Stocking a Small Freezer

This week, I have been busy stocking my freezer with meals. I was inspired to better utilize my freezer over the fridge, after watching Jess's video about how you can freezer cook without a deep freeze. Jess's tips are great for getting your feet wet in freezer cooking.

What I have made so far:

Baked Ziti (It was pretty easy because I just doubled the recipe when I was making it for dinner one night.)

Honey Baked Pizza Dough (makes 4 crusts)

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

3 pounds of browned beef (divided into one pound bags)

3 portions of cooked chicken breast (for three separate meals)

Shredded Mozzarella (We shredded it, divided it into 2 cup portions, and put the small bags of cheese into a large freezer bag.)

Breakfast Sandwiches (This is a super easy breakfast for hubby. These cook in the toaster oven for about 20 minutes. This makes enough for two work weeks.)

Still Left to Make:

Refried Beans


No Bake Energy Bites (x 3) I keep making these, but they are eaten so quickly. I may need to hide some in the freezer.

Other items in my freezer:
Organic Cherries and Berries for smoothies (bought on clearance)
Frozen Bananas (for smoothies)
1 pack cooked black beans (cooked in CP)
1 organic can grape juice
1 can limeade
2 loaves of store-bought bread bought on clearance (used for toast)
2 loaves of sprouted,organic bread, on clearance (my treat- for toast. I love it toasted and then topped with mashed avocado, with a dash of salt and pepper)
Shredded Cheddar

I used to buy the shredded cheese at the grocery store. This was our first time shredding a 5 lb block. Since shredded cheese contains cellulose(wood pulp), we figured it was well worth about 10-20 minutes of our time to shred it ourselves.It tastes a lot better and I was able to fill many more baggies with cheese, than with the pre-shredded variety.

Each summer, we usually have a large harvest of tomatoes, much more than we could use at one time. I am excited about making this freezable tomato sauce with my fresh garden tomatoes.

A Few Freezer Cooking Tips:

1.Start small. Don't overwhelm yourself with making 30 meals in one day. Try doubling casseroles and freezing one portion for another night. Waffles, cookie dough, and pizza dough are easy to double or triple.I divided my list of freezer meals into seven days worth of managable tasks.

2. Start with a plan. Create a grocery list and a menu plan of freezer meals, even if you are starting with one or two meals.There is nothing more frustrating than running out of an ingredient during a cooking session.

3. Use as many "kitchen helpers" as you can. Bread machines, crockpots, and waffle irons can be great assets in the kitchen. Let your kitchen helpers multi-task for you. A bread machine can be whipping up dough, a crockpot may be making chicken stock, while you are free to make waffles in the waffle iron. Work smarter, not harder.

4. To save freezer space, don't freeze pans for each individual dish. The mold technique allows you to use a minimal amount of freezer space. With this technique, you only use a dish while you freeze that particular meal. Afterwords, you remove the meal from the dish, allowing you to save room and to use the dish again. If you are serious about freezer cooking, you may want to invest in a Seal-A-Meal. A more frugal option is to use a freezer bag, and to remove excess air from it with a straw.

5. Freezer Cooking is a great way to save money. Instead of buying beef each week, when the price will fluctuate, you can stock up on it when it is at a rock bottom price. Freezer cooking allows me to cook all of my meat at once, rather than heating up the oven and stovetop, multiple times, throughout the week.

Do you freezer cook? I would love to hear your tips!

Helpful Freezer Inspiration Links:

The Happy Housewife's Bulk Cooking Videos She inspired me to make a whole chicken in the crock pot and to make my own chicken stock. Great inspiration here!

Stocking the Freezer @ Annie's Eats

Space,Time,and Money Saving Freezer Tips

Erin's Freezer Meals

Freezable Foods

Tammy's Freezer Tips

This post is linked to Kitchen Tip Tuesdays.

$10 Sam’s Club® Gift Card Offer PLUS $25 Gift Card Giveaway!

$10 Sam’s Club® Gift Card Offer PLUS $25 Gift Card Giveaway!


$10 Gift Card Offer

For a limited time, from February 1–29, 2012, you can get a $10 Sam’s Club Gift Card when you purchase any two of the following baby items at Sam’s Club:

• Pampers® Swaddlers® or Pampers Cruisers® Diapers
• Pampers SoftCare™ Scented Baby Wipes
• Similac® Advance® Powder or Similac Sensitive® Powder
• Dreft® Liquid Laundry Detergent

So stock up on your baby basics today and save even more at Sam’s Club!

For more offer details, visit Sam's Club. (This particular offer won't show up until February.) Online request must be submitted by March 14, 2012.

$25 Gift Card Giveaway

One blog follower will win $25 in Sam’s Club Gift Cards! 

To enter, become a follower of my blog and leave me a comment telling me your top money-saving idea.

For additional entries (please leave a separate comment for each):
• Become a fan on my Facebook page.
• Tweet, blog, Facebook, etc. this giveaway (comment once for each).

The winner will be drawn on Friday, February 10th by random.org. U.S. residents only.

Disclosure: The Sam´s Club Gift Card and information have been provided by Sam´s Club and P&G through MyBlogSpark.

Winner

The winner of the Raw Crunch Bars is #6, Raya. Raya, please e-mail me your address at aprongirl at gmail.com so I can send those bars out to you.

10 Healthy Snacks for Busy Moms and Children and a Giveaway!

Healthy eating is such an integral part of feeling energized and well. Every mom I know needs every ounce of energy that she can get! I have found that if I keep healthy food around, that is what my children and I will eat. Though we have processed treats, on occasion, we try to limit those occurrences. I find healthy foods to be very addictive, because they are so invigorating. Many of the categories below are whole foods. One great thing about keeping whole foods around is that you can use each item to make several snacks. If you stock up on apples, you can make apple chips in the dehydrator, applesauce (blend in VitaMix), smoothies, apple fruit leathers, and more.It would be much more expensive to buy all of those things individually. Here are a few healthy (and tasty!) snacks that we enjoy/are planning to try soon:

1. Fruit/Veggie Strips- organic baby carrots, broccoli, green pepper, cucumber, etc.. Veggie strips are delicious in homemade guacamole. Guacamole is a delicious way to eat raw garlic, tomatoes, avocados, fresh lemon juice, etc., which are packed with enzymes and loaded with health benefits.

2.Almonds- I buy a large bag of plain, unsalted almonds.I snack on these, make raw almond milk, and make goodies like raw peanut butter cookies. (Raw peanut butter cookies are so delicious! All of the goodness of an unhealthy peanut butter cookie, with zero guilt.)
Banana Almond Smoothie This is my absolute favorite smoothie to make when I need a protein-rich drink. Loaded with frozen bananas (so sweet!), almond milk (though any milk will work), raw honey, flaxseed, and nut butter, this drink is hearty enough to be a heavy snack/meal replacement. Raw honey is packed with energizing enzymes. Don't miss out on this scrumptious treat!

3.No Bake Energy Bites- These are so easy to make and are so tasty. These keep well in the fridge, so you can grab as few or as many as you want to eat at a time. (Though I dare you to only eat one!)

4.Chia- As a child of the 80's, I remember being indoctrinated (via commercials) into thinking that if I wanted to have healthy bones, I had to drink cow's milk. The more, the better. While I do believe that there can be benefits to raw cow's milk (if it is from a clean, reliable source), there are many other ways to get a healthy dose of calcium. Chia seeds are one of those ways. Chia contains 500% more calcium than milk. I cannot wait to try this Chia Seed Pudding.

5. Green Smoothie- If you have been reading this blog for a while, it is no secret that I adore green smoothies. I am absolutely convinced that there is no better way to ensure that you are getting a sufficient amount of green leafies, than to drink them in a smoothie.(kale, herbs, spinach, collards, etc.) It might sound scary to try it, but you gotta take a chance on this one. It is one of the best health investments ever. I highly recommend the Raw Family website for green smoothie tips and recipes.If you get a chance, check out this video (it is a long, but worthy watch) about the Miracle of Greens.We try to start our morning with a green smoothie,every day, but they are also great as an afternoon snack.

6. Yogurt/Kefir- Yogurt, especially those containing probiotics, are a great way to ensure a healthy gut. Making yogurt in the crockpot is fairly simple and economical.

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7. Banana Ice Cream- All you need to make this treat are some frozen bananas and a splash of almond milk. Mix until four mounds form on the bottom of your blender. So delicious! Freeze really ripe bananas to make the healthiest banana ice cream. Throw in a few berries before blending to make a colorful berry ice cream.

8. Kale Crisps- Any dried/dehydrated fruit, greens, or veggies will do. I mention kale because, pound for pound, kale is one of the most nutritious foods on the planet. A one cup serving contains 684% of our recommended daily Vitamin K allowance. Dehydrating at 115 degrees or below keeps all of the enzymes and nutrients in the food intact.

9. Pita Chips and Hummus- My favorite brand of pita chips are Stacy's Pita Chips.(plain flavor) The ingredients are decent for being such a convenient food.

10. Healthy Bars- Raw Crunch bars are my absolute favorite bars because they are  raw and delicious! I was so excited to learn about an uncooked, enzyme-rich, nutrient-dense bar. They were kind enough to send me a 12 pack box of their bars to review (a $30 value!), and another 12 pack to giveaway on my blog. The four Raw Crunch Bar flavors are: Raw Crunch Bar with Organic Cranberry, Raw Crunch Bar with Organic Goji Berry, Raw Crunch Bar with Organic Dark Chocolate (a little piece of heaven on earth), and Raw Crunch Bar with Organic Blueberry. My favorite flavor was a tie between Cranberry and Dark Chocolate.

Raw Crunch bars contain a total of 13 Raw Organic ingredients, depending on which flavor you choose:  blueberries, cashews, celtic sea salt, cranberries, dark chocolate (not raw), flax seeds, goji berries, raw honey, macadamia nuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds.Raw Crunch Bars are unprocessed, handmade,and uncooked. The raw nuts and seeds in the Raw Crunch bar can help to detoxify your body.Raw Crunch bars are perfect for breakfast or a quick snack on the go. These would be great to give at a baby shower, as they are terrific snacks for laboring moms and their coaches or nursing moms!


Win a 12 pack of Raw Crunch Bars:

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment with your e-mail address, telling me what your favorite healthy snack is.

Additional Optional Entries:
1. Like Lily of the Valley on Facebook.
2. Like Raw Crunch on Facebook. Leave a comment on their page letting them know that Lily of the Valley sent you.
2. Follow Lily of the Valley on Google Friend Connect.(or leave me a comment letting me know that you already do so)
3. Blog, facebook, or re-tweet about this giveaway.


This contest ends January 19th, at 12 pm EST. It is open to US residents only.

This post is linked to Sortacrunchy.


Disclosure: I received Raw Crunch Bars to review and giveaway in exchange for an honest blog review.

The Winner of The Money Saving Mom's Budget is....

The winner of The Money Saving Mom's Budget is #5, Erin.Congratulations, Erin!

Reflections on 2011 and My 2012 Goals

Reflections on 2011
2011 was a year of blessings and learning through trials, for my family and I.

During 2011:
We bid on two houses,and lost both bids.
My baby turned one.  
Our home was broken into in June.
Our van was broken into in October. 
My husband received a promotion.

God has taught me a lot this year about what is truly important.(and I have so much more to learn!) Earthly goods really can be stolen, and are not where my emphasis should be.  I am so thankful for God's protection over my family and I during the challenging times. The blessings he pours out to me are so much more than I could ever deserve. I am thankful that no matter what happens, He is always teaching me. I am thankful for my little children, who teach me how to forgive, when they pray daily for those who broke into our home and van. It can be easy to tremble at the unknown awaiting me, this upcoming year. But all I need to remember is that my Father will guide me and help me every step of the way.


My 5 Favorite Books Read in 2011:
1. One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp 
2. Grace for the Good Girl by Emily P. Freeman
3. A Love that Multiplies by the Duggars
4. Crazy Love by Francis Chan
5. The Money Saving Mom's Budget by Crystal Paine


My 2012 Goals

As the new year approached, I spent some time pondering what goals I wanted to commit to in the new year. My largest goal is to simply Abide. I want to Abide in Him and to dwell in the present moment. I also decided to set goals in different realms,such as organization, health, walk with God, financial, etc.. Some of these, I have already been implementing and are a continuation of my current goals.

Health
Exercise 30 minutes daily. ( Even walking is great.) This video inspired me to just get moving.

Drink at least one green smoothie daily.

Aim to go to bed as close to 10 pm as possible.

Organization
Declutter the house room by room. Use this calendar to help with this goal. 

Get rid of excess. Sell/Donate unwanted items.

Financial
Continue saving each month.

Look for ways to be a better giver of the talents, time, money, other resources entrusted to us.

Pictures
Take a picture daily in 2012 and create a scrapbook via Shutterfly.

Walk with God
Read through the Bible chronologically.

Read through New Testament with the children.

Journal. I was so inspired by Ann's journal.

Make Scripture memorization a priority.


What lessons did God impress upon your heart in 2011? What were your favorite reads? What are your goals for 2012?

This post is linked to Money Saving Mom's goal post.

Review and Giveaway of The Money Saving Mom's Budget

My top blog recommendation for learning how to get out of debt and to save money is the Money Saving Mom blog . I have read Crystal's blog for years, now, and I am still learning so much! I was so elated to hear that she has written a book called The Money Saving Mom's Budget. Her publisher graciously gave out dozens of review copies, and I was thrilled to be one of the initial reviewers.

In the beginning of Crystal and Jesse's marriage, they had a very modest income. Their grocery/household needs budget was about $35-$40 per week. Instead of feeling bogged down by that small of a budget, Crystal took it on as a challenge. She learned how to thrive off of a very small income, and she shares many of the tips/strategies that she used during that time.

My two favorite sections of the book were: "Give Yourself and Instant Raise Without Increasing Your Take-Home Pay" and "25 Ways to Lower Your Grocery Bill Without Cutting Coupons". It often seems like people think that when money is tight, the only solution is to find more income. I loved Crystal's recommendations on lowering your expenses, in order to save more money/have a workable budget each month. Finding ways to save money can be just as validating as finding ways to earn it. I loved the chapter about lowering your grocery bill without coupons, because I am in a phase in life, which isn't very coupon friendly. (I have four children, ages eight and under.) Some of her ideas include: having a meatless meal each week, bake your own bread (with a bread machine), and ditching cereal for breakfast.

The last chapter of the book, which deals with embracing today, choosing contentment,and blooming where you are planted, is well worth the price of this book. Crystal has inspired me to be more of a giver, and not to focus on collecting things for this fleeting life. All of the proceeds from the sales of The Money Saving Mom's Budget are going to Compassion International.

Win a Copy:
Mandatory Entry:
Leave a comment letting me know that you would like to win a copy of this book.
 
Additional Optional Entries:
1. Like Lily of the Valley on Facebook.
2. Follow Lily of the Valley on Google Friend Connect.
3. Blog, facebook, or re-tweet about this giveaway.

This giveaway ends January 12, 2011 at 12 pm EST.

Disclosure: The review copy and giveaway copy were given by the publisher, in exchange of an honest review.

Merry Christmas and December Musings

I hope you are having a wonderful advent season and that you have a lovely, joyful Christmas! This past month has flown by so quickly; it is hard to believe that I haven't blogged in a few weeks. Here is an update of sorts:

* We visited extended family for a few days, after Thanksgiving. It was so much fun to see so many relatives, many of whom I haven't seen in years. Lily loved holding my cousin's precious baby boy. (He happens to have a darling twin brother, too!) My parents let my hubby and I go out in their canoe. It was a definite adventure to say the least.

* I have been reading so many amazing books. Recent reads include: Grace for the Good Girl (perfect for recovering perfectionists/people-pleasers like me!), Forgotten God, and Money Saving Mom's Budget (review to come!).  My children absolutely love The Building on the Rock series devotionals published by Christian Focus Publications. Christian Focus Publications sent me one of their books, How God sent a Dog to Save a Family, for review purposes. Each of these devotional books contain captivating, edifying stories, followed by a few insightful questions, and relevant Scriptures. This book has left my children with a greater understanding of the truths of God's Word. These are very easy to use as a devotional, and I hope to collect The Building on the Rock set.



* I may have a slight obsession with Pinterest. I can admit it, and that is the first step to recovery...tee hee. It is such an awesome way to file away recipes, fun for the children, and even Creative Repurposing ideas. I have tried over 20 recipes on my "To Eat" board, and it is an invaluable way to corral all the delicious sounding meals from bloggyland. If you are on pinterest, I would love to follow your boards!

* Artisan bread in Five Minutes is revolutionizing my life. Needless to say, my bread machine has been collecting dust for a few months now. The basic concept of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes, is to make up one bowl of dough for a week's worth of bread loaves. The quality of the loaves is stellar, and is similar to artisan loaves which  sell for about $3-$5 a loaf. I love that you can use the dough to make cinnamon rolls, pizza dough, etc.. The basic unbleached flour recipe is here, and the whole-wheat recipe is here. It is so much fun with experimenting to make different shaped loaves. I think my bread machine may continue to collect dust for a while.


* The Joy of a Simple Christmas: This Christmas, we have scaled back quite a bit. My children chose to pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, rather than receive gifts from my husband  and I. (note: my children still receive gifts from other relatives) They had the best time picking out gifts for needy children, and are learning the joy of giving. We are definitely hoping to make Operation Christmas Child a yearly tradition.These are the kind of things we want to focus on, as they are great blessings to us! Spending less time in stores and more time as a family is an immense blessing. I loved Ann Voskamp's post, When Christmas Gets Radical. Her family gleans His catalogs, to give to others, generously. I am utterly inspired.

*One Christmas joy that my children and I cherish is baking together. This year, we were requested to bring desserts to Christmas dinner, so we are bringing Chocolate Peppermint Roll with Chocolate Ganache and Apple Cake with vanilla ice cream. I am hoping that the chocolate peppermint roll works out without a glitch. I have made a pumpkin roll, a few times, and I must say that my heart races every time I peel back the parchment paper on the cake. Rolling the cake just about makes me break out in a sweat.

*Other Web Inspiration:

This lovely house tour is inspiring. I love how Meg creatively decorates her home with Scripture.

Lily and I are taking Crochet School lessons online. Crochet School contains 30 lessons with online videos, for free. Highly recommended.

When I am busy doing something seemingly mundane (though nothing is mundane when done for His Glory!) I love to listen to the Simple Mom podcasts. My favorite recent episode was Major Purge, all about decluttering, which is something I am really hoping to jump into, in this new year!

One of my favorite websites for larger family inspiration is Large Families on Purpose. Large Families on Purpose is written by Bob and Erika Shupe, who have nine children, and live in a 1100 sq. foot house. They are so organized!

I hope you are all enjoying this Christmas season! Many blessings, dear friends!

This post is linked to the Modest Mom.

Disclosure: I received How God sent a Dog to Save a Family in exchange for an honest review.

The Winner of the $20 Dayspring Coupon Code

The winner of the $20 coupon code to Dayspring is commenter #13, Jaclyn Hicks . I don't think I have your e-mail address, so if you could send me your contact information (address and phone number) at aprongirl at gmail.com, that would be great! Congratulations!