Friday Things #349
1. Joseph has been absolutely obsessed with reading lately, and it is so much fun to watch. He has learned a ton of “sight words” at school, but now wants to know what every word he sees is; he constantly points something out and says, “what does that spell?” Then we work on sounding it out and wow, suddenly I have a big kid!
2. Poor Isabelle fell while pushing her little push toy last weekend and on top of splitting her lip, she chipped her front tooth 😩 However! She has been so insanely happy over the last few days and has been “talking” nonstop, like she’s trying to tell us stories, and laughing, and oh my gosh, I nearly forgot how so sweet and magical this age is ❤️️
3. Dominic has become such an amazing big brother; I am absolutely astonished at how patient and sweet he is with Isabelle. When she tries to grab something out of his hand or pushes him because she wants to sit where he’s sitting, he hands her the toy or gets up and moves and says, “here sweetie, you can have it”. Totally melts my heart!
4. Has anyone made Amish apple fritter bread? It looks amazing! I might be tempted to mix the apples all through the batter; good idea or bad idea?
5. Give me your cutting board recommendations! I’ve had three OXO cutting boards for… ever? But they’re stained and scratched and are due to be replaced. I don’t dislike them, but am wondering what you all use that you love. Share in the comments!
6. I had a total AH HA moment last week. The kids took turns coming down with fevers and sniffles after Thanksgiving and then my husband and I both got a touch of it, as well. The last thing I wanted to do was cook and I spent multiple nights rummaging through the pantry and fridge for something decent to throw together. Then it hit me… I stocked my freezer before I had each of the kids, but WHY AM I NOT STILL DOING IT? For moments just like this! I don’t want to cook, but I don’t want to get take out (plus our selection is super limited because of Joseph’s nut allergies), still want a decent dinner. I made a list and am going to start chipping away at getting some things stocked! What are your favorite meals to keep on hand in the freezer?
7. Is there anything better than sinking into bed with freshly washed sheets? It literally makes me want to wash my sheets every single day. Pure bliss.
8. A reminder that we are baking chocolate babka for this month’s Bake-Along! Have you made it yet? I’ve loved seeing some of your pictures in our Facebook group and on Instagram; please join us for this absolutely indulgent holiday treat :)
9. My husband and I went to the movies last weekend for the first time since I was pregnant with Dominic 😱 We saw Ford v Ferrari and it was absolutely fantastic. Highly recommend! (Also, my first time in leather reclining theater trays with a tray and cup holder and omg, it’s like I stepped into another universe. How will I ever watch a movie any other way again?!)
10. TGIF! I had a little dance party with my furry girl last night 😍
Cutting boards: I was lucky enough to find a set of Boos Block wooden cutting boards on a really good sale and I use them for almost everything. I also have a set of plastic cutting boards and I use the middle size (8.5 x 11 ish) for raw meat, garlic, and onions because I can bleach those and not worry about cross contamination. I should probably donate the other two sizes now that I think about it… But bread, fruit, veggies, and literally anything else gets cut on my wooden boards. I do use cutting board oil on them every once in awhile to keep them from drying out but I’ve had them I think 7 years now and they still look gorgeous.
Freezer meals: Totally depends on what you typically eat. Casseroles freeze well – lasagna, manicotti, chicken pot pie, etc. Casseroles usually need to be defrosted before baking though. Anything that gets cooked in a sauce or goes into a crockpot can also be frozen together. I’ve stumbled across some online places that have a whole collection of crockpot meals to prep, freeze, and dump in the crockpot later from frozen. Also, chicken freezes really well. Just put it in a plastic bag or the absorbing pad on the tray will freeze to the chicken and that’s not good for later cooking! One of my easiest frozen chicken recipes is to dump boneless chicken in the crockpot with about 1/2 cup salsa and let cook for 8 hours on low (4 hours on high). Shred the chicken and serve in tortillas with toppings for chicken tacos. Meatballs also freeze well – whether you make them yourself or buy them pre-frozen at the store. Spaghetti and meatball subs are two popular meatball recipes in my house.
You can also make chicken taquitos and freeze them. My girlfriend shared her recipe with me and they aren’t terribly hard to make and they cook from frozen in less than 20 minutes – let me know if you want the recipe.
The suggestion to double whatever you’re making for dinner and freeze the second is genius and makes stocking your freezer almost painless. Just make sure you label whatever you freeze, I like to put cooking directions on the label too so I don’t have to look those up when I’m ready to use what’s in the freezer.
Ditto on the Epicurean cutting boards. Highly recommend!
Just re read some posts. Great ideas on freezer meals. Your white chicken chili is my favorite white chicken chili recipe to date. A few steps involved but so worth the end result of deliciousness!! I was reading the post about Oprah getting clean sheets every night….somehow to me it seems like it would take away the intense appreciation and pleasure of those fresh clean tightly made bed sheets after a night shower and great body butter. Bliss in the simple things😊
I’ve has an epicurean cutting board for several years. I believe it’s made of bamboo. Love it! Doesn’t dull the knives and just really like the feel of it. I purchased it at Bed Bath and Beyond.
Soups and stews freeze so well. I make every type of soup, cauliflower, minestrone, tomato bisque, Italian wedding, etc. and freeze them in those restaurant style quart sized plastic containers. Mark the tops with contents and date. Done!
I’ll never forget when my brother was going through the “sounding out every word he saw” phase. They were building a housing development down the street and someone had spray painted a big ol’ F bomb on a concrete pipe. I thought my mother was going to die when he said, “Mommy, what does fff-u… (finished the word) mean??” Still funny 40 years later!!
How sweet little Dominic is to Isabelle. Love how they are all so uniquely lovely. And when did Joseph grow so much…so handsome. And Sweet picture of you and Judith dancing. The world needs more people like you to care for animals.
I love a giant batch of pulled pork. Nothing that’s better than pulled pork and we use it for sandwiches, quesadillas, tacos… even plain. I also make pulled chicken. I also buy flank steak and “shred” it raw in my food processor and bag it for cheese steaks or beef and broccoli. When my girls start their spring sports I think we eat pulled pork, pulled chicken and cheese steaks every night!
Hi Michelle,
You mentioned recently that one of your favorite pieces of cooking equipment is your cast iron pan. Could you share with us how you prepare (i.e., “season”) a new cast iron pan for cooking? Not knowing the correct or best way to do that has kept me from buying a cast iron pan in the past, so I’d like to learn a procedure that works well.
Thank you, and I really enjoy your website!
Loved your comment about clean sheets!
Thought I was the only person who would LOVE going to bed every night clean sheets…..hahaha!!
My gosh…your children are growing! Love your little stories on each child. Such precious memories!
The dancing video is So cute!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005QDMX0Q/?tag=atkequippilot-20
These mats were recommended by America’s Test Kitchen. I LOVE them!
Not a cutting “board”… but they are sturdy, flexible, and non-slip!
I highly recommend!
I made an apple fritter bread very similar to this. We loved the apples layered. The batter has an amazing texture. The glaze is a must.
I am a total squirrel when it comes to storing up meals in my freezer. When I know I’ve got a tough week coming up or something that will drain me from having the will to cook, I make double meals. 2x lasagne, 2x meatloaf, 2x chicken casserole, 2x enchiladas….. After dinner I pack up the leftovers in mealsize containers, label with date and contents and then something I started this year is making a list of what meals I have in the freezer so I don’t have to go to the freezer and be frustrated when I can’t find the meal I was looking for. My squirrel strategy has saved me more times than I can count.
I use a wood board that my 85 year old uncle makes. He makes them out of all types of wood and any size. Email me if you want to get one.
Louis Mathis
Freezer Meal – When chicken goes on sale I buy a ton of it and make up a huge crock pot full of Mexican chicken (I use the America’s Test Kitchen recipe). I freeze it in two-cup-ish portions which is enough for two adults and two littles. Tortillas and taco shells are shelf-stable and we always have sour cream and cheese and tomatoes on hand. So versatile – it can be use for enchiladas, nacos, tacos, burritos, fajitas if we have bell pepper on hand….any Mexi-American dish, really. THe same recipe works when chuck roast, pork roast, or ground beef go on sale.
I have some thin colored cutting boards – don’t love them because they curl up, but can’t throw them away. I also have a small poly board (same material as your OXO one) but without edges, as well as a couple of big poly ones from when I had a restaurant – don’t bother getting them out very often. Did you know that you can bleach them, put them in the dishwasher & even use a sander to re-finish them? Glass ones supposedly dull knives. If I was buying a new one, I’d get another small poly one.
Re. apple fritter loaf, I’d be inclined to mix them throughout the batter also. And dice them finer, I think.
I recently bought the Not Your Mother’s Make Ahead and Freeze Cookbook and I’m LOVING it. I’ve made such progress toward stocking my freezer! It’s got completely-cooked-ahead recipes that you just take out and thaw, and also prepped-ahead recipes that you thaw and then bake or stirfry or what-have-you. I really like the various options.
I also use the Souper Cubes (got them off Amazon) to freeze those recipes as well as crockpot stews and soups (and even rice and taco meat and casseroles – they’re oven safe!) in manageable portions. The combination of the book and the cubes has made SUCH a difference – I freeze whatever it is, then I pop out the frozen “bricks” and put in freezer bags. They store so easily in the freezer and it’s so easy to take out exactly what I need.
Hi, Michelle 😊 My daughter and I make a double (huge) batch of meatballs and cook them in a meat sauce, then freeze them. They’re great to take out for days like you describe. You can use them for spaghetti, make meatball subs, or just eat them in a bowl by themselves with a side salad. Very versatile!
I “second” the Epicurean cutting boards—have several of them in different sizes. I grew tired of the staining on the OXO cutting boards and having to bleach them.
The Epicurean cutting boards are great. I prefer the non slip version, it has rubber grips on the corners and it doesn’t budge while chopping. They’re also dishwasher friendly.
I second the Epicurean cutting boards – we put several on our wedding registry and LOVE them!
I’ve been making this version of apple fritter bread lately and we Love it! I think keeping the apples in layers helps create nice texture and allows you to experience some cake-y bites along with the apple-y cinnamon bites.
https://www.thebakingchocolatess.com/awesome-country-apple-fritter-bread-recipe/
Epicurean prep series cutting boards on Amazon, 3 size pack, $40…the best! Lightweight, durable, easy to clean and store, great sizes. Wonderful Christmas gift!
I stock out freezer with your meat sauce recipe! I make it at least once a month, & freeze it in smaller containers.
One of my kids loves penne with meat sauce, even eats it as a snack. So I always have a batch of cooked penne in the fridge, & can then put together the penne & meat sauce quickly in the skillet.
Other items we stock is cooked ground beef, can take it out of freezer & toss with elbow macaroni; extra steak we’ve grilled, can re-heat for fajitas.
Love the video btw, how sweet!
OMG #7 – totally! I change my sheets once a week, but if I happen to be not working, sometimes I’ll do it twice a week. Love it!!
I make double batches of sauces all the time, one to eat and one to freeze. It cuts down on meal prep a lot, but you still get all day cooked flavor. So spaghetti sauces, gravies, meatballs, pasta in sauces. I also like to make a bunch of different
ethnic “lasagnas” to freeze…I make them in disposable loaf pans. I’ll make a Mexican (with taco meat, cheese, black beans)…Greek (with meat, spinach, feta, kalamata olives), Italian (with sweet sausage, beef, pepperoni, cheeses), pierogi lasagna (with mashed potatoes, cheese, buttery onions and sometimes kielbasa). Do everything and assemble, then freeze. You can pull it out and thaw before baking or bake straight from frozen. I usually have big baggies of meatballs ready to go and I can mix and match sauces or gravies. I buy Trader Joe’s organic rice packets that you can microwave in 3 min and they come out perfect! There’s always Bob Evan’s Natural mashed potatoes in my fridge too. There are only three of us, so if I double a recipe, there is usually enough to put one in the freezer.
Ditto on the Epicurean cutting boards.
In the freezer, chili, Mac n cheese loaded with shredded chicken and broccoli, and meatballs baked off and frozen without sauce so I can do anything with them – sometimes they get quartered and put in soup, chopped and put in lasagna, even sauced with beef broth/sour cream mixture to be “Swedish”. Those are my basic sanity savers. Good luck! With 3?little ones, you have lots of sniffles ahead!lind
I know it’s 3 little ones – spilled my coffee over my key board as I was finishing my comment – not sure where that ? came from. I now have a coffee scented keyboard. :-)
I agree with Sally. Love my Epicurean cutting boards. Have had two for years, thinking of adding a third. And they can go in the dishwasher
I have two Epicurean cutting boards and love them. They’re made in Superior, Wisconsin.
1- I try to make a double batch when I’m cooking on Sundays so that I can put one in the freezer for busy weeknights or no time/energy to cook. I usually do chicken pot pie, Chili, stew, lasagna, shepherds pie. Any other suggestions?
2- clean sheets are my absolute favourite. I heard that Oprah gets clean sheets every night. Goals.