Not Below Freezing!

I am way too bleary-eyed to be posting much, and have hours to go before sleep will be allowed, but for a fun reason: Tomorrow morning, bright and early, my sister-in-law and I are joining forces to bring some creative meal planning and tablescape ideas to our MOPS group.

Basically we will be doing our best impersonations of the amazing Gretchen of Savorysecrets.blogspot.com, with a little Martha Stewart and Rachael Ray mixed in.

We will be demonstrating and serving samples of Gretchen's Garlic Parmesan Encrusted Chicken, Cranberry Chicken With Wild Rice, and Phyllo-Wrapped Chicken.

It was our hope to have Gretchen be our guest speaker herself, but she has something else cooking at the moment....twin babies!! A little bedrest is in order to keep those two buns in the oven for as long as they need to be.

In the meantime, check out her blog and learn how to order her wonderful self-published cookbook featuring dozens of her delicious make-ahead recipes!

More photos and recipes to follow after MOPS tomorrow. In the meantime, here is a freezer meal standard and some related linkies to inspire us to stock our freezers.



Roast Sticky Chicken


4 tsp salt

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp white pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 large roasting chicken - as big as you can find

1 cup chopped onion

In a small bowl, thoroughly combine all the spices. Remove giblets from chicken, clean the cavity well and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture into the chicken, both inside and out, making sure it is evenly distributed and down deep into the skin. Place in a resealable plastic bag, seal and freeze. Label the bag with the weight of the chicken (so you will know how long to cook it) and the date.Thaw chicken in refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stuff cavity with onions, and place in a shallow baking pan. Roast, uncovered, for 2-2 1/2 hrs or about 20-25 min./lb.After the first hour, baste chicken occasionally with pan juices. The pan juices will start to caramelize on the bottom of pan and the chicken will turn golden brown. Let chicken rest about 10 minutes before carving.

Tips on freezing:
http://allrecipes.com/howto/freezing-foods-a-real-time-saver/detail.aspx
http://www.realfood4realpeople.com/freeze.html

from the Super Suppers website:
Q. What is the best way to defrost my entrées?The proper way to defrost any frozen food is to store it in your refrigerator for 24 - 48 hours so it can thoroughly defrost. Defrosting food by leaving it on the kitchen counter at room temperature has the advantage of speed, but it also has the disadvantage of allowing for bacteria and spoilage, so we do not recommend this method. We do not recommend defrosting in the microwave, but this is only second-best and should be done with care. Over-microwaving can cause the edges of the food to overcook.Most entrees can cook just a bit longer if they’re frozen or partially frozen. Cooking instructions are printed on the food labels.Q. How long can a thawed entrée stay in the refrigerator?Completely thawed seafood dishes should be stored in the refrigerator no longer than 24 hours before cooking. Other completely thawed entrées can be stored up to 2 days.Q. How long can an entrée stay frozen?We recommend no longer than 2 months.

Facebook group: OAMC Freezer Supper Swappers
http://www.thedinnersolution.com/ (software to help with meal planning)
http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/freezer-friendly-foods (recipes)
http://www.bulkfreezercooking.com/ (recipes)
http://onceamonthmom.com/cooking/recipes/ (recipes and tips)
http://makeaheadmeals.blogspot.com/ (recipes and tips)


Enjoy!