Kids Summer Calendar

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Okay, I've started to update the summer calendar for 2018 but still have many activities to include - it's a good start anyway!!  Between the beautiful weather and looking up these fun activities, I'm getting so excited for summer!!  I'll keep adding and updating events throughout the summer!  Besides the events on the calendar, here are some more ideas for making memories with your kiddos! Enjoy!! :)

And I noticed that I can't see the full calendar on my phone - please try accessing this website with a computer and you should be able to see & navigate through the full calendar of events - I will try to figure out a fix for phones...


SUMMER CAMPS/DAY CAMPS:

Blank Park Zoo (Des Moines)
https://www.blankparkzoo.com/education/safari-camps/summer-safari-camp/

Camp Hantesa (Ames)
https://www.campfireiowa.org/programs/day-camp/

ISU Engineering Camps
https://www.isek.iastate.edu/camp/camps-summer/

McFarland Park (near Ames/Gilbert)
https://www.storycountyiowa.gov/1002/Youth-Nature-Camps

Octagon Center for the Arts (Ames)
https://www.octagonarts.org/en/classes/2018_summer_art_camps/

Parks & Rec - City of Ames (click on following link and scroll to page 19)
http://www.cityofames.org/home/showdocument?id=1034

Riverside Bible Camp (near Story City)
http://www.riversidelbc.org/summer-camp

Robert Thomas Dance (319 South 17th St, Ames) 
Beauty & the Beast Dance Camp & crafts
June 25-28, 5-6:30pm, ages 3-7, $57.42+tax (includes snack & craft fee)

Science Center of Iowa (Des Moines)
http://www.sciowa.org/learn/camps/directory/

Succes Gymnastics (Ames)
https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/8306ee_812b5d54a0994628813f6c3dfdbec0ed.pdf

Sylvan Learning Center Summer Camps
https://cities.sylvanlearning.com/us/iowa/summer-camps-in-ames

YMCA (Ames & Boone)
http://y-camp.org/en/summer_camp/


RESTAURANT GUIDES:

Restaurant Guide to Free Kids Meals in Ames:
http://www.outtoeatwithkids.com/restaurantResults.php

A Great Restaurant Guide for Free Kids Meals in Central Iowa:
http://desmoinesparent.com/kids-eat-free-central-iowa/


ANYTIME:

Bulldog Ceramics - Ankeny
Reiman Gardens - Ames
Make your own Cy Ride Adventure
Libraries
Brookside Park Wading Pool - Ames
Sky Zone - Grimes
Playground for Kids - Ankeny
Monkey Joes - Des Moines
Pump It Up - Des Moines
Mini Glow Golf - near Jordan Creek in Des Moines
Perfect Games - Ames
Get Air - Des Moines
MB2 Raceway - Indoor Go Kart Racing - Grimes
Science Center of Iowa - Des Moines
Blank Park Zoo - Des Moines
Living History Farms - Des Moines
Adventureland - Des Moines
Iowa Cubs games - Des Moines
Story City Antique Carousel - Story City
Berry Patch - Nevada
Valle Drive In - Newton - gates open at 6:30pm, movies start at dusk, check their Facebook page or website for details



EXPLORE IOWA:

traveliowa.com has lots of great ideas!!
Jester Park - near Polk City
Big Creek Beach - near Polk City
High Trestle Trail Bridge - near Madrid
Big Treehouse (reservations required, best for kids ages 3 or 4 & up) - Marshaltown
Boone Valley Scenic Railroad - Boone
The Grotto of the Redemption - West Bend
World's Largest Ball of Popcorn - Sac City


MAIL:

Mail Order Mystery - ages 7 & up
We did the pirate one last year, so fun!  You get 6 weeks of clues and a treasure at the end!
https://www.mailordermystery.com/

Kiwi Crate - monthly STEAM activities for ages 3-4, 5-8, 9-16
We just ordered our first subscription for ages 5-8
http://www.kiwicrate.com/

Top Secret Adventures - Highlights Book Club - ages 7 & up
We have some of these but still haven't done them - maybe this summer! ;)
https://www.highlights.com/store/puzzle-book-clubs/top-secret-adventures

Little Passports (ages 3-14)
https://www.littlepassports.com/



FREE ONLINE/PRINTABLE WORKSHEETS:

XtraMath
Easy Peasy
Khan Academy
Super Teacher Worksheets (some)



OTHER IDEAS:

Lemonade stand
Canoeing/floating/boating
Play in the rain
Co camping, build a fort or stay in a cabin
Go fishing
Make homemade face/body paint with cornstarch, milk & food coloring
Make homemade sidewalk chalk paint
Mini car wash with matchbox cars & tooth brushes
Sidewalk chalk
Giant bubbles - ONE OF OUR FAVES! http://mamaot.com/how-to-make-giant-bubbles/
Library reading challenge
Water balloon fight
Play in a sprinkler
Bocce ball
Croquet
Play a game on a picnic blanket outside
Read under a tree
Play glow stick hide & seek
Make s'mores
Fly a kite
Make paper airplanes - aim for a hula hoop, see who can go the furthest, etc
Plant some flowers
Make a butterfly garden
Make a fairy garden
Walk down Main Street and fill expired parking meters
Volunteer - animal shelter, food pantry or Food at First
Trade books at little free libraries
Ride a bike
Swim on rainy days at Country Inn & Suites on Dayton Ave or Ames Municipal pool
Go ice skating at the Ames ice arena
Make a tie dye shirt
Make homemade play doh
Make homemade rock candy (takes a couple of weeks)
Paint rocks
Paint on canvases
Make cookies
Make pudding or cupcakes with oreo dirt & gummy worms topping
Make homemade pudding pops
Freeze toys inside ice and dig them out
Freeze ice in different shapes and stack them or play with them outside on a hot day
Legos!!
Play nature bingo - google free online printables
Have a scavenger hunt
Make your own fizzing dinosaur eggs! - http://www.funathomewithkids.com/2013/10/diy-bath-bombs-magic-hatching-dinosaur.html

I have more ideas coming but here's a good list to get you started anyway!!!
Enjoy & please let me know if you have more ideas I should add!

Thursday, June 8, 2017

Ames Area Kids Meal Specials

Ames-Area Restaurants with Kids Meal Specials


MONDAY:

Arcadia (Ames)
1 free kids Arcadia dog & cookie with the purchase of adult breakfast or Arcadia dog, through August

Buffalo Wild Wings (Ames)
$1.99 kids meals (ages 12 & under) all day, dine in only

Dairy Queen (Ames, Story City, various)
weekdays 2-5pm, $1 small iced coffees, $2 small ultimate frappes, $2 small premium fruit smoothies

Fighting Burrito (Ames, Ankeny)
Kids 13 and under eat free all day with adult meal purchase, through Labor Day

IHOP (Ankeny)
From 5 to 10pm, receive a free kids meal with every adult meal

Lorry's Coffee (Ames)
1 free kids meal per adult meal purchase, all day

Los Charros (Ankeny)
Receive 1 free kids meal with every adult meal purchased and soft drink

Pizza Pit (Ames)
1 free small kids pizza or 1/2 sandwich with medium or large pizza purchase, all day.

Sonic (Ankeny)
2-4pm, 1/2 price drinks and slushes
99 cent corn dogs

Village Inn (Ames, Ankeny)
Kids 10 & under can eat free with the purchase of an adult meal

Wendy's (Ames, various)
After 4pm kids meals are $1.99


TUESDAY:

B Fabulous BBQ (Slater)
Kids eat for $1

Dairy Queen (Ames, Story City, various)
weekdays 2-5pm, $1 small iced coffees, $2 small ultimate frappes, $2 small premium fruit smoothies

Fazolis (Ames, Ankeny)
5-8pm, kids 12 & under eat for 99 cents with an adult purchase (only 1 adult purchase required for multiple kids meals in Ames)

Godfather's (Ankeny)
5 to 7:30pm, kids 10 & under eat free at the buffet with adult buffet purchase

HyVee Market Grille (various except Ames)
Kids 10 and under eat free with the purchase of an adult meal.

Jethro's BBQ (Ankeny)
Get 2 for 1 on traditional wings

Mucky Duck Pub (Ames)
1 free kids meal per adult entree purchased.  Includes kids cup milk/soda.

Perkins (Ames, Ankeny)
Kids eat free all day with the purchase of an adult entree

Pizza Ranch (Ames, Boone, Story City)
Ames location - 4-9pm - 1 child (12 and under) eats free with each paying adult
Ankeny & Story City locations - 4-9pm 1 child (10 and under) eats free with each paying adult
Boone location - 5-8pm 1 child (12 and under) eats free with each paying adult

Sonic (Ankeny)
2-4pm, 1/2 price drinks and slushes
99 cent corn dogs

Sports Page Grill (note - Ankeny location)
Ankeny location - Kids eat free with the purchase of an adult meal

Village Inn (Ames, Ankeny)
Kids 10 & under can eat free with the purchase of an adult meal

Wendy's (Ames, various)
After 4pm kids meals are $1.99


WEDNESDAY:

Applebees (Ames, Ankeny)
From 6pm until close, receive a free kids meal with every adult meal

Ballard Golf & Country Club (Huxley)

5-9pm - Receive one 99 cent kids meal with each adult meal

Dairy Queen (Ames, Story City, various)
weekdays 2-5pm, $1 small iced coffees, $2 small ultimate frappes, $2 small premium fruit smoothies

Sonic (Ankeny)
2-4pm, 1/2 price drinks and slushes
99 cent corn dogs

Sports Page Grill & Bar (note - Ames location)
Ames location - 1 free kids meal with any regular priced entree

Wendy's (Ames, various)
After 4pm kids meals are $1.99

Wig and Pen (Ankeny)
Kids 12 and under can eat free, beverages not included


THURSDAY:

Dairy Queen (Ames, Story City, various)
weekdays 2-5pm, $1 small iced coffees, $2 small ultimate frappes, $2 small premium fruit smoothies


Sonic (Ankeny)
2-4pm, 1/2 price drinks and slushes
99 cent corn dogs

Wendy's (Ames, various)
After 4pm kids meals are $1.99

HyVee Market Grille (West Ames)
Kids 10 and under eat free with the purchase of an adult meal. Also, the West Ames location has free face painting from 5:30-7:30pm most Thursdays.

FRIDAY:

Dairy Queen (Ames, Story City, various)
weekdays 2-5pm, $1 small iced coffees, $2 small ultimate frappes, $2 small premium fruit smoothies


Sonic (Ankeny)
2-4pm, 1/2 price drinks and slushes
99 cent corn dogs

Wendy's (Ames, various)
After 4pm kids meals are $1.99


SATURDAY:

Sonic (Ankeny)
2-4pm, 1/2 price drinks and slushes
99 cent corn dogs

Wendy's (Ames, various)
After 4pm kids meals are $1.99

Z'Mariks (Ankeny)
Receive one free kids bowl with the purchase of an adult bowl


SUNDAY:

Guadalajara's (Ankeny)
Kids eat free with an adult meal

Qdoba (Ames, Ankeny)
Kids eat free with the purchase of an adult meal

Sonic (Ankeny)
2-4pm, 1/2 price drinks and slushes
99 cent corn dogs

Wendy's (Ames, various)
After 4pm kids meals are $1.99

Friday, June 2, 2017

Ames Area Events Calendar


*** IF YOU AREN'T ABLE TO SEE THE CALENDAR ABOVE (SOMETIMES A PROBLEM WHEN USING PHONES), THEN PLEASE TRY ACCESSING WITH A COMPUTER ***
(currently working on a fix for phones)

SUMMER CAMPS/DAY CAMPS:

YMCA (Ames & Boone)
http://y-camp.org/en/summer_camp/

Camp Hantesa (Ames)
http://www.campfireiowa.org/summer-day-camps.html

Octagon (Ames) - including a camp with Tim Read!
https://www.octagonarts.org/en/classes/2017_summer_art_camps/

Riverside Bible Camp (near Story City)
http://www.riversidelbc.org/summer-camp

ISU Engineering Camps
https://www.isek.iastate.edu/camp/camps-summer/

Sylvan Learning Center Summer Camps
https://cities.sylvanlearning.com/us/iowa/summer-camps-in-ames

Science Center of Iowa (Des Moines)
http://www.sciowa.org/learn/camps/directory/

Blank Park Zoo (Des Moines)
https://www.blankparkzoo.com/education/safari-camps/

McFarland Park (near Ames/Gilbert)
http://www.mycountyparks.com/county/story/Park/McFarland-Park/Events.aspx

Parks & Rec - City of Ames (click on following link and scroll to page 19)
http://www.cityofames.org/home/showdocument?id=1034

Beauty & the Beast Dance Camp with crafts - Robert Thomas Dance (Ames) 319 South 17th St
June 26-29, 5-6:30pm, ages 3-7, $57.42+tax



RESTAURANT GUIDES:

Restaurant Guide to Free Kids Meals in Ames:
http://www.outtoeatwithkids.com/restaurantResults.php

A Great Restaurant Guide for Free Kids Meals in Central Iowa:
http://desmoinesparent.com/kids-eat-free-central-iowa/



ANYTIME:

Bulldog Ceramics - Ankeny
Reiman Gardens - Ames
Make your own Cy Ride Adventure
Libraries
Brookside Park Wading Pool - Ames
Sky Zone - Grimes
Playground for Kids - Ankeny
Monkey Joes - Des Moines
Pump It Up - Des Moines
Mini Glow Golf - near Jordan Creek in Des Moines
Perfect Games - Ames
Get Air - Des Moines
MB2 Raceway - Indoor Go Kart Racing - Grimes
Science Center of Iowa - Des Moines
Blank Park Zoo - Des Moines
Living History Farms - Des Moines
Adventureland - Des Moines
Iowa Cubs games - Des Moines
Story City Antique Carousel - Story City
Berry Patch - Nevada
Valle Drive In - Newton - gates open at 6:30pm, movies start at dusk, check their Facebook page or website for details



EXPLORE IOWA:

traveliowa.com has lots of great ideas!!
Jester Park - near Polk City
Big Creek Beach - near Polk City
High Trestle Trail Bridge - near Madrid
Big Treehouse (reservations required, best for kids ages 3 or 4 & up) - Marshaltown
Boone Valley Scenic Railroad - Boone
The Grotto of the Redemption - West Bend
World's Largest Ball of Popcorn - Sac City



MAIL:

Mail Order Mystery - ages 7 & up
We did the pirate one last year, so fun!  You get 6 weeks of clues and a treasure at the end!
https://www.mailordermystery.com/

Kiwi Crate - monthly STEAM activities for ages 3-4, 5-8, 9-16
We just ordered our first subscription for ages 5-8
http://www.kiwicrate.com/

Top Secret Adventures - Highlights Book Club - ages 7 & up
We have some of these but still haven't done them - maybe this summer! ;)
https://www.highlights.com/store/puzzle-book-clubs/top-secret-adventures

Little Passports (ages 3-14)
https://www.littlepassports.com/



FREE ONLINE/PRINTABLE WORKSHEETS:

XtraMath
Easy Peasy
Khan Academy
Super Teacher Worksheets (some)



OTHER IDEAS:

Lemonade stand
Canoeing/floating/boating
Play in the rain
Co camping, build a fort or stay in a cabin
Go fishing
Make homemade face/body paint with cornstarch, milk & food coloring
Make homemade sidewalk chalk paint
Mini car wash with matchbox cars & tooth brushes
Sidewalk chalk
Giant bubbles - ONE OF OUR FAVES! http://mamaot.com/how-to-make-giant-bubbles/
Library reading challenge
Water balloon fight
Play in a sprinkler
Bocce ball
Croquet
Play a game on a picnic blanket outside
Read under a tree
Play glow stick hide & seek
Make s'mores
Fly a kite
Make paper airplanes - aim for a hula hoop, see who can go the furthest, etc
Plant some flowers
Make a butterfly garden
Make a fairy garden
Walk down Main Street and fill expired parking meters
Volunteer - animal shelter, food pantry or Food at First
Trade books at little free libraries
Ride a bike
Swim on rainy days at Country Inn & Suites on Dayton Ave or Ames Municipal pool
Go ice skating at the ice arena
Make a tie dye shirt
Make homemade play doh
Make homemade rock candy (takes a couple of weeks)
Paint rocks
Paint on canvases
Make cookies
Make pudding or cupcakes with oreo dirt & gummy worms topping
Make homemade pudding pops
Freeze toys inside ice and dig them out
Freeze ice in different shapes and stack them or play with them outside on a hot day
Legos!!
Play nature bingo - google free online printables
Have a scavenger hunt
Make your own fizzing dinosaur eggs! - http://www.funathomewithkids.com/2013/10/diy-bath-bombs-magic-hatching-dinosaur.html


I have more ideas coming but here's a good list to get you started anyway!!!
Enjoy & please let me know if you have more ideas I should add!


Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Easy, Healthy & Delicious Family Food - French Market Soup

Happy Spring!!

It's been a while since I've posted but I wanted to share about an easy, healthy delicious soup that can be enjoyed year-round.  First of all, let me start by clarifying that I do not consider myself to be a wonderful cook/chef/baker and I don't aspire to be one.  I am a mom to four kids ages seven and under and like most people, I like to eat!  :)  My main goal is to provide my family with mostly healthy meals and I'd like to think the most important ingredient in all of our meals is love.  Whether it be frozen waffles or a rare made-from-scratch anything meal, I do a little prayer as I make the food and ask that the person/people eating the food will feel loved and nourished.

My Grandma Wilson passed away a couple of years ago but one of my cherished memories is going to the tea room in Stratford called In Good Company with my her, my mom, and usually at least one or two of the kids.  We would go at least once a month for as long as I can remember.  Grandma's favorites were butterscotch pie and scalloped chicken (in that order).  One of my favorites was a bowl of French Market Soup.  The tea room closed in October 2014, but thankfully the owner, Janet, created a cookbook with a compilation of all of her delicious recipes.  Excitedly, I flipped through the cookbook to find French Market Soup and was thrilled to see it but not so thrilled to see that it yielded 1 and 1/2 gallons of soup.  That is a lot of soup for 2 adults and 4 kids ages 7 and under so I gave up on trying it for a while.

We sold our old home and moved into a new home in January and I started thinking about the soup again.  Isaac was going to have a birthday in early March and we would have enough relatives over to possibly eat 1 and 1/2 gallons of soup!!  I stopped by Story City Locker to pick up the meats and was greeted by the owners, Bobbie Jo and Ty Gustafson.  This was the first time I had been in their store (I had been meaning to go for a while) and it was so clean and they had all sorts of goodies for sale.  I left with a whole chicken (recipe calls for 2 chicken breasts), 2 packages of smoked andouille sausage, and a ham steak.  I'm telling you, this soup is a complete meal in itself!

I love how the meats have the farms listed on the labels where the meat came from!


Here are the non-meat ingredients - since this recipe came from a cookbook, I can't share it exactly on a blog, but you can probably guess:



Also, all of the meats were cooked except the chicken.  I got the chicken the afternoon before the party and it was completely frozen.  Bobbie said I could just "crock it" and I'd never heard of this before, but I followed Bobbie's advice and put the chicken in my crockpot and turned it on high for a few hours, maybe about 4 or so, and then turned the heat down and continued to cook the chicken after it had thawed.  My chicken was so big it didn't quite fit but I put aluminum foil all around the lid and crock pot to seal it up and it turned out great!

I had to take a picture of the dry beans in the pot - so pretty!!

After I had cooked the beans for a while with the recommended amount of water, I added the tomatoes.  I noticed some of the water had boiled off so I added some more hot water and decided to put a lid on the pot to help keep the moisture in (and I read that this is good when cooking beans for soups, makes the beans more tender).


Meanwhile, this was happening in another pan (again, so pretty!):


And then we added the meats, the smoked andouille sausage was lean and the seasonings were wonderful, not too spicy but very flavorful:

And after a little more simmering, this is what the soup looked like - it smelled so delicious!!

I come from a mostly Norwegian family so I was a little concerned that the soup might be too spicy for my folks but everyone loved it and most people went back for more!  I served it with two loaves of fresh bread, some crackers and cheese, a bunch of fresh cut fruit and I had bought mixed salad greens and in all of the chaos I forgot to serve them with the meal but I know they would have also been great with the soup.  I loved making this special soup for some special people in my lives.  This soup is all about the meats and even though there was 2-3 pounds of meat in this soup, I felt nourished and satisfied, but not too full.  The meats were filling but not heavy and I loved it so much that I'm thinking of making it again and freezing half or sharing it with someone.  Thank you, Story City Locker, for some wonderful local meats that made our special birthday even more special!

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Homemade Kool Aid Play Doh

Homemade Kool Aid Play Doh

We officially have a new baby at our house and it's been a bitterly cold winter so we've been spending a lot of time inside.  One of my favorite things to do with the kids lately is to make home made play doh with the bigger kids so I can also spend time with the newest member of our family.  The kids enjoy making it almost as much as they like playing with it & only costs about $1-$1.50 a batch so we have made several colors/flavors!

Here is a wonderful recipe I got from a fellow mom and friend:

 2.5 cups of flour (probably closer to 3 or even 3.5)
1/2 cup salt
1 tablespoon Alum
3 tablespoons cooking oil
2 cups boiling water
packet of Kool Aid (or food coloring)

Combine flour, salt & alum. Add oil & Kool Aid to boiling water and stir, then pour over flour mixture and mix.
I used an electric mixer but you can also stir with a spoon and then knead with hands. If mixture is sticky, add small amounts of flour until you can use a cookie cutter and it comes out clean. I added about 1/2 cup of flour and it seemed to form a nice ball and sort of fell off the mixer attachment.

One thing I love about this mixture is that if the play doh gets a little dried out, you can just add a little water and knead it with your hands and it springs right back.  I have been storing it in gallon zip bags and they work great.

I am such a fan of this play doh that I am even going to make a variety of colors/flavors and divide them to use as party favors for my son's birthday with preschool friends.

Here's a link to the Kool Aid website with an alternate recipe:
https://fb.kraftapps.com/koolaidshake/Content/pdfs/Kool-Aid-Play-Dough.pdf
This recipe has more intensely colored play doh but makes about 1/3 of the recipe I posted.  I have been wanting to try adding two packets of Kool Aid to my friend's recipe for more intense color but haven't tried it yet.

Color Guide:
Red - Cherry, Fruit Punch
Pink - Pink Lemonade
Orange - Orange
Yellow - Lemonade
Green - Lemon Lime
Pale Green - Green Apple
Light Mint Green - Blue Raspberry Lemonade
Blue - Mixed Berry
Purple - Grape


Barbie bedding

After a fairly extensive online search for Barbie (or similar sized doll) bedding, I found very little that I liked and thought I'd come up with my own instructions for fairly easy Barbie (or Monster High girls, Equestria Girls, Elsa, Anna, etc) bedding.

You will need:

2 pieces of coordinating (or same) fabric measuring 11" x 6" (for comforter)
2 pieces of coordinating (or same) fabric measuring 3.5" x 6" (for pillow)
a piece of some sort of batting (I used an old towel) measuring 11" x 6"
some poly-fil stuffing for the pillow
a needle
thread
scissors
a sewing machine is optional but it does make things go much faster

For the pillow:

Need 2 pieces of fabric measuring 3.5" x 6" each



Stack rectangles with right sides of fabric facing each other


Pin and sew 1/4" from edges, leaving 1-1.5" open so you will be able to turn fabric inside out


Carefully cut corners of rectangle, this will help corners look nicer


Turn pillow inside out, can poke corners out with a stuffing tool, pencil, or chopsticks


Place stuffing in corners first, fill pillow to desired firmness


Using a needle and thread, sew the pillow shut

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Kid-Friendly Freezer Meal Recipes


January 2014 - Kid-Friendly Freezer Meals


I am going to have a baby in the next few weeks and once he arrives, I will have four kiddos age six and under.  I have been getting things in order for our new arrival and in addition to cleaning out things and washing baby clothes, I thought it would be a good idea to make some meals in advance and have them ready in the freezer.  I was first introduced to this idea when one of my good friends began selling Homemade Gourmet about five years ago when I was expecting my second child.  Homemade Gourmet doesn't exist anymore, but I got in touch with one of the Homemade Gourmet superstars and she was generous enough to provide me with some of her freezer recipes.

So, it took me three days, but I was able to pick some recipes, put together a grocery list, and get 13 meals into the freezer that will be ready to be cooked in either the crock pot or oven once baby arrives.  Some people were asking for the recipes so I thought I'd share them here.  Please keep in mind that these are not entirely fresh foods and I was trying to choose meals that my kiddos would enjoy, too (I'm sure all mothers can relate to this)!

I made 2 meals of Asian pork chops/loins, 2 meals of honey & spice glazed pork, 2 chicken pot pies, lazy lasagna, taco soup, alfredo chicken with broccoli, World's Best Chicken, Asian chicken, cheese ravioli bake and margarita chicken.

=========================================================================

Asian Pork Chops/Loins
  • 1 lb pork chops/loins
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce (I used low sodium)
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 cloves garlic (or garlic powder)
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
Write "Asian Pork" and today's date on a gallon-size freezer safe zip lock bag with a marker - sharpies work great - and then put a note about cooking in slow cooker for 6 hours on low.
Add all ingredients except pork to the freezer bag and seal, then squish them around to mix.
Once al ingredients are mixed, place the pork inside, push out as much air as possible and seal the bag & try to coat the pork with the mixture.  I have read that people serve this over rice and some people use 1/2 cup measurements for the sauce instead of 1/4 cup measurements to have extra sauce for the rice so you may want to experiment a little.
Place the bag in the freezer and just pull it out the night before and put it in the refrigerator.  If you forget, you should also be able to get the frozen pork out the next morning and place in the crock pot for 6 hours.  Enjoy!

=========================================================================

Honey & Spice Glazed Pork
  • 1 lb pork chops/loin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
As above, write "Honey & Spice Glazed Pork" on a gallon-size freezer safe zip lock along with today's date and place in freezer.  Once you are ready to cook, place in crock pot on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 3-5 hours or slightly longer if placing frozen pork directly into crockpot without thawing.

=========================================================================

Chicken Pot Pie (recipe makes 2 pot pies or even a little more)
  • 2 cups cooked shredded chicken (boneless, skinless chicken breasts roasted for one hour @350 in oven covered) - could also use rotisserie chicken or the little packs of pre-cooked chicken near deli meat
  • homemade gravy made from homemade chicken stock (or could use 2 Campbells chicken/turkey gravy in jar)
  • 2 top & bottom piece pie crust (so 4 crusts total) - I used the frozen pre-made ones but could make your own
  • frozen hash browns (diced) - 16 oz bag
  • frozen mixed vegetables or frozen peas/carrots or whatever vegetables you like - 12oz bag
  • onion, 1/4 cup diced small (optional)
  • salt & pepper to taste - if using Campbell's gravy, you may want to go lightly on the pepper
Take pie crusts out of package.  If you have purchased the ones in the tis take one tin out and thaw on the counter.  Turn the second tin upside down as it thaws.
In a large bowl, mix the shredded chicken, hash browns, vegetables, onion (opt), gravy and salt & pepper.
Add pot pie ingredients into pie tin with crust.
Take the upside down pie crust and carefully place it on top of the pie.  Spread it out and pinch the two pie crusts together on the seams.
Poke a few holes with a knife or fork on top of pie.
Label gallon-size freezer zip lock bag with "Chicken Pot Pie", instructions like "bake at 350 until top is golden brown, approx 45-60 min" and today's date.  Place pie inside bag, seal, and put in freezer.

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Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
  • 8oz (or more) chopped broccoli (I used frozen)
  • 2 jars alfredo sauce
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
Place all ingredients in labeled freezer-safe gallon zip lock bag, push most of the air out and seal.  Mix ingredients together by squishing bag between hands and place in freezer.  Bake at 350 for approx an hour or put in crock pot for 4-6 hours and serve over noodles.

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World's Best Chicken

I removed this recipe - it was really gross!!! :(

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Cheese Ravioli Bake
  • 2 - 9oz packages of refrigerated ravioli (any kind you like) - I used a larger frozen package
  • 1 jar spaghetti sauce
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese
Place all ingredients in labeled freezer-safe gallon zip lock bag, push most of the air out and seal.  Mix ingredients together by squishing bag between hands and place in freezer.  Bake at 350 for approx an hour.

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Taco Soup
  • 1 large can tomato juice
  • 1 packet of  taco seasoning
  • 1 packet of  ranch dressing
  • 1 lb browned ground beef
  • 1 onion
  • 1 can each:  corn, chili beans, black beans, & pinto beans
I took a "picky eaters" class with a registered dietician/personal trainer about 4 years ago that was designed to help parents with ideas that encouraged young kids to try new foods & be more mindful about their eating.  One of the things I learned in the class is that the liquid in canned beans (not necessarily the beans themselves) can cause gastrointestinal problems (trying to figure out a nice way to put this)...  So, one way to reduce the potential gas problems is to open the cans and dump as much of the liquid as possible.  Our instructor even suggested filling the cans with water and rinsing the beans while still in the can so I did this with the black beans and pinto beans.  If you like the extra juice or flavor then skip this but I thought I'd share this little tip since there are a lot of beans in this recipe.  I didn't rinse the chili beans, though.

Okay, I was worried I would run out of room in the freezer bag so just placed all ingredients in labeled freezer-safe gallon zip lock bag EXCEPT for tomato juice and made a note on the freezer bag to add tomato juice in pantry.  Push out as much air as possible, seal, mix with hands and place in freezer.  When ready to make this, add ingredients to crock pot and add tomato juice, cook for 4-6 hours.

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 Lazy Lasagna
  • 1 container of cottage cheese
  • 2/3 of a box of cooked pasta - I use bow tie pasta a lot
  • 1 jar of spaghetti sauce
  • 1 lb of browned ground beef (or turkey or sausage)
  • 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
Place all ingredients in labeled freezer-safe gallon zip lock bag, push most of the air out and seal.  Mix ingredients together by squishing bag between hands and place in freezer.  Bake at 375 for approx 30-45 minutes or until bubbly or in crock pot for 4-6 hours.  Probably can also bake at 350 until bubbly, too.  When I make this when not putting into the freezer, I usually just add 1 cup of cheese and bake for about 30 min and then put the rest of the cheese on top and bake for another 5 minutes or so.

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Margarita Chicken (one of my favorites)
  • 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 cups of margarita mix (non-alcoholic)
  • garlic powder - I probably use about 1 teaspoon
  • garlic salt - probably 1/4 teaspoon, I am not big on salt
  • onion powder - probably 1/2 teaspoon or so
  • update - I also like to add about 1-2 cups of water to ours now to tone down the sweet margarita taste.  Could also do just 1 cup of margarita mix and 1 cup water.
Place all ingredients in labeled freezer-safe gallon zip lock bag, push most of the air out and seal.  Mix ingredients together by squishing bag between hands and place in freezer.  When ready to make, place contents in glass baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.  Bake at 350 for an hour and check to make sure chicken is no longer pink.

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Cooking times are approximate and some of the measurements are approximate but at least it will help you get started.  You may also want to consider using the crock pot liners for easy clean up. While working on these recipes, I bought my ground beef in a bulk size so I just browned 3 pounds at one time and ended up freezing one pound of ground beef already browned so hopefully this will save a little time in a future recipe.  I am also going to buy some frozen loaves of bread dough to have on hand that I can bake in the oven to serve with some of the meals.  My mom uses Rhodes frozen dough and our family loves it.  These are just a few recipe ideas but there are a ton of freezer recipes on Pinterest and I'm sure lots of other websites as well if you want to do a little searching.
Will try to pick up the blogging again once school is out.  Best wishes & stay warm!!

Emily