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by Nanci Slagle
In
This Issue:
NOTES
FROM NANCI
CHRISTMAS
- MAKING MEMORIES
WEBSITE
NEWS
BONUS
RECIPES
HOLIDAY
FOOD & GIFT BASKETS
CONTEST WINNERS
GOURMET Q & A
NEWS
FROM THE ROAD
TIP
OF THE MONTH
WEBSITE
OF THE MONTH
COMING
NEXT MONTH
NOTES
FROM NANCI
MY THANKSGIVING FOR 24 STORY
Last month I chalked up a "first" for me - freezing an entire Thanksgiving meal. I know - I helped write the book. Hadn't I ever practiced what I preached? Well, yes and no. I had frozen parts of the meal every year but never ALL of it. This year was different. A good friend was having out of town company the weekend before Thanksgiving for a special occasion and wanted to incorporate a big Thanksgiving dinner into their time together. With all of the extra people and activities, though, she didn't have time to do the "big meal". And so I accepted my first catering job. Ha! Me - cooking for other people and getting paid- now that's a good one.
So here's the scoop. And remember - if Nanci Slagle (who hates to cook and doesn't consider herself to be very good at it) can do this, believe me YOU CAN DO IT TOO!
Menu:
(Note: HFC means the recipe came from the Holiday Freezer Cooking ebook; FCM means the recipe came from the Freezer Cooking Manual)
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23 pound Turkey with gravy
(HFC)
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12 pound Brown Sugar Baked Ham (from
April 2001 Chewin' the News)
-
Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
(FCM)
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Sweet Potato
Soufflé (HFC)
-
Old Fashioned Bread Dressing
(HFC)
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Champagne Salad
(FCM)
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7 Layer Salad (lettuce salad that I made this "day of")
-
Farm Style Green Beans (from
April 2001 Chewin' the News)
-
Cranberry Relish
(HFC)
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Rolls
(HFC)
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Merry Kiss-Mousse Pie
(HFC)
-
Apple Crisp (from
October 2001 Chewin' the News)
-
Cherry Pie with Crumb Crust
(HFC)
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Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls (from December 2001 Chewin' the
News)
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Pumpkin Pie ("back of the can" recipe)
COST? -- $150
How much do you think it would cost to prepare 24 servings of this food? And by servings, I mean generous servings with bunches of leftovers. How does $150 sound. And that includes freezer bags.
That's just $6.25 per person at Nanci's All-You-Eat Thanksgiving Buffet" Doggie bags welcome.
To take a look at my shopping list, click
here.
TIME? --
20 Hours total
How long did it take? The shopping took about 2 hours. The assembling/cooking took about 10 hours. The final cooking, serving and clean up took 8 hours. So that's 20 hours. Keep in mind that I transported all of the food to another location and washed all of the dishes by hand (well, actually Bob washed the
dishes!)
TASTE? -- Wonderful!
The biggest compliment came from the matriarch of my friend's family. Grandma came up to me after the meal and said "you must be from Kentucky". When I said "no, that I was born in Iowa, raised in Michigan and lived the past 22 years in Indiana", she said, "Well you cook like you're from Kentucky." I say that puts me on the same level as the Colonel, huh?
Truthfully, the food tasted great and no one ever would have guessed that it had been made days before and frozen.
Click here to see a photo collage of the foods I prepared.
So I've done it. What did I make for OUR Thanksgiving dinner you ask? Are you kidding? I accepted an invitation to my dad's house and let my step-mom do all of the cooking. Hey - I was tired!
CHRISTMAS - MAKING MEMORIES
It's not too late to cook ahead for Christmas. Just look through your recipes and think about what you could do now to make things easier at holiday time. Maybe you need a few Breakfast Egg Casseroles in the freezer or some muffins or pies. I roasted another turkey a few days ago so that I would have it around for sandwiches and turkey salad.
I know that I'm not alone in feeling more nostalgic this Christmas and wanting to give gifts with meaning. My kids always get scared when I'm in this mood. They're afraid that CD's and hooded sweatshirts won't be on the list after Mom delivers her "gifts should be from the heart" speech. It just seems like here in America we can pretty much go out and purchase the things that we really need. What can I give someone that they won't buy for themselves or won't take the time to acquire? So I'm re-evaluating. Taking stock. Making myself find a better reason than "we've always given them a gift or we've always spent this much". Many of you have been making homemade food gifts for others for years. I have always done "goody trays" for our church's ministerial staff but that was about it. This year I am determined to be more creative in my gift giving. After all, I am an "expert" freezer cook. That's a gift that I can surely bless others with. Here are some of the ideas that I've come up with. Hopefully, you can join me in using a few of them to making your Christmas more meaningful this year.
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WEBSITE
NEWS
We're making changes to the site all the time and trying to make everything very user friendly. We welcome your feedback and suggestions. Please recommend our site to other e-newsletters and sites that you visit. We'd love to link up with your other favorite sites. You are 30 Day Gourmet's best marketing tool!
Still Time to Order
There's still time to order something from us and receive it by Christmas. Just visit our
estore. Priority shipping comes in 2-3 days.
Ebook Update
Holiday Freezer Cooking ebook
Our first ebook sold very well this season. Curtis has made quite a few
improvements to the ebook ordering process. We realize that for many web users this was their first experience at ordering and downloading an
ebook.
Watch for our next ebook in January. Christi has done a great job and I think that you'll all love this book.
Freezer Cooking on a Budget will show you how to cook a month's worth of entrees for $200 or less and will provide great tips and 25 recipes to get your started. Our author is a freelance writer from Tulsa, Oklahoma who has been freezer cooking for 6 years.
Message Board Update/Feedback
Tammy and Curtis have been working on lots of upgrades to the message boards. If you haven't checked them out for awhile, you're missing out. For new freezer cooks, there is a wealth of experience and information here. If you were active on the old boards and have some suggestions for our new ones, please contact Tammy with your comments:
tammy@30daygourmet.com
Click here to visit the boards
now!
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BONUS
RECIPES
This month I wanted to share the traditional goodies that we make every year to share with close friends, neighbors, and our church staff. All of them freeze great and can be made months ahead of time.
CHOCOLATE COVERED PEANUT BUTTER BALLS
Some people call these Buckeyes but I'm too lazy to leave a little peanut butter uncovered at the top so mine don't really look like buckeyes. These are fast, easy and taste absolutely wonderful.
Click here to view/print Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls recipe!
Click here to see what Nanci's treats look like!
MEXICAN WEDDING CAKES
My mom made these every Christmas for as long as I can remember. I loved shaking the cookies in the bag of powdered sugar and fishing them out for her. Watch out - they taste great straight out of the freezer!
Click here to view/print the Mexican Wedding Cakes recipe!
SEVEN LAYER BARS
Mom always made these too. I love the butterscotch chips and coconut. Yum!
Click here to view/print the Seven Layer Bars recipe!
SUGAR COOKIES
The kids and I always make sugar cookies that they decorate each year. Since I'm an impatient person at heart I can't wait for the dough to chill. This recipe can be made up and rolled out right away. Easy handling for kids!
This
icing recipe is the best! It's pure white, shiny and hardens on
the cookie. Great for tinting!
Click here to view/print the Sugar Cookie recipe!
TIPS FOR FREEZING COOKIES
It's easy to make cookies ahead of time and freeze them. Here are a few simple tips to be sure your cookies survive!
-
Cool cookies before wrapping and freezing them. This keeps ice crystals from forming. You don't want a warm cookie meeting up with cold air.
-
Wrap cookies before freezing them. Wrap one or two cookies in good quality plastic wrap and then put the wrapped cookies inside a freezer quality bag or rigid container.
Click here for more Cookie Freezing Tips.
Remember, cookie dough freezes great! Why pay $2.00 for a roll of chocolate chip cookie dough when you can make your own for half the cost? Here's a great idea that I read on the megacooking egroups list the other day.
Chris is an avid 30 Day Gourmeter and gave me permission to share her idea with you. I plan to do this for Adam's and Jenna's teachers this year. Both have been teaching quite a while and I'm sure that they have enough mugs and cutesy "teacher" stuff. Consumable is best!
"One thing I like to give teachers, Sunday School teachers etc. is frozen cookie dough. I take my usual recipes and roll them into fat cylinder shapes. I then wrap them with colored saran wrap and tie the ends with rubber bands covered with pretty ribbons. I put an assortment in a basket with a note. Teachers LOVE this because they get to bake warm cookies for their families during a very busy time with no mess. They can make them now
or keep them frozen for later use."
Chris in Indiana
Click here to see Nanci's teacher gifts.
DIPPED PRETZELS AND CASHEWS
This is so easy it's embarrassing but we always buy a bag of inexpensive pretzel twists and a few pounds of the chocolate and vanilla almond bark. I melt the bark in my large glass measuring cup in the microwave and then we dip pretzels and cashews in the bark and put them on wax paper to harden. Sometimes I stick them in the freezer on a cookie sheet to speed the process. We sprinkle red and green sugar crystals on the white ones. Gourmet candy for pennies.
Click
here to see Nanci's daughter Jenna being the good assistant.
SNACKIN' MIX
Our recipe is close to the traditional Chex Party Mix but a little less "greasy". We always include it on our "goody trays" and it's great to have around for drop in company. We also have a few friends on our list who don't do sugar (poor souls) and this is a great one for them!
Click here to view/print the Snackin' Mix recipe
from the Freezer Cooking Manual.
Other great recipes for Holiday Freezer Baked Goods can be found in past issues of Chewin' the News:
Cinnamon Toasted Almonds from December 2000
Graham Cracker Dream Bars from January 2001
Malted Chocolate Chunk Cookies from January 2001
HOLIDAY FOOD AND GIFT BASKETS
One of the best gifts that you can give is a special food along with something especially meaningful to the recipient. I try to keep track of everyone's favorite candy treat, pie, coffee flavor, etc. The web is full of great sites with wonderful ideas. Here are just a few:
Web Resources
Clutter Free Gift Ideas
A new favorite of mine is the Flylady website. This gal is becoming my new best friend. Her theme is organization and I'll tell you all about her in January when we deal with that scary subject. For now, I'll just tell you that she has some of the best ideas I've seen for giving great gifts that won't clutter up the recipient's house. Check it out at:
www.flylady.net.
There are ideas for grandparents, children, wives/mothers, husbands/fathers and other special people. Don't miss this!
Chocolate Spoons
I'm going to do this one for the coffee and cappuccino lovers on our list. Kim Tilley is the author of the frugal moms website and she has lots of other great ideas there for gift-giving.
Click
here to go to the site and browse for awhile. You'll find some great stuff.
Click here to see Nanci's mug and spoon gifts.
Click here for a photo of the coffee mug, cappuccino mix and chocolate spoons gift that we already have wrapped and in the freezer for Grandma Barb. (luckily she doesn't have a computer and won't be reading this)
Gifts in a Jar
We've all seen this one and thought it was "cute" but how many of us have tried it? It could be the perfect food gift for someone on your list. This link will give you everything you need to know including how-to's, recipes, and endless ideas.
The layered ones look pretty fun!
holidayorganizer.com
Several years ago, I brought about 25 canning jars back from Michigan. They had belonged to my husband's grandmother and were from her hometown in Canada. I knew that they should "mean something to somebody" and have been saving them ever since. This Christmas everyone in the family will get some candy or hot cocoa mix in one of Grama Alma's jars. Perfect!
Click here to see Nanci's canning jar gifts.
Hot Cocoa Mix - Our recipe of the month winner for December is Caren C. from Dothan, Alabama who sent me this great recipe that she uses for gifts each year.
Click here to view/print the Hot Cocoa Mix
I also plan to fill some of the jars with peanut butter balls,
Mexican wedding cakes or dipped pretzels.
My friend, Karen Ehman, has written a wonderful book with two friends titled Homespun Gifts from the Heart.
Click here for a "Gift in a Jar" idea from Karen's book.
Gifts in a Basket or Tin
Cute baskets are easy to come by and can be worth a lot or a little. I plan to do several gifts in baskets this year.
If you haven't been saving cute containers all year, try the dollar stores. They have some great baskets and jars. I found some really nice Christmas tins and metal baskets at WalMart for $2.97. For theme ideas, do a web search on gift baskets and you'll come up with plenty. The frugal moms site has some great ones.
Here are a few that I have come up with.
-
Girlfriend basket - line it with tissue paper, fill it with chocolate candy and include a few coupons. One for a soak in my hot tub and one for a
Casablanca video at Blockbuster to bring along.
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New mom basket - line with tissue paper or disposable diapers, fill with chocolate candy and include coupons for a free freezer meal and a night of babysitting. They drop off the baby and pick up the dinner.
-
Grandparent basket - line with tissue paper, fill with baked goods and include a recent photo of the kids. My father-in-law went into a nursing home last week and even though he can't have chocolate I know that he will enjoy having something to share with the staff. Once he has their attention, he'll show them the pix of the grandkids! Consumable gifts are often best for the seniors in our lives. Don't forget to check out the Clutter Free Gift Ideas on the
Flylady website. They are great!
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Teens basket - I'm even going to do this for my 2 teenage daughters. They each have homemade goodies that they love and a whole basket just for THEM will be a real treat. Coupons good for TIME will be included this year. A trip to the art museum for Katy. A movie and lunch at Dog and Suds with Becky.
Gifts for 30 Day Gourmets
Lots of you have friends who are 30 Day Gourmets or everyone knows you are a freezer cook but they assume you have every kitchen gadget known to man and couldn't possibly need another thing. Silly people. Here are some ideas that come to mind for the 30 Day Gourmets in your life:
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Cooking Day basket - Everyone's cooking day "treats" are different. Mine would include a 6 pack of Diet Mt. Dew, a box of chocolate, a gift certificate for pizza delivery and a promise to take the kids out for dinner that night so I can finish up and admire the full freezer in peace.
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Cook's Gadget basket - Most cooks are missing some essential tools in the kitchen and have just gotten used to cooking without them. On my list this year are cookie sheets, a pastry brush, a small colander, glass measuring cups (2C. and 4C.) with the numbers in RED, long handled wooden spoons and a mini-chopper. Stick some chocolate in there with them and I would be blissfully happy!
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Spruce up the Kitchen basket - Cooks who are still using earth tone kitchen towels and yellow flowered Corelle dishes could use a kitchen update. They would love new pot holders, dish towels, and even dishes. I know - last year I got white Corelle to replace my yellow flowers from the wedding in 1979. They're right about that stuff - it doesn't break. Too bad, huh?
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Beginner Freezer Cook
basket - Your expertise is the best gift. Give her a copy of our cookbook along with a coupon for a free day of freezer cooking help. She'll love it!
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Food Gift Sayings for your tags
Here's a cute site with appropriate sayings for the tags on your food gifts. If you're like me, you can never think of this stuff when you need to.
Visit their website at 20ishparents.com.
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CONTEST
WINNERS
Our Cook of the Month Winner - Our winner this month is a record breaker. For the first time in 30 Day Gourmet history, I am choosing a MAN as Cook of the Month. Bob from Rockford, Illinois is married to Amy who is part of a cooking trio. On his wife's November cooking day, Bob babysat 5 kids under 10 years old (only 3 were his) and even took them to a parade so that the cooking team could work without interruption.
Click
here to read all about it!
I'll be sending Bob a $25 Walmart gift card.
Recipe of the Month Winner –
Caren C. from Dothan, Alabama is our winner this month with her Hot Cocoa Mix recipe. Caren responded to my plea in last month's newsletter to send recipes for gift ideas. Thanks,
Caren. Watch for your $25 Walmart gift card.
Click here to view/print Caren's Hot Cocoa Mix recipe!
Apron Winner
- Our
apron winner this month is Sandra S.
who heard about 30 Day Gourmet from a freezer food web group.
We choose a winner every month from our subscribers. Tell your friends! To sign up, click
here.
COOKIN' AWARD - I am presenting a special award this month to an incredible 30 Day Gourmet who had a brainstorm last month and ran with it. Molly made 48 pans of Dorothy's Butterscotch Rolls from the Holiday Freezer Cooking ebook , sold them to friends, and donated the money to the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. Since Molly has been our Cook of the Month a few times already, I thought something special was in order. I'm sending Molly a $25 gift card to WalMart and a big bag of Bon
Bons. Way to go, Molly!
Click
here to read all about it on our message boards!
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GOURMET
Q & A (from the E-mail Bag)
I've had several questions about vacuum sealers (like Food Savers) and also about recipe software. I'm compiling information about both of these subjects and would appreciate any tips, ideas, opinions that you might have. Please e-mail them to me at:
office@30daygourmet.com Thanks! We will do vacuum sealers in January.
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NEWS FROM THE ROAD
WGNR - Thanks to those of you who caught my studio interview last week on WGNR, the local Moody Bible College radio station in the Indianapolis area. I took a Breakfast Egg Casserole, a plate of Christmas goodies, some holiday gift basket ideas and a cooler of frozen entrees to the station.
Click here
to see a photo from the interview. Lots of fun!
Moody Bookstore - The radio interview was to promote a bookstore talk and signing that I did last Saturday in Indianapolis. It was fun meeting many of you. Thanks for coming!
Welcome to new cooks who found us by listening to Nanci's recent interview on the "Cooking with Daina and Friends" radio show on WXNT here in Indianapolis.
Here’s
what’s coming up . . .
January 3, 2002 7-9 pm
Louisville, Kentucky
Southeast Christian Church Moms group
Contact: 502-253-8000
January 27, 2002 4-6 pm
Muncie, Indiana
College Ave. Methodist Church
Contact: 765-289-7331
February - 11 & 12 (tentative)
Nanci will be flying to the coast to do a few cooking segments on AM
Northwest. If your group, church, etc. would like to host a seminar, contact
Nanci.
March 7, 2002 6-8 pm
Crittenden, Kentucky area
Welcome Home Outreach Fundraising Dinner
Contact Laura at 859-485-1903
March 16
First Evangelical Free Church
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Contact: Diane Rens at brucerens@juno.com
March 19, 2002 3-5 pm
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee Democrat Food Show
Contact: 850-599-2225 or www.taldem.com
For more information about booking Nanci to speak for your group, click
here.
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TIP
OF THE MONTH
When packaging and tagging food gifts, keep the following in mind:
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Use the colored saran wrap to spruce up your food gifts. This year they have a new, wide holiday print out that does a great job wrapping a whole coffee mug.
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Include directions for cookie dough, layered brownie mixes and hot cocoa mixes. Don't assume that people know how to bake or measure these.
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WEBSITE
OF THE MONTH
Check out these website for great ideas for holiday gift giving:
www.flylady.net
www.frugalmoms.com
www.holidayorganizer.com
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COMING
NEXT MONTH
January's e-newsletter will tackle the familiar New Year's subject of ORGANIZING. Hey - I'm 43 years old and I'm a lot more organized now than I was a few years ago. We've all got something to share and something to learn so tell me your stories! I'll talk about organizing our cooking days, our freezers, our meal planning and if we get to it - the rest of our lives. Ha! Send your stories, ideas, questions, and successes to me at
nanci@30daygourmet.com. Thanks!
Happy Holidays! Here at the Slagle house we look forward to taking great comfort in our traditions - some silly, some poignant, all important. Candlelight Christmas Eve service at our church, opening one gift before bed, Grandma's Sticky Buns and bacon for Christmas morning breakfast, reading the Christmas story together, opening gifts youngest to oldest and one at a time, putting toys and electronic gadgets together, running the train around Bob's homemade "under the tree" track, and going to Grandpa's and Grandma's for dinner. Ah - can't wait.
Much love to you and yours,
Nanci
30 Day Gourmet
P.O. Box 272
Brownsburg, IN 46112
www.30DayGourmet.com
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