OAMC aka Once a Month Cooking (freezer food)

A few weeks ago (spring break time?) I had the brilliant idea to stock my freezer. I thought with baby on the way it would be a good idea to have some food stored away. I worked for several mornings putting away some homemade freezer food. Seriously-home cooked will always kick Stoffers behind. No matter how good their French bread pizza. :) I looked for some good recipes. I gathered most of mine from family members and from my favorite...Southern Living. After a quick Google search I quickly discovered that this is a popular topic. A lot of people are into what is called "once a month cooking or OAMC. I am not the only one who wants to have dinners ready and on hand. I found some great links from a blog "Money Saving Mom" Where she had a post (posts?) on this very topic! So check the links out and also enjoy some recipes from my lovely family members!

Aunt Beth's Spaghetti Pie

Ingredients:

6oz Spaghetti
2 Tb. butter or margarine
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
2 well-beaten eggs
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 8 oz. can tomatoes
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 cup ricotta or cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated mozzarella

Cook spaghetti, stir in butter and Parmesan cheese. Let it cool for a few minutes before stirring in the eggs. Put spaghetti into pie plate making it the "crust". Cook ground beef, onion and peppers. Stir in tomatoes, paste, sugar, oregano and garlic salt. Spread ricotta cheese over the spaghetti and fill with the sauce. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, sprinkle top with mozzarella cheese and bake for 5 more minutes.

Notes: Pie can be frozen. (Bake longer, make sure middle is hot)

The ground beef can be left out for a vegetarian dish.

You could also use your own sauce recipe instead of the one in the dish.

Mom's Manicotti

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

4 cups tomato juice

1 6oz. can tomato paste

2 teaspoons oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon pepper

16 oz. mozzarella

15 oz. ricotta

10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

2 eggs

1/2 cup Parmesan

Manicotti shells

Brown meat with onion and garlic. Pour off fat. Stir in two cups tomato juice, tomato paste, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer. To prepare filling combine: 8 oz. mozzarella, ricotta, spinach, eggs and parmesan. Mix well. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stuff uncooked manicotti shells, arrange in 9x13 pan. Spoon meat sauce evenly over shells. Pour remaining tomato juice evenly on top. Cover with foil. Bake 1 hour (maybe even longer, especially if frozen). Remove from oven and top with remaining mozzarella. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Susan's Chocolate Cool Bars

(Try these--so good!)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups chocolate waffer crumbs (I use Oreos)

1/4 cup melted butter or magarine

2 packages (4 oz. each) Baker's German Sweet Chocolate

1/3 cup milk

1 package (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened

13 oz. cool whip

Combine crumbs and butter. Put in bottom of 9x13 or 9 inch square pan.

Can save part of Baker's chocolate to shave on top. In saucepan melt chocolate in milk. Whisk in cream cheese until melted. Cool 5 minutes. Fold in 3 1/2 cups of Cool Whip. Put over crumbs. Put remaining Cool Whip on top and grated chocolate on top. Freeze until firm--about 2 hours.

* I would love it if you would post your favorite freezer meal! *

Skippyjon Jones

My sister Emily introduced me to the cutest children's book called "Skippyjon Jones". It is about a young little Siamese kitten who has such large ears he often likes to imagine that he is a Chihuahua. Well, we are now the proud owners of several from the series including "Lost in Spice" which has a play along CD. Lil loves that CD and listens to it every morning as I get ready for work. Awesome.

Thank you blogging friends!

Well I am 35 weeks and 2 days preggers. So needless to say I am huge waddling around on my oh so swollen feet. I have been completely uninspired to do much for my poor family--especially cook dinner. After a day with my middle school students my feet turn into those of Shrek. When I get home I just want to cool them off and get them up. Thankfully I have some friends who have put a breath of life into my no cooking status--my family thanks you too! Julie Emery recommended this recipe via facebook one day. Even my picky Lillie cleaned her plate! So it is a keeper. Next up...dessert! Janet Metzger does a great segment in her blog-"Friday is Pieday"! Her photos and recipes are simply amazing! We sampled this treat tonight. Jake said "it doesn't matter what it looks like-I am sure it tastes great!" Me..."It is rustic!!"

Earth Week

While looking for activites that Lillie and I could do together for Earth Day I came across the most intriguing kind of art and I thought I would share. It is called "Reverse Graffiti" I just love the idea of it...art made by taking away the dirt of the city. I think graffiti has a certain beauty with the bold colors and design against the netural colors of the concrete. This type of graffiti is hard to argue since nothing is being deystroyed or defaced. I wonder what Keith Haring would think of this idea.

Spring Break...gone in a blink!

The Goose and I did absolutely nothing over spring break. It was everything I thought it could be and so much more (office space-heh heh). We did have a few play dates and trips to the park and we got to hit story time at the local library. So nice! Some friends are starting to raise free range chickens and they had over 300 arrive-so we had to take a trip to see the chicks. It was a nice week--I could use another! ha ha. A few pics. to enjoy and soon I will post all the results from my mornings of freezer cooking.

Congrats to all etsy artists on the FP!

This is exciting for me and only the second time it has happened...a treasury I curated has gone to the highly coveted Front Page of Etsy. I hope it brought these lovely artists many sales! xo!

For the birds...

I am afraid to jinx this beautiful weather but I will go for it...I think spring has arrived. At least I am desperately hoping it has--winter, I would like to send you packing. But winter I remember you are strong and mighty and I don't doubt you and your ability to come back in a snap. I just wouldn't like to see it until December. In the meantime---here are a few pictures of a homemade suet that Lil and I made for the birds during 2010 snowmaggedon. To quote Lillie "It was a BIIIIIGG project". Grapefruit shells, seeds, nuts, raisins, and leftover grease from the freezer. I wondered about the whole the thing but the birds were very appreciative and it was an afternoon of entertainment.