Frozen Food Update
January 14th, 2008I am pulling Zinetti’s Chicken Florentine out of the freezer and my heart is sinking. Staring down at the shrink wrapped frozen mass, I am trying to imagine what this dish is going to taste like.
Yes, I want out of the kitchen, but I don’t think frozen florentine is the ticket. I am haunted by a comment a fellow cottager, Duke 6979, left for me on Cottage Life’s forum:
I HAVE NEVER TASTED A FROZEN DINNER THAT TASTED ANYTHING LIKE FRESH HOME COOKED. SPENT THE TIME AND ENJOY THE REAL TASTE.
I have to admit Duke, you have a point. Thus far we’ve tried Costco’s pre-made spinach salad ( a good 8 out of 10), their Chicken Enchiladas (not a hit) and the Sheppard’s Pie, which I actually didn’t think was too bad. Although a friend declared it, “Just above edible.” These prefab dinners are a poor substitute for the real thing.
It’s not like I don’t have a million cook books, or access to to online recipes. The simple fact is, I don’t have the time it takes to think through a week’s worth of dinners, let alone do the necessary shopping or cooking. I am challenged enough by breakfast and lunch.
Survival Tips
This week I am trying to focus on taking it one day at a time, or in my instance, one meal at a time. I also find when we get home from the cabin has a big impact on our meals. Arriving home late Sunday night with loads of laundry and no food in the fridge is a bad way to start Monday morning. Now when I am grocery shopping on Friday, I make sure I’ve stocked the fridge and the cupboards with milk, fruit, cereal and lunch stuff, enough to get us started.
I have a freezer full of frozen prefab dinners if I need them, and I am always interested in hearing what you’ve sampled and love.
These are my survival tips thus far, please add your’s to the list.
Cheers,
Julie
PS - Thanks Debb for your recipe suggestion from Rachel Ray, I am going to give this one a try tonight.
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January 14th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Let me know how the Rachel Ray recipe turns out. But, it was Sue who posted the recipe, not me!!!
January 15th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
I don’t know whether or not you have M&Ms where you live but I like their frozen meatballs and when placed in a slow cooker with half grape jelly and half ketchup or chili sauce they are good.
I am cooking this week for three teenagers which is a real challenge. Each of them is choosing a night and cooking their meal of their choosing with my guidance. The first one was last night and was so successful one of the others wants to make it on his night next week so he can start his book of recipes he can make himself as well. Last night’s was easy lasagne made with the noodles you don’t have to pre-cook. He layered Spaghetti sauce containing a pound of browned hamburger and onion with 2 cups each of shredded cheddar and mozzarella.
January 15th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Oppps sorry Debb,
Rachel Ray recipe No Noodle Lasagna, was a big hit! Kids actually ate it, Bill enjoyed it too. I liked making it because you could basically throw whatever you have in the cupboard into it and it seems to work.
My version of this recipe
1 pound ground turkey (very cheap these days)
1 fajita seasoning mix package (mixed with 1/4 cup water)
1 jar mild salsa
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 cup frozen corn
3 Tortilla shells
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions:
Browned the turkey, mixed in the seasoning mix, added the salsa, tomatoes, frozen corn cooked for 10 minutes.
Poured meat into a casserole dish, added a tortilla shell, sprinkled with mozzarella cheese, poured in the remaining meat mixture, tortilla shell, covered with mozzarella cheese.
Baked until everything bubbling and melted for about 20 minutes on 425F.
You can add beans, kidney or otherwise. The recipe also calls to cook meat with chopped onion, spices recommended were cumin, chili, (not my family’s favourites so I omitted them and used a fajita spice instead)
Basically, whatever you have in your cupboard or fridge, you can throw it into the meat mixture.
Cheers,
Julie
PS Glad to hear your are surviving your Medicine Hat adventures, Dorsi.