For Christmas, my mom got me a Ninja 3-in-1 slow cooker. This is no ordinary slow cooker, it has stove top, oven, steam and slow cooker options. Not to mention this appliance has an automatic warming function, which means I can be away for the day without something overcooking. I can set a dish for 5 hours, and then it turns to warm. This really helps me, because modern slow cookers don’t cook very slowly, and I find being gone all day doesn’t work for many recipes.
My sister is visiting for Christmas, and she is a vegetarian. Well, sort of a vegetarian. She eats bacon, but who can blame her? Bacon rules. Not only does she not eat meat, but she is a tad particular, so I’m always excited when I make something she loves. Tonight I made broccoli cheese soup, and she gave it a thumbs-up. My kids love it too, and so will yours.
This summer I got blackberries for 50 cents a pint, so of course I bought countless boxes. I dehydrated some, and froze what ever didn’t get eaten. My kids had purple smiles and seeds in their teeth for days. I love cooking fruit in savory dishes, so I decided to get creative with my frozen stash.
Aldi has boneless, skinless chicken breasts this week for $1.49 a pound. Yippeee!!! That is the lowest I have ever paid. You must stock up at this price. But instead of just freezing them just plain, freeze some in marinade. Also, freeze some pre-cooked and shredded for a quick dinner. You can also grill some of the chicken and freeze.
So this isn’t really a recipe, but more like an idea. I’m all about making your own convenience foods, from seasoning blends, to packaged frozen vegetables you prep yourself. I’ve posted about homemade sausage crumbles before, which we use all the time. With these beef crumbles, it doesn’t pay for me to grind my own beef, as I get 90 percent lean ground beef at Costco for $3.16 a pound.
