Boy, does it feel great to be getting ahead of myself in the kitchen!

I love being able to grab ingredients, pre-made sides and main dishes from the freezer for a quick throw together meal!  And as I look at the coming month, I see whirlwind…my head is already spinning!  At the end of September, I have the opportunity to go to New York for a few days on business, and I want to have some easy grabs for Steve in the freezer.

Like these mashed potatoes!  And the meatloaves I made two weeks ago!  What an easy meal for him…take out the night before to thaw in the fridge, and then throw in (or gently place) the microwave or oven to reheat/cook.

Easy peasy!

This week’s plan…

• Mashed Potato Sides – Done!
• Chocolate Chip Cookies – Freeze the dough (While I used to freeze it like this, I now flash freeze individual cookie doughs…much easier than slicing off cookies from a frozen log of dough. IMO.)
• Muffins – variety to be determined
• Pancakes – variety to be determined

I think that’s about all I can get in this week before we head south for the wedding.

How about you?!  Are you ahead of yourself in the kitchen yet?!

Find More Savings

• Free Money Management Software at Mint.com
• Get Free Coupon Alerts
• Print Grocery Coupons
• Join AFullCup to find more ways to save on Groceries!!!

Breakfast for dinner…a smart way to reduce your grocery budget…simply incorporate 1 of these meals into your weekly meal plan and be on your way to spending less!

Making pancakes from scratch has been something I have done for many years!  I had lots of fun coming up with (and tasting) a bunch of different pancakes for my Breakfast and Lunch Cookbook.  This is not a recipe in the cookbook, but will give you a sense of the pancake recipe goodness that awaits you in the next book!!!

Here’s the trick. And you must do it this way.

Toss some blueberries, fresh or frozen, with some lemon juice…then sift some powdered sugar over the top before folding them into the batter!!!

Gives plain old blueberry pancakes an extra burst of lemony sweetness!

Ingredients

2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
2 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
2 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

About 1 1/2 cup blueberries (I was planning on using 2, but *a child that shall remain unnamed* kept stealing them from my measuring cup!)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
About 3 Tbsp powdered sugar

Directions

In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, milk and sugar.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Pour into the wet ingredients and whisk until batter is smooth.

In that same dry ingredient bowl, add the blueberries and toss with the lemon juice.  Sift some powdered sugar over the top and then fold into the pancake batter.

Make the pancakes on whatever griddle you’ve got.

Pour maple syrup over the top (free, using Amazon credit from Swagbucks!)

Cut.

And eat!!!

Hello Mr. Burst of Lemony Sweetness!

(And if there are any left to freeze, these are totally freezable. Is that  word?!)

Makes 20 1/4 cup pancakes.

__________________________________________________

Have a Frugal and Healthy Recipe to share?

Post the recipe on your blog and then add the link below. Other guidelines can be found here. To make it easy for other readers to find your recipe, please leave the link that leads directly to your recipe post. Any links that lead to your homepage will be deleted. If you don’t have a blog, feel free to leave your recipe in the comments section!

Find More Savings

• Free Money Management Software at Mint.com
• Get Free Coupon Alerts
• Print Grocery Coupons
• Join AFullCup to find more ways to save on Groceries!!!

Now that I’ve caught up…it’s time to get ahead! Not sure exactly when each of these things will get done, but if I have them all done by the end of the week…I’ll be in great shape for the rest of the month!!!

Here’s the Batch Cooking Plan for this week:

• Bake Bread
• Bake Muffins – Done…and eaten already!
• Cook 2 whole chickens in the slow cooker – Done!
• Make Taco Meat – Ended up making 3 meals worth of mini-meatballs instead!
• Make Spaghetti Sauce
• Make Sunday Pancake Mixes – Done!

What about you?!  Are you doing any freezer cooking or batch cooking to get ahead!?

Find More Savings

• Free Money Management Software at Mint.com
• Get Free Coupon Alerts
• Print Grocery Coupons
• Join AFullCup to find more ways to save on Groceries!!!

The amount of produce that is wasted in America each year is staggering, which means that millions of dollars in food is wasted each year, both by manufacturers who have surplus crops and homeowners who purchase food that goes bad.

But if you’ve got a few brown bananas lying around, bringing them to the local food pantry probably isn’t high on your list. Why not find ways to use your brown bananas so that you can maximize your investment and feed your hungry family?

Here are 5 ways to use brown bananas :

• Bake banana cake. Nobody (except for you) will know that you used brown bananas in this scrumptious recipe.

¾ cup oil
1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 bananas)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup orange juice
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour

Mix all ingredients together. Place in a greased 9×13 pan or two 9” round pans, bake for 25-20 minutes at 350 degrees. This recipe freezes well.

• Freeze them. Yes, it’s true – if you can’t use your bananas before they get moldy you can freeze them for up to 3 months.
• Make banana pancakes. Not only will this recipe prevent you from wasting brown bananas, it’ll disguise these healthy items in a ‘fun’ dinner.

4 bananas mashed through a strainer
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
¼ tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
½ tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients together and fry on medium heat until brown on both sides.

• Make smoothies. Use brown bananas in a smoothie with yogurt, berries and milk. You can also use frozen bananas for your smoothies.
• Stack them in a sandwich. Banana-peanut butter sandwiches are a little-known treat but one that is worth publicizing. Brown bananas will maintain a smooth consistency for your sandwich without sliding out of the bread. Banana-peanut butter sandwiches work well with both creamy and chunky peanut butter. For small children, cut the sandwich in half so that it’s easier to hold without the bananas shifting inside.

Sari Holtz is a writer for Billy.com and the voice behind Billy’s money saving blog.  She is the mother of 4 children between the ages of 6 and 1, and she is always looking for new ways to save money and to trick her children into eating more fruits and vegetables.

Find More Savings

• Free Money Management Software at Mint.com
• Get Free Coupon Alerts
• Print Grocery Coupons
• Join AFullCup to find more ways to save on Groceries!!!

I’m hoping to spend an hour (or two) in the kitchen tomorrow…it’s been over a week and I miss cooking!

I continue to play catch-up from returning home from the Savvy Blogging Summit…I’ve got my inbox under control, the house is more or less clean, so now it’s time to get in the kitchen, do some experimenting and get some more food into the freezer for next week’s breakfasts and snacks.

I would love to be one step ahead of myself, as I start into next week!

The Batch Cooking Plan

• Make Sweet Potato Baby Food for Tyler
• Double Batch Sausage and Jalapeno Muffins or Bread (recipe coming next week)
• Double Batch of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins and Pumpkin Nut Muffins
• Double Batch of Waffles and Pumpkin Pancakes
• Brown Chorizo Sausage and make breakfast tacos (Chorizo from farmer’s market stop on Thursday)
• Make Italian Herbs Pesto Sauce for freezer
• Take part in the 2010 version of Strawberry and Rhubarb Mania (Rhubarb from farmer’s market stop on Thursday)

(It seems that the Great Pumpkin Shortage of 2009 has turned into the Pumpkin Shortage of 2010! If you are wondering where I got the pumpkin, my mom bought some for us when she was here last month…she found some organic canned pumpkin at “the more expensive” grocery store in my area. Thanks Mom!)

I have found that having a few homemade healthy snacks and goodies in the freezer helps my week run so smoothly!!

Do you ever do any batch cooking?! Have any favorite freezable foods to share with us?! Links and recipes welcome!

Find More Savings

• Free Money Management Software at Mint.com
• Get Free Coupon Alerts
• Print Grocery Coupons
• Join AFullCup to find more ways to save on Groceries!!!

I mentioned yesterday that we had an impromptu Italian dinner feast with Tricia and her family. And I might have mentioned that I made some Eggplant Focaccia bread.

Turned out to be quite good…a little tough on the edges…but what a yummy combination of flavors!

It was only after about 5 seconds that Tyler and Tessa were holding hands. (They are less than 1 month apart in age.)

And it was only 30 seconds after that when the footsy began.

Uh. Huh. Uh. Huh. These babies didn’t waste anytime getting acquainted.

We had a lovely dinner and a lovely “adult” conversation. I’m sorry I didn’t get any photos from our feast…I was too busy watching Tyler…making sure he kept his paws off Tessa.

On to the Focaccia…

But be forewarned. Photo deluge coming.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup warm water…not hot, not lukewarm…warm
1 package active dry yeast ($.25)

5 1/2 cups flour (I used 5 cups white, then 1/2 cup wheat…I ran out of white…I recommend all white flour.)
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup olive oil ($.50)
About 3/4 more cup of water

1/2 white onion, sliced into circles ($.15)
1 tsp olive oil ($.03)
1 tsp sugar ($.05)

1 eggplant ($1.12) $.99/lb from the market on Saturday
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary from the garden
1 garlic clove ($.05)

Kosher salt
Olive oil for drizzling ($.25)

Directions

Let’s start with the dough. Since it takes a while to rise…and stuff.

Place the warm water in a bowl and stir in the yeast. A tablespoon of yeast from the jar, if you don’t do the packets. Let sit while you get the flour going and get out the other ingredients, 5 to 10 minutes.

Place the flour and salt into a stand mixer or bowl where you will make the dough.

Toss the flour and salt together, then stream in the olive oil.

Pour in the yeast and water and let the dough hook works its magic. Stream in some more warm water (I did about 3/4 cups), until dough ball forms. Let knead for about 10 minutes.

Don’t have a stand mixer and dough hook. Use a wooden spoon and then knead the dough yourself…and get a nice forearm workout in the process.

Dough ball will form…keep kneading until smooth.

Meanwhile, wash the rosemary and the eggplant. Pat dry.

Thinly slice the eggplant. Then place into a strainer.

Sprinkle the eggplant pieces with salt and set in the kitchen sink.  The salt will draw out the bitter eggplant juices and they can drain into the sink.

While the eggplant is draining and the dough is kneading, slice the onions.  Caramelize them.

Place the olive oil and sugar into a small skillet.  Let the oil and sugar heat up, then toss in the onion slices.  Cook on high until they look like this…then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Once cooked, chop up the caramelized onions and set aside.

Take the rosemary leaves of the sprig.

Chop away.

Peel a garlic clove and mash it with the side of the knife.

Rub the garlic along the inside of the bowls that will hold your dough, as it rises.  Add a little olive oil to the bowl to prevent sticking. Then mince the garlic to add to the dough after it rises.

Add smooth dough.

Cover and let rise about an hour.

Once rise, add the chopped rosemary and minced garlic to the risen dough.  Work the spices into the dough and then begins kneading the dough and stretching it out.

Let gravity help you stretch the dough out. Do NOT ROLL OUT focaccia dough. I repeat. Do NOT ROLL OUT focaccia dough!

Pull and knead the dough and place on a greased baking sheet. (Here is where I wished I’d have used my pizza stone.  I think the edges would have turned out better if I had used it.)

Dimple option #1.

Dimple option #2.

Dimple #3. Use whatever you like. Make dimples all over your dough.  Cover and let rise about 30 minutes to an hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 as the dough is rising again.

Once risen again…add the sliced eggplants, the chopped caramelized onions, some kosher salt and some drizzles of olive oil.

Brush the olive oil around.

Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.

Remove from oven, slice with pizza cutter.

Consume.

Cost $2.40

Find More Savings

• Free Money Management Software at Mint.com
• Get Free Coupon Alerts
• Print Grocery Coupons
• Join AFullCup to find more ways to save on Groceries!!!

I think I only got a few shots of these little beauties before little people hands started showing up in the viewfinder of my camera.

Let’s talk about these brownies for a minute.

While some of you have probably been making brownies with black beans for years, I have just been enlightened. My mouth thanks you Pam, not so much my waistline!

Pam’s version used a box mix and since I recently rid of all my box mixes, a from scratch version it would have to be!  I took my basic brownie recipe and added some pureed black beans…and it was all better!

By far, these are the BEST “from scratch” brownies I’ve ever made!!!

I have tried to make “box like” brownies from scratch over and over and over…to no avail.

Alas, these are quite close!!!

They have an OBSCENE amount of sugar. But I’m OK with that.

Because the protein and fiber in the black bean puree outweighs the calories from the sugar. Right?

Please tell me so!

Ingredients

3 cups pureed black beans (I filled up the blender to the 4 cup line and added a little water)
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened) (and optional)
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1/2. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray.

1. Puree black beans with a little water.  I went for a “smoothie” like consistency.

2. Add the sugar to the mixer or mixing bowl and then pour in the pureed black beans.  Mix until smooth, adding the vanilla and milk as it mixes.

3. Dump in all the dry ingredients, flour, cocoa, powder, soda and salt. (Can you see the reflection of the chocolate chips bag!?)

4. Mix, mix, mix until nice and smooth.

5. Toss in the coconut.

6. And the chocolate chips.

7. And if a few don’t make it into the bowl and get stuck on the mixing tool, feel free to snack on those.

8. On the lowest speed, mix in the coconut and chocolate chips for 10-20 seconds.

9. Pour the brownie batter into the greased pan and bake in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean in the center.  Let cool on a cooling rack before cutting.

10. Slice and serve to the hungry people, big and little!

Find More Savings

• Free Money Management Software at Mint.com
• Get Free Coupon Alerts
• Print Grocery Coupons
• Join AFullCup to find more ways to save on Groceries!!!

Blackberries. I love their sweetness and their tartness.  I grabbed a few packages for a buck at the store last week. And I just had to make some muffins, or are they cupcakes?

I’m not sure what to call them.  Because they really could be both. They are that versatile.

I love how when berries bake, their little juice pods pop and the juice runs all over!  Mmm.

Now scroll through the delicious-ness and then help me figure out where these little goodies belong in the next cookbook!

Ingredients

½ cup butter or margarine, softened ($.80)
½ cup white sugar ($.05)
2 eggs ($.20)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract ($.10)
1 cup milk ($.10)
2 cups white flour ($.40)
1 teaspoon baking soda ($.03)
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups blackberries, halved ($1)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice ($.10)
2 Tablespoons sugar ($.01)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 24 mini-muffin tin with cooking spray.

2. Slice the blackberries in half and place in a bowl with the lemon juice.

3. Add the sugar and toss away. But do so lightly.  You don’t want to hurt the blackberries!

4. Try your best not to eat ‘em up!

5. Prepare the batter in a stand mixer or mixing bowl with hand mixer by beating the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and milk until smooth.  Then add the flour, baking soda and salt and beat until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. Pour some batter into each of the mini muffin wells.  Fill about 1/4 full.

6. Add 2 blackberry halves to each well.

7. Be sure to not let too much of the liquid from the blackberry bowl get into the batter.  A little is fine.

8. Pour the remaining batter over the top of the blackberries. (I don’t mean to SWAY your  vote, but this batter was VERY much like cake batter!)

9. Fill up the muffins tins.  All the way full is fine!

10. Bake in the preheated oven for 14 to 16 minutes, or until cooked through!

11. Let cool on cooling rack. Enjoy!!!

And now help me decide where to put this recipe in The $5 Dinner Mom’s Breakfast and Lunch Cookbook…

(polls)

Thanks for your help! Y’all are the best!!!

Find More Savings

• Free Money Management Software at Mint.com
• Get Free Coupon Alerts
• Print Grocery Coupons
• Join AFullCup to find more ways to save on Groceries!!!

These muffins may or may not be featured in the next cookbook.

What do you think?!?  Should I include them?!?

Ingredients

2 eggs
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 granny smith apples, peeled and diced
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Directions

This is the key to their yumminess.  Mix together the diced apples, dried cranberries and brown sugar and fold them into the batter just before filling up the muffin tin.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 12 regular size muffin tin wells. (Also makes 24 mini muffins.)

Add the eggs, white sugar, oil, milk, vanilla to a stand mixer or mixing bowl.  Mix until smooth.

Add in the dry ingredients (minus the apples, cranberries and brown sugar.) and mix until batter is smooth.

In a smaller mixing bowl, toss the apples, cranberries and brown sugar.  Fold into the muffin batter.  Pour into the greased muffin tin, filling 3/4 full.

Bake in the preheated oven for 22 to 24 minutes for regular size, or 16 to 18 minutes for mini-muffins. Let cool on cooling rack before serving.

Serve warm with some butter!

Find More Savings

• Free Money Management Software at Mint.com
• Get Free Coupon Alerts
• Print Grocery Coupons
• Join AFullCup to find more ways to save on Groceries!!!

Well, I’ve spent the last month cleaning out the freezers and pantry, and you got it…it’s time to start filling them up again!

Here’s the “batch cooking” plan…

1. Cook up a bunch of dried beans and freeze in 2 cups portions (about the same amount that comes in a 15 oz. can of beans).

• Red Kidney Beans
• Black Beans
• Navy Beans

I’ve LOVED having beans in the freezer that I can just throw in to whatever I’m cooking…so I’ll keep up the tradition of batch cooking my dried beans!

2. Bake 2 batches of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip muffins (and hope some make it into the freezer!)

3. Bake Zucchini Pineapple Bread (made into mini-loaves and muffins)…recipe found in The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook!!!

Somebody didn’t do a good job keeping the batter off the rims! *ahem*

4. Make some spaghetti sauce with ground chuck (on sale this week for $1.69/lb.), chopped onions and homemade spaghetti sauce.

For more ideas, inspiration and encouragement, visit Jessica and Crystal…the Freezer Cooking Day hostesses!!!

Find More Savings

• Free Money Management Software at Mint.com
• Get Free Coupon Alerts
• Print Grocery Coupons
• Join AFullCup to find more ways to save on Groceries!!!