Crock pot-Chicken and Stuffing.

I'm not a great cook...and the easier the better for me.  I also like recipes that are easy to understand, and with things we already purchase.  I like no brainer kinda cooking.  HA!

I LOVE my crock pot...what woman really doesn't? :)

It's especially handy now with having the new baby.  I don't always have time to start cooking supper...why you ask?  Because I'm a momma who breastfeeds, and with a newborn that's really my full time job right now.  ;)

So putting something quick and easy in the crock pot is wonderful for me at this time.

Here is what you'll need for a yummy complete meal.

I use three large chicken breast.  Cut them long ways in half, and place at bottom of crock pot.

Next slice up Moz. cheese and cover chicken.

Take two small can of cream of chicken and mix with 1 cup milk.  Pour over cheese, and then add one box flavored stuffing.

We add one bag of broccoli to the top of stuffing to make it seem more like a complete meal. :)

6-8 hrs. on low or 4-6 hrs. on high.  Time usually varies and just make sure the chicken is done.

This is a family favorite!  And the leftovers are even so yummy...

For the Love of Faith, Family, and Home,

Our Thrifty Nest of 7

I'm linking up with this fabulous party...

mmm, good.

Some yummy grape tomatoes from our garden...

Aren't they pretty?

I cut up some cucumbers (also from our garden), grape tomatoes, and put some ranch dressing with Parmesan cheese on top.  Oh my, it was so refreshing and yummy. 

I served it with my Supreme Chicken Casserole, which is a family favorite!  ;)

Supreme Chicken Casserole...

2-3 chicken breasts cooked and chopped

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 8oz. cornbread stuffing mix

1/2 stick butter melted

1 16 oz. sour cream

1 can chicken broth

Combine: cream of mushroom, butter (melted), sour cream, and chicken broth.

Then mix in stuffing and chicken.

Place in casserole dish and cook at 375 for 35-40 min...until golden and bubbling.

Sure to be a family pleaser!! :)

For the love of Faith, Family, and Home,
Thrifty Momma

Breakfast planning and preparing...Frozen yummies

I've been preparing and freezing supper meals, so I decided I was ready to try breakfast meals.  ;)

I made 13 breakfast burritos, and 12 egg mcmuffins...yum

I started out by browning 2lbs. breakfast sausage...This ended up in both my egg mixtures, with some left over to freeze for gravy and biscuits.

Once that was prepared I used 13 eggs, a little milk, and some of the sausage and poured into a baking sheet.

This went into the oven on 350 until the egg was cooked, not over cooked.

Once I had that placed in the oven I then scrambled up 12 more eggs, and then folded in some sausage.

This I used for the breakfast burritos.

I placed one large spoonful of egg mixture and some shedded mild cheddar on each tortilla shell.

Then rolled them up in parchment paper and placed in freezer ziplock bags.

Before I could finish the burritos the eggs in the oven were finished, so I took them out to cool.

The eggs made nice baked squares for the egg mcmuffins.

I placed one slice of cheese, one egg with sausage square using an English muffin.

The remaining eggs I just wrapped indivdually up, and froze.

This has worked out well...

In the mornings for our daughter...I just grab out two squares, place on a baking sheet in the oven on 350...just to heat it up...and done.  She loves holding them and feeding herself.  :)

It is so nice to have these breakfast meals ready for my lovely family...
It will also come in handy to have breakfasts like this on hand once our newest blessing arrives in December, too!

I wrapped each egg mcmuffin, and place in a freezer ziplock bag.
Now all we have to do some mornings is grab and heat up. 
Wonderful!

For the love of Faith, Family, and Home,
Thrifty Momma

15 freezer meals.

I began my freezer meal cooking...

I ended up with 15 homemade freezer meals. It's a wonderful feeling to have those ready for my family!

This is the meatloaf, and meatball mixture.  We love it!  It made 4 meatloaf's , and 2 meatball meals.

A few tips that make this cooking day easier...

1. Start with an empty trash bag.  You'll be throwing away cans, and scraps from cutting onions, peppers, etc.

2.  Have one sink basin full of warm soapy water.  Helps to rinse hands off, and or a quick wash of mixing utensils.

3.  Keep a dishtowel on your shoulder for easy drying of hands, and utensils.   And have an apron on if you have one.

Three of my meatloaf's cooking...The fourth I kept in the fridge, and we had for supper. :)

This is the chicken supreme casserole mix, and south of the boarder chicken waiting for the chicken. ;)

Meatballs ready for the oven.  I half these for two meals.  While I formed the meatballs I already had the chicken boiling, and the sauce going for ziti and lasagna.

Sauce mix which made baked ziti and lazy lasagna.

Two chicken supreme casserole's ready to be covered, marked, and place in freezer

I made 2 lazy lasagna's. :)

2 baked ziti's.

3 south of the boarder chickens.

Ready for the freezer... :)

My over all time, not including kitchen clean up was...2 1/2 hrs. (with a few interruptions. :) )

I'm hoping next week to try some different recipes, and continue this on a weekly basis.  This way I should hopefully have a nice supply come Dec. for the arrival of baby.

For the love of Faith, Family, and Home,
Thrifty Momma

I'm linking up with these fabulous blogs...

Frozen meal planning

Frozen Assets: How to cook for a Day and Eat for a Month...

I read this book several years ago, and LOVED it!!

Back then we only had three children , but still a tight grocery budget.

While at the library I picked up this book looking for new recipes, and enjoyed reading it.

I did follow the cook for a day eat for a month method for almost 7 months.  During that time supper time was so wonderful.  No hassle on what to make, no strife, no planning, no prep time, it was STRESS free.

It also saved us on grocery bills, and from just running out to get something.

Then we made a move, and things became different...

Now we hope to be where we plan on staying...and it's time to start this system again.

We've added another child, and another is due soon.  I have an almost teenage son, and three other ones who obviously love to eat. :)

So, I checked this book out again, but have plans on purchasing my own.

Yes, it's that great!  I love the recipes, (my family will eat them)...

The grocery lists are already made up for you, the day of cooking is already planned out for you, it's so SIMPLE...

And I can tell you from experience the peace that comes with all those meals is wonderful.

To get myself back in the swing of things, I'm going to just start with the two week plan...

I hope to work my way to a month, and the beauty is you don't have to have a separate freezer.

In the book it teaches you how to just use your small freezer. :) 

Well I'm off to make my list, and go grocery shopping this afternoon.  Monday, I hope will be cooking day.  I'll be sure to keep posting on my experience...

For the love of Faith, Family, and Home,

Thrifty Momma