First Freezer Cooking Day of 2013!

Happy New Year! Better late than never ;-)


Last week I had the JOY of taking a week off from my crazy job and actually got to plan some things that I WANTED to do instead of HAVE to do. It was nice. And time flew. But before it was over I got to spend a whole day cooking! I was in heaven! I haven't planned a day of freezer cooking since the beginning of last year and I desperately needed to due to being tired when getting home from work most nights. And nothing better than finding and trying recipes that have so far turned out to be awesome and also the ones that I chose were great to cook in the same day due to ingredients, which made the day flow very well.

Here are the links to the recipes that I made and the number of meals that each turned out for my family of 2:

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/05/turkey-burgers-with-zucchini.html (2 dinners with dh eating 2 burgers each night, and me having 1- well I ate one the first night and took my other one for lunch the next day. Recipe says it makes ~5 burgers and I got 6. Yay!)
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/02/spinach-lasagna-rolls.html (1 dinner for 4 adults, plus 2 extra since I got 10 out of the recipe. Would have been 2 dinners + a lunch if it was just us.)
http://www.amandathevirtuouswife.com/2012/02/orange-chicken-freezer-meal.html (I had a big thing of chicken so I doubled the recipe equaling 2 full dinners and 2 extra packets of just sauce.)
http://www.amandathevirtuouswife.com/2012/05/cajun-red-beans-and-rice-tutorial.html (~3+ dinners w/leftovers.)
http://www.amandathevirtuouswife.com/2012/02/stuffed-bell-peppers-freezer-meal.html (2 dinners, 2 lunches...Also, I subsituted turkey burger - bought large container of burger and used other half for turkey patties above.)
http://www.amandathevirtuouswife.com/2012/10/chicken-quesadillas-tutorial-freezer.html (1 dinner w/dh having 4, me 2, and then 1 for a couple of lunches....Also, I subsituted shredded pork which was still awesome.)

And I was going to make up "Beef Roast Packets" (put a roast with cut up veggies so all I have to do is put the "packet" in the crock-pot and turn it on!), but I ran out of time.

So I ended up getting over 12 dinners and several lunches.

Here is what I did, from the best of my memory:

1. Night before, soaked beans for the Cajun Red Beans crock-pot meal so I could get it on first thing in the morning. After I poured everything in the pot and cut up the sausage. Done! That was our dinner at the end of my day of cooking :-)

2. Get noodles for Spinach Lasagna Rolls boiling. (When done boiling I laid them out on paper towels to dry.)

3. Get pork for the quesadillas in the oven right after step 2.

4. Get red onion diced up for recipes. (I used red onion wherever onion was called for and just guessed on amounts since I cut up a very large one.) And to save time with mincing garlic, I just used jarred garlic from the store!

5. Assemble Spinach Lasagna Rolls, wrap and freeze. Done!

6. Get sauce made up for the Orange Chicken. (One can of orange concentrate makes 4 packets of sauce.)

7. Shred pork and make up mixture for quesadillas, put in fridge until later.

8. Finish up Orange Chicken by cutting chicken into pieces with scissors, assemble bags. Done!

9. Assemble and put quesadillas in oven. Get peppers prepared so I could cook meat and mixture for stuffed peppers (used same pan as quesadilla mixture).

10. Quesadillas were done and cooling while I cooked, assembled, and wrapped the Stuffed Bell Peppers. Done!

11. Wrapped quesadillas. Done!

12. I ended up making the Turkey Burgers w/Zucchini the next morning and finished cleaning up the kitchen. It wasn't too messy though because I was able to reuse pans and cookie sheets.

 

Let me know if you have any freezer cooking recipes and/or tips! Or questions!

Redeeming Love Christmas Collection {a review}

 

“Hope Begins Here”…

How simple, but yet powerful is that phrase?! Hope truly begins with the birth of Jesus Christ in a stable. His first night was spent in a manger. The definition from Merriam-Webster Dictionary says that it is “a trough or open box in a stable designed to hold feed or fodder for livestock”. To think that God humbled Himself to come to earth in the form of a human being and spend his first night in a trough that is meant to hold feed for livestock is very humbling to me. To know that He has gone before me and planned all my tomorrows is a very comforting and hopeful thought!

The message that this vintage-style wreath displays, reminds us why and shows those who enter our home (or come to our door if you choose to display it there) why we celebrate throughout the Christmas season.

 

The Advent tabletop devotional was another daily reminder throughout the holiday season that brought me back to the heart of the season, as well as God’s heart for us, every day I flipped a page. The calendar is a little large for the amount of writing on each page, but it is a very pretty and “Christmassy” piece to have in your home at this time of year.

I enjoyed adding these items to my decor this Christmas and want to thank DaySpring for providing me with the free product. All opinions expressed are my  own. You can find more information on other items in the Redeeming Love collection by clicking here.

A Book Review: “Love in Disguise” by Carol Cox

 

From the publisher’s website:

Can she solve the crime before they uncover her true identity?

Jobless and down to her last dime, Ellie Moore hears about a position with the Pinkerton Detective Agency and believes it's the perfect chance to put her acting skills and costumes to use. Reluctantly, the agency agrees to give her one assignment, one chance to prove herself. Disguised as Lavinia Stewart, a middle-aged widow, Ellie travels to Arizona to begin her investigation. When the need arises, she also transforms into the dazzling Jessie Monroe, whose vivacious personality encourages people to talk.

Mine owner Steven Pierce is going to lose his business if he can't figure out who's stealing his silver shipments. In his wildest dreams, he never expected to receive help from a gray-haired widow... or to fall in love with her beautiful niece.

Then the thieves come after Lavinia and Jessie. Ellie isn't safe no matter which character she plays! Should she give up and reveal her true identity? What will Steven do when he realizes the woman he's falling in love with doesn't really exist?

Set in 1880s Arizona, Love in Disguise blends romance, humor, and mystery for a can't-put-down read.

I received this book for free as a part of the Bethany House Book Review club. Unfortunately, I am a little on the slow side as a reader and this was a 348 page read! Add in an unexpected move at the end of this summer, I just finished reading this a few weeks ago :-)

I figured it would be easiest to give you 5 things I thought about this book and let you decide if it sounds like something you would pick up and read yourself:

1.     I thought that this Historical Fiction book got off to a bit of a slow start and didn’t really get exciting until around halfway through when Ellie’s first clues start rolling in.

2.     I thought that as a book touted as a Christian Historical Fiction piece, it could have dropped the Christian label as the story was not built around God and the Church. Although there were references and woven in, as Ellie is trying to find her true identity in the Wild West be it through her career or God, it was not the main theme in my opinion and it seemed a bit cheesy at times.

3.     I liked the romance that developed between Steven and Ellie, and would have liked to have seen more story involving it. If you are looking for a Historical Romance book, this is not it. I think a sequel to this book would be fun to read to see how Ellie’s life unfolds after this big win for her, and a new romance developing.

4.     The story got a bit confusing at times with a lot of names being given. If you do read this, take notes so you can refer to it throughout ;-)

5.     It took me a long time to get through in part because I am a slow reader, but also because it was not a book that I just couldn’t put down.

Conclusion, “Love in Disguise” is a nice read, but I would probably only give it a 3/5 star rating.

Sunday Scripture {simplify}

(photo I took in my parent's backyard, 1/10)
 

" 'Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. ' ”

Matthew 11:28-30

Exercise Your Freedom to Vote!

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction."

~ Ronald Reagan

Sunday Scripture {sufficient grace}

 

"Each time he said, 'My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.' So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me."

2 Corinthians 12:9

 

(Another photo taken in Northern Michigan on a Fall camping trip with my husband - I have lots!)

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Linking up with Diedra's Sunday Community today:



Sunday Scripture {our defender}

 

(Another photo taken in Northern Michigan on a Fall camping trip with my husband.)

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Linking up with Diedra's Sunday Community today: