Freezer Meals

Hey Friends, here's the much anticipated freezer meals I made last week. I pulled recipes from multiple sites, so I will put the link to their page at the beginning of each set of recipes. I in total spent about $80, granted I did not buy every necessary ingredient, like all the spices. I kinda make shifted it... and I'm terrible at following the directions anyhow!

We have tried one of the meals, the hawaiian chicken and it was ok. I think you have to be careful what kind of sauces you buy. I forgot to pay attention to the sodium so it was definitely too salty for me! 

Here Goes:

1. Gather your recipes. I pasted them all into a word document. I then opened a second word document and put the two files side by side so I could add items to my grocery list while I read over the recipes. I tried to find recipes that had similar ingredients and were simple.

2. Label your gallon zip locks with morning of instructions and cook time. Most the websites I read recommend putting the bag in the fridge the night before you want to cook it. I may just lay it out on the counter or run hot water over it to loosen the contents and then put it in the crockpot. My days are longer than the time frame some of the recipes call for, so I am hoping putting them in frozen will lengthen cooking time. 

3. Go shopping. I went to 2 stores. Our local Sprouts (=cheaper New Seasons) and Costco for meat.

4. Start Chopping. Some websites suggest going meal by meal others cut up everything and then bagged it. You be the judge of this I kind of did a mix.

5. Add your veggies, seasonings, meat and then liquids. 

6. Push all the air out of the bag and lay flat to freeze.

Here are the recipes I used.

Two Bean Beef Crock Pot Chili Recipe-- http://j3nn.net/blog/2011/05/16/bean-there-ate-that/

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef --> I used ground turkey because I already had it

2 cans precooked beans of choice, drained

3 to 4 cans diced canned tomatoes with liquid (or plain tomato sauce, or mixture of both)

1 large white onion, diced

1 TBSP olive oil

Salt + pepper to taste

Cumin to taste, approx. 2 teaspoons or to taste

Chili powder to taste (approx. 1/4 cup)

1 teaspoon sugar, optional

Garlic powder to taste

Garlic salt, optional

Cayenne pepper, approx. 1/2 teaspoon or to taste

Method:

•   In nonstick skillet, cook onions in olive oil until softened; add to crock pot. *Important to cook down onions before adding in tomatoes which could hamper cooking.

•   Add in all other ingredients, break beef up with spoon; cook on medium-high for 4-6 hours or until beef is cooked thoroughly. Stir every so often.

Makes approx. 8-12 servings

These recipes came from http://ashleynoelbarnes.blogspot.com/2013/05/10-freezer-to-crockpot-meals.html?m=1

creamy italian chicken

in the bag: 

4 chicken breasts

1 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 can cream of chicken

1 dry packet of italian seasoning

to cook: 

cook on low for 4-6 hours

chicken fajitas

in the bag: 

2 green peppers 

1 onion

3 chicken breasts

1/2 cup chicken broth

taco seasoning packet

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

to cook: 

cook on low for 5-6 hours

shred meat and serve on tortillas

honey rosemary chicken

in the bag: 

4 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup honey 

1/3 cup olive oil 

3 tbs rosemary, chopped

1 tsp salt

to cook: 

cook on low for 6-8 hours

I found these recipes on Ring Around The Rosie- http://www.ringaroundtherosies.net/2012/02/freezer-cooking.html

Beef Bean Stew- Makes 2 bags

*Remember think about the kind of tomato sauce or the kind of teriyaki sauce. I am a propionate of glass containers over cans due to BPA. 

Teriyaki Chicken-Makes 2 bags

Shopping list

19 chicken breasts--used 1 bag of frozen chicken breasts from costco

1 lb ground turkey

4lbs stewing beef

2 sweet potatoes --instead of the called for red potatoes in the stew

4 onion

red onion

Carrots

celery

2 green peppers

8oz cream cheese

1 can cream of chicken

1 dry packet Italian seasoning

2 can pineapple

1 15oz tomato sauce

teriyaki sauce

1 can tomato paste

4 cans diced tomatoes

rosemary

2 cups beans my choice- I used dried, but it calls for canned--your choice

10 oz lima beans

Garlic

Chicken broth

Taco seasoning

Tapioca

Items I already had on hand:

tapioca

seasonings

brown sugar

vinegar

honey

olive oil

 Like I mentioned I used what I had in the way of seasonings so they are not on the list. 

The provided links are WONDERFUL resources! Check them out!  

This made us 9 meals which came to about $9 a meal. For just the two of us we definitely had enough for leftovers. 

GOOD LUCK!

--Melissa Delight

Ruffles and Gobbles

Here's what I would have been entering into this week's SYTYC contest!

It's never to early to start prepping for the holidays! When given the ruffle challenge on SYTYC I really wanted to do something original. Everything ruffle clothes related seemed "been there done that" and home decor I felt the same about. Given the events of last week going to the craft store was the last thing I needed to do, so I chose to use scraps. I did need pins, a Styrofoam egg and a Styrofoam dome, which my amazing guy, bless his heart, grabbed for me at Hobby Lobby. You know you found the right guy when even that doesn't stop him!

Here's my Ruffled Thanksgiving Turkey...Gobble!


 Here's what you need + scissors + your machine {it is possible to ruffle by hand}

 

Cut your fall fabrics into strips and ruffle them along one edge:

  

From the back before the final "feathers" went on:

 

 
Pin your ruffled strips on. I tried to put my pins in a place they would be hidden by a fold or a feather.

 

Add ruffles to your egg head. Don't forget the "gobbler" part and use a toothpick with some glue to attach the two together. 

 

 

You know, he's pretty darn cute, I could eat him! But we'll save that for the real turkey! Now where to store him until Thanksgiving :)

<3 Melissa Delight

Sad News

Sadly my time has come to an end on So You Think You're Crafty. I had fun challenging myself with the different themes. Thank you Missy for getting me involved and to Tauni for always answering my questions swiftly. I have lots to keep me busy between wedding projects, starting my new job as a labor and delivery nurse and getting healthy. For those that didn't know I had a hernia repair June 7th and have had nothing but complications since, an allergic reaction to the glue and then a fluid collection requiring an ER visit and drain placement. Thankful for the ability to use crafting as a distraction! Follow my blog to see the exciting projects that will come to life for our wedding! You know a DIY girl will have lots of personal touches at her own wedding. :)

Here's a sneak peek at what I was working on for ruffle week!

<3 Melissa Delight

Whiskey Fire Pit Tutorial

Hello all! Wow, two weeks in a row! Thank you to everyone who voted for my Whiskey Fire Pit. I can tell you the more I worked on it the more I smiled. I also must thank my handsome guy for doing all the lifting! My simple hernia repair has not been so simple!

Alright let's do this!

Supplies:
Whiskey barrel halved
10" aluminum flashing (I believe mine was 10' with some leftover)
2 High heat spray paint cans
Fire Bowl
Charcoal or fire wood
Drill
Lava rocks
3 anchor bolts


I hunted Craigslist to find the fire bowl, which came with the tile surround. I hadn't original had the tile portion in my dreaming, so if you can't find one like that it may still be cool. I had to take apart the stand it came on to get just the parts I wanted.

Play around with your pieces and decide how you want it to sit on the barrel. In the end I chose to put the bowl in first and then the tile surround so it had more support.

Clean the bowl if its used. I used BBQ tools to scrub it. Once dry, spray the bowl and lid, top and bottom with high heat spray paint. It'll look brand new!! {I also think copper paint would be awesome, but alas that wasn't a choice at my Home Depot.} Also scrub the barrel if you want.

There's a plug in the bottom of the barrel. I drilled it out for more airflow. There is also a significant amount of air through the slits in the barrel.

Take your aluminum flashing and mark a line along the top about 2 in down. This will be the guide along the edge of the barrel.

FYI: To make certain the bowl insert wouldn't tip off the barrel I secured it in place using anchor bolts in 3 places around the barrel. This also gave the option for the tile to go on first and sit on the bolts then add the bowl. {This route would make it easier to clean out the bowl, but it isn't quite as pretty so like I said I did the opposite.}

Choose your 3 places for bolts and drill pilot holes. They should be equally spaced around the barrel 1in from the top. Make sure you choose parts in the barrel that look sturdy, so it'll end up being approximately equal.

I used the bolts to secure my flashing. The drill easily cuts the hole for you to match up to the bolt hole. I recommend starting at one bolt and going around instead of pre-drilling. You want your bolt to stick out of the barrel not inside. Now move to the next one, attempt to stay at the 2in line but since its round that's tricky. Cut your aluminum off after the second bolt. Now start again with a second sheet at the same bolt and repeat until all the way around. Using a sharp pair of scissors and GLOVES cut slits in the top that's sticking up all the way around about every 4 in. Fold these down on the barrel edge and tack in place with finishing nails. Trim any excess aluminum or fold it down. BEWARE of the metal it's SHARP once cut!

 

Drink some water that part makes you tired!!

Spray the inside of the barrel with high heat paint- 2 layers.

Assemble your whiskey fire pit where you want it.

Lastly, I wired my anchor bolts to the tile surround.

Choose whether you want to use charcoal or wood. If charcoal put down lava rock for more heat protection.

Light it up!

Disclaimers:

Keep a hose or bucket of water nearby.
Watch your children.
Never leave the fire unattended.
S'mores are quite addictive.

<3 Melissa Delight @Delighted

Pictorial Wall Compass- Around the World

Wouldn't it be fun if we could all just spend our time traveling the world! Sign me up! I have been lucky enough to spend some time traveling. I chose to use photos from my adventures, as well as the adventures of my favorite people to make a PICTORIAL WALL COMPASS.  It's fun to look at when what's on the TV can be quite depressing these days.

I used chalkboard paint for my compass and put a heart in the middle of my direction areas because of my love for adventure. The wood bases were chosen to add a 3D effect which is tricky to see from the photos, but they are 3 different thicknesses. The compass piece is a fence post top :)

There is 1 photo from every continent!! Let me tell you it was difficult to choose just one! I chose to arrange the photos similarly to how they would be seen on a map.

North America- Bend, Oregon My Home Town <3

South America- Argentina My brother studied abroad here.

Europe- Ireland My mom's dream vacation and where she spent her 50th birthday

Africa- Cape Town, South Africa Where my adopted older brother went to college...the first time. Germaine lived with my family when he was an exchange student in high school

Asia- Japan Kurt traveled Japan and fell in love and I had an exchange sister from Japan in high school

Antarctica- Confession I have no idea where this photo is taken BUT it's now on my bucket list of places to go!!

Do you have favorite photos from your world travels?? Make a Pictorial Wall Compass unique to your adventures! 

<3 Melissa Delight

Outdoor Week Winner

Hey all! Thanks for the win this week for outdoor week! I am super excited about my whiskey fire pit. Stay tuned for the tutorial. You'll see it on Tuesday!

<3 Melissa Delight

Squirt Gun Tutorial

Hey Friends here is my tutorial for SQUIRT GUN CURTAINS for kid's week! This was so fun and really pretty easy. 

Supplies:

        Squirt Guns--your choice. I used the 8 pack from Wal-Mart

        Acrylic Paint--Pick out as many as you like for your theme

        1 Sheet--Size is Dependent on Window size

        Curtain Rod

        Coordinating Thread

A few tips: put them in some old clothes and SHOES! Unless you live somewhere where being naked is an option. Also, having more guns than colors of paint is a great idea, they clog up pretty fast. The boys favorite colors to use were the glow in the dark, which they sell in a multitude of colors and also the shimmer-metallic paint.

Step 1: Decide your necessary sheet size. We need the 3 or so inch section that is doubled at the head of the bed for the top of the curtain where the rod will be inserted, so really only pay attention to the width compared to your window.  If you never plan to close the curtains than being slightly smaller is no big deal. I will attach a photo at the bottom of this post of the curtains I made for my living room with 2 twin sheets-not recommended for this project. Although there is ZERO sewing required when you do 2 twin sheets!

For your reference here are the standard flat sheet dimensions.
      Flat Sheet Sizes

• Twin--66 x 96 inches (or 167 x 243 cm)
• X-Long Twin--66 x 102 inches (or 167 x 259 cm)
• Full--81 x 96 inches (or 205 x 243 cm)
• Queen--90 x 102 inches (or 228 x 259 cm)
• King/California King--108 x 102 inches (or 274 x 259 cm)

Step 2: Hang your sheet outside in an area that is cool with being painted :)

Step 3: Fill your squirt guns 2/3 the way with paint and add a splash of water. Have the kids shake them up. Experiment with thickness for your specific squirt guns. The less water the better the color.

Step 4: When you're all done squirting, leave it out to dry while you get cleaned off with the hose.

Step 5:  Turn the sheet into two curtain panels with fun double zigzag stitching on the edges in coordinating thread.

How did I do this you wonder... Once the sheet is painted and dry, throw it in the dryer on high heat to seal in the color (Disclaimer: I did not wash them to test this). Now you're going to cut the sheet down the middle, like you're dividing the bed in half foot to head. The key to cutting is you want the top of the sheet where you put your head to be where the rod goes through so it will be at the ceiling when hung. Choose your stitch for the top and sides. I used a twin needle zigzag in two colors: red and blue. First I stitched the top along the existing stitches in the sheet. Then I stitched the already hemmed edge just for the color effect, again right along the existing stitches. Lastly hem the raw edge, I folded mine over about half an inch. Repeat with the other panel! DONE--Easy right. You can do this with any sheet you find. I have striped ones in my living room :) Pending on your window you'll need to decide on the size sheet to buy. My living room has a wider window so I used 2 twin sheets, for the kids' room I used the queen size.

Step 6: Decide if you need to hem your panels. You could also do this when the sheet is still in one piece... I think the easiest way is to use iron hem tape :)

Step 7: Insert Rod--To allow the rod to go through the top portion of the curtain, cut a little slit next to the hem on either edge. Make sure you only cut it as wide as the rod and ONLY CUT THROUGH THE BACK OF THE FABRIC!!!! You don't want to be able to see your slit in the front. I suppose you could hand stitch reinforce the slits, but I haven't and they work great!

Step 8: Bring in the munchkins for their smiles!

When you hear, "Wow, that's great! I love all the colors!" from a 4 year old you know you've done something right for kids week. I said, "You made that!!" Little man said, "I know!" with a giant smile! The curtains are so fun for their room and the glow paint adds the "stars" element! They kept saying, "Turn off the lights!!"

 

The total cost for this project was $10 for the flat sheet, $1.57 per paint color, $2.99 for squirt guns and then a rod if you don't already have one. I'd suspect most of you have all the supplies on hand already.

Now go gather up the supplies and release the kiddos to make their own room decor. Pillow cases to match would be super fun too! That's next on our list for the boys :)

Thank you to my friend Cassie for letting me borrow her cute kids! And a big THANKS to her parents for letting us paint their yard and still feeding me! Oh, and her dad for getting the rod hung up. {Normally I would do that myself, but I had surgery 10 days before this and am being a good girl and following the doc's instructions, much to my dismay!}

If you make some link up, because I want to see your creativity!! Oh and here's my living room ones. Aren't these awesome sheets and it was even more fantastic that they were on clearance!! SCORE! Confession: I iron tape hemmed them while they were on the rod...lazy or ingenious, you decide!

<3 Melissa Delight