A Bushel of Apples Makes A Whole Lot of Applesauce {Recipe}

October 21, 2011 By 13 Comments

A few weekends ago, we wrapped Samuel up in his Sleepy Wrap and took a family trip up to our local fruit and berry patch. We’ve frequented their farm several times this year, and each time, we’ve had a blast.

This time we took advantage of their abundance of apples and pumpkins. You saw what we did with one of our pumpkins, right?

We purchased a bushel of apples – nice, big, juicy ones.

One of the main reasons I wanted apples was so I could make applesauce. However, I did not have time to go through the whole canning process. Plus, I had a little “helper.”

Therefore, I decided to make raw applesauce and freeze it. We prefer the taste and texture of raw applesauce anyways. It is super simple to make!

First, wash your apples.

Then, core them.

Throw the apple slices (with the peels) into your blender – we love and use our Blendtec Blender.

Add raisins (organic, no sugar added), cinnamon (to taste), a little nutmeg, and a little water.

Pulse it a few times. Voila! You have raw applesauce.

Pour the sauce into some canning jars, or baby food jars, and stick them in your freezer.

I think I canned more than 20 pints of applesauce. Samuel should be set on snacks in the coming months.

 

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What about you? Do you have any recipes that use applesauce as a sweetner?

 

This post contains my referral link. Please see my disclosure policy here.

Filed Under: Freezer Cooking, In The Kitchen, Recipes

Food for Thought Fridays: Freezer Meals That Aren’t Gross

June 10, 2011 By 8 Comments

Welcome to Food for Thought Fridays! Here at Intentional By Grace we are all about healthy eating! Join me each Friday to learn about common (and sometimes uncommon) foods we eat and how they affect our bodies along with any other cooking tips that I might have.

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I had a reader comment on my Menu & Freezer Cooking Plan for this week the following:

So, are these recipe’s you have used before or just trying? I tried the freezer thing twice and the recipes were nasty. So I would love to give it a try again, but I want to make sure the food is going to be good. Otherwise it’s such a waste of time and money.

Thanks, Jerilyn! These were such wonderful questions. To be true, questions that I had when I began freezer cooking.

I have posted before about how I do freezer cooking. Here is an excerpt of what I wrote:

First, I sat down and made a list of all the meals we enjoy, as well as what meals I thought would freeze well. Once I had that list, I made a list of all the ingredients in a spreadsheet and totaled what I needed of each item. Then, I went shopping. In addition, I planned how much time I had the following week to devote to freezer cooking. I planned which days I would do what meal. Just thinking through and planning out the time really helped me in the long run. Continue reading here ->

Today, I don’t want to re-invent the wheel, but I do want to expand a little on what I wrote previously. I thought it might be helpful to post a list of freezer meals that I have tried and my family has loved. This way you won’t be shooting in the wind if you ever give freezer cooking a try. :)

10 Meals that Freeze Well & My Family Loves

  1. Parmesan Crusted Tilapia
  2. Sweet Aromatic Chicken
  3. Best Hamburgers for the Grill – You can do these however you prepare your hamburgers.
  4. Mark’s Homemade Chili
  5. Meatloaf
  6. Chicken Mirabella
  7. Chicken Divan
  8. Lasagna
  9. Waffles
  10. Chimichangas

In addition to these, other items that freeze well:

  • Soups
  • Muffins
  • Pancakes
  • Chicken Broth/Stock
  • Berries bought in season & other fruit
  • Diced onions, peppers
  • Pepperonis
  • Vegetables

This should get you started. Check out my recipes page for more ideas.

 

What are some meals that you have found to freeze well? Have you ever tried once a month cooking?

Filed Under: Freezer Cooking, In The Kitchen

Menu Plan: Getting Back on Track with a Freezer Cooking Marathon

June 5, 2011 By 9 Comments

Last week you may have noticed that I didn’t post our menu plan for the week. That was because I didn’t make one. Oh, how I missed having a plan. There were many days my brain was fried, and trying to remember to lay something out for dinner, not to mention, figure out what to do with it just didn’t happen. Mark ended up bringing home carry-out a couple of times last week. Boo!

The value of making a menu plan for the week is truly priceless. By being intentional to plan my meals, it saves me so much energy in the long run, and it assures that my family is eating healthy, wholesome meals.

Lesson learned. Here is our plan for this week!

Typical Breakfasts –

Typical Lunches

  • Cold cut sandwiches on Sourdough Bread
  • Salads usually topped with some sort of nut/seed (walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds) & fruit (apples, raisins, cranberries, strawberries)
  • Almond Butter & Jelly sandwich
  • Pasta or Rice Salad

Typical Snacks:

  • Nuts
  • Fruit
  • Raw veggies
  • Hard boiled egg
  • Avocado
  • Granola

Dinner this week:

  • Monday: Italian Chicken & Tomato Pasta Toss, Fresh Green Salad
  • Tuesday: Black Bean Burgers, Chips & Salsa
  • Wednesday: Tacos, guacamole & chips, rice
  • Thursday: Meeting, carry-out
  • Friday: Veal w/ Spanish Rice, steamed greens
  • Saturday: Chicken Rotel w/ Fresh Green Salad
  • Sunday: Breakfast for Dinner

In addition to our regular menu plan, I have plans for a Freezer Cooking Marathon this week. I have not done this yet with a baby, but I am convinced that Freezer Cooking is a must for us. There are days when I’m just too exhausted to cook, and I have wished for my stash of freezer meals that I had when Samuel was first born.

Here is what I plan to make:

Whew I’m exhausted just looking at this list! I’m going to spend Sunday afternoon making all the seasoning and sauces since that should be fairly easy. I will work in spurts and eventually get it all done. I’ll keep you posted throughout the week with my progress!

 

This post is linked to Organizing Junkie’s Menu Plan Monday. Check out her sight for hundreds more menu plans!

Filed Under: Freezer Cooking, In The Kitchen, Weekly Menu Plan

Food for Thought Fridays – 5 Reasons Why Oats Should Be a Part of Your Weekly Menu Plan

June 3, 2011 By 1 Comment

Welcome to Food for Thought Fridays! Here at Intentional By Grace we are all about healthy eating! Join me each Friday to learn about common (and sometimes uncommon) foods we eat and how they affect our bodies.

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There is nothing like a good, warm, hearty bowl of oatmeal in the morning. Second only to quinoa, oatmeal makes a regular appearance on our weekly breakfast menu.To be sure, I am not referring to the oatmeal found in boxes. I am talking about real oats without added salt, sugar, and other nonsense. ;)

5 reasons why oats should be included regularly in our weekly menu plans:


  1. Helps lower our risk of cardiovascular disease by moving cholesterol out of the digestive track.
  2. Reduces risk of Type 2 diabetes by helping to stabilize blood sugar.
  3. Aids in weight management by helping you stay full longer.
  4. Helps increase milk supply in nursing mothers. There is no scientific research supporting this, but it has been said to help some women.
  5. Tolerated by most people with gluten sensitivities due to its low gluten make up.


To understand the amazing health benefits of oats, we must understand fiber.

Fiber is essential for our health and well-being, and it is the fiber in oats that make it so nutritious.

In and of itself, fiber is not a nutrient, but it is found in vitamin and mineral rich foods. Fiber cannot be digested. Therefore, it’s sole purpose is to help carry wastes out of our bodies.

There are two types of fiber – soluble and insoluble, and we need both kinds to receive the health benefits that are raved about in mainstream health. The store bought cereals should not be your source for fiber. Just saying.

Soluble fiber

  1. Slows down the time it takes to empty food from the stomach, which makes you feel fuller longer. This fact is what makes oatmeal a good food for weight management.
  2. Breaks down as it passes through the digestive track, binding fatty acids and slowing down the rate of sugar absorption in the body. This helps to keep cholesterol levels down. Lowering our cholesterol is one of the reasons we suspect that it may help increase nursing mother’s milk supply.

Insoluble fiber

  1. Makes stools heavier, which helps with diarrhea, etc.
  2. Speeds the process of moving waste through our intestines and colon, which helps with constipation, etc.

In addition to fiber, oats are an excellent source of manganese. They also contain seven B vitamins, vitamin E, and nine minerals, including iron and calcium.


What ways are there to eat oats?

  • Oatmeal – This is the most popular way to prepare oats.
  • Granola – This can be partnered with milk (raw milk preferably), yogurt, or kefir. It can also be eaten by itself as a quick, on the run snack.
  • Cookies – Oats are a great addition to any kind of cookie recipe.
  • Filler – You can add oats to just about anything to make it more filling. I use it in place of bread crumbs or crackers in some recipes. Do you remember Smoothies in a Bowl from our weekly menu plan?
  • Oat milk – Great alternative to cow’s milk, especially if you aren’t drinking raw milk.
  • Oat flour – Great for baking, and since it is low in gluten a good alternative to whole wheat flour.


How We Eat Our Oats:

Basic Soaked Breakfast Oatmeal Recipe

The night before: In a quart size mason jar, mix the the following:

  • 1.5 cup of uncooked rolled oats (not the quick or instant oats)
  • Cover the oats with water, about 1.5 cups
  • 1 Tablespoon of acid medium (i.e., Kefir, Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, lemon juice, whey, etc.) We use Kefir for our oat soaking
  • Add any nuts or seeds that you will be adding to your oatmeal (i.e., almonds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, etc.)

Cover the jar with a lid and give it a good shake. Let the jar sit on the counter overnight.

The next day:

  • Bring to boil water (about 3/4 cup).
  • Once the water is rolling, add your jar of ingredients, PLUS raw milk/Kefir. Here’s where it is tricky for me to tell you what I do because I “eyeball it.” Once you have your jar poured in, add raw milk so it looks good and runny. It will cook down and the oats will soak the water and milk up. So you don’t want to add too much or you’ll be cooking all morning, and you’ll lose a lot of the nutrients in the cooking process. My rule of thumb is to usually give it a good hard splash of milk and maybe a soft splash or so more of Kefir.
  • Add any additional ingredients that need to cook in with the oats (i.e., chopped apples, raisins, shredded coconut, peaches, etc.). We love apples & raisins!
  • If all of this is boiling, then it’s time to turn down the heat.
  • Simmer for about 5 minutes or so. It depends on how runny or how thick you like your oats. Just make sure you keep stirring frequently so the oats don’t stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.

To serve: Spoon your oatmeal into bowls and add butter, honey, and fresh raw milk. Top with chia seeds and you have yourself a good, hearty, another “hold you over ’til lunchtime” kind of meal.

Muffins are another good way to incorporate oats.

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffins Recipe

In a medium size bowl, mix the following dry ingredients:

  • 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup sucanat
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup walnuts

In another medium size bowl, mix the following wet ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup raw milk
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil (melted if solid)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup mashed bananas

Combine the two bowls of ingredients together and mix until well incorporated. Line your muffin pans with liners. Fill each cup 1/2 to 1/3 of the way full. Sprinkle tops with a little cinnamon (optional). Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Eat while they are piping hot!

If you happen to have any leftover, these are great for the freezer. Just let them cool completely. Then, put them in a freezer bag and throw in the freezer. They keep in the freezer for a long time.


Some other good ways to prepare oats:

 
And that friends, is oats and probably more than you ever wanted to know!


Now it’s your turn! What ways do you enjoy incorporating oats into your diet?


Resources:
WHFoods on Oats
Oatmeal for increasing milk supply
Fibre-rich diet proves good for heart
Oatmeal: Everything You Want to Know About Oats
“Becoming Fiber Wise: A Look At Our Digestive System” by Paul Scavone

 

 

Filed Under: Freezer Cooking, Health & Nutrition, In The Kitchen, Recipes

Strawberry Picking Season – We Have Strawberries Coming Out of Our Ears

June 2, 2011 By 4 Comments

On Memorial Day, we made a trip with a couple of our friends to our local berry farm to do some strawberry picking. I have been begging to go pick strawberries for three years now, and finally, we made it happen. For once, May didn’t come and go without us having a moment to breathe.

Speaking of breathing, it has been so hot around here. Maybe next year we’ll do one better and not just remember the picking season, but get it on the front end when it’s not so hot. Shew! Either way, I’m glad we went!

Samuel could have cared less. To tell you the truth, I was a little surprised. I thought he would be fascinated with the red and green contrast, but alas, he was not. He looked at the berry and looked at me and just burst into tears. Ok, maybe there weren’t tears that quickly, but we hadn’t been there five minutes when he was done with the whole strawberry picking thing. He didn’t care that his mama was trying to create family memories.

Nevertheless, we had so much fun. We picked over 15 pounds of strawberries! I never would have guessed that I would nurse a baby while picking strawberries, but I did. Go ahead, be impressed. I know I was. For my conservative friends, yes I wore my cover. ;)

Once we got home, I began to dream of all the delicious things I could do with 15 plus pounds of strawberries. I put out a tweet @n10tionalgrace (follow me!), to see if I could get some suggestions for my plethora of fruit. Twitter did not fail me. Neither did Facebook for that matter!

I have more strawberry recipes than I know what to do with. We might have to go pick more strawberries. Or maybe not. I’ll just save some of the goodies for next year.

But for now, do you want to know what I’ve decided to do with my bounty?

Glad you asked.

First things first, we made chocolate covered strawberries. Why not, right?

Once we indulged ourselves, we began the long process of hulling. While hulling the fruit, I wondered to myself if it was possible to use this part of the strawberry. You know when you cut the tops off, that extra sweet part of the fruit usually gets thrown away. What a waste! This made me sad.

So I Swagbucked it (similar to Google, but you can earn points for simply using their search engine), and I discovered that the hulls can be thrown into our morning smoothies. So we washed and froze all the hulls! No wastes in this house!

Following the removal of the stems, we washed about 6 or 7 pounds worth to use for strawberry jam. I used Passionate Homemaking’s Raw Strawberry Jam recipe as my guide.

These are the ingredients that I used:

Mashed strawberries (I added 3 Kiwi that I had on hand that were about to go bad to my second batch)
Sugar – The first batch I made with Organic Cane Sugar. The second I made with sucanat (natural sweetener).
Lime juice concentrate
Pomona’s Universal Pectin
Calcium Water

That’s all! It was so easy, and truth be told, there is no excuse for me to ever buy store-bought jam.

Making strawberry jam was far too easy and way cheaper!

I had half a mason jar of mashed berries left over after making jam so I’m using it this week in our breakfast smoothies. I might even use it as sauce or in a dressing or maybe Popsicles or frozen ice. We’ll see!

The rest of the strawberries I flash froze and bagged for later use.

We had so much fun creating memories as a family. Even Mark enjoyed the whole process. Not that I was surprised. I love that he loves just being with me, even if that means cleaning up my messes in the kitchen so I would always have a clean surface to work on. He’s truly the man of my dreams. And strawberries are the berries of choice for us. At least for now …

 

What about you? Have you been strawberry picking this year? What is your favorite strawberry recipe? Share your thoughts in the comments!

 

This post contains my referral links. Please see my disclosure policy here.

Filed Under: Freezer Cooking, In The Kitchen, Making Memories, Motherhood & Family Living, Recipes

Freezer Cooking: How I Do It

January 10, 2011 By 1 Comment

After posting about my freezer cooking marathon, I got quite a few questions regarding how I do it, and how I know what to freeze.

I was really shocked how many people asked me about what I did. I was telling Mark that I thought I was the only one in the world who didn’t know how or what to freeze. Apparently, I was very wrong, and that made me very happy.

In hopes to help those who had questions, I’ll tell you what I know, which really isn’t much.

I’m still very new to this freezer cooking world. I’ve been reading a lot about other women around blogosphere doing it, but only recently made the transition to trying it out myself. I’ve always found freezer cooking to be a little scary.

  • What if we don’t like the meal after it’s been frozen?
  • What if I cook with something that shouldn’t be frozen?
  • How do I store all the food I’m freezing?
  • Is my freezer big enough for it to be worth it?

Lots and lots of questions. However, finally I decided that I was never going to learn the answers to those questions unless I at least tried.

My first real experience with freezer cooking was with the group of ladies from church. It was a great learning experience for me. I got to see what they froze, how they packaged the food, and what types of food worked for freezing. This time I took what I learned  and applied it to my own freezer cooking.

First, I sat down and made a list of all the meals we enjoy, as well as what meals I thought would freeze well. Once I had that list, I made a list of all the ingredients in a spreadsheet and totaled what I needed of each item. Then, I went shopping. In addition, I planned how much time I had the following week to devote to freezer cooking. I planned which days I would do what meal. Just thinking through and planning out the time really helped me in the long run. When the day came for me to begin cooking, all I had to do was carry out my plan that I had worked on for only a few hours a couple of days before.

It really was that simple.

Some tips that I found helpful:

  • Choose meals that are relatively easy to put together.
  • Check your pantry for what you already have on hand.
  • Don’t confine yourself to a recipe. Get creative.
  • Small chunks of time that I spent working very quickly worked best for me.
  • Take everything out of the freezer when arranging and put everything back in. You will be more likely to utilize the space you have better.
  • Put some music or a sermon in your ears for while you work. Mark downloaded some sermons on work that kept me motivated for the task at hand.
  • Don’t think thoughts like, “I can’t do this.” It really gets you no where.
  • Do what you can and be ok with what you accomplish. Just one meal in your freezer is better than nothing at all.
  • Be realistic with your time.

Another suggestion for freezer cooking that I’ve done when I’m in busy seasons is plan to double meals throughout the week. There have been many times that I’ve done this, and over time I’ve filled my freezer full of yummy meals without taking a lot of extra work to do it. It might take an extra 5-10 minutes to do this. You’ve already got all the ingredients out. Your kitchen is already a mess. Why not make the meal twice and freeze one.

Finally, don’t let me be your model. Talk with your husband or roommates, and consider what is realistic for your family and home. Just because I’m making and freezing 17 meals doesn’t mean that if you don’t do that then your freezer cooking day was a failure. There will be seasons when freezer cooking is not possible for your family, and you just need to make a list of 30 minute meals to make on the fly. I remember the days of working full time and rushing home to get dinner started and on the table with only 15-30 minutes to do so. There was never a spare moment to do a freezer cooking marathon. Each family is different. Each family is in a season unique to only them. Do what works for you, and steer clear of comparison. :)

Great resources:

Hope this was helpful!

Filed Under: Freezer Cooking, In The Kitchen, Kitchen Tips

Freezer Cooking Re-Cap

January 9, 2011 By 1 Comment

During my first trimester with my son, I joined up with some women from church and did a meal swap. It was such a blessing to us! It got us through the first weeks of pregnancy beautifully. They recently did it again, but I was unable to participate this round.

However, I did not want to miss out on the mega blessing it was so I decided to do one on my own. It wasn’t nearly as bad as I had anticipated. It was actually quite enjoyable. I have zero pictures to show for my hard work … what did we buy a brand new amazing camera for anyway? However, I guess you really don’t need pictures for proof. Just trust me when I say that nothing else is going in my freezer – except for my 4 peppers that I will finish up after this post is complete. At least I hope I can make them fit.

The grand total of meals in my freezer/fridge:

  • 8 Hamburger Patties = 4 meals
  • 3 Meatloaves – decided against the mini version and just made 3 regular
  • 2 Chicken Divans
  • 8 Chimichangas = 4 meals
  • 2 Chicken N Spinach Bakes
  • 4 Stuffed Peppers = 2 meals
  • 2 cans of Chicken Broth
  • 5 meals of shredded chicken
  • 4 dinners worth of sliced carrots (for steaming)
  • 1 dinner salad
  • 4 lunch salads
  • fresh sliced carrots and celery
  • Tomato Basil dipping sauce for veggies
  • Cooked Bacon for week’s worth of meals
  • Sliced Tomatoes
  • Shredded Lettuce for Sandwiches

That’s a total of 17 meals in the freezer and a lot of dinner/lunch prep work done. My total time spent was about 6-8 hours, maybe. I really cannot remember. I just worked steadily throughout the day. I still took care of house work like cleaning downstairs and running errands for a few hours. I would say on average I spent about 3 hours a day in the kitchen. Give or take a few.

If I were doing JUST meals for the freezer, I would say I spent about 4 hours total on that portion of it. The lunch/dinner prep work took the other half of my time. Shredding 5 lbs of carrots takes A LOT of time. Ha! So does washing and shredding lettuce. But doing these things in bulk saves me from doing it at dinner time rush! And I did it in the morning/early afternoon when I feel my best. Not at the end of the day when I’m already pulling heavily from the tub of God’s never ending grace.

Come back tomorrow, and I’ll try to give more details on how I did this. I’ve had A LOT of questions about this. I’m really surprised. I thought I was the last to know this stuff, but apparently I was wrong. I’m grateful too. I like knowing I’m in the same boat with people. :) Ladies, we are not alone!!

Filed Under: Freezer Cooking, In The Kitchen, Kitchen Tips