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Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Freezer Meal Ordeal

I am prepping for a major freezer-meal cooking marathon this weekend. Hoping that having a stash of go-to meals in the freezer will make mealtime so much more convenient and faster.

What's on the menu?

Lasagna Rolls (still looking for gluten-free lasagna noodles)
Dairy-Free Beef Stroganoff
Loaded Tomato Sauce
Polynesian Pork
Fiesta Chicken Enchiladas
Breakfast Burritos

Make two meals of each and I've got a large portion of our meals made for the month. I can handle that. I'm hoping to get some breakfast foods made this weekend to freeze ahead too.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Dairy-free Beef Stroganoff

I've posted a recipe before for Beef Stroganoff before. I still really like it, but I can't feed it to my son with a dairy allergy. It was a favorite, so I needed to find a way to make it safe.  What we came up with was really good.

In a crockpot add:

2-3 lbs of Steak, cubed (any inexpensive cut will work)
1 pkg Beef Stock concentrate + 2 c water or 1 can beef broth
2 t Onion Powder
1/2 t Celery Salt or powder
1 T Minced Onion
1/4 - 1/2 t Salt

Cook on high 3-4 hrs or low for 7-8 hrs. When meat is fork tender, drain off liquids into a sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Add 1/4 t pepper and wisk (if soy isn't an issue, add 1 T of Worcestershire). Make a slurry by mixing 1 T or cornstarch to 2 T of water. Slowly wisk into liquid until desired consistency is reached. Return sauce to meat.

Serve over rice or egg noodles. If you miss it, mix in 1 t of sour cream to non-allergen eaters portion. I really didn't miss it at all.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Daily Struggle

I'm sick of winter, the cold, the bulky clothing, and indoor confinement.

That's why we splurged and enjoyed a great weekend away with the boys at an indoor waterpark last weekend. It was a great time to enjoy being together - all 4 of us. Unfortunately, that is a rare thing for us right now that my husband and I work opposite schedules. It helped with the blahs, but left me wanting more.

That short taste of relaxation and refreshment was intoxicating. I want more. Mentally I could use it right now. Just another week or two of major deadlines and projects to make it through. Then life will return... until the next thing comes up. In the craziness of life, I am feeling overwhelmed. There is so much to be done and so little time... Same old story.

I guess I'll have to learn what it means to be content in chaos, flexible in the flow of life, and how to pace myself.

I got a taste of spring today... 60 degrees. I haven't experienced that warm of temps in about 5 months. How I've missed it. I want more. Flip flops are calling. Thank you Lord for that reminder that spring is here, and warmer days are ahead.

I said something flippantly in conversation today, but think I need to frame it and look at it daily. Thank you Lord for the little bit of insight. "Life doesn't have to be 'fair' but just well lived." What am I don't to live well today? What about you?