Want to win Chocolate!?

Who wouldn't!?

Look at this YUMMY gift basket

I entered thru

http://www.myorganizedchaos.net/2011/04/hersheys-drops-prize-pack-giveaway/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MyOrganizedChaos+%28My+Organized+Chaos%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

sorry--I can't figure out how to put a button with a cute link--but it still works!

enjoy!

what a mess!

I have never written out my Master Plan for my once a month cooking and it is very difficult to follow--so while I have MOST of it written--I won't post it until I can make it a little easier to read--plus most everyone I talked to said that the blog posts were to long and hard to follow... so sorry everyone---just be patient and hopefully my next once a month cooking post will make more sence. PS: I went grocery shopping and instead of my normal 25% savings--I saved 28%--thanks to a couple coupons! I think I could get into this!

To Be or Not To Be

Today in one of the General Conference Talks--the speaker--sorry can't remember who--said something to the effect of--We write lists of what we want to do, so why don't we write lists of what we want to BE. So here is a quick list of what I want to BE My list is all the NORMALS 1. Be a good wife 2. Be a good mother 3. Be a good homemaker 4. Be a good cook

I am going to put some real though into this and work on it! So keep your eyes out for a more in depth TO BE list soon ;)

HUmmmm...remember how my post a few times ago was about how all my previous blogs are so similar? Looking at my TO BE list I can see why my posts are all so similar.

ugg!!

This is NOT going to work--how frustrating! I had the last post looking so nice and organized, but then when I posted it-- everything ran together! Since I am not sure how to do blog formatting so I am frustrated. I will post what I have, but I am warning you that it will be difficult to follow. If you are really interested in having me send you all my freezer meal information in a correct format I will email it to you-- You can email me your email at chaplin222@hotmail.com that way you don't have to leave your email address out in the open. Sorry about that! I was so excited to share it with all of you!! OK--so the first post didn't work, but the second post worked fine--gotta love computers and my lack of knowledge---I will keep posting as I finish up the posts. Thanks for checking it out.

Prep and Grocery list for Freezer Meals

Each step of the freezer meals are important. So prepping your kitchen is important too. Can you image having a kitchen full of food to go into a freezer, only to have a freezer already full of other food. So here are my prep suggestions: (do at least a week or more before) 1. Make a grocery list--My Grocery List will be at the end--I do not include Fresh items that need bought (like tomatoes--and lettuce) 2. Take inventory of what you have - you don't need to go and buy 10 pounds of Cheddar Cheese if you have 5 pounds in your fridge or freezer already--I suggest pulling out what you have on hand that you will need and place in a box, or other location so you don't use it before you need it. 3. Clean out your freezer. Toss what is no longer good, give away food you are NOT going to eat, and make sure it is free of frost. This alone will take me half an afternoon. I have a normal fridge freezer, a stand up freezer and a deep freezer. The deep freezer is the "family" freezer so I don't use it much, but the stand up freezer and fridge freezer full. With what, I am not sure. I have tried not to buy anything that needs to be frozen the last few shopping trips (Unless it is directly related to the meals I will make.) Some of it will be eaten in the next month so that I can clear out even more space. 4. Make a place for your freezer meal ingredience to be stored until you use it. I use a box and leave it in a room not used much in my house-- 5. Clean kitchen: Sounds simple, but having a clean kitchen to start with helps alot. (do this the night before!) 6. Make sure you have all the "extras" also--like Paper towels, aluminum foil, mixing bowls, dish soap, Freezer Zip-lock bags, Disposable food containers and so on. I will add a section for your help in a later blog.

Here is my grocery list: Remember this list looks huge and will be expensive, but it feeds your family for at least a month and if you start looking for great deals now you can save alot of money (or if you are lucky enough to live near a bulk food store you can save a ton!)

SHOPPING LIST--SHOPPING SHOULD BE DONE THE DAY BEFORE--more on that later

Meat

Chicken (17 Pounds of chicken)—I buy boneless skinless—it just saves me some time.

Need the Food For: How many Pounds I am guessing I need

1. Enchilada Chunks 3

2. Chicken Alfredo chunks 3

3. Chicken Fried Rice 1.5

4. Shredded BBQ Chicken 2

5. Other cubed and Shredded chicken 5

6. Shredded Chicken Pot Pie 2

Beef Ground Beef (25) Pounds

1. Burrito’s 1

2. Taco meat 4

3. Manicotti 2

4. Baked Ziti 2

5. Meatball 5

6. Meatloaf 6

7. Beef Pot Pie

1 Sirloin Beef (cut into strips or cubes) (10 pounds)

1. Fajita’s 4

2. Beef Pot Pie 2

3. Beef Stroganoff 4

French Dip (deli Meat) (1 Pound)

1. Roast Beef 1

Sausage (1/2 hot & ½ Country)

4 pounds of Hot 6 Pounds of Normal

1. Manicotti 2

2. Baked Ziti 2

3. Chicken Alfredo 1

4. Meatloaf ½

5. Chicken Fried Rice ½

6. Breakfast Burrito 3 (I buy sausage links for this)

HAM

1. Ham & Cheese Casserole 3 pounds

Fruit & Veggie (Fresh/Frozen/Canned)

+9 Bell Peppers (various colors)

+1 Bag Frozen Spinach

+ 9 Avocado’s (buy early enough to have them ripe the day you need them)

+ 2 bags frozen peas and carrots +2 bags cubed frozen potatoes

+2 bags hashed brown potatoes +2 packages Mushrooms

+1 small bag potatoes

+6 cans of Veggie

DAIRY

1 medium container of Sour Cream

5 Dozen Eggs

5 Pounds Colby Jack (or kind you like)

5 Pounds Cheddar

4 small packages ricotta cheese

4 packages cream cheese

1 can Parmesan cheese

1 pound mozzarella cheese

2 packages of sliced Pepper Jack

2 packages of American Slices

Canned Food

10 Cans of Cream of Chicken Soup

3 Cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup

4 Cans of Green Chili (or 1 big can)

8 Cans of Green Chili Sauce

3 cans of chili

4 Cans of Refried Beans

8 jars of spaghetti Sauce

2 cans tomatoes sauce

2 cans tomatoes paste

2 cans of Evaporated Milk

2 cans of Aujou soup

Bread/Pasta

24 Corn Tortilla

40 Flour Tortilla

1 package Bread Crumbs

3 package steak Rolls

5 Pie Crusts

2 packages Alfredo noodles

2 packets Penne Noodles

3 boxes Manicotti Sauce

1 taco shell

4 pounds rice

OTHER

3 containers of BBQ Sauce

1 package Beef Bouillon Cubes

1 package Chicken Bouillon Cubes

1 bottle Soy Sauce 3 packets of Guacamole Mix

I also took a while to write down what recipes need what ingredience--

so here is that list.

Chicken enchilada -Corn tortilla -Green chili -Cream of chicken -Green chili sauce -Chicken -Spices -Cheese

Burritos -Flour Tortillas -Ground Beef -Rice -chili -Refried beans -cheese -green chili sauce

Fajita -Strip meat -Bell Peppers -Tortilla -guacamole

Taco Meat -Shredded cheese -ground beef -Cheese -Shells

----------------------------------------------------------------

Manicotti -Ricotta Cheese -cheese -Sausage -hamburger -Spinach -spaghetti sauce -manicotti shells

Baked Ziti -Penne Noodles -Spaghetti Sauce -Cream Cheese -Sausage -Hamburger -cheese

Lasagna BUY FROM STORE--I got a really good deal on it so I bought 3 of them.

Chicken Alfredo -Cream Cheese -milk -Chicken -butter -Flour -spices -Parmesan cheese -white cheese

------------------------------------------------------

Meatballs -Buy? -Hamburger -Tomato Sauce -Bread crumbs -eggs -Green Pepper -spices

Meatloaf -ground beef -sausage -bread crumbs -milk -egg -spices -Tomato Sauce/paste

French Dip Sandwiches -Deli meat -Anjou sauce -Cheese slice of choice -Rolls

-------------------------------------------------------------

Chicken Fried Rice -Rice -chicken Bouillon Cubes -Eggs -Soy sauce -Frozen peas and carrots -Chicken -sausage

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches -Chicken -BBQ Sauce -Rolls -Cheese Slices Chicken—Shredded and cubed

BREAKFAST BURRITO -Sausage -Tortillas -Eggs -Green Chili's -Potatoes (cubed small) -Cheese -Refried Beans (A few) -Any other veggies you want (peppers, mushrooms, spinach, and so on)

Cheesy Ham & Potatoes Casserole -cubed potatoes (or hashbrowns) -Cubed Ham ( I use lunch meat cut into chucks, but good ham is the best) -Sour Cream -Cream of Chicken

Beef Stroganoff -Mushrooms -Strip Beef -Cream of chicken -milk/gravy Beef /

Chicken/Beef Pot Pie -Pie Crusts -shredded Beef/chicken -Cream of mushroom/chicken -Veggie All -Mashed Potatoes (or biscuits)

(I am going to buy some fresh herbs—and I didn’t include any onion in any recipe—so you might want to add some to yours)

One more thing I did was figure out what type of container I would need in order to store it--so here is that list.

Mexican

-Chicken Enchilada 2- 9 X 12 Pans

-Burritos 2- 9 X 12 Pans

-Fajita (Meat) Freezer Zip-locks

-Taco Meat (Meat) Freezer Zip-locks 4

Italian

-Manicotti 2- 9 X 12 Pans

-Baked Ziti 2- 9 X 12 Pans

-Lasagna BOUGHT

-Chicken Alfredo Freezer Zip-locks

-Meatballs (lots for spaghetti or Meatball sandwiches) Freezer Zip-locks -

Meatloaf 2-Bread Loaf Pans -

Roast Beef Sandwiches (French dip) Freezer Zip-locks 3 Chicken -

Shredded Chicken Freezer Zip-locks -

Chicken Fried Rice Freezer Zip-locks -

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches Freezer Zip-locks

Breakfast Burritos Aluminium Foil

Cheesy Ham & Potatoes 2- 9 X 12 Pans

Beef Stroganoff Freezer Zip-locks

Beef pot pie Pie Crust holder and Aluminium Foil

OK--this one is long enough, so on to the next post.

Freezer Meals

Here is the WHOLE story... I had my first child by c-section. But it was all her fault! Ok--she was frank breech, which means even if she did turn she would have most likely been feet first, so I just decided instead of risking it (the doctor gave me a less than 1% chance of her turning) I did the c-section. The second child I didn't want a C-section so I hoofed it up to Denver and got approved to have a V-Bac at the hospital up there. So three weeks before I was due- Sedona and I headed to Denver to live with my mom-while Lucas stayed home and worked. He came up the week I was due and ta-da--she was a week late, meaning I wasn't home for almost a month by the time I did get home. They have you go up early to make sure you aren't traveling when you go into labor, and plus going over the pass isn't good for really prego women---besides, I get to live with my mom for a few weeks--who wouldn't want that right before they are due! This is where the freezer meals come it--- I am now due with baby #3 (A BOY!) and again I am headed up to Denver a few weeks before the baby is due. Lucas said he was really sad that no one brought him a meal once the whole time he was home alone (in our community it is common to have church members check up on each other, and bring meals, and do that kind of stuff for each other)--He wasn't really sad, but just making a comment. SO with this baby I will be working on that. I have a whole list of meals I am going to make before I leave so that Lucas has a freezer meal and so that I have about 15-20 meals when I get home waiting to use so I don't have to cook either. Yeerah (our Korean exhance student) really enjoys cooking so I have enlisted her help for the day--and possibly my sister-in-law Pam will be in on it too. I did freezer meals once or twice and loved it. I have also done once-a-month-meat cooking too. When I didn't have time to do all the meals, I just cooked up a whole bunch of meat and froze it. Instead of having to wait for hamburger to thaw, or chicken to cook, I could grab a pre-cooked meat ziplock and use that--really handy! Like I said in this area women often bring in meals to each other when we have had children, an illness, an accident, and anytime we might need a little boost--Infact--there is a lady I should take a meal in to today! Gotta work on that later. So this is going to be a LONG post about Freezer meals. First I came up with meals that I really wanted and some meals that I knew Lucas would want. I wanted a variety so this is what I have as a To MAKE menu Itailian -Manicotti -Baked Ziti -Lasgnana -Chicken Alfredo Mexician -Chicken Enchilada -Burrito's- -Fajita's -Taco's Beef Meals -Meatballs -Meatloaf -French Dip Sandwiches -Beef Stroganoff -Beef Pot Pie (In cupcakes) Chicken Meals -Chicken Fried Rice -BBQ Chicekn Sanwiches -Lots of extra shredded/cubbed chucks -Chicken Pot Pie (In Cupcakes) Other meals -French Toast Sticks -Cheesy Ham & potatoe casserole -Breakfast Casserole (in cupcakes) -Breakfast Burritos -Frozen Fruit Chunks -Muffins Over ambious!? YES!? But I will have an extra pair of hands, and I am NOT planning on doing all of this in one day. OK most of it in one day! The Blue is what I want to accomplish in one day. Yes--still over ambious--but remember I will have two extra people in the kitchen helping. I will have a plan for each person and a plan for the whole day. So next I will post the Prep I need to do to the kitchen and my grocery list.

Looking Back

Wow--looking at my past posts--both on this blog and the previous one-- I am really boring. If I had a housekeeper I am not sure anyone would anyone hear from me! :) I had to laugh because I read some blogs and I think--do they have no faults? And then I read mine and think--wow--my faults are clearly out there! well the faults that I am not too scared to share--but really I do try to "keep it real". So here is a list quick list of 5 (ok 6) things I need to work on! 1. Eat more healthy 2. Early to bed, early to rise 3. Have my scary room total clean out 4. Put the needs of my family first no matter how tired I was 5. Exercize at least 3 times a week 6. Keep up with daily chores THE SAME TOP 6 I HAVE BEEN BLOGGING ABOUT FOREVER!! So I am going to do something that isn't "cool" in our society. I am going to make a list of things I am good at or proud of about MYSELF *GASP*. I am sure some people could do a list of 20-100 things that they like about themselves, but I am going to start with 15-- Why 15--because it is easy to do 5, a little harder to do 10, but 15--I might need to actually think past the "normal" proud of myself things. 1. I can get along with a variety of people pretty well. 2. I have good leadership skills. 3. I am self taught with most of my computer skills. 4. I have been within 5 pounds of my goal weight between each kid so far. 5. I love to learn--and I am passing that on to my kids. 6. I love to read--and I am passing that on to my kids. 7. I am proud that I went from City Girl to Country girl and love both! 8. I honestly want and try to be a good mom and good wife. 9. I like to find weaknesses in myself and improve on them. 10. I am pretty creative and love to plan things. 11. Most of the time I like change. 12. I can let go of things that hurt pretty easy. 13. I try to be self-sufficent. 14. I am someone people can count on. 15. I am willing to share my life with you! Ha ha--OK I had to have one freebie right? -This was hard for me, but what was even harder was not to put a negative comment after my positive comment--for example: I am self taught in my computer skills--I ALMOST wrote--"which might not be a strength after all". I am learning - those negative comments after a postive comment will not work for me anymore! Self discovery is a good thing. I challenge you to either do a list of 5, 10, or 15 things you are proud of, and then a list of 5 things you could work on.