8.10.2014

Pot Pie on the Fly




When I was a kid, a family friend used to make Taco Cups when we came to visit. 
They're simple, portable and tasty. I introduced the taco cup to the kids today 
thanks to some leftover taco night ingredients and my craving for homemade bread dough.

They couldn't wait to experiment with some other flavors. 

Munchkin and I created a creamy base from scratch, used some frozen veg 
and added diced roasted chicken. DELISH! 
She chose the mini muffin tin to make them in---perfect for 2 dozen little ones. 

She thinks a couple paired with some fresh greens 
and carrot sticks would be so awesome. 
I couldn't have said it better myself.

A dozen of each savory cup flavor was prepped for the deep freezer. 
We also made 22 breakfast burritos & several batches of French toast but forgot to snap photos.
I'll have to request photos as they reheat and post another time.

Best Wishes,
Heather

8.06.2014

Getting in the Groove



How is it almost time to head back to school? 

During the school year, I scour sales, buy in bulk & make multiple servings of meals to cut dinner prep to a minimum on our busiest nights. Why make a mess in the kitchen for the same meal 3 times, right? 

We cook a variety of foods seasonally, from scratch & on a budget. Once the weather cools, I get busy in the kitchen, sous chefs in tow and we're nice and toasty in the house without bumping up the heat. I've done this since college so it certainly works for singles & couples...we're just prepping on a larger scale these days. 

It's so nice to come in from work and not have to scramble around cooking at the last minute. It just takes a little planning, really.

While I'm home all summer, the kids enjoy the remaining meals with lots of fresh fruits and veg from the farmer's market and our garden. Once the deep freezer contents begin to dwindle, we have a terrific time following directions and practicing addition, subtraction, multiplication, division & fractions as we begin restocking. baking.

I start with breakfast and lunch items to help our mornings run a little smoother as we transition to early mornings of what seems like pure chaos the first month or two. 

The kiddos bring their lunches to school most days and are responsible for packing their own this year-----I'm pretty excited about that! 

I thought stocking up on some low cost snacks for the freezer would go over well with munchkin & our middle. Our oldest was happy to do some taste testing. Thumbs up, seal of approval.

Munchkin decided on oatmeal raisin cookie dough. She is not a fan of mixing without the Kitchen Aid. I hear you, girl. Exhausted after all the laborious mixing (with help, mind you) she graciously allowed me to bake all 8 dozen. I think we'll all sleep well tonight.

Best Wishes,
Heather