Freezer cooking works!

The freezer cooking has worked!  I'm thrilled- my prep time has been cut down tremendously, and it's great for getting meals on the table when I'm tired, and just want to go out to eat!

Freezer Cooking!!

I joined Weight Watchers two weeks ago.  I'm so tired of being overweight, and decided that THIS WAS IT.  So to that end, I've been looking at freezer cooking a bit harder recently, because I like the idea of being able to portion things out properly while I'm not rushing around for dinner, and then I can just pop the meals in the microwave or in the oven, or whatever. 

So my BFF and I were at Red Robin last week, and we decided that we were going to start doing freezer cooking, she hates cooking for 1, and wants some variety, and I need the portion control that it gives me.  If I'm giving her half, then I know that I only have 3-4 servings.  So that's what we're doing on Sunday.  We're going to make Mexican Casserole, German Style chicken, and Tex Mex Chicken Rollups.  I'm also making Vegetable Lasagna with Gruyere cheese, since next week Lent begins.  We shall see how it goes, I did a decent stock up this morning, purchased $20 worth of meat, and got about 20 meals out of that.  I've already portioned them out for the family.  I'm going to purchase more this weekend, because we'll need it for this weekend.  I also want to help with the portioning with CB, so that she can buy a huge thing of meat, and it'll be good for her. 

Mozzarella cheese

I've been thinking about making cheese- my sister in law has made cheese in the past, but she made it in a crockpot, and I'm just not into that for some reason.  Anyway, I was reading a magazine today, and they were talking about making fresh mozzarella cheese!  WHA??  I'd never heard of that, and I immediately thought that it'd be too hard.  But the pictures were crazy easy, and I found a place that sells mozzarella cheese curds via the internet.  So I'll be purchasing some here soon to try to make some.  I will post pictures when I do it.  I'm so excited about making it- that means we'll have fresh, homemade caprese salads/sandwiches/pizza this summer!  :)  We're growing our own basil, tomatoes, and then we'll make our own cheese!  Whoo!!

Seeds!

I went to Meijer the other day, getting some stuff for the weekend, and saw that they had put out 1 set of seeds.  Whoo hoo!  So I bought 7? packets.  :)  I am so excited- mostly herbs, but one packet of jalepeno peppers.  So now I just have to do a Gurney's order, and a Burpee's order, and I'm good!  :) 

Have you ever....?

heard that a book was SO AWESOME that you just had to read it?  So you went to the library, checked it out, and started to read it...and was so incredibly bored you had to stop reading after 50 pages?  Well, I am a VORACIOUS reader- seriously to the tune of 8 books a week, and it's honestly only happened a few times with me.  The New Moon Series (sorry, tween girls who might be reading this blog!), the Clan of the Cave Bear Series, Eat Pray Love (oh my GOD, I don't think I made it past page 15!) and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.  I have no idea why on the last one, I was recommended it, with all the back to basics stuff I'm working on.  But I checked it out 3x from the library, and COULD NOT get past Chapter 2.  Maybe because I don't like Barbara Kingsolver's tone when she writes.  I'm a Biology nerd- I can't deal with flowery extra words.  Which looking back, might be why I hate the previous books! 

I've been reading some other books that I can deal with in terms of language.  Radical Homemakers and The Backyard Homestead are just two of them that I'm currently in love with.  I cannot wait until we're in a house of our own, so that we can implement some of my ideas. 

Speaking of houses, one of my favorites came back on the market.  They want a lot more than what the old owner was asking- the prior owner was trying a short sale, and it didn't work.  Now it's just on the market.  I'm still leaning toward it, but it's got no land, and it's in an HOA, so not at all what we were looking for.

Awful weekend

I shouldn't say that, but we had Sicky McSickerson move into the house this weekend.  Boy child started puking before dinner, and didn't stop until Saturday afternoon.  Ugh!  On the bright side of that, we threw a lot of stuff out this weekend.  Boy child slept most of Saturday and Sunday, so after he stopped puking, we could actually get stuff done around the house! 

I've been having lots of arguments with myself about a house.  I've always been the one to have to have a basement.  But, there's this one house on almost 8 acres, for a reasonable price, but it's a modular.  I've told hubs that if we bought it, we'd immediately be saving to build another house.  My whole feeling is that I could deal with it for a little while, but am I getting so caught up in the house fever that I'm not making a good choice for us (and me?)

I borrowed The Pioneer Woman Cooks from the library.  I liked it so much, I ordered it off of Barnes and Noble this morning.  :)  I am such a cookbook freak- I own over 200, and keep buying/swapping for more!  Junior League Cookbooks are my downfall.  I own close to 100 of them- from all over the country.  And when we go on vacation, I always end up picking up more from used book stores. 

Happy January!

It's been a bit of a mixed bag here recently.  Great holidays, lots of time spent with family, got offered a permanent position, but am feeling a little....out of sorts I guess.  The money situation is getting me down, and I'm trying my damnedest to earn extra money, but it's hard.  Also, I've been feeling that I don't really belong anywhere- I have all these interests, but I don't fit in with any of the groups I'm involved in.  And at times, I feel like I'm a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. 
  My job is great- love it.  However, I'm one of the few that has a college degree, and used to have my dream job.  Everyone else is working crap jobs trying to make ends meet, no college, whatever.  So I don't fit in there- I feel like they have no idea why I'm working there.  Make sense? 
  The organization that I belong to- everyone is professional, very few SAHM's, and those that are are so professional and polished.  I feel like I stick out like a sore thumb there.  I'm the one that comes to meetings in yoga pants and a tshirt. 
  I want to be a farmer, and raise chickens and bees.  I want my son to be in FFA and 4H.  That totally doesn't fit in with either of the two things that I've described above.  I'm me, and I'm unique, I get that, I just wish that sometimes, I didn't feel like I was the only one who had all these diverse interests.  I think if I told anyone in my organization about my farming dreams, they'd laugh at me.  The other job, probably not, because there are some people who do live on larger acreage, and would understand my dream.  I don't know.  That's what I keep coming back to- I don't know.  I'm probably not supposed to know yet either.  And I'm fine with that, I'd just like to know a direction!