A Bit of Fridge Organization

While I was putting away my groceries, I thought I'd show you how I store some things in my refrigerator to make things easier for me and my family.  I made a video about it, and I'll link that in this post.

I already did a blog post on my Sandwich Box, and I invite you to read about it and how it came into existence.

Our current sandwich box is on the left, and our current cheese box is on the right.

The first portion of the video describes our cheese box.  We use a ton of cheese, and I buy mostly blocks of cheese.  I don't really care for the taste of pre-shredded cheese.  They put some sort of anti-clumping agent on it, and I think that it changes the taste of it.  My husband says that I am a food snob sometimes, but I really can tell the difference.

Here's a little tip too...at least this works in our house.  I find that my kids actually use less cheese if they have to grate it themselves!  I don't know if that's actually a good thing or not, because it really implies that they are lazy!  :)  LOL

Seriously, though, they seem to use less, and therefore, consume less fat.  I think it's funny...I mean, really...how long does it really take to grate a block of cheese?  A couple of minutes?

If I do find that I need large amounts of shredded cheese, I pull out my food processor and let the machine grate it for me.

Thanks, and welcome to my world!


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Mexican Chicken Bake - What's for Dinner

I made a video a week or so ago describing some freezer meals that I love to make.  One of them was a dish called Mexican Chicken Bake.  Here's the video for it and some other dishes.

I used one of those dishes for dinner tonight.  Actually, I used two bags because the kids had some friends over.  There were no leftovers for this one, folks!  Well, that isn't really true.  I had enough to make one extra burrito, and I've put it in the freezer for after-school snacks.  (I'll tell what I do there in another post at some point.)

This is a delicious and very easy meal.  The kids absolutely love it!!!!

Here's how to finish the dish:

Hope you enjoy.

Thanks, and welcome to my world.

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Grocery Hauls - Pre-Thanksgiving

Hi, everyone!

I've posted a couple of grocery hauls to my YouTube Channel recently.  I have plenty of meat in the freezer, so I am just buying a few things that we need this week to make it through until after the BIG day next week.

I hope enjoy these videos.  Be sure to check back next week to see what I am making for Thanksgiving!!!!!

Thanks, and welcome to my world!

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Home-Canning Beans

I was working on my Zaycon Foods chicken order, and I wanted to can some of the chicken.  I wanted to can them in pint jars, because that size works well for our family.  However, I don't like to run the canner unless it's full.  So, whenever I have extra space in the canner when I am canning meat, I add a few jars of beans.

I like to have home-canned jars of beans on my shelf.  First of all, they're less expensive than store-bought canned beans.  I can usually get three or four jars of home-canned beans for the same price as one store-bought can.  Secondly, they taste better.  I don't like the metallic taste of store-bought beans.  Mine taste SOOO much better.  Thirdly, I don't know what they put in canned beans from the store, but I know that mine contain beans, water, and salt.  That's it.  I feel much better about giving that to my family than something that is hiding inside a metal can.

My recipe for home-canned beans is really very easy.  I hesitate to even call it a recipe since it is so simple.  Let's just list the steps instead, since it's really not a recipe.  (Disclaimer:  Please educate yourself on proper canning techniques before you go forward with this project.  I'm not a canning expert, so I will not go into the safety steps that you need to take.)

1. Pick through and sort your beans.  Remove any broken beans or foreign material.
2. Rinse the beans very well in hot water.  I usually put the beans in a colander and rinse them under running water.
3. Put 1/2 cup of beans into a clean pint jar.  
4. Add 1/2 tsp canning salt and top with boiling water to the 1-inch mark.  Seal according to proper canning procedures.

Beans must process in a pressure canner for the same amount of time as meat.  That's why they're the perfect filler when I need to put a few extra jars in the canner.  

I let them sit on the counter for a day or two and then put them on my shelves with the rest of my home-canned foods until I am ready to use them.  They are great along side any meat in tacos, burritos, and quesadillas.  I like to mash them for refried beans or bean dips.  I use them for chili and other soups and stews.  They're great as a side dish...or with a big hunk of cornbread!  I like to put black beans in salads too.

In other words, use them exactly the way you would store-bought beans.  I'll bet you like them better, though!

Thanks, and welcome to my world!


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Chicken in Bulk - Zaycon Foods

Hi, again, folks!

See this box sitting in my fridge?

It contains 40 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts that I picked up from Zaycon Foods this morning!  I paid $1.49 per pound for it, and I am so excited!  I got such a great price because I bought some of their ground beef a few months ago and qualified for this special price.

When you have as many mouths to feed as I do, you always try to find the best deals...and this company delivers!  Here's a link to their website:   https://www.zayconfoods.com/

This chicken is fresh...never frozen...huge, and delicious.  This is my third time buying from them, and they have not disappointed me yet.  As I mentioned earlier, I bought ground beef in the summer, and this spring, I bought boneless, skinless chicken thighs.  I don't think I've ever tasted better chicken that those thighs.

Over the next couple of days, I'll be preparing meals for the freezer, canning, and freezing this chicken in meal-sized portions.  I'll share all of them with you in this blog and on YouTube.  Be sure to check back as I work through all of this chicken.  It'll be deliciously fun!

Thanks, and welcome to my world!


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Quick Fix Dinner - Pork Chops & Apples

For my last Pintober project, I wanted to do something that I knew my husband would LOVE.  With a nod to his German heritage, I found this Pin:  Hard Cider Pork Chops with Apples and Onions

I wasn't sure that the kids would like it, so I kept all of the components separate when I served the dish.  That turned out to be a smart move, if I wanted the kids to eat anything at all!  :)  Yeah, they didn't like the apples and onions combination...but Ron and I loved it!!!!!   He said it best...it was just a little too complex for their taste.

Here's my Pin:  Pork Chops with Apples and Onions

I changed the recipe a bit, as I usually do, to suit our tastes and the ingredients that I had on hand.

First, I used one of my favorite tricks to make a protein stretch.  I had only 5 pork chops and I was serving 6 people, so I cut them into bite sized pieces to serve them.  I have found that if I do that and mix the main protein with other ingredients, it goes much farther.

Secondly, I added whole grain mustard to the sauce.  I knew that Ron would love that!

Thirdly, I added a couple of splashes of apple cider vinegar to the sauce with the regular apple cider. I think that made a big difference.

Lastly, because I was using other things in the sauce, I just seasoned the meat with salt and pepper.

Here's the video that shows how I did this:

From start to finish, this meal was on the table in about 20 minutes.

I hope that you enjoyed my Pintober projects.  I had a ball doing this.  I wish that I had been able to complete the challenge with 31 posts, but I think I did fine considering how sick I was in the middle of the month.  I look forward to doing Pintober again next year.  Be on the lookout for many more videos as we move forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I have lots of things up my sleeve!

Thanks, and welcome to my world!


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How to Wash and Store Lettuce for Maximum Freshness

I hate wasting money because food goes bad.  I've tried many tips throughout the years to keep my lettuce fresh.  Some of them have worked better than others, but nothing has really kept lettuce fresh and crisp for more than just a few days.  I was wondering if I would have to begin stopping by the store a couple of times a week to get fresh lettuce...until I found this trick!

Here's the original Pin:  Save Your Veggies with the Paper Towel Trick
This is another Pin that I saw that is similar:  Keeping Lettuce Fresh

When I saw these Pins, they reminded me of the way I sometimes store my fresh herbs.  I wrap the washed herbs in paper towels and store them in ziplock bags.  I wondered if I could do the same thing for lettuce.  When I tried it, I really liked it.

Here's my Pin:  How to Wash and Store Lettuce for Maximum Freshness

Here's my YouTube video:

I have found that this technique really keeps my lettuce nice and crisp for up to 10 days.  I do this with spinach too.  Even though bagged spinach as already been washed, sometimes I find that I want it to be even cleaner.  Also, I think that refreshing it in ice water helps to keep it crisp.

We eat a lot of salads in our family, so I am glad to have a good way to keep the lettuce as fresh as possible.  I was not happy with the thought of having to run back to the store every few days for lettuce!

Thanks, and welcome to my world!


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