Wednesday, August 21, 2013

My Productive Sunday

Since during the week, I'm busy with working, making dinner, taking care of animals, and occasional laundry. The weekend is when I really rock n roll in the kitchen. It is amazing what a girl can get done in one day.....

So this past Sunday, I got the following complete:

The night before, I soaked 1 and a half pounds of dry black beans in the crock pot over night. In the morning, I filled the crockpot up to just below the rim. Put the lid on and turned it onto low. They will cook for about 6 hours. Once they finished cooking I turn off the crock pot and let them cool some. Then using freezer bags, I fill them with 10 ounces of black beans. Leaving the bag open, let them cool to room temperature. Seal the bag and pop them into the freezer. 1 and a half pounds made 5 bags.


cooking black beans

Checked on lil bit and she was busy searching for the missing mitten.....



Back in the kitchen, using my bread machine, I made to batches of pizza dough. Each batch takes 1.5 hours. Once done, I knead the dough on a floured surface, than wrap in plastic wrap. Then pop into a gallon freezer bag and into the freezer it goes. Then repeat with the second batch. Now I have pizza dough that will last two weeks, Friday night pizza!!


Pizza dough mixing

From the farmers' market I bought 8lbs of beef and 2lbs of sausage, most of the beef was popped into the freezer for later meals. I thawed 2 pounds of beef and 1 pound of sausage. Then made a big batch of meatballs. With meatballs rolled and placed on the cookie sheet, pop into the oven for 10 minutes, then pull out and let cool. Once the meatballs have cooled, place on another cookie sheet and place in the freezer. I freeze them like I do berries, separate so they don't become one monster mush meatball. Leave them overnight then transfer to gallon freezer bag. 


Meatballs!!!

While making the meatballs, I was oven roasting bell peppers, tomatoes and onions to make roasted pepper spread. 


Roasted peppers, tomatoes and onio
Blueberry snack time turned into a cute mini photo shoot...she is too cute for words, most of the time.




Roasted pepper spread continued on to simmer, blended and canned for a fall and winter treat.


Canned roasted pepper spread


While the roasted red pepper spread simmered I made and baked two loaves of summer squash bread. One for now and one went into the freezer for this winter.

It was a busy, but not to busy day and at the end of the day I got a lot completed. Not bad for a working mom. Next weekend I foresee making granola, squash muffins and who knows what else. 


a little sass