Crock Pot Freezer Meals #2 & #3

Ranch Chicken and Italian Chicken Dinners

I made both of these at the same time, just a few ingredients and they are ready for the freezer!  You can substitute whatever veggies you might like and add as much meat as you need for your size family.  I have 5 children so I tend to go big on meals, but you can make this a dinner for 2 by adjusting the ingredients.

Ranch Chicken

6 chicken breasts cut in half

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 packet ranch dressing seasoning

5 large potatoes diced

Place all ingredients in a gallon freezer bag.  Seal getting as much air out as possible.  Place in freezer and forget it!  On cooking day, place contents of bag in your crock pot.  Cook on low for 5-6 hours or until chicken is no longer pink and potatoes are tender.  Enjoy!  I like to serve this with a side salad and breadsticks. 

Italian Chicken

6 chicken breasts cut in half

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 packet italian dressing seasoning

1 can green beans drained

1 1/2 cups mini carrots

Wide noodles cooked to package instructions

Place all ingredients except noodles in a gallon freezer bag. Seal getting as much air out as possible. Place in freezer and forget it!  On cooking day, place contents of bag in your crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or until chicken is no longer pink and carrots are tender.  Serve over cooked wide noodles.  Enjoy! 



Crock Pot Freezer Meal #1

Forgotten Jambalaya

Here is a recipe that my family loves and the best part of it is that you get to forget about it!  I love my crock pot and when I first tried this recipe I knew it was a keeper.  When I started seeing freezer recipes on the internet I searched and searched for ones that sound good and that my family will eat.  After no real luck, I decided to change some of my favorites into freezer recipes.  Here is the first recipe of what will surely be more!

Ingredients

1 can (14-1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (14-1/2 oz) beef or chicken broth

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

2 medium green peppers, chopped

1 medium red pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

3 celery ribs, chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

3 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

2 teaspoons dried basil

1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1-1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 pound smoked sausage, halved and cut into 1/4-inch slices

Optional - 1/2 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Hot cooked rice

Directions

In a gallon freezer bag add cubed chicken breasts and sliced smoked sausage.  Next add tomato paste, garlic, parsley, basil, oregano, salt, cayenne pepper and hot pepper sauce to the bag.  Next, add green peppers, red pepper, onion and celery to the bag.  Seal the bag removing as much air as possible.  Freeze it add forget it!  Save diced tomatoes, broth and shrimp for the day of cooking.

In a 5-qt. or larger slow cooker, place frozen jambalaya.  Pour diced tomatoes and broth over top. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in shrimp. Cover and cook 15-30 minutes longer or until shrimp turn pink. Serve with rice. Makes about 11 servings.

This recipe has been adapted for freezer use from the original Taste of Home recipe.



2012...the year of destashing!!!

Really, who knew that destash was even a word?  Well, with that being said, it is a big word at my house this year.  After cleaning and reorganizing I was left with the overwhelming conclusion that I have way too much crafting supplies.  It didn't help that my husband agreed saying, "How can one person have so much stuff?"  Yeah, I know, right?  Well, I am the queen of leapfrog crafting.  Every time I see a new idea I have to try it, even if that means buying all the supplies to do it.  Then after I've accomplished the craft, away the supplies go, into the crazy mess of totes, drawers and bins that are taking over my house! 

I know that I am not the only one with this obsession for everything crafty, you are out there too, my sisters in crime.  So, this year is the year of destashing!  Yes, that means getting rid of all those things you have so lovingly kept over all these years.  Do you really need all that stuff anyway?  Besides, doesn't that just mean you will have more room for new stashable items?  No!  The point is to get rid of it, not make room for more!  What were you thinking? 

So, here is my destash idea for today.  Crochet!  I have crocheted forever.  It seems that way anyway.  My grandmother taught me when I was young, making covered wire hangers with a simple single crochet stitch.  I picked it up again when I was pregnant with my second child, now 17 years old.  So, when I recently opened my Etsy shop, did I have crocheted items?  Of course not!  Why?  Well, who knows what goes through my mind sometimes...if anything.

Now, when I talk about crochet and stashes, you must realize that I have the mother of all yarn stashes.  And with the loss of my granny, I inherited the grandmother of all yarn stashes!  Everything from chunky yarn, thin doily type yarn, soft baby yarn, and even sock yarn.  This stash fills 4 large totes plus whatever extra yarn is hidden in a basket here and a drawer there.  Easily over 100 gallons of yarn.  I could probably crochet a cozy for my house if I wanted to, which would be an idea to cut down on heating costs.  Well, I really don't have that much free time so I thought I would stick with something smaller and make sleeves for coffee cups.

I saw a few really cute patterns for sleeves, and I thought how cute...and easy!  So today is the day.  DESTASH!!!  You can do it too!

Welcome to my Blog

Valentine's Day is only 1 week away!  I thought I would use my mad craft skills to make this heart shaped decoration just for the occasion!

I used a 12 inch 3-wire wreath frame as a base for this heart.  I then cut strips, and strips...and more strips out of a very large piece of vintage pink material.  After I had all the strips cut, I tied, and tied...and tied the strips to the frame.  Wow, you would be surprised how many strips it takes.  Next time I will count the strips!  I tied a length of sheer ribbon to the frame and viola!!!