Freezer meal/Crockpot cooking Class-- FAQ's

 

When we lived in Fort Worth I regularly attended CrockPot parties where we would make freezer meals once a month or so with a big group of women.  It was SO fun and also so helpful since it was around the same time that we had our first baby!  When we moved to Decatur I REALLY missed those classes.  I searched around to see if there were any happening locally, but didn't find anyone doing them.  So I eventually decided to host one myself with some close friends just to see how it would go!  I figured if I messed up something then they wouldn't be too mad at me!

In the classes I had attended we always made 10 recipes and doubled it so we left each class with 20 freezer meals.  I call them Crockpot classes, however the meals can be cooked many different ways, not just in the Crockpot!  

I searched Pinterest and found 10 recipes I thought sounded great and made a shopping list of all of the items needed to make all 10 recipes twice! The week before the class I emailed everyone the shopping list for the ingredients. I provided all of the seasonings for each meal so the shopping list included everything expect seasonings. The day of the class, everyone came to my house for the class and brought all of their ingredients. I provided some snacks and some bottles of wine and we prepared all of the meals in about 3 hours!  While everyone worked through the meals, I came around and added seasoning to each of their meals.  

The class was a success and I was so glad to have my freezer stocked!  Now we have lived in Decatur for 4 years and I have had several classes here at my house.  It is always such a fun night to visit with friends will also being productive!  

Hosting Information:

The classes I attended in Fort Worth were always $30/person and now that I host a few classes a year I do charge the $30 fee.  The preparation, organization, and HUGE mess that comes with hosting the class was always well worth the fee to me!  You don't have to charge your friends if you want to host one occasionally, but do keep in mind the expenses associated with the spices for each person, the snacks or dinner provided, optional wine, and the TRASH!  My last class had THIRTEEN large bags of trash that we took to the dumpster and paid to dump.  So, if you just have one trash can you will definitely need a plan for all the trash! You do get left with a huge mess when you have 200+ meals made in one night! :)

I am posting the recipes and shopping list from my most recent class below for anyone who wants to do a class with your friends!  Keep in mind that my shopping list here does NOT include the spices needed for the meals because I provide those for the class. 

Here is some information I send out before a class:

• You can spend as much or as little as you wish on your shopping list.  You can get your items at Wal-Mart or Whole Foods, as you know is a big price difference.  You pick what you prefer.  .The price of your meat that you select is the biggest factor in the price.

• You can also substitute any of the ingredients you like.  If you want a lower carb option, you can choose to leave out the potatoes a meal. You can also choose to do a leaner cut of meat or use ground turkey instead of ground beef.  All up to you J

• At the class we will make 10 recipes.  Those will be doubled so that you have two of each recipe for a total of 20 meals to take home. 

• You will bring all of your items off the shopping list with you to the class.  I recommend putting them all in a rolling ice chest or bag cooler to the class.

• You will also need to bring a bowl, cutting board, knife, and freezer bags.

•  It takes about 3 hours to make all the meals. 

• There will be lots of snacks and some wine. Feel free to bring your favorite wine!

• We will assemble each meal together and work our way through the 10 meals.  I will come around and add the spices to each meal as we go.

• All meals will contain raw meat, uncooked produce, etc.  We are not cooking anything at the class.  One a meal is finished we will label the bag and put it back in your cooler/cooler bag

•  When you get home you will pop all meals in your freezer and take one out at a time to cook in your crock pot.  Note: you can also unfreeze them and cook on the grill, pan, in the over, etc.  whatever you prefer J

• The best way to cook your meals:  take one bag out of the freezer and place in fridge the night before.  The next morning, pour contents into crock pot and let cook throughout the day.  It does not have to be completely unfrozen to place in the crock pot, it just needs to be able to fit in the crock pot

• Your meals do not go bad since they are frozen, use them when you can and don't worry about wasting these groceries!

Shopping List

Meat

• 4 pounds boneless chicken thighs

• 4 pounds boneless chicken thighs

• (2) 16 oz. package of precooked frozen meatballs

• 2 pounds ground beef

• 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

• 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

• 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs 

• (2) 2-3 pound bone-in pork shoulder (sometimes called “Boston butt” or “pork butt”)

• 4 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts 

• 4 pounds of chicken breast tenderloins

I left the meat grouped together to help you when you are shopping.  It is broken into the meat needed for each of the 10 recipes(we are making each meal twice).  If it says 4 pounds of chicken thighs on the bullet point then you will be using 2 pounds for each meal.  Meaning, if you have a smaller family and only want to buy enough for 1.5 pounds for each meal, this easily shows you how much is going into each meal.  We will just be cutting them in half so we can make two of the same recipe by putting half the meat in one meal and half in the other

Dry goods

• 1 large bottle(or two small) of your favorite BBQ sauce (you need 28 ounces total)

• 1 bottle of italian dressing-16oz

• 1 bottle of honey (we will be using about a cup)

• 1 bottle of soy sauce(15 oz bottle)

• 1 bottle of olive oil (or your favorite cooking oil)- we will use about 8 ounces

• (2) bottles of sweet and sour sauce 16-18 ounce bottles

• 1 20oz can of pineapple tidbits

• (2) cans of corn

• (2)cans rotel (I would get MILD if you have kids)

• (2) cans green beans

•  1 can crushed tomatoes - 28oz can

• (2) cans ranch style beans

• (2) cans diced potatoes

• (2) taco seasoning packets

• (2) Ranch seasoning packets

• 8 ounces of REAL bacon BITS

• 4 cups of chicken STOCK

• (4) cans white beans of choice (great northern or navy beans)

• (4) cans diced green chilies

• 18oz jar sweet orange marmalade

• 8 oz. grape jelly

• 24 oz. ketchup

• 20 Ziploc gallon freezer bags

Produce

• (12) small/medium white onions ***(10 diced and 2 in slices)

• Large jar of minced garlic- we will be using equivalent of 20 cloves

• (8) red bell peppers ***(2 diced and 6 in slices)

• (4) green bell peppers ***(2 diced and 2 in slices)

***For if you do your chopping before the class**

Other Items needed for day of cooking:

• (4) 8oz packages cream cheese(these have a long shelf life if you want to go ahead and buy them for the day of cooking)

• Green onion and sesame seeds to garnish the sesame chicken if you wish!

Meals

1. BBQ chicken - served alone with a veggie side or on hamburger buns

2. Honey Sesame chicken- Serve over rice or noodles

3. Sweet and Sour Meatballs- serve over rice

4. Beef soup - serve with corn bread or crackers

5. Crack Chicken - serve inside a baked potato, on burger buns, or over rice

6. White Chicken Chili- top with avocado and tortilla strips or FRITOS :)

7. Orange Chicken - serve over rice or noodles

8. Party Pork - serve in tacos or sliders

9. Red Pepper Chicken - serve with a side salad or steamable veggies

10. Chicken Fajitas - serve in tortillas and top with your favorite toppings

Recipes

1. BBQ Chicken

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 cup BBQ sauce

¼ cup italian dressing

¼ cup brown sugar*

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce*

Salt and pepper

Cook on LOW 6-8 hours or HIGH 3-4 hours.  When done shred/cut into bite size pieces and serve over rice, in a baked potato or alone.

2. Honey Sesame Chicken

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 onion, diced

½ cup honey

½ cup soy sauce

1.4 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes*

Cook on LOW 6-8 hours or HIGH 3-4 hours.  When done shred/cut into bite size pieces and serve over rice or noodles. Top with sesame seeds and/or green onions for garnish

3. Sweet and Sour Meatballs

1 16 oz package frozen cooked meatballs

1 red bell pepper chopped

1 green bell pepper chopped

1 onion chopped

1 bottle of sweet and sour sauce

1 cup pineapple tidbits drained

Cook on LOW 4 hours.  Serve over rice.

4. Beef Vegetable Soup

1 lb ground beef

1 can corn (not drained)

1 can rotel (not drained)

1 can green beans (not drained)

1 can crushed tomatoes (½ of the 28oz big can)

1 can ranch style beans

1 can diced potatoes

1 taco packet

1 ranch packet

Salt and pepper

Thaw, cook on LOW 6-8 hours or HIGH 3-4 hours. Break apart beef when done and stir in.  Top with Cheese, avocado, tortilla strips, or with cornbread.

5. Crack Chicken

2 lbs boneless chicken breasts

½ cup real bacon bits

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar*

1 tablespoon parsley

1 tablespoon onion powder*

1 teaspoon garlic powder*

½ teaspoon dill*

Pepper and salt

****Added the Day of:  add 8 ounces of cream cheese and shredded cheddar cheese***

Add all ingredients (except cheese) and Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours, until chicken shreds easily.  Serve on burger buns, over rice, or on a baked potato.

6. White Chicken Chili

2lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 cups chicken stock

2 cloves of garlic

1onion- diced

2 can white beans

2 can diced green chilis

2 tsp cumin**

1 tsp chili powder

Salt and pepper to taste**

****Cream cheese - ADDED DAY OF COOKING

LOW 4 hours.  Shred chicken, return to the crock pot.  Add 1 pkg. Cream cheese the last hour of cooking. Toppings- cilantro, tortilla strips, sliced jalapenos, sliced avocados, shredded cheese.

7. Orange Chicken

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs

¾ cup BBQ Sauce

¾ cup sweet orange marmalade

2 tablespoons soy sauce

 

Cook on LOW 6-8 hours or HIGH 3-4 hours.  When done shred/cut into bite size pieces and serve over rice or noodles. Top with sesame seeds and/or green onions for garnish

8. Party Pork

2-3 lbs bone-in pork shoulder

1 cup grape jelly

1 cup ketchup

¼ teaspoon ground allspice*

Cook LOW 8-12 hours.  Remove pork from the slow cooker and separate from the bone with a fork.  Serve on burger buns or as sliders.

9. Red Pepper Chicken

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 red bell pepper sliced

1 onion sliced

4 garlic cloves minced

¼ cup olive oil

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes*

Salt and pepper

Cook on LOW 6-8 hours or HIGH 3-4 hours. Serve alone with a side salad or in tacos

10. Chicken Fajitas

2 lbs chicken tenderloins

2 bell peppers sliced

1 onion sliced

2 cloves minced garlic

Lime juice*

1 tablespoon chili powder*

2 teaspoons cumin*

1 teaspoon paprika*

¼ teaspoon cayenne*

Cook on LOW 6-8 hours or HIGH 3-4 hours until chicken is tender and shreds easily.  Serve over chips for nachos or in tortillas.

 I hope this helps!!! Let me know if you have any questions on the process! Also, TAG me if you host a class!  I'd love to see! 

Playroom Refresh

A few weekends ago we did a green accent wall in our 2-year old's room.  We had a ton of paint leftover that I didn't want to go to waste so I decided to do a mini playroom makeover and add a green accent wall.

I love home projects, but I'm also very "cheap" (for lack of a better word) so this $40 gallon of paint wasn't going to go to waste!  I ordered a new rug from Boutique Rugs for around $60 with the plan to move the old playroom rug to the patio for some additional use this summer. 

Due to the current situation with COVID-19, we are sticking to a strict budget since there is so much uncertainty.  That being said, we are putting off all big home projects and just focusing on some small projects to keep us entertained here at the house!

If you are also wanting to do some home projects, just an FYI you can order all  your supplies online and pick them up curbside from Lowes!  Also, we did curbside pickup from Sherwin Williams for the paint.  Quarantine projects even with social distancing. Yes!!!

Our playroom is not a very large room, but it is in a very good location for small kids!  I wanted to be able to see the kids in the playroom while standing in the kitchen doing dishes. (Every Mom's dream, Haha!)

For that reason, the room didn't end up being very spacious due to the location in the house and our house design.  Since it is a small space, we have to be pretty picky about what toys go in there.

My biggest issue with the the playroom now is being able to organize it in a way that works for 3 kids who are all different ages and need age-appropriate toys for their age.  We have a 4(almost 5) year old, 2.5 year old, and a 9 month old.  Our oldest loves Hatchimals, LOL dolls, and all those things that come with a million tiny pieces.😆  However, I don't put those things in the playroom because I don't want to have to worry about the baby choking on something when I have my back turned.  (She is currently putting EVERYTHING in her mouth!)  We keep anything that needs supervision (like crayons and markers) in a closet for times we can watch them in use.

Right now, it is pretty impossible to have my eye on all three kids at the same time ALL the time.  So, for that reason I like to know that I have a space in the house that is SAFE for them to be. You know...for times when I need to run to the bathroom or sneak a minute alone in the pantry to eat a cookie :)

Here are some things I love for a playroom:

1. IKEA TROFAST- These are the BEST things I've found for toy storage!  They are SUPER sturdy and low to the ground, so you don't have to worry about them tipping over on top of a kid.  They are inexpensive and very good quality.  We've had ours for 3 years and they still look brand new!  They come in SO many color combinations, which makes it easy to match pretty much any space.  The drawers are KID-FRIENDLY.  Meaning, they can't smash their fingers in them accidentally like normal drawers.  Also, they are customizable so you can pick the drawer sizes based on your needs. The top of the TROFAST is kid-height so it gives them a space to play with toys on top of it.  The TROFAST drawers are easy to use for kids which helps us with clean up.  They know how to open and put toys in all the bins at the end of the day. I could go on and on about the TROFAST!  You won't regret making this purchase!

2. LESS IS MORE- Have you ever noticed that your kids don't play well when the playroom is a disaster?  We noticed this a couple of years ago and have since started picking it up more frequently.  We also keep the clutter to a minimal.  I often go through the drawers and toss or donate anything that isn't being used.  Kids change so much so fast, so this is necessary to make sure old toys aren't just sitting around taking up space.  On top of the TROFAST units we keep a few select toys and rotate them out.  They always do better with LESS options.

3. TOY ROTATION- I read from a brilliant Mom somewhere that she did a toy rotation every few months.  It wasn't until I had 2 kids of my own that I started doing this, and it was life changing! Every 1-2 months we take a few hours on the weekend and change up all the toys.  We get new(old) toys out that we have stored in the closet and put away the toys that they are sick of playing with.  I also usually rearrange the playroom a little and sit toys in different spots in the room.  My daughter LOVES this and is always so excited when she realizes that's what we are doing.  We call it "make the playroom fun again"!  HAHA. (Make America Great Again.. like that :))
It works like a charm and my husband is 100 percent on board because he sees what a huge difference it makes.  If I realize the same toy is getting put aside over and over again even after being stored for a couple of months, that is when we GET RID OF IT!. The ones that are usually left aside are the ones that are super load an annoying (V-tech).  Though I am not against those toys at all, they never "teach" my kids anything and they rarely chose to play with them.  They are loud and flashy and look cool in the store, but in my experience kids don't like them very much.

4. MOUNTED TV, NO CONSOLES, NO CORDS, NO BLINDS. NO CURTAINS- Because we want the playroom to be SAFE first and foremost, we do not have any cords, blinds, curtains, or furniture that's not kid-friendly.  We have a mounted TV that has no cable box or cords that the kids can reach.  Nothing is underneath the TV that they can climb up on.  In the playroom we have no lamps or anything with a cord and all outlets are covered.  We also did no curtains and no blinds for safety.  We wanted to eliminate everything we could think of that would be a safety concern.  I also see many times playrooms have TVs on top of a TV console.  Kids always go for the TV and the cable boxes first for some reason, so we made sure to have ours mounted up high so they couldn't mess with any of the technology. We also opted out of a closet in the room so that there wouldn't be a door they could smash fingers in.  This obliviously isn't always an option, but if you are building it is worth considering. As they get older we can add things in, but for now we need a safe spot for them.

5. RUG CHOICE
Don't be that person who picks a stark white rug for a playroom!  The best rug for a playroom should be inexpensive, low/medium pile, and have a pattern or color that hides ALL.  THE.  THINGS.  My kids rarely eat in the playroom, yet it is still one of the grossest rooms in the house!  For all of those reason, I won't spend a lot on a playroom rug and I'm not getting a shaggy rug that will trap in all the crumbs, boogers, hair, etc.  The low pile ones stay cleaner and they are generally cheaper anyway. I buy most of our rugs online since it is hard to go shopping with 3 kids!  My favorite retailers are Boutique Rugs and RugsUSA.  I just buy the rugs with the highest rating and have always been happy with the quality.  Our other rugs are from IKEA and At Home.  Both have great inexpensive rugs if you want to see them in person first.


Apparently I have a lot of thoughts on the playroom!  Maybe this will be helpful to someone though :)  Here are a few more pictures of our playroom refresh! 

Green Accent Wall: How we did it

We recently installed this beautiful green accent wall in my son's room. I have received many questions about the process so I put together a simple "how-to".  

This is absolutely not professional advice, but a simple layman's tutorial for non-handy people who want a cool looking wall :)

We are by NO MEANS handy people over here.  However, we finished this project over a weekend and worked on it during nap-times AND keeping 3 small humans alive.  All that to say, it is super easy! 

I had been eyeing this type of wall and pinning it for months and finally decided to just go for it!  I have been wanting to start completing many DIY projects in our home so this was the start of *hopefully* many this year.

For this project we did buy a nail gun because we will be needing it for many of our upcoming projects and I have had my eye on one for YEARS!  That being said, I have seen many people use a regular hammer and nails or liquid nail adhesive to install the boards so you do NOT need a nail gun!

Supplies:

Paint and paint supplies (tape, brush, roller, drop cloth)

PAINTABLE caulk and caulk gun

Caulk finishing tools or sponge 

1"x2" MDF boards (We used about nine 8-foot boards for this wall)

Wood filler- to fill in nail holes (not needed if you use adhesive)

Sanding block

Level

Speed square

Saw- we used just a regular ole hand saw

Tape measure for cutting boards

The total project was under $100 (not including the nail gun we purchased).  However, if you already have some of these items at home then you could easily do the project under $50.  *We bought pre-primed boards for $3.29 each, but you have a few cheaper options for the 1"x 2" boards if you don't mind doing some sanding work before you get started* We needed it to be a quick project so we opted for the pre-prepped boards.

BEFORE

1. Prep the wall for painting with your painter's tape. 

2. Paint the entire wall the color of your choice.  It is much easier to paint BEFORE installing the boards. Leave the painter's tape up until the entire wall is finished.  I wasn't sure if we should leave it up, but was glad we did when I started painting the boards.

TAPE AND PAINT

3. You can map out your wall on a piece of paper and make a "plan" for the look of the boards, or you can "wing" it like we did.  haha!  We started by deciding where our main diagonal line would be and installed that one first.  That is the longest board and most difficult one to place. Use your level to make sure it is at a 45 degree angle before nailing or gluing it to the wall.  From there, you will start placing the smaller "branches" from your main diagonal line.  We did most of ours in pairs of two parallel lines branching from the main line.  We just kept adding "branches" and then deciding where on the wall needed more as we went.  You can always use painters tape and tape out the look to get a good visual before you start hammering in boards.

OUR MAIN LINE. (WE HAD TO REDO THAT TOP CUT TO MAKE A 45 DEGREE ANGLE)

4. Where the boards meet the ceiling, they will need to be cut at a 45 degree angle.  It is SUPER easy to do this using a speed square.  Place it on the end of the board and use a pencil to mark the perfect 45 degree line.  Saw along the line and your boards should fit nicely up against the ceiling.

5. Once all your boards are installed on the wall, you need to calk around all boards and seams.  Don't skip this step! This makes everything look beautiful and seamless.  Use either a large wet sponge or a caulk finishing tool to smooth out your caulk lines, but don't feel like it has to be perfect because it will be painted over!

5. If you used nails to adhere the wood to the wall, fill in the nail holes with wood filler.

6. Let the caulk and wood filler dry.  You can look at the drying time on the caulk tube (as it will vary), or let it set overnight and start up again the next morning. 

7. If you used wood filler for your nail holes, use a sanding block to sand those spots down so they are smooth for painting.

8. Finally, paint over all the boards to finish up the wall.  I used a mini roller to do the first coat of paint on the boards.  Then I let that dry and did a second coat with my brush.

9. Let everything dry then take down the painters tape. Use a small touch-up brush to fix any areas you see after taking down the tape.  We had two spots I touched up, but everything else turned out perfectly.

10. ENJOY your beautiful new wall and the fact that YOU DID IT!!!

The paint color we used was Sherwin-Williams "Retreat" in a satin finish. 

Do you have any other questions about our wall installation?

*Make sure to take a BEFORE photo before you begin painting!*