Desperately Seeking Chicken Ideas

As you all know, I started OAMC this week. Well I'm totally stumped what to do with the rest of the chicken breasts. Help?

It must be something I can put in the freezer.

It must be done today, because otherwise the chicken is going to go bad in my fridge. It's been there since Tuesday, and the date on it is Sunday so... yikes.

While I realize I can just put it in the freezer as is, I already have tons of chicken in the freezer "as is" and I was hoping to avoid that.

OAMC day 2

Result of Day 1. see post HERE.

Day 2 was totally unsuccessful. All I did was marinade 4 chicken breasts and made 1 batch of hummus which I split into 2 bags.

I still have 10 chicken breasts left to do something with but I can't decide what as well as a pkg of hamburger.

I have tons of chicken that is plain, not marinaded or anything in my freezer so I really don't want to throw them in plain, but I think I will have to if I can't decide what to do with them. Everything I 've thought of would require me to go back to the store and I'm really not up to doing that.

I should not have bought that pkg of chicken when I really didn't need it. I'm regretting the decision terribly.

Tomorrow is my birthday, and I really didn't want to do anymore work in the kitchen but it looks like I will have to. I can't leave the chicken in the fridge much longer.

If anyone has suggestions as to what I can do with the chicken, please let me know. I really don't want to have to go to the store.


What I learned today:

* I really need to be more organized and prepared.
* I will not split it over 2 days again, but should I have to, I'll take a day off in between.
* Was reminded how alone I am.
* No amount of coke will keep me awake when I'm exhausted.

All I can say is that, I better not have any days where I can't decide what to have for supper, after all this. Even though, technically, I didn't make much.

Once A Month Cooking (OAMC) - 1st Attempt

I have always tried to put leftovers in the freezer for later meals and sometimes doubling up a recipe so that there would be leftovers to store.

But as I searched for more ideas for freezer meals and make ahead meals and menu planning, I came across "OAMC" which stands for Once a Month Cooking. Basically, this means you spend an entire day or a few days cooking at the beginning of the month and then the bulk of your cooking and meals are more or less ready when it's time to eat the rest of the month.

I did a little research (blog hopping) and worried it would be too complicated but several people were talking about doing this and I thought, well, why not give it a try.

I apologize, I didn't take any photos this month. It was more important for me to get "into it" this month. Soon, I hope, it will be second nature and then I can photograph my OAMC days.

I tried to plan ahead what I would make based on my menu for an entire month. However, I could not come up with a full month menu (which I had hoped to post this past Monday for Menu Plan Monday), but I did come up with a few freezer meal ideas.

Since the first Tuesday of the month is 10% off day at Sobey's, I decided to wait to go do some grocery shopping on that day so I could get my meats from there. I usually do my shopping at Superstore because it is cheaper but I do all my meat shopping at Sobey's (except when the Farmers' Market is open) because their meats are better quality, in my opinion.I don't know if I'm really saving money on meats by going for 10% off day but it's what I've always done.

So, this morning I woke up early, partly thanks to my pup who had to potty. I did not allow myself to sit down until I at least got started on my OAMC.

Early in the day, it occurred to me to go to Twitter and follow some OAMC tweets on there, which inspired, encouraged and motivated me to keep going throughout the day. (You can follow me on Twitter @waaoms)

There was some poor planning on my part, but overall it went well considering it is my first time doing this with the intention of cooking specifically to put things in the freezer.

Here's what I accomplished:

4 meals worth of Maple Pork Tenderloin
3 meals worth of Meat Sauce
6 meals worth of Hamburger Soup (+ 2 bowls that I ate for supper tonight)

I also divided a jumbo pack of Chicken Legs into individual ziploc bags for future meals, but did not do anything to prep them.

Tomorrow, I will continue, as I have 1 more pkg of hamburger and a jumbo pack of chicken breasts to deal with. I am not sure exactly what all I will do with this. I'll probably make a hamburger casserole. I wanted to make chili but again due to poor planning, I don't have all the ingredients I will need, as it went in the meat sauce. I thought about making a chicken souvlaki marinade but I did that a couple weeks ago and I still have 6 left in the freezer currently. I also have plenty of chicken breasts that are not prepped in any way in the freezer and some that are chopped up, but not cooked, already. I probably should not have bought the jumbo pack this time but it was a good sale and I eat more chicken than any other meat. Sometimes, though, I forget that things last longer now that it's just me, and so I actually had alot more left than I thought.

Any suggestions you may have regarding chicken, or even the hamburger, let me know!

In addition to the above, I also already had some other meals frozen such as Butternut Squash Soup, and 1 or two meals left of Beef Stew and Hamburger Soup (I made more because I love it in the winter time). It's been really nice to be able to just go to the freezer and pop out a bag of frozen soup or stew and put it in a pot without thawing it first.

What I've Learned So Far:

* I like ziploc bags better than regular bags that use twist ties. They flatten better. The air squeezes out of them better. They are easier to close while full. They take up somewhat less space in the freezer. May be worth spending the extra cents on these for Freezer Meals. Will see how I like it post-freeze.

* Sharpie Pens are not the same as Sharpie Permanent Markers and will smear off the bags. I realized this early on, and switched to the marker.

* Putting out a bowl to use for garbage scrap saves a whole lot of time. Also having a brand garbage bag ready is handy when the bowl gets full.

* Having pre-chopped veggies from the farmer's market was a bonus, I used them in the soup, more in the casserole tomorrow, if I decide to make the casserole.

* Washing dishes as I go along saves heartache at the end of the day. Although it was late when the Hamburger Soup cooled off enough to put away, so I didn't wash that yet. No big deal.

* I think this will become a regular event for me.

I realize that many of you who do OAMC have families and you might wonder why someone like me who is cooking for just themselves would want or need to do OAMC. Truth be told, I really do not need to, but when you're the only cook, and are a bit of a foodie, it can get difficult to cook every single day. I am one of those people who refuse to eat anything that I don't think tastes good. I'm very picky! Also, for me, it gets depressing some days, not having my family here to cook for. Supper was the one time of day we almost always had together, and so it was a special time of the day. Also, I am trying to come up with ways to make my life easier when I go back to work (because I have to go back, it's been a year already), and I think this will help make the transition easier. Or maybe not, but I won't be able to use a job as an excuse why I couldn't cook and therefore am starving. (Yes, I am dramatic like that, especially when I'm upset and depressed.)

Did you do OAMC? What did you make? Share your Freezer Meal and Make-Ahead ideas with me.

Catch me on Twitter tomorrow (Thursday) as I post updates with my second day of OAMC.

Product Review: Brother PT-1230 Label Maker

In September 2007, I emptied out the entire pantry and organized it, putting things in containers and assigning designated spots for everything. You can see my post about it HERE.

It has stayed pretty much organized since, with exception of a few months earlier this year. I got it back the way it should in no time because everything was already containerized and had a designated spot.

However, one thing was missing: LABELS! I have been wanting a label maker for a long time and I finally found this one:


Brother P-Touch PT-1230 PC Label Maker

I pined over it for a few weeks and then one day said I'm going to get it!

I went to the store determined to get it no matter how much it cost, and much to my delight, it happened to be on sale!

I absolutely LOVE it! It's so easy to use. The only downside is that you need 6 AAA batteries, but even that's not too terrible.

Let me show you how easy it is!

First you put the batteries in it and attach it to your computer.

Then this screen automatically pops up!



After you type in what you want the label to say, you click print:



Then you press the cutter and the label will be perfectly cut for you.

Then... the best part of all... you put it on the container or whatever it is you're wanting to label!



Isn't it Beautiful!?!



Now, don't be surprised if I turn into a Crazy Labeling Lady!

Before I forget, you can change font size and label size as well. You can make it 2 lines instead of one. I decided to try it at the automatic size and I liked it so I used that for the pantry containers.

*note* I am not, in anyway, being paid for this review. This review is my own personal opinion that I am offering to my fellow bloggers *note*

Friday Fragments: Sleepy

Welcome to another edition of Friday Fragments.

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After a busy week last week, with a funeral and a wedding to attend and lots of driving, I've been so POOPED this week. It's difficult to muster up some energy!

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I had to take Emma to the funeral with me. I didn't have time to drop her off anywhere! It was a graveside funeral, so I was able to see her from the gravesite the whole time. I left her in the car with the windows rolled part way down. She cried the whole time! Tried to get out through the window, but couldn't get more than her head and paw out. When I looked back at the car, I nearly burst out laughing because she looked so silly. Oh, that doggie, she makes me smile in the worst of times.

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The gravesite was atop a hill with a beautiful view of the lake below (the same lake my brother got married just a few days later!) .

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As promised, I am embarrassing myself by showing you a photo of me in the dress at the wedding. (It's the only photo I have of myself - I stayed behind the camera for the most part - not sure if anyone else got a photo of me but let's hope not.)

Please ignore the fatty fat.



(You could click the picture to make it bigger, but I don't recommend it)

(It looked better on the hanger, don't you think?)

(and omg, I look like my mother. eeek! that's really scary!)

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I made my very first Stampin' Up! order this week! Very exciting! A bit expensive, but I gave in because I couldn't find any similar supplies anywhere!

I ordered this



and this



I bought them because I've been "hired" to do a project which I'll tell you about at a later date!

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A few weeks ago I bought a hand-held blender at a yardsale for $2. It looked like it had never been taken out of the box! It came with a mixing cup with a lid and a stand to hang the blender up on the wall. Pretty good for $2, eh?

The best part is it works better than my full size blender! I say this because I made a smoothie and it crushed my partly frozen strawberries with ease, whereas with my full size blender, they always got stuck and barely crushed at all! I also made some salad dressing with it and mixed some homemade soup instead of putting it in the food processor (which I also love). It's going to be a real handy gadget to have!

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September's Follower of the Month will be featured tomorrow! (September already!)

Be sure to come by and check out the interview!

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Let me know if you want me to feature your blog button on my sidebar!

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Friday Funny:

To Peel or Not to Peel

There is a crabapple tree in my back yard. Every year we get plenty of apples. This year was no exception. In fact, I'd say we have even more apples than usual this year, what with all the rain we've been having. (and for once, no wasps trying to eat them all!)

I plucked two 4-litre pails worth the other day, which was a very small fraction of apples available. I made 1 dozen apple muffins. I would have made more but they are a pain to peel. I got bored after awhile, and not to mention my hands began to cramp.

I mentioned this on Facebook and one of my friends was shocked that I peel them. My response was, "you don't?"

So, I'm curious.... do you peel crabapples? (see the poll at the bottom of this post to select your answers!) I always have. I guess I have always peeled apples (all sizes) because I don't digest the skin very well.

We usually make a few dozen apple muffins and a couple pies (the pies from last year are still in my freezer waiting to be eaten) It's always been a pain to peel them but there used to be 2 of us peeling them.

I'd hate for all these apples to go to waste (believe me, I've tried giving them away!) just because of time consuming peeling!

So tell me, what do you do?

I Know I Shouldn't But...

... I really want to get this...

My husband and I have talked about getting a KitchenAid mixer for years. Well, it's currently on sale at 3 different stores and even though I really shouldn't be spending money on non-essential items right now, and I also really do not have the room for it, I feel that the price is worth it, and I think it would help me eat better now that its just me here. I currently have a low quality hand mixer which is a PITA for using in anything larger than pudding.

Flyer info:

KitchenAid Ultra Power Stand Mixer
10-speed 300watts motor, 4.5 qt stainless-steel mixing bowl
With Accessories (Dough Hook, Wire Whip & Beater)

It is on sale for -

$249.99 at Canadian Tire - regular $369.99
$269.97 at Zellers - regular price $369.97 (flyer says includes pouring shield)
$229 at Walmart - regular price $298.88 (flyer says this one is only 250 watts)

(note: prices are in Canadian Dollars)

I'm leaning towards Canadian Tire for the 300 Watt and lower price plus Canadian Tire is having a scratch & save promotion this week (scratch the card and get xx amount off your purchases). The pouring shield would be nice but not necessary.

I know that when we bought our food processor, I worried we wouldn't use it often enough to make it worthwhile, but it's more than paid for itself as I use it often. I may not use the KitchenAid as often but probably more so than I currently use the hand mixer, and goodness knows any baking I do would get mixed much better than with my hand mixer.

So, my dear readers, I ask you to please reassure me that I am making a wise choice to spend money on this non-essential item!

All That's Missing is a Bottle of Wine

I found this wine bottle gift box at the dollar store...


I looked at it and it occurred to me that I could use it to...



...hold our BBQ utensils!

Kitchen Blunders

Tiffany at Snapshots of Life asks "What is the biggest kitchen blunder you have committed?" on her blog. I thought I would share my response to her question here.

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When I was in my early/mid teens, my mom would call me from work and ask me to get the chicken ready for supper. She would always say "don't forget the bleach!"

One day, when mom asked me to get the chicken ready, I moaned at her that it was too much work and the bleach smelled and I hated washing the chicken with it.

Yes, you heard me right...I was washing the chicken with bleach.

It's a miracle no one died!

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Monthly Organizing Round-Up - March (Dining Room)

This month's Round-Up was the Dining Room. I don't have a separate dining area, so I worked on the part of the kitchen where we eat. These two shelving units were given to me by a friend a few months ago and I keep trying to utilize them but I can never get them organized the way I want. I still don't think I got it the way I want but I did purge some things. I couldn't afford any new containers or organizers nor did I have alot of time to do so. The only thing I purchased was a desk-top filing thingamajing with hopes we will be able to file things at a more immediate pace than we do when the files are in the filing cabinet (which is upstairs in the computer room)

Before:

After:


It doesn't look like much was done, but many papers were purged and put aside for shredding. Some things were filed. The phone books were put on the bottom shelf. I'm not sure if it looks any better or tidier but perhaps it's a start.

Before:


After:

Again, it doesn't look like much was done, but I went through all the baskets you see here and purged some things and moved some things to proper locations throughout the house. I had originally bought these baskets for the office but the space I have in the office isn't working, so I put them on these shelves until I can get something better.

April's Round-Up is The Master Bedroom. If you want to participate in the Monthly Organizing Round-Up, please click the icon at the top of this post for more details.

Click the links below to see my previous Round-Ups!
February Round-Up

Monthly Organizing Round-Up - February

I think I missed the deadline for the Monthly Organizing Round-Up. It's totally my computer's fault! I am having so many issues with the computer lately, it's hard to believe it's only a couple years old.

Back to the subject at hand. This month round-up was the Kitchen which was perfect for me because we really needed to figure out how to set up our counter space. At Christmas, I got my husband a new coffee pot and he got me a new kettle, both of which took up a different amount of space than our old ones. We also got a food processor which does not fit in any cabinet nor do we have room for it in the pantry so it has to sit out on the counter. However, by doing this we had no space for our toaster and other necessary items. It also did not help that the plug in where we had the coffee maker could only have one thing plugged in it at a time, so some real thinking had to be put into how we wanted to set it up and yet have it not be an inconvenience.

Before:

As you can see in the Before pictures, things were pretty crowded on this side of the counter and we sometimes had no space to really do any prep work.


The dish tray is not usually out if it's not being used but I put it out to show you why I need this much space on this side of the counter.

After:

We decided to try putting the microwave in this corner since it is a deep corner anyway, and took the canisters right out of this spot. Rotated the spice rack and the utensil thingy. Lo and behold we had enough room for both the toaster and the kettle ! They can easily slide out when we need to plug them in, but look at all the counter space for prepping meals! (please ignore the fact that this is the ugliest kitchen ever)


We put the coffee maker and the food processor over here where the microwave used to be and magically there is tons of counter space over here. Just imagine when the dish tray isn't out how much space we have! We put two of the seldom used canisters up in the cupboard and the tray that held them we will store in the storage room until we either re-purpose it or figure out whether we will use it after we renovate the kitchen (someday).

Tell me what you think? Does it look better? So far it seems to be proving efficient.

Next month's Organizing Round up is the Dining Room. We don't have an official dining room, but I do have some organizing to do on the other side of the kitchen where the table is!

To get in on the fun, click here!