I haven’t shared what I’ve been up to in the kitchen in quite a while. But I’m still here. In the kitchen. Making dinner. lol I still make a weekly menu. It’s a sanity saver, for sure. If you don’t make a dinner menu, I encourage you to try it. It saves me from the what’s for dinner stress.

On Friday, we were given a lot of broccoli and cucumbers. And when I say a lot, I mean a LOT.

That’s like only half of what we had. I blanched and froze all of it. So expect to see broccoli on my dinner menu a lot. lol

I love how bright the green is after blanching.

Now that’s a LOT of broccoli! I forgot to count the packages before I put them in the freezer. I did some bags sized for a side dish, and some bags sized for casseroles, or when I will be serving more people.

I vacuumed seal most of the bags. I ran out, so had to finish 4 or 5 bags in regular freezer bags. I need a new vacuum sealer, I’ve worn mine out. It didn’t do as good a job vacuuming on some of the bags. Let me know what your favorite vacuum sealer is in the comments so I can start shopping.

We had 6 bags of cucumbers. We can eat a lot of cucumbers, since we like them for snacks, too, but can’t eat that many! So I started researching if I could freeze cucumbers. I found out you can! I made a batch of frozen cucumber salad to try. It tasted good before it went in the freezer, so we’ll see if we like it later this week. If so, I’ll make more!

I saw that you can freeze plain sliced cucumbers for putting in drinks, and for making dips. So I flash froze a large tray. Then repackaged in a bag when frozen. I froze the cucumber salad in bags, too, as they take up less room in the freezer than containers.

I read that the best way to store cucumbers is to wrap them in paper towels, and place them in the fridge in bags. so my husband helped me roll the cucumbers in paper towels and bag them. I left one bag alone, so I can compare them to see if the paper towel covered ones really last longer.

What have you been up to 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?

Monday – chicken or turkey –  Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – Spaghetti with meat sauce, zucchini

Wednesday – Taco Night- Venison – not sure if it will be tacos yet though lol

Thursday – pork or chicken – Baked chicken, rice, beets

Friday – Quick & Easy  – Venison roast in slow cooker, with potatoes, carrots, and onions

Saturday – Quick & Easy or Husbands Choice – Cheeseburgers on the grill with all the fixin’s, frozen cucumber salad, onion rings

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – Potato soup with cheese and bacon, garlic bread

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

*This post contains an affiliate link.

It was a busy week in my kitchen last week. Our daughter gaves us this big bottle of maple syrup that is made in the town where she lives. So pancakes were in order. The syrup is so good! If you find it at a store near you, I highly recommend it!

We had venison steak one night from a deer that my husband got. It’s always a popular dinner here.

I made quinoa pilaf one night as a side. I cooked some onion in some butter then added some bouillon, the water and quinoa according to the package directions. When done, I stirred in some peas and carrots. It was really good. And a different way to eat quinoa.

I had looked at the weather when I was planning the menu and picked a day when it was supposed to be a little a warm. If you count 40’s as warm. Except it didn’t work out the way I planned it ended up only being in the 30’s that day. I grilled hamburgers for dinner anyway. Because it was on the menu. lol

Photographic evidence. lol

It’s always worth cooking burgers on the grill. They taste so much better than cooking on the stove. And no mess in the kitchen!

I made a pork tenderloin that I had gotten on sale. I used a dry rub on it and it was so good!

And since I had to go out on Friday I planned ahead and put a venison roast in the slow cooker. Along with carrots, onions, and potatoes. It came out great as always.

I haven’t made any desserts since Christmas. Guess I was having a nice break from baking. lol I have making brownies on my to do list this week, though.

What have you been up to 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?

Monday – chicken or turkey –  leftovers!

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – OYO – I have all day appointments, so everyone is on their own!

Wednesday – Taco Night- Venison – not sure if it will be tacos yet though lol

Thursday – pork or chicken – Jag – a rice dish that is a family favorite

Friday – Quick & Easy  – Venison roast in slow cooker, with potatoes, carrots, and onions

Saturday – Quick & Easy or Husbands Choice – We’re moving cabinets in the kitchen today, so probably take out!

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – Potato soup with cheese and bacon, garlic bread

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

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