Dinner time can be stressful, especially when you have swim team, soccer and PTA all on the same day.  One day, our friend Merica suggested we start a frozen dinner swap. We have been eating better foods, and with much less stress ever since. Here is how you to can start a frozen dinner swap group.

Step 1: Find 4 friends or neighbors who have families in similar size to yours.
Step 2: Pick a regular day to do your swap. We do every other Friday.
Step 3: Find a book at the library on frozen meals to get you started on what freezes well and what doesn’t. Casseroles freeze really well and so do things that marinade.
Step 4: Purchase gallon size freezer bags and quart freezer bags, and a lot of aluminum foil.  Having aluminum disposable casserole dishes around is good too.
Step 5: Make 4 -5 meals at once. This can take a long time but you can choose a time that is good for you.
Step 6: Find a side dish or dessert that matches up with your meal. Frozen bread, vegetables or ice cream sandwiches are fun. (Some groups omit this step and just do main dishes.)
Step 7: Swap till you drop!

These dinners are also excellent things to premake for a friend who is having a baby, or surgery, or health struggles. Here is one recipe we’d like to share with you.

Lindsay’s and Emily’s Excellent Empanadas

Place a 2-3 lb pork roast (boneless) in a crockpot. Add one can of diced tomatoes (juice and all), and one can of diced green chilis in with the meat. Sprinkle cumin, chili powder, and salt and pepper all over the top of the meat. Cook on high 4-5 hours or low 6-8. When cooked, REMOVE meat from crockpot (so it won’t be too soggy) and place in a bowl to shred. You can add more cumin or s & p if desired. We also like to add one more can of diced tomatoes, drained, while shredding the meat.

For the dough: (this makes 8 empanadas. If you need to make more empanadas to use up the meat, do the
dough in batches–don’t double or triple the recipe.)
4 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
1/2 c. cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 c. cold water
Combine dry ingredients, then cut in the cold butter until mixture is crumbly. Add just enough cold water so dough comes together. Divide the dough ball in 1/2 and knead each half 2-3 times. Cut each 1/2 into 4 equal pieces. Cover. Let stand to rise for 20 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough into a THIN 8-inch round.  Place meat and a small amount of monterey jack cheese (optional) onto one half of the circle (don’t add too much or it won’t seal). Fold over the other half, brush edge with water and crimp with a fork. Seal well, or it will burst open in the oven. You can individually wrap these now, and freeze them.
When ready to eat, thaw for a few minutes while the oven preheats and bake as below. Brush tops with butter or an egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 Tbsp water). Bake empanadas at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes until tops are golden brown.

FYI-If you have leftover meat (and don’t want to make more dough), you can freeze the meat and then thaw later and re-heat in a frying pan for tacos/burritos. It’s still yummy.

Dinner is an important time of the day. It is a great time to reconnect with family members and talk about what happened that day. Frozen Dinner Swap has made our dinner prep time stress free. And our families love it!

[You can find more recipes like the one featured above at www.frozendinnerswap.wordpress.com]

~Lindsay

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What foods say “Happy Holidays” to you?

Clam Chowder

Open and drain 2 6½ oz. cans of minced clams, saving the juice! Put juice in large pot; set clams aside. Add 2 cups cubed potatoes, 1 c. chopped celery, and 1 c. chopped onion. Add enough water to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until tender.

In separate saucepan, make white sauce with: ¾ c. butter, ¾ c flour and 1 quart half and half. (No, this is not health food, but it sure is good You can make it with milk for a lower-fat version, though.) Stir white sauce over low heat over thick and smooth. Season with 1½ t. salt, ½ t. sugar, and pepper to taste. Add sauce to veggies and broth in large. Stir until blended and heated through. Add clams and stir until heated. (Don’t overcook clams or they will become chewy.)

Meringue Kisses
2 egg whites
¾ cups sugar
6 oz mint chocolate chips
Food coloring (Mom used green)

Heat oven to 350. Beat egg whites until they hold peaks. Add sugar and beat for 10 minutes. Fold in mint chips. Drop on ungreased baking sheet. Turn oven off, and put cookies in oven. Leave in closed oven for 2 hours or overnight.

Buttermilk Scones
1 quart buttermilk, warmed
2 pkgs. Yeast
¼ c. lukewarm water
2 T. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 T. oil
3 t baking powder
½ t. salt
8 c. flour

Soften yeast in the water. In large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients with 4 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth. Add remaining 4 c. flour (approx) to make a soft dough. Allow to rise, covered, until doubled. Punch down and refrigerate overnight. Roll out just before frying in deep fat (oil) heated to 375 degrees. Cook and turn when golden. Serve with honey butter (below), jam, or other yummy toppings. (Dough is good in refrigerator for 5-7 days.)

Honey Butter
For 10 minutes, beat 1 c butter and 1 ¼ c honey. Voila!

Philly Phondue
1 ¾ c milk
2 8-oz pkgs. cream cheese (I’ve used the reduced fat variety; fat free probably isn’t recommended )
2 t. dry mustard
¼ c. chopped onion
1 pkg thin-sliced beef (like Carl Buddig brand) cut into strips

Heat milk. Add cream cheese and stir until almost melted. Blend to smooth (in blender). Add remaining ingredients and cook slowly for 5 minutes over low heat. Pour into fondue pot and serve with large cubes of French bread.

“Campbelled” Eggs
Put 6-8 large eggs in a blender with 1 can cream of chicken soup. Blend until smooth. Scramble in hot, greased skillet as usual. Serve with scones, cinnamon rolls, toast or your favorite breakfast bread.

-by Michelle

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