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by Tammy Davis
In
This Issue:
NOTES FROM
TAMMY
BONUS
RECIPES
WEBSITE NEWS
MESSAGE BOARD UPDATES
CONTESTS
COOKIN' AT THE
KEYBOARD WITH SHELLEY
CONSULTANT NEWS
30 DAY
GOURMET IN THE NEWS
FINAL THOUGHTS
NOTES
FROM TAMMY
Hi everybody! Happy July!
Summer is just zooming by at my house! I really need a cooking day, to
re-stock the freezer. And I'm heading to PA to stock my mom and dad's
freezer for them. Mom lost her balance and went head first down her
basement steps a week or so ago. She broke her left foot and smashed her
right wrist. And of course she's right handed! Her church has been
helping with meals, but that won't last forever. I told mom to pick some
recipes from the manual, and give them to me ahead of time so I can
enter them in my software to print a shopping list. Then I'll come to
her house, shop and assemble meals for them. Dad drives truck and is
usually gone all week, so mom will be much better able to fend for
herself with some food in the freezer! What would we do without 30 Day
Gourmet?!?? It sure makes life easier!
I owe you guys an apology. I mentioned the Teddy Bear Snack Mix in the
News last month, and when I got some emails asking about it, realized it
wasn't on the site anymore. I'm sorry!! I didn't even think about that
when I wrote it! It was on the site, but now you can find it in the
Fourth Edition of the Manual. Give it a try.. I hope you enjoy it as
much as we do!
This issue of “Chewin’ the News” brings you four new recipes from
Stephanie and Betsi, consultants who run a "marinade exchange", similar
to a Christmas cookie exchange. In addition to their recipes, they give
us all the details we need to run our own successful marinade exchange.
Enjoy, and be sure to let us know how your exchange worked!
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BONUS RECIPES from Stephanie and Betsi
Aren’t Holiday cookie exchanges great? You make several dozen of ONE
kind of cookie, take them to a friend’s house, and leave with several
dozen DIFFERENT kinds of cookies. Instant cookie platter and it looks
like you did tons of work. Take that concept and make it work for the
summer with great marinades – you make several of one kind and leave
with lots of different marinades.
Betsi and I ran our first marinade exchange in June of 2001. We invited
several moms that we knew and hoped for the best. The results were
wonderful – the turn-out was great, the variety was great, and it was
great to go home with 15 different marinades to stash in the freezer.
We learned a lot that first year and the second year we instituted some
rules. The rules helped to set expectations.
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You will need to RSVP to Stephanie by
May 15. You can call 555-555-5555 or email email@email.com No RSVP – you
can’t come. No exceptions.
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You need to bring 12 bags of the same
marinade. You might want to make 13 so you have one to leave at home for
yourself.
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The marinade should be something
wonderful. (Easy qualifications, right?) What I mean is there should be
more than two ingredients. No ketchup and coke recipes. There are tons
of recipes in magazines this time of year – keep your eye out for a
great one, or use a family favorite.
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You will need to bring 12 copies of
your recipe to the exchange.
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Each bag should be labeled with the
name of the marinade, the date, and the kinds of meat that could go in
it. Example: Sassy BBQ, 5/02, shrimp, chicken.
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You may participate as 2 people – you
bring 24 bags and will go home with 24 bags. I will need to know that
you are doing this when your RSVP
We also found it was best to try to
hold the event on a Monday – because people tend to put this off until
the last minute and if they had the weekend to prepare the items, they
were less likely to cancel.
A marinade exchange is really easy to host – assuming that everyone
makes 12 marinades, even if you only had 4-5 people in attendance you’d
go home with three bags of four different marinades. I loved having more
than one bag of the same marinade – great when you’re entertaining.
Now, some more about Stephanie and Betsi:
We are the proud new owners of Mix It Up, Meals Made Easy. It is the
brainchild of Stephanie Severson and Betsi Olson and is located just
north of the Twin Cities in the suburb of White Bear Township. After
many years of lecturing and teaching classes on freezer cooking, we took
the plunge and opened a retail store. Mix It Up offers workshops that
provide busy families with 8-12 delicious, healthy meals customized to
their families tastes. Customers put together their chosen meals in a
fun social setting, leaving the mess and the stress of cooking ahead to
Mix It Up staffers. Visit our website at
www.mixitupmeals.com Mix
It Up is rapidly expanding and is currently looking for enthusiastic
people to open new stores. Investment opportunities are also available.
For more information, contact Betsi and Stephanie at
info@mixitupmeals.com.
Here are a couple of our favorite marinade recipes. Remember that fresh
veggies don’t freeze well. If you decide to use portabella mushrooms, or
fresh tomatoes for kabobs, please refrigerate, but don’t freeze them.
Each recipe is put together “dump” style. Mix It Up hint: Line drinking
glasses with gallon size freezer zip bags. “Dump” the ingredients
assembly line style in each bag. Each marinade recipe will flavor and
tenderize 1 ½- 3 pounds of meat.
Enjoy the bonus recipes!
Sassy BBQ Marinade
This recipe debuted at our very first marinade
exchange. We had to search all over for Thai Chili Sauce. Look in the
Asian food aisle of your grocery store. It is usually just called Chili
Sauce or even Chili Garlic Sauce. If you can only find the one with
garlic, just reduce the minced garlic by half. It is a bit spicy, so you
can adjust it to your families preferences. Wonderful on all types of
meat.
Click here to
view/print
this recipe!
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade marinade! Katie Sosalla
brought this recipe to our second marinade exchange. The flavors are
wonderful and delicious on chicken -- no more blah chicken on the grill!
Lemonade concentrate, celery seed, Worcestershire sauce, and minced
garlic. Delish! Don't forget to find the jars of minced garlic in your
grocer's produce section. We had one marinade exchanger who didn't know
about minced garlic and chopped 30 cloves for the exchange! Make up a
few batches of this and divide that giant bag of frozen chicken breasts
into the marinade. Also works well with fish and pork.
Click here to
view/print
this recipe!
I'll never forget the look on the cashier's face
when I got to the counter with 9 tubes of anchovy paste. I know that
anchovy paste sounds awful -- but it adds depth and richness to this
recipe -- think of your favorite Caesar salad. You could leave it out,
but it just won't be the same. Why not make one batch and test it out?
The buttermilk in this recipe tenderizes the chicken. Grill up a few
extra chicken breasts, slice them up and freeze them in 1 cup portions
-- perfect for pulling out for a delicious Caesar chicken salad. Also
works well on fish.
Click here to
view/print
this recipe!
Black Dog Marinade
Why is it named this? We don't know! Annie Tuttle contributed this
recipe. She recommend chicken breasts, but Stephanie likes to have
steaks marinated in it. While the steak is still partially frozen, slice
very thinly and use with fresh mixed vegetables for a delicious
stir-fry.
Click here to
view/print
this recipe!
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WEBSITE NEWS FROM NANCI
New Shipment of Freezer Cooking Manuals is Here!! This makes
60,000!!
Do you own an updated version of our
Freezer
Cooking Manual? If you're still using an older version - or
WORSE YET - if you don't own a
manual
at all, now's the time. The
manual
is the freezer cook's Bible. It teaches you HOW to freezer cook. Once
you read the
manual,
you'll be amazed at how much more sense our whole website makes. The
manual includes:
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- 65+ Delicious Freezer Recipes
- Nutritional Information for all Recipes
- Multiplication Chart for Quantity Recipes 250+ Equivalents
- Time Saving Worksheets
- Indispensable Tally Sheet
- Cooking Tips & Practical Advice
- Master Mixes
- Convenient Side Dishes
- Delicious Snacks & Desserts
This is our 4th edition and by far the best yet. So if your old edition
is dog-eared and full of cooking day spill stains OR if you haven't
bought a manual yet,
click here
to order now. Manuals are $14.95 for one, $12.95 for 2-9 and only $11.95
each for 10 or more
Any freelancers out there?
I'm looking for a few freelancers who might be interested in writing and
submitting articles about 30 Day Gourmet. E-mail me and we'll talk.
Invite your friends!
Please forward our newsletter to your friends and invite them to join
our yahoo group. If you are on other cooking newsletter groups, feel
free to mention us. And don't forget - you can always read the
newsletter from the website if that's easier.
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MESSAGE BOARD UPDATES
The message
boards have been very popular this month!
The "Where
is everyone from?" post continues to be a favorite! Please
introduce yourself if you haven't... we'd love to meet you!
The
Special Diets category has been busy! Check out the new posts
and diet-friendly recipes.
Are you part of a large group at your church that cooks together as a
ministry for those in need?
Check out this post for inspiration and ideas, or to share your
experience.
Check out the rest of the message boards when you get a chance… they are
a great source of ideas, recipes, tips, and encouragement! If you have
any questions about the message boards, please email me! You can reach
me at tammy@30daygourmet.com.
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CONTEST
WINNERS
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Our winner this month is Myrna Matulevich with her recipe for "Whatever
Scones". This is a versatile recipe with lots of options, not only for
freezing, but for flavors too. Which is why they're called "Whatever
Scones"... they are whatever flavor you choose to add!
I made blueberry scones as I had a bush full of ripe blueberries in the
backyard. Myrna said in her comments that this recipes was "easier to
make and clean up than muffins, but just as tasty." We love muffins at
my house, so I wanted to try the scones recipe to see how it compared.
The scones have a drier texture than the "Tara's Favorite Muffins"
recipe I use, but everyone at my house really liked them. We ate them
plain, but you could easily split them and add some butter like you
might do to a muffin. And I agree with Myrna that they are easier to
make and clean up than muffins!
The recipe calls for 1/2 C. of dried, fresh or frozen fruit. Use that as
a starting point. We like lots of fruit, so mine (in the picture above)
have almost 1 C. of fresh blueberries. Adjust the amount of fruit based
on how you like it. Our favorite muffins are chocolate chip ones, so I
had to try some scones with mini-chocolate chips as well! I used
cinnamon instead of ginger, and 1/2 C. of mini-chocolate chips was
plenty. Everyone liked that flavor too! I would probably use cinnamon
with chopped apples too. And maybe sprinkle the top with a
cinnamon-sugar mixture instead of just sugar? Let your taste decide!
Let's meet Myrna:
I work full time as a teacher during the school
year, and 30 D.G. helps me keep from going through the drive-thru 2 or 3
times a week. During the summers I stay home and recharge my batteries
with my 2 kids, age 13 and 8. I am a classic mini-session person, I
usually choose a recipe I like, and make one for dinner, plus 2 or 3
more meals for the freezer, at the same time. I have a favorite poem
that was in an Amish cookbook (one of those fundraiser favorite recipe
cookbooks) and is attributed to 'Author Unknown' that also describes me
pretty well - I like to experiment:
RECIPE EXCHANGE
I didn't have potatoes so I substituted rice
I didn't have paprika so I used another spice.
I didn't have tomato sauce so I used tomato paste,
A whole can - not a half can - I don't believe in waste.
A friend gave me the recipe,
She said you couldn't beat it.
There must be something wrong with her -
I couldn't even eat it.
Click here to
view/print the July Recipe
of the Month!
You too can get
in on the winning! Just post your favorite freeze-able recipe on the
message boards. Congratulations, Myrna!
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FREEZER COOK OF THE MONTH CONTEST
WINNER
Our winner this
month is Jori Maguire. Below is the email she sent me. It just reminds
me again how thankful I need to be that no one in my family has
allergies that I have to work with when I cook!
I have been freezer cooking for about 4 years now
and have always loved the ease in which dinner gets on the table every
night. Okay, most nights! But where it has really proved to be the most
rewarding is in feeding my 6 year old son, Riley. He has asthma and
life-threatening food allergies to eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, most
legumes, seeds and shellfish. We are currently shopping with a list of
approximately 120 ingredients that he may not consume in any form. I
have had to learn a new way of cooking with his multiple diagnoses of
allergies and freezer cooking has been right there beside me.
My previous knowledge of the "freezability" of most baked goods has
allowed me to have a "safe" treat at a moments notice when my son is
invited to a friend's house or the teacher calls to say that they will
be having a party at school. Using the worksheets from the 30DG manual
has helped me create some of our own recipes in larger size batches
without making mistakes with costly ingredients. Having a full freezer
means that I can be with him in the hospital (as I had to twice this
winter) and know that my husband and daughter were well-fed. It also
means that I can enjoy the privilege of "escaping" with my kids for an
afternoon and not be worrying about getting back in time to make dinner.
We always have at least a few meals that only require heating and a
quick salad or vegetable and we are set. I am able to bless my husband
by being frugal with his salary so that I am able to continue being a
stay at home mom to my children.
I find that my eyes have filled with tears of joy as I write this. It
sounds silly, but freezer cooking, as I have learned it through 30 Day
Gourmet, has become a ministry by which I can serve my family.
So, how do you
make 30 Day Gourmet work for you? How do you use it to help you deal
with a challenge in your life? How do you use it to help others? Email
me at tammy@30daygourmet.com
to be entered in our contest. Congratulation, Jori!
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GOURMET Q&A
| Q. |
My newsletter has been coming through with weird
print and is hard to read. Any suggestions? Sherry |
| A. |
We've gotten a couple similar
comments from people. The majority of stuff 30 Day Gourmet does is
in Comic Sans font. So I was being consistent with that when I did
the News. It's a pretty basic font, or so I thought. Apparently
everyone's computer is set differently as to how they display the
different fonts. One of the options as I put the News together is to
use a "default font" and "default" font size. Which means that your
computer decides what font to use to display the News when you pull
it up. So I've started using that, which should take care of this
problem for those of you who were having it. And if you haven't been
having a problem like this, it still could change the look of the
News for you. But this step should make it easier for everyone to
read their newsletter! |
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COOKIN' AT THE KEYBOARD
WITH SHELLEY
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I have experienced a new dimension in raising children. Our oldest
daughter is driving! Although our state doesn’t require a licensed
driver to complete an approved driver education course, Sarah started
class this week.
It’s not that she doesn’t already drive well, or that my husband and I
felt we couldn’t teach her adequately. Driving lessons are just so time
consuming! And without a doubt, nothing can replace a structured and
thorough outline given by an experienced teacher.
These are the same reasons that I’ve included several tutorials in the
“Advantage Cooking” help menu. It’s not that you can’t use a computer,
or that you couldn’t learn the software on your own, or that the manual
isn’t easy to read. It’s just more time consuming!
To find the tutorials, click “Help” on the top menu bar, and select
“Contents”. Resize the tutorial window so that it is side-by-side with
the Advantage Cooking screen. This allows you to read the tutorial
instructions in one window and practice the exercises in the other.
Just like driver’s training, nothing can replace the tutorials, written
by the very person who created the software, to get you safely cruisin’
down the road!
If you haven’t tried our Advantage Cooking software,
click here
for a 30 day free trial or to order your own copy.
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CONSULTANT NEWS
September Retreat is
Coming Up!
Our 30 Day Gourmet consultants are havin' a party! This fall we'll
all be getting together here in Indianapolis for some fun, some training
and lots of idea-swapping. If you're a consultant and aren't a part of
our yahoo group, send me an e-mail so that I can fill you in on all of
the details.
WELCOME NEW CONSULTANTS
We've had several consultants join our ranks in the past few months.
Here are their names and cities. When their websites are ready, we'll
publish those too.
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Nonja Hayden - Las Vegas,
Nevada
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Cari Loschen - Wilcox,
Nebraska
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Lisa Loepker - West
Lafayette, Indiana
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Linda Emshoff - Rochelle,
Illinois
Interested in becoming a consultant?
Click here for more info.
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30 DAY GOURMET IN
THE NEWS
HomeLife
Magazine - I have an as yet unconfirmed report that we got a
mention/recommendation (I'm not sure what) in HomeLife Magazine. This is
a publication that goes out primarily to Southern Baptist families
(about 500,000 of them). If anyone has seen a copy, could you
send me an e-mail and
let me know what the article says? Thanks!
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FINAL
THOUGHTS
Hope you've enjoyed another edition of our Newsletter.
We enjoy putting it together for you! If you have any
ideas of topics you'd like to see us cover in an
upcoming month, please let me know! If you have any
questions for the Q&A section, please send them to me
too. Email me at
tammy@30daygourmet.com
with any questions, ideas, suggestions or problems. I
enjoy hearing from you all!
Hope you have a great rest-of-the-month, and we’ll be
talking again soon!
Tammy
30 Day Gourmet
P.O. Box 272
Brownsburg, IN 46112
www.30DayGourmet.com
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