Posted in Side Dish

Side Dish’n Fridays: Gardner Chowder

Gardner Chowder

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6-8 servings

1/2 chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
1 cup each diced potato, celery, cau­li­flower, carrot and broc­coli
3 cups water
3 chicken bouil­lon cubes (or just 3 cups of chicken broth to replace water and bouil­lon)
1 tea­spoon salt
3 garlic cloves or 1-2 tsp of garlic powder
1/4 tea­spoon pepper
1/2 cup flour or arrowroot powder
2 cups milk
1 Tbls minced fresh pars­ley
1/8-1/4 tsp of each the following spices: paprika, coriander, ground mustard (increase as desired)
2-3 cups shred­ded ched­dar cheese (can be adjusted as desired, as I rarely use more than 2 cups of cheese)

Prep Day: In a Dutch oven or large pot, saute green pepper, onion and butter until tender. Add veg­eta­bles, water, bouil­lon, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 min­utes or until the veg­eta­bles are tender. Com­bine flour and milk until smooth; stir into pan. Allow to thicken at a low temperature. Add the pars­ley and other spices. Just before serv­ing, stir in the cheese until melted. Just allow room for expansion.

Serve Day: Thaw. Heat on stove top until warm.

Posted in Dessert

Tasty Treat: Sour Cream Chocolate Muffins

Sour Cream Chocolate Muffins

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Yield: 12 muffins

5 ounces Semisweet Chocolate
2 Baking Chocolate Squares
1/3 cup Butter or Margarine
3/4 cup Sour Cream
2/3 cup Brown Sugar – packed
1/4 cup Light Corn Syrup
1 Egg
2 teaspoons Vanilla
1 1/2 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Chocolate Chips – semi-sweet or milk

Mix semisweet chocolate, baking chocolate, and butter together, then melt carefully in microwave or over simmering water in double boiler. Allow to cool to lukewarm. Mix sour cream, sugar, corn syrup, egg and vanilla. Blend with melted chocolates. Blend flour, soda and salt, then add to the chocolate mixture and blend very well. Add the chocolate chips. Pour batter into 12 paper-lined or greased muffin tins. Bake in preheated 400 degree F oven for about 20 minutes. Remove from muffin tins and allow to cool on wire racks.

(When freezing, cool completely, then freeze in individual baggies, removing as much air as possible from each baggie before sealing.)

Posted in Tips and Tricks

Tips and Tricks: Freezer Cooking Myths

Freezer Cooking Myths

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Myth #1 – It takes a all day to do the cooking.
The great thing about it is its flexibility. Don’t have a all day, do a fewer hour cooking session. Or triple up on your dinners for a few weeks and build up some reserves. Cook 10 of the same recipe and find 9 friends who will do the same, but a different recipe. Then swap ‘em. There are lots of ways to freezer cook! And after you try it for awhile, you will realize that the time you save in meal prep and clean up each evening is well worth the time it takes to shop and cook for large quantities.

Myth #2 – Only experienced cooks can do this.
Absolutely NOT! Only the most basic cooking knowledge is needed to cook most of freezer recipes. Most freezer recipes give very detailed instructions so that even the least experienced cook can be successful.

Myth #3 – Owning a stand alone freezer is a must.
About 30 gallon freezer bags will fit into a standard refrigerator’s freezer. But it does help to have some extra space. Upright freezers are easy to organize and take up less floor space. They also are an inexpensive option and hold a lot more food than you think!

Myth #4 – Freezer containers and pans will cost a fortune.
I use freezer bags most of the time because it is the most economical way. The foods in them can be thawed and put into your favorite dish for baking.

Myth #5 – Freezer foods don’t taste fresh.
Most freezer recipes are made “from scratch” and are designed so that you assemble your foods and freeze them to cook after thawing. I promise the aromas and flavors of fresh cooking will remain. For those busy days, you can choose to prebake some of your entrées and side dishes so that you only have a short warm up time.

Myth #6 – Most of the foods I love to eat probably can’t be frozen.
Actually, most foods freeze well! Try it and you will be surprised by how delicious your food will taste.

Myth #7 – Having meals in the freezer means that you can’t eat out.
Don’t believe it, but you probably won’t want to. Because you will be looking forward to eating your home cooking.

Myth #8 – My family will get tired of eating the same food over and over again.
The easiest way to avoid that is to meal plan for the month. In your meal plan, include some fresh meals that you generally make fresh such as breakfast for dinner, soup and sandwich night, taco night, etc. Make freezer cooking fun for your family by letting them help you pick out the recipes to include in your cooking day. This will make the recipe rotation more enjoyable for you and your family!

Myth #9 – My family won’t eat casseroles.
Freezer cooking doesn’t mean casseroles for every meal! There are so many different foods that freeze great. Try dump marinades, soup, sandwich, and breakfast recipes for starters!