Cooking Party

My friend Becky and I recently had a cooking party. Our goal was to make food that was relatively easy, good to eat, and something our kids would also eat. Neither of us like chunks in our food, so we worked well together. We cooked 14 different recipes and stuck them in the freezer! Due to popular demand (this is for you Shannon), I have taken pictures of the first two meals we have eaten. There were no pictures taken while cooking...we were too busy cooking and too messy to get the camera out. But we had a lot of fun cooking together. Well at least hanging out together! And now we don't have to do major cooking for the next, well, 14+ days. And so far, the food has been very good!

So here are the first two meals with recipes. These two recipes came from my old cookbook, Once-A-Month Cooking.

French Stew

3 lbs beef stew meat
1 10 3/4 oz can beef consomme
3 large peeled and sliced carrots (we used baby carrots, half bag)
1 16 oz can whole green beans, drained
1 8 1/2 oz can whole onions, drained (I omitted)
1 16 oz can small peas, drained
1 16 oz can peeled tomatoes
1 cup water
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup tapioca
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup fine, dry bread crumbs
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix ingredients in a large covered pot. Bake in a 250 degree oven for 6-8 hrs or in a large crockpot 8-10 hrs on low (I used the oven). Allow to cool, and put in freezer container.

To prepare for serving, thaw stew and heat until bubbly.

We ate ours over rice.


Well,I am no food photographer and this may not look to appetizing, but it tasted good! Did I mention that both the boys ate the carrots!


Joes to go

1 lb ground beef
3/4 cup finely chopped onion (or onion powder as I use)
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt (or a little less garlic powder as I use)
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/4 brown sugar
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp prepared mustard
1 8-oz tomato sauce

Cook and stir ground beef and onion; drain. Add garlic, pepper, chili sauce, brown sugar, white vinegar, mustard and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. simmer uncovered 10 minutes,stirring occasionally. Cool and freeze.

To serve, thaw; heat until sauce is bubbly and serve on warmed buns.


Nathan's favorite, sloppy joes...he says I always make the best sloppy joes!


Dave enduring pictures while eating his food!