From Freezer to Slow Cooker

Before Bryson was born, I stocked our freezer with easy crock pot meals .  Since he came along, I've found it's so much easier to spend an hour or two in the kitchen on Sunday prepping meals for the week than to cook each night.  I have to clean the kitchen once instead of every night, which leaves a lot more playtime with my little man.

I got this crazy notion to prepare a month's worth of crock pot meals, thanks to my friend, Kim.  Since I don't have the freezer space for that, I cut it in half and did 16 bags that provided supper for Clay and me, as well as lunch for one of us.  It took me 96 minutes to get everything chopped, measured and bagged.  Clean up each night was as simple as packing leftovers and tossing the slow cooker liner!

This round, I made:
- pesto ranch chicken x2
- meatloaf (1/2 ground turkey, 1/2 ground beef) x2
- garlic beef stew
- balsamic roast
- ribs
- sweet Asian meatballs x2
- fajitas x2
- Philly cheesesteak
- beef w/ sugar snap peas
- chicken teriyaki x2
- tex mex chicken

Coming up with the list of things I wanted to make was the hardest part.  I tried to make similar recipes so I could use all of what I bought.  Since I was buying so much in addition to the groceries we needed for the week, I also matched sales and did a lot of ad matching.  What can I say?  I love a couponing high!  I got all of this plus our regular groceries for less than $150!

To start, labels bags with what's in it and the date.  DO NOT skimp on bags.  Great Value and other cheap bags leak and the last thing you want is garlic beef stew frozen to the bottom of your freezer.  I prefer Hefty slide zipper bags.

Start with a staging area.  Get everything you plan to use in one area that's easily accessible.  Open cans and jars.  It makes things so much easier when you can just grab and go.

I used to drag the garbage can beside me and dump everything as I went, but have started using a Rachael Ray trick and keep a garbage bowl handy.  It prevents me from tripping over the trash can.  Now I only have to worry about Bailey being under foot...

Invest in Reynolds slow cooker liners.  They're something like $2.50 and prevent you from having to wash the crock pot with each use.

All of the recipes below are either my own creations or adapted from recipes I've found online.  We prefer to eat as healthy as possible and live on the AdvoCare/Paleo diet, so all of these recipes fall into that category.  When possible, I've included a link to the original recipe.

Pesto Ranch Chicken Source

- 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 

- 1 small jar Classico pesto

- 1 package dry Ranch dressing mix (I use homemade Ranch mix)

- low sodium chicken broth 

- Combine chicken breasts, pesto and Ranch mix in the bag.  Add chicken broth when cooking.  I use roughly half a box of broth- it's never enough to cover the chicken as I don't like the texture too much broth gives chicken, but does give it some flavor and moisture.  Chicken doesn't need to cook long because it dries out. The max I ever leave chicken in the crock pot is 6 hours on low.

Meatloaf

- 1 pound lean ground beef (I use 97/3)

- 1 pound lean ground turkey (I use 97/3 when possible)

- 1 egg

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 small can no salt added tomato sauce

- 1 tablespoon dry Ranch mix

- salt

- pepper

- Mix all ingredients except the tomato sauce and half the mixture.  

- Form the mixture into two loaf shapes.  Top each loaf with tomato sauce and place in individual bags.  

- When cooking, just place in crock pot.  No liquid necessary.  This doesn't take long to cook, but can go all day if necessary.  I did 6 hours on low.

Garlic Beef Stew Source

- 1.5 pounds lean steak, cubed, or stew meat
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3-4 medium carrots, sliced
- 6* cloves of garlic, finely diced
- salt
- pepper
- no salt added tomato paste
- 2-3 cups low sodium chicken broth

- Combine all ingredients in the bag and just toss in the crock pot when you're ready to cook.  No additional steps needed.
- * I never tried this because I had a stomach bug when we cooked it.  Clay wasn't a huge fan of it because it was pretty garlicky.   I think I'll probably reduced it to 3 cloves next time.  I like green beans in my beef stew, so I'll probably add some frozen cut green beans to the bag.
- I used a soup/stew preset on my crock pot, so it cooked for 3 hours on high and 6 on low.

Balsamic Roast Source

- 1.5-2 pound roast 

- 1 large onion, sliced

- 8-ounce can no salt added tomato sauce

- 1/2-cup balsamic vinaigrette (I used Marzetti brand I got on sale)

- extra virgin olive oil

- salt

- pepper

- garlic powder

- Season each side of the roast with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and brown the roast on all sides.
- Allow it to cool, then put in the bag with the remaining ingredients.
- When cooking, just put everything in the crock pot.  No additional steps required.  Cook low and slow- I did 8 hours on low.  

Ribs Source
- rack of ribs (I used baby back, trimmed of all visible fat)
- pepper
- salt
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- cayenne (I didn't add this because Bryson was eating them)
- BBQ sauce for dipping, if desired
- 1/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

- Rub the ribs with the seasonings and place in the bag.
- Pour the broth in the bag before freezing. It will act like a brine and make the ribs more flavorful and tender.
- Cook on low for 8 hours.

Sweet Asian Meatballs Source
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 yellow onion, minced
- 1 large can crushed pineapple, drained
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1 egg
- salt
- pepper

- Combine all the ingredients and form into balls.  I made the meatballs palm-sized, but you can do mini balls or big ones.  Totally your preference, just make sure they're the same size.  Separate the balls into 2 bags.
- Cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4, depending on the size.

Fajitas
- 2 yellow onions
- 4 bell peppers (I used one pack of tricolor and a green)
- small handful of taco seasoning (I make my own from this recipe, minus the salt)
- 4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
- 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth

- Rub the chicken breasts in taco seasoning.  Toss everything except broth in 2 bags, no need to chop the chicken.
- Dump the bag in the slow cooker, then pour in broth.  Cook on low for 6 hours.  As the chicken cooks, it will become very tender and will shred easily.  Shred the chicken using tongs or two forks, then wrap up in a tortilla or put on a salad!

Philly cheesesteak in a bowl Source
- 1.5 lb lean steak, sliced thin (I use eye of round most often)
- 1 green pepper, sliced thin
- 1 yellow onion, sliced thin
- 1 tbsp low sodium worcestshire sauce
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- pinch of black pepper
- pinch of chili powder
- 1 tsp-1 tbsp hot sauce (optional)
- 1/2 cup low sodium beef broth
- 1/2 cup part skim mozzarella shredded cheese (optional)

- Combine all ingredients except broth and cheese in the bag and shake well.  Toss in the crock pot and add chicken broth.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Since the steak is sliced so thin, it doesn't need long, but does get more tender the longer it cooks.  Eye of round is super lean, but can also be chewy, so the extra time in the crock pot really helps the flavor and texture.
- Add cheese on top in the last 30 minutes to give it time to melt.  Dairy isn't allowed on the 24 Day Challenge and some Paleo eaters avoid dairy, so if you follow either of these, leave out this step.
- We've eaten this on a wrap, but it's good all by itself!  No carbs necessary!

Beef with Sugar Snap Peas  Source
- 1.5 - 2 pounds lean steak, sliced very thin (I used sirloin)
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger (or about 2 tsp dry ginger)
- 5 scallions, sliced on the diagonal
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 clove garlic, either finely minced or made into a paste
- 1.5 - 2 cups snow or sugar snap peas (fresh or frozen)

- In large bag, combine in all of the ingredients except the peas.  Toss to coat everything in the sauces.
- Put the snow peas or sugar snap peas in a smaller bag and place it in the big bag.  I used sugar snap because I couldn't find snow peas.  I've since  made it with snow peas and they're both fantastic!
- Cook the ingredients of the large bag on low for 6-7 hours.  Add the sugar snap peas in the last 30-45 minutes.  They'll give the dish a freshness and crisp crunch!

Chicken Teriyaki Source
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp Splenda brown sugar
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup low sodium, low sugar teriyaki sauce or 1 teriyaki chicken seasoning packet
- 2 scallions, sliced on the diagonal
- 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth

- Pour soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, sesame seeds and teriyaki sauce or seasoning in the bag.  Close and shake to mix.  Break up the brown sugar with your fingers if it clumps.
- Add the chicken to the bag, then toss to coat.
- Pour the contents of the bag in the crock pot, then add chicken broth.  Cook on low for 5-6 hours.  In the last hour, add the scallions and stir to make sure they're covered by the liquid.
- If you want to make a sauce, pour the leftover liquid from the crockpot into a pot and get to a rapid boil.  Let it boil for 3-4 minutes, then reduce to a simmer.  It'll take a while to reduce unless you add cornstarch, which of course, I don't do, but it will reduce to a thicker consistency and it's soooo good!

When you've made all of your bags, lie them flat and remove all the air you can.  Place them on the bottom of your freezer, as flat as possible.  When they're frozen through, you can file them like books on a shelf.  Thanks for that tip, Grandmama!  It saves so much space in the freezer!

Tex Mex Chicken
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- no sugar added salsa
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 1 bell pepper, sliced
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
- juice of 2 limes

- Put the chicken in the bag and add all ingredients.
- Cook on low for 5 hours.  I shred the chicken when it's cooked and add to a salad with black beans.

Baby Chicken (or turkey) Nuggets

Our little linebacker began taking interest in our food around 2.5 months and was attempting to steal our forks at 3 months.  We started him on solids at 4 months.  Since he was beginning so early, we decided to feed him purees in lieu of the original plan to practice Baby Led Weaning.

I am a firm believer that good health starts from the beginning.  Growing up, my favorite snacks were carrots with ranch dressing and strawberries.  Today, if you put a crudite tray in front of me, I am still all over it.  Clay and I try to be healthy and really wanted to build a foundation for Bryson that would last a lifetime.  That meant foregoing the convenience of packaged foods and artificial flavors, both in his purees and the adult food he consumed.  Sure, if bacon cheeseburgers and onion rings are your thing, it's easier to give baby a piece of what you're eating, but baby's well-being should trump convenience every time.

I started out making Bryson's purees.  With each new food, he got the jarred stuff once or twice and if he liked it, I made a batch.  I used only organic frozen varieties even though we aren't strict about eating only organic fruits and vegetables.  Frozen vegetables are much more nutritious than canned, or even from the produce section oftentimes, because they're frozen at their peak.

At 6 months, we began to give Bryson chunks of food, starting with things we knew he liked: carrots, pears, etc.  Now that he is almost 8-months-old, he is almost past purees.  At dinnertime, we all sit at the dining table and Bryson gets some of what we're eating.

Since some of our food isn't baby-friendly, I have been experimenting with recipes for Bryson and have stumbled upon a hit!  Not only does he love it, but it's great for him, is easy to make AND can be frozen for future use!

Seriously, iPhone, you couldn't take a better picture??

Ingredients:

- 1 pound ground chicken

- 1 apple 

- 1-2 adult carrot(s)

- 1/2 yellow or white onion

- 1 egg

- 1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

- 1/2 garlic clove

- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

- dried thyme, if desired

- black pepper, if desired

Directions:

- Peel the apple and shred the carrot. Cut into chunks and put in a food processor with the garlic and onion.

- Process the ingredients until they're smooth, but still chunky.  They don't need to be pureed.

- Combine apple, carrot, onion and garlic with ground meat.

- Add in the white of the egg.  Adding the yolk may make it runny.  Add desired spices.

- Mix everything together well.

- Add 1/4-cup of the bread crumbs and mix.

- Add remaining bread crumbs if needed.

- Form into balls, then flatten each ball into a nugget shape.

- Heat a stovetop grill or pan on medium heat.

- Add 1 tbsp olive oil and allow it to heat up.

- Cook the nuggets on each side for roughly 7 minutes.  Don't overcrowd the pan or they take forever.

- Finish in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes if you're unsure if they're done.  Babies CANNOT eat under-cooked meat.

Tips:

- I actually used turkey because our grocery store stinks and didn't have ground chicken. You can use any meat, but I recommend using something with 9% or less fat. I used 97/3 because I prefer extra lean.

- Bryson has never had garlic before, so I only added it to half. If your baby hasn't had or doesn't like onion, garlic or spices, play around with the combination.

-This yields a lot of nuggets, so you can freeze them for later.  I packaged 5-6 nuggets together in plastic wrap, then put all of the packages together in one ZipLoc bag.  Adding the plastic wrap helps prevent freezer burn and makes it easier to get smaller portions out.

The apples and carrot release their juices during the cooking process, so the nuggets are super soft and easy to chew.  When Bryson took his first bite, his eyes got huge and he grabbed for more.  I'd say he's a fan!  I hope your little one loves them too!

Livin' the Paleo Life

Dear loyal readers, I've decided it's time to be honest. I love cheeseburgers. I don't care if it's McDonald's kiddy cheeseburger [as long as I don't remember the "Supersize Me" documentary] or a big, greasy burger from a hole in the wall. I just LOVE cheeseburgers. I could eat cheesecake, chips & dip and chocolate daily without ever growing tired of monotony.

In researching the specifics of and recipes for the Paleo Diet, I have found a lot of healthier versions of my favorite junk foods and so far, don't really miss these things. *gasp* Of course, if I'm honest with myself, today is only the first full day of strict paleo and I'm not in ketosis yet. Typically when I hit ketosis, I salivate over the idea of a Taco Bell Meximelt, which is generally something I have only eaten while inebriated and couldn't find anything else. Considering I don't really drink [since college is over], this craving is totally unfounded... and slightly amusing.

Since eating an unprocessed diet can be time consuming, I took a few hours this weekend and prepared my meals for the week. As usual, my meal plan is below. I wanted to share my OCD preparation to give those of you who are dieting or contemplating dieting some ideas.

I taped my meal plan to a cabinet and went to work chopping and bagging. I began with Sunday's meal and went through Saturday. Since I needed browned turkey/beef for two meals, I browned all of it, let it cool and halved it in 2 small bags. I made a big pot of my marinara and stored it in a container in the fridge for easy access. For each meal, I chopped and/or prepared the meats and veggies and stored them in 1 gallon-size bag and labeled with the day of the week. Sunday-Wednesday meals are in a large Tupperware bowl in the fridge and Thursday-Saturday are in the freezer, to be laid out the day before. I will still have to cook throughout the week, but having the prep work done will cut down on hands-on time.
You'll also notice I chopped a fresh pineapple (yummy) and pulled grapes off the stems. Toss in a separate bag and go!

Now I have to share what I made for supper last night, only because it was surprisingly successful and in a word, AWESOME. I use cauliflower frequently to make what we call "I Can't Believe It's Cauliflower." I guess the rest of the world would call it fautatoes or mashed cauliflower. Essentially, it's steamed cauliflower masquerading as mashed potatoes. What I had never thought of was using it to make a crust... a pizza crust!

When I saw this Date Night Pizza recipe, I just knew the author had to be crazy, but since I know cauliflower is pretty versatile and I need something different, I thought I'd give it a shot. These guys are geniuses!

I adapted the recipe a little bit. Since we had light mozzarella sticks on hand, I chopped a few of those in a food processor to use in the crust. I also added Trader Joe's crushed garlic and fresh basil to the dough in lieu of fennel, oregano and parsley.


Baked crustFor the toppings, I used whole basil leaves, homemade marinara, sauteed onion, turkey pepperoni and a combination of ground beef and turkey. I also added sauteed marinated artichokes to my side. You can't eat this like traditional pizza, but it's worth dirtying a fork!



MEAL PLAN 8.28-9.4
Sunday:
Breakfast: 1 egg/2 egg white omelet, fresh fruit, 2 Morningstar sausage links
Lunch: Taziki's grilled chicken feast with Greek salad and asparagus
Dinner: Salad w/ light dressing, Date Night Pizza, Lemon bar

Monday:
Breakfast: 1 egg, 2 Morningstar sausage patties, Granny Smith Apple
Lunch: Salad w/ light dressing, Date Night pizza
Dinner: Salad w/ light dressing, Paleo Dive-In, Lemon bar
Exercise: Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred

Tuesday:
Breakfast: 1 egg, 2 Morningstar sausage links, fresh fruit
Lunch: Salad w/ light dressing, Paleo Dive-In
Dinner: Salad w/ light dressing, Paleo lasagna, Garlicky spinach
Exercise: Couch to 5K in AM

Wednesday:
Breakfast: 1 egg, 2 Morningstar sausage links, fresh fruit
Lunch:Salad w/ light dressing, Paleo Dive-In, Garlicky spinach
Dinner: Salad w/ light dressing, Paleo lasagna, Garlicky spinach
Exercise: 30 Day Shred or Bodypump

Thursday:
Breakfast: 1 egg, 2 Morningstar sausage links, fresh fruit
Lunch: OUT for Jenna's birthday (Caesar salad at Cafe Dupont)
Dinner: Salad w/ light dressing, Grilled buffalo chicken tenders, green beans w/ onion and peppers
Exercise: Couch to 5K in AM

Friday:
Breakfast: 1 egg, Banana Almond Pancakes
Lunch: Salad w/ light dressing, Grilled buffalo chicken tenders, green beans w/ onion and peppers
Dinner: Assume we'll be eating out.
Exercise: Couch 2 5K training in AM

Saturday:
Breakfast: Paleo Pancakes for One, 2 egg white omelet
Lunch: Small salad with chicken and light dressing during Bama game!
Dinner: CHEAT MEAL. Football party.

If you have a meal plan, link me! I'd love to see what you're eating!