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Chewin'the NewsJanuary 2006 |
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by Carol Santee, Nanci Slagle, Shelley Miller and Tammy Davis
FREEZER COOKING NEWS FROM NANCI COOKIN' AT THE KEYBOARD WITH SHELLEY NOTES FROM TAMMY (COMING SOON) Click here to view Tammy's section from November BONUS RECIPES MESSAGE BOARD UPDATES
FINAL THOUGHTS FROM TAMMY
Happy New Year, everyone! It's hard to believe that another year has gone by so quickly. Where does all the time go? It sure gives you a dose of perspective on your life and where it is headed. I'm not normally one to set New Year's resolutions but the older I get the more important it seems set goals for where you are headed. This year I have decided to set some long-term goals for myself. In the past I've learned that goals need to be something that is very important in your life. I've also learned that changes in habits can take a while to take hold and you have to be patient (patience is something I'm always working on!). Here are some of the areas that I am going to work on this year:
Last month I mentioned that I was going to focus on comfort foods in
this month's newsletter. I don't know if you've noticed but a lot of
comfort foods are full of carbohydrates and fat. This will not work with
a goal of eating healthier in the New Year. There is one food that I
think qualifies as a comfort food on a cold winter's night. How about a
hot bowl of soup, a hearty salad and some fresh baked bread? When
planning my winter menu I always include a soup and salad night. It's
one of my favorite dinners of the week.
This soup is one of my family's favorite soups. One of our local grocery stores will occasionally have precooked meatballs for seventy-five cents a pound. You cannot make homemade meat balls for that price! And it makes this recipe even easier to make. The broth is rich and thick and full of vegetables. Give it a try!
Click here to view/print this recipe!
My mom and Dad have a large vegetable garden and they gave us a whole box of extra potatoes. I created this recipe to use up some of the potatoes so they would not go to waste. I'm also going to try some Twice Baked Potatoes. There are some great ideas on the Cook's Corner and Shelley's recipe from the October 2005 Chewin' the News newsletter. We also love Loaded Baked Potato Soup for lunches.
Click here to view/print this recipe!
January Recipe of the
Month... Oriental Sesame Chicken Strips
Our winner this month is Zanne from Port Townsend, WA, with her recipe for Oriental Sesame Chicken Strips. My whole family loved this recipe. I had chicken breast tenders that I bought on sale. That made the recipe even easier to make. If you don't want to broil them, you can cook them in a skillet on the stove instead. This method works great!
Let's hear from Zanne:
Click here to view/print the January recipe of the Month.
Congratulations Zanne! Thank you for posting this wonderful recipe. You too can get in on the winning! Just post your favorite freeze-able recipe on the message boards.
FREEZER COOK OF THE MONTH CONTEST WINNER Our winner this month is Kim from Surprise, AZ. Read how 30 Day Gourmet has helped make her life simpler and gave her more free time with her family.
Kim says:
We are glad you got up the courage to try a one month cooking session. It can be a challenge but it is well worth the effort.
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?
Do you have a funny cooking story to share? Email me at
carol@30daygourmet.com to
be entered in our contest.
I hope you
enjoy the soup recipes! There is nothing like a
steaming hot bowl of soup on a cold winter's night.
Add a tossed salad and warm, fresh bread and you have
a wonderful, homey meal. That's the best in comfort
food!
FREEZER COOKING NEWS FROM NANCI
Happy New Year everyone!
This recipe came from an online newsletter that I get from allrecipes.com. My husband loves bratwurst but we tend to only eat them in the summer when the grill isn't covered with snow. This was a great wintertime treat for him. Definitely a keeper!
Click here to view/print this recipe!
Allrecipes is home to over 400 crock pot recipes.
Click here
to visit their complete collection.
I love ordering this at restaurants but had never tried making it myself. Wow - it's easy! The hardest part is slicing the onions. Click here to read all kinds of crazy ideas (from wearing swimming goggles to keeping your tongue out the whole time) for dealing with the tears. Serve with a slice of homemade bread or the $1 per loaf French bread from Walmart. Yummy!
Click here to view/print this recipe!
Most soup recipes freeze great. Check out the ones on our website.
There are also soup recipes in our cookbooks:
30 Day
Gourmet had a great holiday season. The word seems to
be getting out about how great freezer cooking can be.
Don't forget birthdays and "just because" gifts too.
Valentine's Day is coming up! If you'd rather have an
apron than a box of chocolates (I know - that's a
tough one) just tell your hubby about our website.
We have several new
consultants who have joined us recently. Please welcome:
Enjoy the rest of January! Fill those freezers! You'll be so glad that you did. I did a mini cooking day for just a few hours last week when I was putting soups in the freezer and ended up with 13 meals - wow!
COOKIN' AT THE KEYBOARD WITH SHELLEY
Big Rocks So, how are the resolutions coming? Being a "goal-setting" kind of girl, New Year's Resolutions are right up my alley. Unfortunately, by the end of January, my resolve is running low. But the following illustration helps me regain my focus.
"An expert in time management was addressing a class of business students. To illustrate his point, he pulled out a one gallon, wide mouthed Mason jar and set it on the table. He then proceeded to fill it with fist-sized rocks. When no more rocks would fit into the jar, he asked the class, 'Is the jar full?' The class, somewhat uncertain, nodded their heads 'Yes.'
From under the table the man pulled out a bucket of gravel and poured it into the jar. He shook it into the open spaces between the big rocks and asked once more, 'Is the jar full?' Hesitantly, one young man responded, 'Probably not.' Again reaching under the table, the man brought out a bucket of sand. As he dumped it into the jar, everyone watched the sand trickle into the empty spaces. Once more he asked the question, 'Is the jar full?' Noticing the pattern, the class responded together, 'No!'
Grabbing a pitcher of water, the expert poured the water into the jar until it was filled to the brim. Looking at the class with a smile on his face, he asked, 'What is the point of my illustration?' After some thought, one student offered, 'The point is: No matter how full your schedule is, you can always fit more things into it, if you really try!' Smiling, the teacher replied, 'No. The point is: If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all.'"
Like the Mason jar, every day will be filled with things of relative importance: rocks, gravel, sand, and water. So dust off those resolutions that have been covered up by a month's worth of activities and distractions. Take a moment to contemplate the list, and then pick the most important one. See your goal as a big rock in your "Mason-jar day" and drop it in...before it's too late. Remember: "If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all."
My husband and I put two coupons in the Valentine cards to our daughters. One is good for "A Date with Mom", and the second can be redeemed for "A Date with Dad". The dates aren't expensive; with five daughters, that equates to ten separate outings in the next month! I usually go to Starbuck's for a long talk over hot chocolate. Last year, I was buying cards and printing coupons the night before Valentine's Day. This year, the cards and coupons have been classified as Big Rocks for next week. If you're planning ahead for Valentine's Day, here's a couple of recipes to put in the freezer so you're ready for the big event.
These bars have a butterscotch flavor that adds a twist to the traditional candy bar taste. Make them, freeze them, and serve them chilled. Yum!
Click here to view/print/import this recipe!
I made this bread at Christmas, but it works for Valentine's as well. The cherries, coconut, and almond flavor are a unique combination. Delicious!
Click here to view/print/import this recipe!
Before You Shop The Advantage Cooking software is such a great tool! When it comes to planning a cooking day, I hardly have to think anymore. It takes only minutes to create a new "Cooking Day" and select the recipes I want to prepare. With one click of the mouse, the Grocery Report is printed and I'm on my way to the store. Before grabbing my keys, there are three things that I always remember to do:
By using the software, I find myself conquering the aisles at the grocery store before it's necessary to look at the recipes I'm cooking. Adding a few practical steps, in the right order, gives me an even greater "Advantage!"
Download a trial version of the software! It's free!
I received this email last month from another 30 Day Gourmet cook:
Read the "Fast and Furious" software tip!
Until we talk again next month, make those Big Rocks a priority before the opportunity disappears! You'll be glad you did.
Shelley
NOTES FROM TAMMY (COMING SOON) Click here to view Tammy's section from last month BONUS RECIPES MESSAGE BOARD UPDATES FINAL THOUGHTS FROM TAMMY
P.O. Box 272
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This page was last updated on
Monday, August 04, 2008.
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