Let's Get To This Catching Up

February 4 was Homemade Soup Day. I wasn't going to do Butternut Squash Soup even though it was in "A Season of Family Meal Plans" by Jordan Page because it was Fast Sunday and sometimes I don't do so well with my energy making dinner on Fast Sunday. But I asked Jeremy and he said he was interested in trying a new taste (we've had a lot of new tastes with these books and we're only on volume 1) so I made the Viral, No Knead Rustic Bread in advance and made the soup that day. It was worth it. Jeremy really liked it.

 

We had some rolls in the freezer that I was able to get out for the next night's dinner, Smoky BBQ Beef Sandwiches. We used pork.

Here's what I've been doing as far as shelf cooking. First, pork roast is cheaper than beef roast so I sub pork for beef. Second, I usually only need about half a roast for these recipes so I use what I need for the current recipe (which often is used for more recipes in the same week) and look at another recipe in the future that would use the other half. I cook it up according the future recipe and freeze it until it's needed. Handy.

 

Another thing I'm doing with shelf cooking with these books, whatever I want. Combine recipes from one meal with recipes from another meal.

I made Sour Cream & Bacon Skillet Chicken but instead of the Classic Creamy Mashed Potatoes that is paired with it in the book, I made Crispy Mashed Potatoes again like Week 1 except with a different type of potatoes this time. I can do what I want.

Then of course there are the tried and true recipes I use. February 7 was Fettuccine Alfredo Day. I made spaghetti alfredo (#shelfcooking) because we didn't have fettuccine. I used the Guiltless Alfredo Sauce recipe from ourbestbites.com and it was so good. We've been using this recipe for years and it's our favorite alfredo recipe. Better than the jarred stuff Jeremy says.

 

February 7 was also Ballet Day. Nichole made this cute picture to celebrate.

 

We used more pork for more sandwiches, this time with hamburger buns I made, with sides of Adirondack Beans and Jojo Potatoes. Yumm.

OK. That's enough catching up for this post.