Once a Month Cooking
I haven't done any Once a Month Cooking posts since August. Seems like forever! I am really sorry about that, to those of you who enjoyed following them.
A few of you have written me asking me when I'll be doing it again Unfortunately, I'm not sure exactly when I'll try it again, but hopefully I will be able to soon.
One reason I haven't gone back to it for a while, is because I actually missed cooking every day. Imagine that. lol
I guess I like cooking more than I thought I did.
Another reason that I haven't gone back to it recently, is because my husband and I made a decision to start eating beans at least 4-5 times a week! Since beans are so simple to cook and prepare, I didn't feel that OAMC would be necessary for them. We've been doing this for about 3 weeks and so far it's working well! The kids have adjusted fine. I feel healthier. James lost 15 pounds!
I may post a lot of recipes that I have found and tried using beans. They are so versatile...you can be really creative with them! I made those southwest pinto burgers the other day- they are so delicious. And then another day I made homemade flour tortillas with pinto beans, sour cream, cheese and salsa. So simple and so delicious. 15 bean soup is also great, and requires almost no effort. I love being able to set the crock pot with beans and just let it cook all day, and voila, plenty of food to work with for a meal.
In answer to Cheryl's questions:
Since it has been a while since you have posted about OAMC, could you share how it has worked out for you?
Did the meals you prepared turn out well? Was it worth it? Are you planning on doing it again sometime?
We have done some doubling up on meals and freezing the extra, and that has been fine, and we are looking into stocking up because baseball season is coming up.
Well, the first few OAMC's that I did turned out really great. There were maybe 1 or 2 recipes that I did not really enjoy, but the rest were great. But the August OAMC is when I made a major mistake. I tried to include a lot of stir fries in the meals- ....and I did not know beforehand whether they would freeze and thaw well or not. Unfortunately, all of the stir fries tasted AWFUL thawed. Just plain AWFUL. I felt really bad about that. They were delicious when I had prepared them, but after freezing and thawing, they just wilted and didn't have that same crunch that they needed.
The recipes in that particular month that I thought worked well, and tasted GOOD, were:
For another OAMC that I did, these recipes worked and tasted fine:
It was very nice to sit down to a wonderful tasting meal every night, without having to dirty up so many dishes. I still recommend it highly to anyone!
A few of you have written me asking me when I'll be doing it again Unfortunately, I'm not sure exactly when I'll try it again, but hopefully I will be able to soon.
One reason I haven't gone back to it for a while, is because I actually missed cooking every day. Imagine that. lol
I guess I like cooking more than I thought I did.
Another reason that I haven't gone back to it recently, is because my husband and I made a decision to start eating beans at least 4-5 times a week! Since beans are so simple to cook and prepare, I didn't feel that OAMC would be necessary for them. We've been doing this for about 3 weeks and so far it's working well! The kids have adjusted fine. I feel healthier. James lost 15 pounds!
I may post a lot of recipes that I have found and tried using beans. They are so versatile...you can be really creative with them! I made those southwest pinto burgers the other day- they are so delicious. And then another day I made homemade flour tortillas with pinto beans, sour cream, cheese and salsa. So simple and so delicious. 15 bean soup is also great, and requires almost no effort. I love being able to set the crock pot with beans and just let it cook all day, and voila, plenty of food to work with for a meal.
In answer to Cheryl's questions:
Since it has been a while since you have posted about OAMC, could you share how it has worked out for you?
Did the meals you prepared turn out well? Was it worth it? Are you planning on doing it again sometime?
We have done some doubling up on meals and freezing the extra, and that has been fine, and we are looking into stocking up because baseball season is coming up.
Well, the first few OAMC's that I did turned out really great. There were maybe 1 or 2 recipes that I did not really enjoy, but the rest were great. But the August OAMC is when I made a major mistake. I tried to include a lot of stir fries in the meals- ....and I did not know beforehand whether they would freeze and thaw well or not. Unfortunately, all of the stir fries tasted AWFUL thawed. Just plain AWFUL. I felt really bad about that. They were delicious when I had prepared them, but after freezing and thawing, they just wilted and didn't have that same crunch that they needed.
The recipes in that particular month that I thought worked well, and tasted GOOD, were:
- South of the Border Soup
- Bacon Macaroni Bake
- Potluck Casserole
- King Ranch Chicken (BEST)
- The Herb Stuffed Broccoli Casserole (second best)
- Beef Noodle Bake
- Taco Soup
- Elizabethan Pork and Fruit casserole (I liked it, my husband didn't)
- Baked ZITI
- Pasta with Bacon, Mushrooms, and Caramelized Onions
For another OAMC that I did, these recipes worked and tasted fine:
- Pork Barbeque,
- Freezer Pizza Bagels,
- Shredded Beef Tacos,
- Bacon Cheeseburger Rice,
- Broccoli Stuffing Casserole,
- Hawaiian Chicken,
- Spicy Sausage and Peppers over Rice,
- Jambalaya,
- Magnificent Casserole,
- Homemade Sloppy Joes,
- King Ranch Chicken Casserole,
- Tomato Chicken Gumbo,
- Pork Onion Casserole,
- Potatoes Romanoff,
- Chili Chicken Casserole,
- Cheesy Pasta Dinner,
- and Baked Ziti.
It was very nice to sit down to a wonderful tasting meal every night, without having to dirty up so many dishes. I still recommend it highly to anyone!
I would love to see some more bean recipes. While digging in my freezer for pinto beans yesterday, I realized I have a TON of northern beans, any ideas? I've done soup with ham, but that's gets old.
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Mmm beans are wonderful. I do a taco salad type deal when I want a quick snack. A layer of Tostedos chips on the bottom of a bowl, pinto beans, chedder chesse, salsa, sour cream topped with another layer of chips. Pop it in the microwave for about 2 minutes then I crush it up with a fork and enjoy!
My Mom just mixes crused tacos in iceburg lettuce.
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Jennifer, then I will be more than happy to share bean recipes on the blog...i wasn't sure before whether people would be wanting bean recipes or not... but now I know!
Jess, I love taco salad too...YUM it is soooo good.
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I tried the OAMC for a month and did not like it for the same reason. I love to cook! Although I did like the extra food on busy days. I just started shopping for two weeks at a time. Lots of food in the fridge. Top shelf is full of milk and oj. I had to hide food in the basement so they don't eat the following weeks snacks! (They don't know I do this yet. lol! They think I stop at the store and grab extras! SHH... Don't tell.) So far I like the extra day every other week. For a family of 5 it's a lot of food. I spend about a half an hour longer shopping, writing the shopping list, and figuring out what's for dinner. Worth a try! I also spend a little less!
Roxanne
I also LOVE taco salad. yum! I may go make some for lunch today!
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Forgot to add...
I'm always up for bean recipes.
A family fav.
Roxanne
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I hope that is my Bacon Macaroni Bake that turned out so well for you!
For freezing stir fries I usually just get the meat in the marinade, freeze that, and then add the veggies fresh. It works much better!
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Hello. I'd love to do OAMC but we don't have a deep freeze. Does anyone else OAMC without a deep freeze? Bean recipes are great and cheap, I'd like to see some more bean recipes as well.
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Sarah, yes, Christy from Christysclipart.com does it in her regular freezer...here is how she stores them:
http://christysclipart.com/freezer.html
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Hi Bethany,
Thank you for replying to me. I went to the link and saw she has a side by side fridge, I don't have that only a top freezer and right now it is full with just my homemade burritos, cookie dough and bread I couldn't fit anything else in there if I wanted to LOL.
God bless,
Sarah
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I have a top fridge and I tried the OAMC. Almost everything was put into a freezer bag and laid flat to freeze. I fit everything in there but had problems getting them out. Simply because I had them all stacked and couldn't read what they were. (try writing on the side that will stick out.)
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Just wanted to applaud you for your decision to feature beans in your meals! That's a really excellent choice for the planet as well as the health of your family.
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Thank you, Tara!
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Bethany,
I am looking for cheaper ways to cook for my family and also eat healthier. I have athletes in the home so they require a lot of carbs as well as protein. I have made burrittos from scratch for years but would love some other "bean" recipes. I would like to try the bean burger you talked about. Was it hard to make? shelly
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The bean burger was incredibly easy to make! just mix and fry!
I will be posting bean recipes as time allows!
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Bethany : ) I got to your site through Tammy
Claudia
P.S. I am concerned about Tammy's headaches---I have put her in prayer
P.P.S.I shop at Costco, too, and am going out this morning to get the beans for Tammy's frugal bean recipes---while waiting for my Zojrishi Bread Maker to arrive from Kohl's (1/3 - 1/9) that I bought based on Tammy's experiences with it and her review---a WONDERFUL help!
P.P.S. My daughters-in-law are JUST like you two---a true joy and blessing in every way
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