Just something to think about

Hi Cooks,

Hope Y'all are having a great New Years Eve!
I just have something to bring up about our Freezer Meal group that I have been thinking about, just wanted to see what y'all think.

When we had our first meet, most of us started out with the 8x8 freezer pans. For my family it worked out great because there is only 2 of us and we can usually eat 2-3 times with this sized meal. Also since I have a smaller freezer it worked out best because I can fit the 8x 8's in my freezer better. I know for the bigger families it just makes sense to have the 9x13 pan because you can feed your whole family, but for me it ends up being leftovers 4 or 5 times, or sometimes goes to waste because we can't eat that much.

My proposal is that maybe we can start two freezer meal groups, maybe one who would rather do the smaller "8x8's" and then another group who would rather do the larger "9x13's".

Let me know what y'all think. I don't want to change what we already have planned for the January meet but maybe think about this for february? Maybe we can all talk about it when we next meet.
Thanks

Have a great day,
Mitzi

January Meal Choice- Hindmarsh

I am going to do a "healthy" version of Tator Tot Casserole for the January swap... using reduced fat cream soups and very lean meat. It is a kid friendly, crowd pleasing meal.

next meeting day is......

TUESDAY JANUARY 13, 2009: 8PM
AMANDA BRANN'S HOUSE

*REMEMBER SERVING SIZE SHOULD BE 6 ADULTS.
*THAT WOULD MEAN IF IT IS IN A PAN A 9 x 13 IS BEST.
*DOUBLE BAG THE GALLON BAGS SO WHEN THEY THAW IT WON'T END UP ALL OVER THE FRIDGE.
*COST SHOULD BE $8-9/A FAMILY. IF THE MAIN COURSE DOESN'T COST THAT MUCH THROW IN A BAG OF RICE OR ROLLS OR VEGGIES OR A BOX OF BROWNIES. I LOVED THIS IDEA THAT I READ IN A BOOK-THAT WAY NO ONE SPENDS $13/ FAMILY AND SOMEONE ELSE SPENDS $4/ FAMILY.
*IN LIGHT OF THE NEW YEAR-I AM SURE THERE ARE RESOLUTIONS OUT THERE-SO LET'S TRY TO STICK TO HEALTHY RELATIVELY LOW FAT MEALS.
*i THINK THAT IS ALL THE THOUGHTS THAT WERE DISCUSSED WHEN WE MET LAST MONTH.

**REMEMBER TO SEND IN YOUR RECIPES AS SOON AS YOU CAN AND LET US KNOW WHO WILL BE PARTICIPATING!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

saying goodbye...

Ladies I had a great run with our dinner group, but I am going to have to pull out for a while. I really need to take 100% control on what I am cooking/eating. Thanks again. I absolutely loved everything.
Sheesh

Cajun Style Beef Stew

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup flour
1 lb beef (ground or chunks of whatever is on sale)
baby carrots
potatoes
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
beef stock
1-2 Tbs cajun seasoning (I like Tony Chachere's)


Directions:

mix oil and flour (roux) in a large deep skillet, when fully mixed then heat the pan on medium, stir very often as the flour will brown quickly when the oil gets hot. cook until the roux is the color of a tarnished penny, add onions and bell pepper and cook until veggies start to soften and go clear around the edges. Be very careful not the burn the roux. add beef stock and seasoning until mixture is thin and soupy (you can also just use water or water and beef stock or water and boullion, I just use whatever I have). Heat to boiling and then bring down to gentle boil. Add beef and cook until just tender (about 45 min or so, depends on your cut of meat, if you use ground beef add it already browned and go right on to adding veggies). Add carrots and cook about 15 minutes, then add cut potatoes and cook until potatoes are done. By the time you add the carrots, the stew should have boiled down and started to thicken. You can freeze like this and then just thaw and reheat in the oven or on the stove. Serve over rice and I really like it with mustard on top.

Chicken Casserole

Chicken Casserole
1 chicken or 6 breasts cooked and chopped
1/2 cup mayo
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 cup chopped celery
3 hard boiled eggs, sliced
2 cans cream of chicken soup
optional:
1 cup sliced almonds
1 small bottle of pimentos
Mix mayo, soup, & lemon juice.
Then add the rest of the ingredients
and bake @ 350 for 30 min. Serve over rice.

enchiladas

OK, hear it is...

1-1 1/2 pounds of ground beef or ground turkey or shredded chicken
2 large cans of enchilada sauce (RED)
2 TBS chili blend
2 TBS garlic powder
1 large can tomato sauce
Hot red chili pepper sauce to taste
12-16 corn tortillas
2 bags of shredded cheese, especially if you are using velveeta cheese


Brown ground beef in skillet, drain grease. Add 1 can of enchilada sauce, tomato sauce and spices. Bring to a boil. Slowly add 1-1 1/2 cups of cheese to meat mixture. When melted, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
In the meantime, heat oil in shallow pan and carefully lightly fry corn tortillas so they won't break when you roll them. place on paper towels to drain.
Spoon meat mixture into tortillas and place seam side down in pan. Top with other can of sauce and any leftover sauce in the pan. Top all of this with cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Hope you like them!

Asian Pork Chops

Asian Pork Chops
From Monica Hindmarsh

Six Servings of 1 Pork Chop
12 freezer rolls also included

Marinade:
16 oz Pineapple Juice
½ cup soy sauce
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp minced garlic
1/3 cup Italian dressing
Combine ingredients and pour over meat. Refrigerate and let sit for at least 1 hour. Freeze or prepare.

Cooking directions:
Crock Pot Method:
Thaw completely in refrigerator. Place in crock-pot on low for 8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. You may shred when fully cooked, thicken sauce with a little flour or cornstarch, and serve over rice with sauce (Asian shredded pork over rice).
Grilled Method:
Thaw in fridge at least 24 hours in advance. Preheat grill. Grill until well cooked on both sides (and thermometer reads 160/170 degrees). My favorite way to eat this!
Oven Method:
Thaw in fridge in advance. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat large skillet over med/high heat. Sear pork chops on each side and then transfer to oven to finish cooking (until internal temp is at least 160 to 170). Take out of oven, cover with foil and let the meat rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
Serve with rolls (included), brown rice, and steamed veggies for a heart healthy meal.

Pizza in a Dish

2 cups uncooked macaroni or othe pasta
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic
2 cups spaghetti sauce
4 ounces sliced pepperoni
1 4-oz can sliced black olives
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 t dried basil
1 T sugar
1/2 t salt
1/8 t pepper
*** 1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

Cook macaroni in slated water for 2 minutes less than the shortest recommended cooking time. Drain. Brown goround beef with onion, bell pepper, & garlic. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining ingredients, including cooked macaroni. Place in gallon freezer bags.

To serve: Thaw. Place in greased baking dish. Bake 45 minutes at 350. Top with Mozzarella cheese and bake 10 minutes more.

Freezer Meal Guidelines

I know we have talked about a few guidelines for the freezer meals, but I wanted to make sure we are all on the same page. Also, some people had some great suggestions on things to make this group better and more effective. Anyways, I'm going to put some of the guidlines we have talked about and feel free to comment on what you think we should or shouldn't do.

1. Price Minimum around $7-8 (Some meals may be more expensive and some may be less, but try to stick to the price range as much as you can.)
2. Meals needs to feed a minimum of 6 people. (I know we have said to feed 4-6 in the past, but some people have bigger families and so I was thinking we should really try to make it feed at least 6, you can always have leftovers.)
3. Freezer Packaging - put food in foil pans topped with foil and then wrapped with 2 layers of plastice wrap.... or if it is in a ziplock (like marinated meats) double freezer bag it. (This will help keep the food from going bad especially if frozen for longer amounts of time.)
4. E-mail group or Post Recipes about a Week Before - This will help so we can all try to make different things, but most of all so we can get the yummy recipes to use for later!
5. Healthy Ingredients - In my sisters group they tried to always use lean meat and whole wheat when they could. I'm not saying all our meals need to be super healthy, my husband would really not like that, but if you can I think it's good to try and use healthier meats, grains, subsititutes, etc. when possible.

If anyone has any suggestions or comments, make sure to post them! Thanks!

Great Cookbooks

When I lived in Lumberton we started a freezer meal group. I was able to find a few books that were very helpful for recipe ideas. I bought most of them on Amazon (I love free shipping).
I will bring them to share...

Girlfriend's on the Go. A busy Mom's guide to make-ahead meals. by Suzie Roberts

Fix, Freeze, Feast. Prepare in bulk and enjoy by the serving. by Kati Neville and Lindsay Tkascsik

The Everything Meals for a Month Cookbook. 300 smart recipes to help you plan ahead, save time, and stay on a budget.

Pumpkin Soup

Several have asked so here it is

3 c pumpkin
1 onion, chopped or pureed depending on your tastes
1 lb mushrooms, chopped or pureed depending on your tastes
1/2 stick of butter
1/3 c flour
1-2 tsp curry
8 c chicken broth
2 c milk or half and half or heavy cream, depending on your tastes
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp of honey, optional

Sautee mushrooms and onions if not pureeing until tender. Add flour and stir until blended. Add broth, curry, salt and pepper and honey. Bring to a boil. Add milk and simmer on low for 30-45 minutes. Enjoy!

December Exchange

I was wondering who is going to be doing the Freezer Meal exchange for December. I thought it would be fun to do a regular meal, but also a cookie dough exchange also (approx 24 cookies). Just let me know who is planning on coming and who wants to participate in the cookie dough exchange. Thanks.

The exchange will be Tuesday - December 9th @ 7:00 at Jamie Smith's home (12514 Fern Creek Trail)

CAll to recipes

can you post the pigs in a nest recipe? and the chicken enchilada goodness? My family loved both-so I would like to do it again!

Grandma Alta's Hot Chocolate Mix

Grandma Alta's Hot Chocolate Mix

2 lbs. instant cocoa (like Nestle's Chocolate Quik mix or regular plain hot chocolate mix)
4 lbs. instant nonfat dry powdered milk
2- 16 oz. instant powdered cream

Mix all ingredients together and store in containers.
When ready to drink, Mix about 2/3 cup of mix to 1 cup boiling water

BBQ Chiken Pizzas

Dough

1 pkt. yeast

1/2 tsp sugar

3/4 c warm water

2 1/2 c flour

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp kosher salt



Sauce

2 Tbsp unslated butter

1 tsp minced garlic

3/4c ketchup

1/4 c. red cooking wine

1/4 c dijon mustard

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp orgeano

1/4 tsp pepper





4 boneless chicken breasts

olive oil

kosher salt

pepper

2 c. grated gouda cheese





Mix water, sugar and yeast. Let stand about 8 min. Then add olive oil, salt, and flour and knead. (I use my mixer and run it about 3 minutes) Oil a bowl and place dough in to raise.



Meanwhile you can begin making the sauce. Sautee the garlic in the butter til golden. Add the rest of the ingredents and simmer for 10 mintues. Prepare your grill to cook the chicken on medium heat. Cover the chiken with some olive oil, kosher salt and pepper. Then brush with some of the sauce. (keep some for the dough) Cook chiken until firm and cooked through. Grate cheese and let chicken cool a few mintues before cutting. (it will help lock in the moisture) When the dough has doubled in size punch it down then seperate it into 4 sections. Using wax paper that has been oiled shape each pizza crust. Cook on the grill (med temp) for about 3-4 mintues. Bring back inside to dress you pizza. Put the sauce, cheese and chicken on the cooked side of the dough. Place back on the grill until cheese melts. Serve hot!!



*All you will need to do with these will be to let them thaw (about an hour) then put on the grill for about 5 min.

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients
2 ready made pie crusts
30oz mixed vegetables, frozen or canned
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 can of milk (omit if using skim milk)
1-2 shredded chicken breasts (cooked in crockpot is the best)
salt & pepper to taste

Directions
Mix ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into pie tin lined with pie shell. Top with 2nd pie shell. Seal and flute edges. Cover edges with aluminum foil to prevent burning while cooking. Brush top with egg wash (1 egg + 1tsp water). Make a few slits in the top.
Bake 425F for 40-50min. Let sit for 10min after cooked.

3 Bean Casserole

3 Bean Casserole

1 lb bacon
1 lb. hamburger (I use ground turkey)
1 12 oz can lima beans (drained)
1 can pork and beans
1 can kidney beans (drained)
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup or less brown sugar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 cup chopped onions

Brown hamburger (ground turkey), then add chopped onions.
In separate pan, brown bacon, then cut into small pieces.
In a bowl, mix all ingredients. Pour into a casserole dish and bake @ 350 for 30-45 minutes.

Pineapple Meatballs

1 Recipe Basic Meatballs
3/4 c BBQ Sauce
3/4 c Orange Juice
1/2 c Packed Brown Sugar
2 T Cornstarch
1 cup Crushed pineapple

Arrange meatballs in greased baking dish. Mix remaining ingredients. Pour over meatballs. Bake covered for 45 minutes at 350. Serve with Rice

FREEZER Directions - Freeze prior to baking. Freeze in freezer bag. To serve: Thaw. Place in greased baking dish. Bake covered at 350 for 1 hour.

Basic Meatballs
1 lb ground beef
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 t garlic salt
1 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1/2 c dry bread crumbs
2 T minced onion
2 T Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients and mix wll. Using a rounded tablespoon for each, shape into 20-25 meatballs. Make your favorite recipe. Or if you want to freeze them for later use, place on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake in 350 oven for 7 minutes. Meatballs need not be cooked through. They will continue cooking when prepared in sauces. Place in freezer bag to be used in meatball recipes. Or freeze in desired sauce.

chicken roll ups and sauce

I am sorry this took so long to get up. I finally got it from my mom. Other attempts wouldn't go through.


Chicken Roll Ups
1, 8oz. pkg of cream cheese
2 T. of dried chives
1 can of mushrooms
4 T softened butter
dash pepper
2 C. cooked chicked cut up
2-3 pkgs. pillsbury cresent rolls
Mix all together and fill the cresent rolls. Melt 6 more T. of butter and dip in a seasoned bread crumbs. Bake at 350' for 15-20 minutes.

Sauce (not for the faint of heart:P)
1/2 C. butter (not margerine)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 C. real mayonaise
1 C. sour cream
1 C. chedder cheese grated
dash of garlic salt
Warm all together slowly ( do not boil )Then pour over the Chicken-Roll ups when serving.

I Can't Wait!

I sent an email reply to Mitzi's email that I was coming. I had so many compliments on my Minestrone Soup that I will make that for November and send some Rhodes rolls if anyone wants them-weeknights I use those b/c they are easy. Were my portion sizes the right size for everyone? If not-please let me know so I can adjust. I know I have the largest family and only get 1 meal out of each entree-but for the most part my kids are liking them-so I look forward to this month! It has saved me on my crazy T,W, and Th nights!!! Thanks!

Here is the Garden Minestrone Soup Recipe

1 28 oz can crushed Muir Glen tomatoes with basil (it has to be these or it doesn't turn out as good)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
4 stalks of celery, chopped
4 carrots, peeled, chopped
1/2 head of green cabbage, chopped
6 cups water and 3 tomato-chicken bullion cubes
OR
6 cups of chicken broth
1 c fresh torn spinach
1 c cooked pasta of your choice, I usually use whole wheat macaroni

Sautee onion, celery, carrots, and cabbage until crsip tender. Add tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes. Add cooked pasta last 15 minutes of simmering before serving.

Serve with crusty rolls or grilled sandwiches. Even my kids and husband who fight me to eat their veggies-love this soup.
Enjoy

next group

Hi Ladies..
just wondering who is all going and how many total. Thanks. Also I am making the pizzas (not huge) please let me know if you want 2 or 3. Amanda if you are coming this month yours will be the exception! :)
Sheesh

Stuffed Shells

1 box Jumbo shells
1 lb mozerella cheese
1 lb ricotta cheese (usually comes in a 15 oz. container)
4 oz. fresh parmesan cheese
10 oz. pkg. chopped frozen spinach
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 eggs
1 can Italian pureed tomatoes
1 LRG can tomato sauce

Boil shells according to pkg directions (add a little bit of oil so they don't stick together). Drain shells and set aside to cool a little. While shells are boiling, mix cheeses together in large bowl. Press water out of spinach and mix w/ cheeses. Add eggs and garlic to mixture. Stuff shells with cheese mixture.

Puree tomatoes and sauce (I skip this step, because I buy my tomatoes already pureed-- my dad buys them stewed and then purees them on his own). Pour small amount in to 9x13 in. baking dish--enough to cover the bottom. Place shells in dish and pour remaining sauce over the top.

Bake at 350 for 35 mins.

Makes about 24-30 shells. I put 12 in each foil container that I handed out (so Amanda, this would be about double what you said was a good portion for your family).

Also:

When I froze them, I didn't bake them first. I put them in foil containers, covered, and labeled them. When you want to eat them, you thaw them completely and then bake as directed. (I'm told you could bake them first though and then freeze them and they turn out fine that way too. I just thought they might get too dried out if I did that.)

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken Freezer Recipe

I'll post the Stuffed Shells as soon as I can too.

Makes two meals for six people, three meals for four or four meals for three people!

12 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup honey
1 cup prepared mustard
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried parsley

Preheat oven to to 350F. In a 9x13 baking dish, lightly greased, place chicken breasts. In a small bowl, combine honey, mustard, basil, paprika and parsley, mixing well. Pour half of mixture over chicken, using a spoon to make sure that all the chicken has some sauce on top to prevent chicken from drying out. Lightly cover with tin foil. Bake for 30 minutes, remove foil and turn chicken over. Pour remaining sauce over chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked.

Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes, then divide chicken into appropriate freezer containers for the servings you desire (makes 2 meals for six people; 3 meals for four people; or four meals for three people). Allow to cool and freeze.

On cooking day, thaw completely in fridge (take it out the night before or morning of). In a preheated 350F oven, cook for 20-45 minutes depending on number of breasts, or until completely hot throughout. Serve!

Pictures- Oct Exchange

I was going to post this as a slideshow but wasn't able to figure out how. If anyone knows how please feel free.

Cost

We got all the groceries for tomorrow. The cost will be $20.47 for each family. You will be going home with four meals. Please bring your money tomorrow. Thanks!

P.S. Melanie, just ignore this email.

Honey Baked Pork Chops

6 boneless chops
1/2c honey
1/4c cider vinegar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 clove minced garlic
2 Tbsp soy sauce

Cooking day: Blend honey, vinegar, ginger, and soy sauce. Place uncooked chops and honey mixture in freezer bag and freeze.

Cooking day: Thaw completely. Place chops and mixture in a baking dish. Bake 350 for 1 hr or until chops are cooked through. Turn chops occasionally while baking. Enjoy!

Taco Sundaes

Assemble as follows:

Rice
Meat mixture
cheese
lettuce
tomato
crushed chips
and salsa

Love this-it is the best on brown rice! I got it from a Sr. missionary on the Square who was a dietian and she loved to make this all the time.

Amanda

Chicken Noodle Soup (lion house recipe)

2 bouillon cubes
3 c. chicken broth
2 c. chopped carrots
2 c. chopped celery
3/4 c. chopped onion
2 cans cream of chicken soup (10 1/2 oz each)
1/4 c. evaporated milk
2 c. cooked chicken (cubed)
2 1/2 oz. (about 4 cups) cooked noodles

Heat the broth and the bouillon cubes together. Add vegetables and simmer till tender. (about 20 mins.) Add soup and the milk. Thicken with roux (melted butter and flour mixture). Add chicken and noodles. Salt and pepper to taste. You can serve with hot french bread rolls or hoagies. They make great soup bowls!

Roux-Mix 2 c. flour and 1 c. melted butter, until well blended. Store in fridge till needed.

Navajo Tacos

3 Cups cooked chicken
1 15-oz can refried beans
1/4 cup water
2 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1 4oz can chopped green chilies
1 10oz can tomatoes with chilies
1 package flour tortillas (or I used 20 corn tortillas)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

• Shred chicken, set aside.
• Heat refried beans and mix with 1/4 cup water to make spreadable, set aside.
• In saucepan combine chicken broth and flour. Add butter, green chilies and tomatoes with chilies. Heat until the butter is melted and continue cooking until sauce is thick and bubbly.
• In greased foil *pan make the following layers using half for both layers: torn tortillas, refried beans, cheese, chicken and sauce. Repeat layers using remainder of all ingredients. Cover with heave foil. Label and freeze.

To serve: Thaw. Bake for 1 hour at 350. Top with cheese. Serve with lettuce, sour cream and salsa.

*Makes 1 9x13 pan of 2 9x9 pans.

Russian Apricot Chicken

6-8 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
1 Package Dry Onion Soup Mix
1 Cup Apricot Jam
1 Cup russian Salad Dressing

Arrange chicken in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake 45 minutes at 350. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Place in freezer bag. Label and freeze.

To serve: Thaw. Heat until hot and bubbly. Serve with rice.

This recipe may be frozen prior to baking. Freeze in freezer bag. To serve: Thaw. Pour into 9x13 greased baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350 for 1 hour.

Sept Exchange update

I know many of you are still without power and may not get this for a bit but I thought I'd post it anyway just in case you are able to check your email. Currently we have 8 signed up to participate this month (Mitzi, Jamie, Erin, Alisha, Shaliece, Kimberly, Amanda & myself). So that's 8 meals to make, including yourself.
Hopefully power will return to everyone sooner rather than later. I've had a few people decide not to participate because of the recent events. If any one else is reconsidering that is fine just let me know. I know Alisha is still one of the ones without power so I will check with her to see how she is feeling about hosting and I'll let you all know if there is a change.
Also, if anyone does not have power by the last week of Sept, but would still like to participate feel free to come use my fridge/freezer and to cook with me. You are welcome to come do that now as well until power does come back.

checking on the stus- i assume we are moving in to when we all have power restored- i post my recipe when i get home hope you all are well-we had to bale to san antonio for some grandma help!

Sept Exchange

Tues, Sept 30th we will be exchanging at Alisha Ashton's home (12330 Crescent Mountain Ln) @ 7:00pm.

Chicken Casserole Recipe

Chicken Casserole Recipe

1 chicken or 6 breasts cooked & cut
1/2 cup mayo
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 cup chopped celery
3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
Optional:
1 cup sliced almonds
1 small bottle of pimentos

Mix mayo, cream of mushroom soup & lemon juice. Then add everything else in a casserole dish and cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

time for cook together

How does 11am sound to everyone? I could have a very simple lunch that we could just munch on while cooking. Also that way you can be home for dinner (already made too) and we won't be out late Sat. night. If anyone would prefer to do it later in the afternoon and finish before dinner, I am fine with that. Just let me know what works best. Also I need the recipes e-mailed to me so I can get the shopping list together.
Thanks
Shaliece
scottnsheesh@yahoo.com

Change of Plans

I started thinking that the meal exchange in Oct where we are going to cook together would probably be easiest to do on a Saturday so dad's can keep the kids at home and we can just cook. Due to the fact that the 1st weekend in Oct is conference weekend we are going to push the exchange date back to Saturday, Oct 11th.
Shaliece if you would post the time you want those who are cooking to arrive and then a time to meet for those who don't want to cook with us, but would still like to bring a meal to exchange that would be great.
Once the times are posted everyone please RSVP to me and let me know if you are planning on cooking with us or if you just want to meet to exchange.
Also, I don't know about you but I can't wait that long for another batch of freezer meals so we are going to have an exchange on Sept 30th for those who are interested. Please RSVP to me by Sept 19th so I can get the numbers out to everyone a little earlier this time around.

FYI Don't feel like you have to come up with a new meal every time. The meals are great so repeats are welcome as long as you give us a few months in between to eat the first batch of that meal.
Thanks!

Exchange this week

Sorry I am getting this email off so close to our exchange date. I wanted to make sure I had contacted everyone before I sent this off with the number participating. We have 6 people participating this month (Alisha, Becca M, Becca S, Erin, Mitzi & Shaliece). So bring your 5 meals to my house (12226 Fall River Pass Ln) this Wednesday at 7:00pm.

Reminders: 4-6 servings/meal
goal cost $7-8/meal

I was thinking it might be nice if 1 or 2 of us made an extra meal for Jamie Smith since she just had her baby. If you're interested bring it over Wednesday and I'll make sure she gets them. Don't feel obligated.

Thanks, we'll see you all Wednesday.

August exchange

Ok, so August is going by quickly. We need to set the date for our next exchange. How does Wednesday the 20th @ 7:00 work for everyone? We can meet at my house this time to do the exchange. Remember that our spending goal is around $7-$8/dish and our meals should be able to serve a minimum of 4 people. If all goes well that day maybe I'll have a little treat for us to nibble on as we exchange so we can't get to know each other a little better.

I've loved the meals you guys have made so far. We definitely need to be posting our recipes.

Please email me by this Friday (8/15) to let me know if you can participate. Then I can let everyone know how much to make.

Thanks!
Becca Moser

3 down

Okay so my family alone has had 3 of the meals. (due to the fact we have been living in a hotel and eating at Steven and Becca's. So of course I like my own dish (family favorite). We have had a chance to sample the zucchini casserole and the spaghetti pie. We loved both!! Even the kids ate everything on their plates. I would love to get both recipes if either of you get a chance to post it!! I am looking forward to more swaps and actually meeting all of you if I have not already!!
Sheesh

Chicken Divan Meal

Hey y'all I forgot to put on the instructions for the Chicken Divan Meal that you bake it in the oven uncovered. Be sure to take off the foil on the top of the chicken. Can't wait to try all the other meals!

Our spot

Hopefully this will serve as a helpful format to provide tips and update each other. Items I hope we can all contribute to the page include but not limited to: helpful websites, tips on shopping and preparing meals, feedback on meals, updates for upcoming exchanges, exchanging of recipes, etc.