Baking Day has finally come to to close!
The rice was separated in to 6 bags and will be great for dinners, either as a side dish or mixed in with casseroles (and I think I might have a "Casserole/Lasagna Day" in about 2 weeks.
The beans were separated in to 6 bags as well and the plan was to have them last for about 2 weeks...until Brad called me from work and told me that he needs to bring a dish in to work on Friday for a potluck lunch. I guess I'll soak & cook some black beans and kidney beans in the next 2 days to make a 3-bean turkey chili to send with him!
The brownies came out well...the kids are bugging me to try them and I will cut them up after dinner, leave some out for snacks for the next few days and when Brad gets home from work tonight and freeze the rest.
The meatballs are all cooked. I have a sweet & sour sauce that is easy to make and will whip up a quick batch of that later tonight so it will be ready for Brad when he gets home at 11:00pm. The rest will be frozen to use for spaghetti & meatballs in the next 2-3 weeks
Lastly - here is what my children are eating for dinner right now.
I decided that if I was making a whole bunch of pancakes, we were having a "Breakfast for Dinner" night. To freeze them, I just lay some wax paper on a cookie sheet and then layer pancakes and wax paper and out the cookie sheet in the freezer. Once they are frozen, I just put them in a big Ziploc bag and whenever we need them I can grab as many as I need.
So it was a good day. I got a quite a bit accomplished (and I know some of you think I'm crazy - but I enjoy having days of non-stop cooking like this).
Believe it or not, I almost feel as if I neglected this site today! I'm going to take a few hours, have a bottle glass of wine, and see what I need to update!
Amanda
What a productive day! Between you and Money Saving Mom I'm really feeling inspired to do my own baking days. You girls are superwomen!
Gina Alfani
How much fun!!! I used to do this on the weekend when I was working . . . you brought back fond memories . . . I love to cook 🙂
Jennifer Y.
I LOVE having marathon cooking days like this. You have such a sense of accomplishment when you're done. I am definitely trying the pumpkin muffins!
Jennifer
Your photos all look so yummy. One quick question on your meatballs, how do you get them to brown so evenly without falling apart? Every time I make meatballs for in spaghetti, they crumble in the sauce.
Kristin
Great job! I love cooking days myself and am trying to do some freezer cooking this week. I'd love your turkey meatball recipe for sure. We buy them at Trader Joe's because mine never turn out quite right. 🙂
Julie
Well done.
I want to know how you accomplish all this with kids around. Do they help? Or are they able to amuse themselves? What's the secret?
I never tried freezing rice, but that sure would come in handy. We often have plain rice as a side dish. Is the consistency of frozen rice suitable for this, or is it better to serve it as part of a casserole-type dinner?
Tina Hagen
Yummy! Maybe you are tired but your child seems so happy.You are a good mother.But try to find a way to rest some times, because they need you.
Betty
The pancakes are the best thing in the world for a quick breakfast. I do that a lot for my kids. Believe it or not, I have never thought of cooking and freezing rice. Do you cook it all the way before freezing?