Today I started off with cooking about 6 pounds of white beans. It will be a big side for supper and portioned out for several sides for the freezer.
Beans are way cheaper to cook up from dry and make a great main dish or side, especially if you're running low on veggies.
I also made a double batch of these Peanut Butter and Granola Bites (using what I had on hand) for the freezer. (They are more salty than sweet, especially if you use natural peanut butters.)
I flash froze them on this tray, then placed in Ziplocs. They are to be served chilled so I figure they will be good to eat in minutes from the freezer.
I made more Nourishing Ginger Ale too- mmmm!
I flash froze them on this tray, then placed in Ziplocs. They are to be served chilled so I figure they will be good to eat in minutes from the freezer.
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Tonight I made 2 dozen Vanilla Kefir Muffins and froze 2/3 of them.
I made a few small ones for snack and froze the giant ones for those "grab and go" kinda days (times 3).
Snacks and 'quick fixes' are one of the hardest things for us moms. I'm loving this freezer challenge and trying to hit this area the hardest!
I made some pinto beans in my pressure cooker for the brown bag burritos. I hadn't made dry beans for a while but now I have many bags in the freezer for later.
ReplyDeleteI will have to try the breakfast cookies the look good. We like to freeze muffing too but they don't last very long my sons loves them he asks for them often.
Shelly,
ReplyDeleteI HAVE to get some wraps to try those burritos!
Muffins don't last long around here either. They are often; snack, dessert, and maybe breakfast ;-)
Love the Breakfast Cookies when we're in a pinch for time or something hurried comes up.
Great idea I'm plannin on doing the same really soon when things calm down. I've got some sick littles, one getting over it one right in the midst and one I think might be just catching it. Plus we've been trying to get our beans stuck as well. Your food looks great as always you are a wonderful cook!
ReplyDeleteJoy
Thank you Joy!
ReplyDeleteI'm enjoying this challenge at MSM's. I hope your littles are feeling better right away!
Could you tell me how you do your dried beans from beginning to freezer method?
ReplyDeleteThank!
Jen
www.beachmonkeys.net
Jen,
ReplyDeleteIt's simple really :)
I rinse my beans, soak them over night in water with a about 1/4 cup of lemon juice. The next morning, I drain and rinse, cover them with water and cook until they're tender. I allow them to cool some, usually serving some right away. Then I measure them out with some of the 'juice' into freezer safe containers. I have different things I use them for so I measure out different amounts; 2 cups, 4 cups, and more for chili.
Sometimes I will cook my beans with a leftover ham bone in them for flavor; cooking til any meat left on the bone falls off into the beans and removing before serving. (I always keep my ham bones at Christmas and other occasions, just for beans!)
It's also popular down here in the south among "the old timers" to cook beans (particularly pinto) with a piece of fat-back or salt pork as well.
There are a gazillion ways to season beans, but when I'm preparing them for the freezer, I prefer to keep them to the plain side and season them according to the dish that I use them in.
Hope this covers everything!
Blessings!
-Donna-