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I hadn’t done any freezer cooking in a long time. I decided I was tired of cooking every night. lol So the last couple of weeks, I did 3 freezer cooking sessions, chicken, beef, & pork. I split it up into sessions instead of doing all in one day. Too tiring. lol And this way, I can buy whats on sale each week, do a session, and keep my freezer meals stocked. Here’s what I did….

For the beef session, I made taco meat, Cincinnati style chili, meatloaf, and just plain cooked hamburger to use for pasta. Everything is already cooked, and ready to thaw & heat. Sometimes, I freeze the meatloaf raw, but cooked it this time. I used 3 pounds of hamburger and 2 pounds of ground venison from the freezer. I had to defrost the venison, so had to cook it before refreezing.

 

 

For the pork session, I used recipes from My FreezEasy. I made Mediterranean Pork Chops, Garlic Parmesan Pork Chops, 2 – Skillet Ranch Porch Chops, and a slow cooker Maple Pork Roast. We’ve eaten some of these.  I still have the pan of Garlic Parm pork chops, and a ranch pork chop in the freezer. I also have 3 meals worth of kielbasa in the freezer waiting for some of our favorite meals.  On the menu this week I will be serving it with peppers & onions, and we have some in a skillet dinner over the weekend. Almost time to catch another pork sale!

 

 

Here’s a pick of the Mediterranean Pork Chops. Very quick and easy to make, both for the freezer, and when it’s time to cook for dinner. Check out the link above to My FreezEasy for these recipes!

 

 

I also did a chicken session recently. I can’t find a picture, though, so I guess I didn’t take one. I make Italian Chicken, and BBQ Chicken with a mix of raw breast and thighs in each bag. I left a couple of breast uncooked plain in another bag, to use for whatever I decide. I cooked several breasts, and they are waiting in the freezer for Chicken Alfredo, or to put on salads.

 

Doing meat specific freezer sessions are an easy way to get your freezer stocked without have to buy a whole months food at once.  Or spend all day in the kitchen!

 

 

 

 

In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

 

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….What’s For Dinner?

 

Saturday – quick & easy- Sausage Pasta Skillet Dinner, green beans, corn

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – dinner out

Monday – chicken or turkey –  Baked bbq chicken, baked potatoes, zucchini

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – Cincinnati style Chili, green beans

Wednesday – Taco Night- tacos with all the fixings, homemade taco sauce

Thursday – pork or venison – Kielbasa with peppers and onions, mac & cheese, salad

Friday – venison  – venison meat in gravy over rice, beets

 

 

 

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

*Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link. If you click the link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission.

 

 

I am out of practice taking food pictures. I forgot to take any last week! I need start remembering! lol

I did take one picture of food last week. At the grocery store (well the big store that starts with W-M lol)

I was looking around the produce section to see what fruit looked good when I found these peaches.

 

 

Needless to say, I didn’t buy any! The paper in the crate said that they were flown in fresh from Chilie. I find it hard to believe that someone actually bought some at the price!

 

I’ll be sure to have some food pictures next week!

 

 

 

In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

 

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….What’s For Dinner?

 

Saturday – quick & easy- Venison steaks, mashed potatoes, corn, beets

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – Venison roast, turnips, rice, left over pasta

Monday – chicken or turkey –  Baked chicken, homemade alfredo noodles, carrots

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – Cincinnati style Chili, green beans

Wednesday – Taco Night- tacos with all the fixings, homemade taco sauce

Thursday – pork or venison – pork roast, baked potatoes, spinach, corn

Friday – venison  – venison meat in gravy over rice, broccoli, peas

 

 

 

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

 

 

My oldest son made me a late birthday cake last week. Of course, it was chocolate! lol

 

 

I was planning on putting a roast in the slow cooker one day last week, but knew I wouldn’t have enough time that morning to peel and cut the vegetables. So I prepped them the night before.

Yes, you can peel, cut, and store potatoes in the fridge for later use! Make sure they are completely covered in water.

 

 

This picture below is the same potatoes from above, after being in the fridge overnight. Simply drain, rinse, then use the potatoes. All I had to do that busy morning was put the roast and prepped veggies in the slow cooker.  Such a time saver!

 

 

My oldest son and his wife cooked dinner for me, and the rest of the family, on Friday night. A late birthday dinner. On a different night than the cake.  Why not spread out the birthday celebration?!

 

The chicken recipe they used was called Best Baked Chicken in the World. lol It was very good.

 

They also made macaroni & cheese, and green beans.

 

 

They surprised me by having some of my other kids come for dinner. (the missing ones were out of state & away at college) And my granddaughter! So it was a great late birthday dinner!

 

 

 

 

In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

 

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….What’s For Dinner?

 

Saturday – quick & easy- leftovers

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – Venison, potatoes, carrots, and onions in the slow cooker

Monday – chicken or turkey –  Chicken, broccoli, and cheddar rice in the instant pot

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – pasta with meat sauce, spinach

Wednesday – Taco Night- tacos with all the fixings

Thursday – pork or venison – pork chops, mashed potatoes, green beans

Friday – venison  – venison steaks, rice, corn

 

 

 

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

 

 

I haven’t had a In the Kitchen with Linda post in a very long time! It’s time I got back to it! These posts help keep me organized in the kitchen. I hope they help you, too, with tips, menu ideas, and recipes.

 

Last week I made a bacon wrapped venison tenderloin. So good! My family loves it this way.

 

 

I recently made venison summer sausage for the first time. It was pretty easy. I used a prepackaged seasoning mix.

 

 

Instead of using the casings in the kit, I wrapped the shaped meat in foil, then baked. After they were cooled, I cut the ends off and wrapped them in plastic wrap. Don’t worry, the ends didn’t go to waste! My family ate them.

 

 

The next day, I vacuum sealed 9 of the 10 sausages. I put the 10th in the fridge for eating. I don’t usually eat summer sausage, but everyone that tasted it liked it.

 

 

I put these 9 in the chest freezer to store. So far, the family is leaving them alone. lol I warned them that this is the only batch I’m making this year so the better make it last. lol I’m saving them for holiday meals or other special occasions.

 

 

 

In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

 

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….What’s For Dinner?

 

Saturday – quick & easy- Daughter cooked! Kielbasa, yellow squash, and mashed potatoes

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – Fish filets & fries, corn

Monday – chicken or turkey –  Orange Chicken, rice, broccoli

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – homemade pizza using my garlic pizza crust recipe

Wednesday – Taco Night- Easy Taco Soup

Thursday – pork or venison – Venison, potatoes, carrots, and onions in the slowcooker

Friday – venison  – Daughter in law cooking for me!

 

 

 

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

 

 

 

I adapted this recipe from my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. I don’t like to use shortening in baking, but you can substitute shortening for half the butter if you want.


Chocolate Cookies

1 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa

sugar for the tops

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugars, and baking soda together. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour and cocoa.

Drop by rounded teaspoons (I use a cookie scoop) onto ungreased cookie sheet. Using the back of a spoon dipped in sugar, flatten the cookies slightly. (Like peanut butter cookies, only with a spoon). I like to sprinkle a little extra sugar on top as well.

 

 

Bake at 375 for 8 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

 

 

You can stir in chocolate chips, or any other kind of chips to these cookies. You can also add nuts if you want.

These cookies freeze well. I never seem to have enough freezer containers, so I freeze cookies on a paper plate in a freezer bag.

 

 

 

Our Easter dinner was really good. And really unusual.

 

We had 3 Easter dinners! One daughter that lives out of state was coming into town on Saturday but didn’t want to miss dinner. So Easter dinner #1 was that night.

He had ham, mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus, green beans, corn, stuffed eggs (you probably know them as deviled eggs), and Resurrection Rolls. For dessert we had yellow cake with chocolate frosting and banana pudding. I baked the cake, but my daughter frosted it.

 

 

 

The best time for one of my sons and his fiancee to come to dinner was Sunday right after church. that would be dinner #2.

We had ham, mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus, corn, stuffed eggs, Resurrection Rolls, cake, and banana pudding.

 

 

My husband had made 10 pounds of mashed potatoes on Saturday but we were running low for dinner #3 on Sunday night. I cheated a little. shhhhh. There was a packet of instant mashed potatoes for one of my sons in the pantry. Instead of making more mashed potatoes from scratch I made those, then stirred in the leftover homemade mashed potatoes. shhhhh don’t tell anyone! We were running out of other food, too. So Easter dinner #3 was smaller than the others.

 

We had to have dinner #3 because my married son had been with his wife’s family before coming here, so he missed dinner #2. And my college daughter tries to fit in as many home cooked meals as she can when she’s home. lol

We had ham, mashed potatoes, corn, Resurrection rolls. And the same desserts.

And those Resurrection rolls? They are so good! It’s a good thing I only make them on Easter! . We went through 48 rolls! Adding up all the dinners, we feed 27 of us overall. So not too bad on the count, but that’s still a LOT of rolls! lol

 

I don’t think I’ll be doing that many dinners again. For any holiday. If they can’t make the main dinner, then they can get out the left overs themselves when they get here and warm some up in the microwave. It was all just too much work and too many dishes!

Here are 9 of my family’s favorite desserts just in time for your holiday meals! Cakes, pie, brownies, and lots of cookies. Most are easy, all are delicious!

 

I don’t know about your family, but my family thinks that they have to have multiple desserts. They don’t think it’s a holiday unless they have all of their favorites. That I don’t make all year long.

 

 

 

9 Desserts for Your Holiday Meals

 

Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

 

Chocolate Crown Cake

 

Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

 

Ginger Snap Pumpkin Pie

 

Brownies

 

Sugar Cookies

 

Ginger Snaps

 

Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Cookies

 

Chocolate Cookies

 

 

What’s your favorite holiday dessert to make? And eat!