles started a garden with is students over the summer. It's a fairly large plot of land, and it has flowers and a variety of veggies. There were some some disappointments. For example, rabbits ate the lettuce and the beans never grew. But there were also many successes. We have tomatoes and cucumbers coming out of our ears, the flowers are beautiful, and the kids worked hard and had a lot of fun. The other week Miles brought home two medium eggplants and told me I needed to figure out how we could use them. I thought about it (for quite a while), and I came-up with eggplant parmesan. I first planned to make a layered casserole style, but then I decided I was more in the mood for a sandwich, so here is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy them!

Printable Recipe

It seems that summer is over. The days are getting noticeably shorter, back to school ads have been showing up in the paper for a while now, my summer job has ended, and I have been preparing my classroom for the upcoming school year. No more lazy afternoons for me. Although this is a little difficult to admit, I think I am honestly okay with the transition. It feels good to be out in the world accomplishing something worthwhile once again. Sure, I don't get that afternoon nap, but I think I sleep better at night because of it. And...I really do like fall. The days get a little cooler (which will feel good after this years HOT summer). The leaves are pretty, and of course, I love fall flavors. That's what I was thinking when I found a similar recipe in a past issue of Cooking Light. Roasted chicken is always comforting and delicious, but when you add the sweetness from the pears and shallots with the nutty walnuts, well, you have yourself a delectable seasonal meal.

Printable Recipe 

Do not fear; I have not set down my spork and skewer. Admittedly, I have been a bit sidetracked this summer. We have a lot going on in my family at the moment. Allow me to explain. First, Miles and I are expecting our first baby. Baby Cady should be arriving right around Christmas time. I was feeling tired and vaguely nauseous most of the time, but I am feeling better now. In fact, I feel almost normal. YEAH! Second, my sister's wedding (Amanda and Ted) is creeping up very quickly. The wedding is a mere eight days away! We have been busy planning and organizing details for the big day. And finally, the kink in our lives is that my dad was recently diagnosed with bladder cancer. As soon as the wedding is over, my dad will be beginning treatment. He seems to have a world class doctor and an aggressive treatment plan, so we are all confident that everything will turn-out okay. The endless appointments, tests, and scans have been stressful over the past few weeks, but we are all ready to support and help out any way we can.

Well, on to the recipe. This yeast free sticky roll is based on a Lunds and Byerly's recipe. And trust me, if you need to de-stress or cheer up a bit, these cinnamon rolls are guaranteed to point you in the right direction.

Whenever my husband and I go out for Thai, we always begin our meal with an order of spring rolls. Over the past eight years, I have learned to love this fresh little appetizer. If you haven't had them before, a spring roll is like an herbed salad encased in a rice noodle wrap. We usually dip them in a sweet and sour peanut sauce.

I needed a project on Friday after work, so I stopped at the store, bought up the best looking fresh veggies, and went to work as soon as I got home. Miles was doubtful that I could pull them off, but he changed his tune when he took his first bite. These rolls have it all. They are pretty on the plate, tasty in your mouth, and healthy for you. Not to mention versatile. Fill them with any veggie you have in fridge, in your garden, or just happen to love.           
                                                                                                                              
Printable Recipe