by kathilipp | Aug 27, 2013 | Uncategorized |
***Give Away Alert! I will be giving away four copies of my freezer cooking cookbooks The What’s for Dinner Solution A winner everyday Tuesday through Friday. PLUS – a Freezer Cooking Prize Pack including The What’s for Dinner Solution and $25 Amazon Gift Card to buy all the Ziploc bags and 8×8 pans you need to get started! Just leave a comment on the blog sometime this week and I will pick four book winners and one grand prize winner – the more comments, the more chances to win! (One comment per person, per day, please!) ***
Over the next four days, I will be giving you step by step instructions on how to have great, tasty meals for you and your family, every night. To make sure you don’t miss a post, subscribe to the blog!
Wrapping it Up – Everything You Need to Know About Freezing Your Food
First – here is a quick list of things that could have problems freezing:
- Cake icing made with egg whites
- Cream filling and soft frostings
- Pies made with custard or cream fillings
- Cooked egg whites
- Fried foods
- Fruit jelly
- Soft cheese (unless mixed into a recipe)
- Mayonnaise (unless mixed into a recipe)
- Sour cream (unless mixed into a recipe)
- Potatoes (you can do potatoes, but it is a bit complicated for the blog and they can sometimes turn a weird color…)
Freezing your food falls into three different categories:
Soups, Stews, Chilli
Let the soup, stew or chili cool for a bit before pouring your portion into a labeled Ziploc bag and get out as much air as you can before speaking.. Bag again with the zipper part going the opposite way of the first bag.. Freeze lying down so it will lie as flat as possible. For soups, stews and chili, I put my bags on a large cookie sheet before freezing so that the bags will not sink down between the grates of the freezer, therefore making them hard to pry off once frozen.If you are making soups, stews or chili and want to freeze them in single serve portions, you can pour them into small plastic containers (Rubbermaid, Ziploc, etc.) leaving some room at the top for when the liquid freezes and expands. Let them cool down, cover with lids and freeze.
Marinades
Just put the meat and the marinade in a Ziploc bag and then put that Ziploc bag in another Ziploc bag with the zipper part going the opposite way. Label your inner bag so the otter bag can be reused.
Casseroles
For casserole freezing, I have used the foil pans pictured below for years.
I think my addiction to foil cake pans started when I was doing our freezer cooking swap with a bunch of other girls (to find out more about our group, Six Chicks Freeze and Fix, check out the booklet on my Facebook Page.) We would each make our dinners at home, and then bring them to a predetermined location, and swap. We didn’t want the hassle of returning dishes, so the cake pans worked for our needs.
But it was a little silly that I was still doing it once I was only cooking for my family. Besides the cost, all I could picture was trees dying in the rain forest because of my wastefulness. (I don’t know why it would be trees dying, but I’m sure the trees would somehow be affected.)
So I finally broke down and bought a dozen of these inexpensive (OK, cheap,) steel pans from Target. Love ‘em.
Here are my instructions for packaging the casseroles:
- Spray the bottom of the serving pan with Pam or some other non-fat cooking spray
- Put your casserole in the pan
- Cover the casserole with foil
- Label the foil with the name and date of the casserole (I’ll tell you why this is bold in a second.)
- Slip into a Ziploc bag with the printing on the bag on the bottom
OK – so here is the money/environment tip of the day: If you label the foil instead of the Ziploc (which is just keeping your food from freezer burn and is not actually touching any food) you can reuse your Ziploc bag for protecting other meals. If you bag your food with a label on the foil, and you put the Ziploc imprint on the bottom of the casserole, you will clearly be able to see what is in your meal.
You see, those baggies are expensive, and it is my goal to make them last as long as possible!
If you don’t have all the pans that you need, here is a great suggestion from one of my commenters Deanna:
To save more $ may I suggest lining a casserole dish in aluminum foil and then preparing the meal in it. Freeze it, lift the meal out, wrap it again in foil, label and stick it in the freezer! When you go to cook it just unwrap the outer layer of foil, pop back in the original dish and cook. Makes clean up a breeze too!
For today’s free download, go to my Facebook Page this week (through September 1. 2013) and get our new Freezer Inventory Sheet.
Tell me below – do you have a favorite freezer trick? You could win a copy of The What’s for Dinner Solution or the grand prize of The What’s for Dinner Solution and a $25 Amazon Gift Card.
Want more freezer recipes? Did you know you can get a free ecopy of Six Chicks Freeze and Fix: How to Start a Freezer Meal Co-op just by liking my Facebook Page. Once you hit “Like” just go to the tabs and download the booklet. It’s that easy. Over 20 great family-pleasing recipes!
We’ll have a free freezer download every day this week. Stay tuned!
by kathilipp | Aug 26, 2013 | Home |
***Give Away Alert! I will be giving away four copies of my freezer cooking cookbooks The What’s for Dinner Solution A winner everyday Tuesday through Friday. PLUS – a Freezer Cooking Prize Pack including The What’s for Dinner Solution and $25 Amazon Gift Card to buy all the Ziploc bags and 8×8 pans you need to get started! Just leave a comment on the blog sometime this week and I will pick four book winners and one grand prize winner – the more comments, the more chances to win! (One comment per person, per day, please!) ***
Over the next four days, I will be giving you step by step instructions on how to have great, tasty meals for you and your family, every night. To make sure you don’t miss a post, subscribe to the blog!
I want your kitchen to go from empty to bountiful.
Everyone I know is looking for solutions to making dinner easier and cheaper and this is the plan that works for me. I feed five adult-sized people seven nights a week and winging it is so not an option.
Especially since my freezer looked like this. (Ben and Jerry’s wasn’t even mine. No fair!)
I just want to warn you right now – I am a Freezer-Stuffing Master. I am super advanced when it comes to meal prep. I did 51 plus meals this week. Do not try this at home. Start small with a dozen or so after reading through this week’s posts.
Bulk cooking to get yourself ahead a few nights a week is a great idea. Tripling recipes that you already love will help you get ahead and take some stress out of your evenings.
After you have success with your first attempt at freezing and get comfortable with the procedure, then you can pull out multiple recipes stock your freezer for a month or more.
Day 1 – Pick Your Recipe
Today all you need to do is pick your recipe!!
The absolute easiest type of dinner to prepare ahead is a marinade. We do several chicken and pork marinades each time we freezer cook –they are super-easy and everyone in my house will eat them – a double bonus.
So go through your recipes and find the one that your family will love and will be easy to prepare. When you find it – please share it here. I will read through them all and let you know if they will freeze well – I am here to serve.
Tomorrow – I will share the shopping strategy.
Let me get you started with a Lipp family favorite:
Pesto Chicken
1/2 cup Prepared pesto sauce
6 Boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
6 slices Mozzarella cheese
1. Prepare: Pour pesto over chicken breasts in a one-gallon bag.
2. Freeze: Double bag the chicken. Place the Mozzarella cheese in a separate freezer bag and attach to the chicken bag. Freeze lying flat.
3. Serve: Thaw chicken overnight in the refrigerator. Drain marinade. Place chicken breasts in a pan sprayed with light cooking oil. Place one slice of Mozzarella cheese on each chicken breast. Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes.
And here are a couple of recent blog posts about great marinades for chicken and pork.
Tell me below – what is your favorite marinade recipe? You could win a copy of The What’s for Dinner Solution or the grand prize of The What’s for Dinner Solution and a $25 Amazon Gift Card.
Want more freezer recipes? Did you know you can get a free ecopy of Six Chicks Freeze and Fix: How to Start a Freezer Meal Co-op just by liking my Facebook Page. Once you hit “Like” just go to the tabs and download the booklet. It’s that easy. Over 20 great family-pleasing recipes!
We’ll have a free freezer download every day this week. Stay tuned!
by kathilipp | Aug 19, 2013 | Uncategorized |
Chicken marinades were a big hit so let’s talk pork recipes, sauces and marinades.
Raspberry Chipolte BBQ Pulled Pork
Suggested by Heather Smith
I put a pork roast or tenderloin in the crockpot with a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray’s raspberry chipotle BBQ sauce. Cook on low 6-8 hrs until it falls apart.
Pork Chops Alabama
Suggested by Shari Steel
Pork Chops Alabama, my then 13 year old son had to make this for a home economics class and I have been making it since.
6 large pork center loin chops
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 can (28 ounce size) crushed tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
Brown the pork chops on both sides. Drain off any rendered fat.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the skillet or Dutch oven, cover and cook over medium heat for 1 hour or until very tender. Can be done ahead and reheated later.
Onion Pork Chop Bake
Suggested by Jennifer Edwards
Dip your pork chops in bread crumbs, then dip in egg, then dip in Lipton Onion soup mix and bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160degrees.
Two Way Pork Chops
Suggested by Jay Nevitt Geiger
Thin and boneless pork chops marinated in with Vidalia Onion BBQ sauce and grill.
Dip pork chops in olive oil and then seasoned panko crumbs and bake for 350 for 30-35 minutes. These are easy to do as a freezer meal- just coat, wrap individually in saran wrap and store in a freezer Ziploc.
Grilled Pork Chops & Peaches
Suggested by Tami Mixon Slipher
Grill pork chops and peaches and then top with sprigs of mint.
Captain Crunch Breaded Chops
Suggested by Lauren Meyer Plain
Crumble Captain Crunch to use as your fry batter and season with garlic salt and pepper in a cast iron skillet.
Baked Mushroom Chops
Suggested by Jenn Stanaway
Sprinkle pork with garlic powder, seasoning salt and rosemary and cover with the following mixture; 1 can golden mushroom soup, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 tsp sage. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
by kathilipp | Aug 18, 2013 | God |
So as some of you may know, I’m not the biggest Duck Dynasty fan.
I watched the first few episodes, and loved the family (especially loved me some Uncle Sy…) but the production of the show drove me crazy: the producers seem to put these very smart family members into some really dumb situations (making wine in a week!?!) It’s just not my Tupperware cup of sweet tea. And that’s OK -some of my best friends LOVE Duck Dynasty.
But I just read an article that is the reason why I’m giving Duck Dynasty another chance. (Like they need me as a viewer…)
In this story Jase, one of the bearded brothers
on the show, is staying at the Trump Tower Hotel in New York. When he asked a staff member to point out where the restroom was, the bushy-bearded cast member was escorted to the front door, directed to the park, and told “Good luck.”
My immediate thought was “Oh wow. I bet Donald Trump is going to have to issue an apology to the entire family in order to avoid a national uproar of Duck Dynasty fans!”
But the family, talking about the employee who escorted Jase from the building calmed the potential fury:
The Robertsons said they were “absolutely not offended” by the incident and said they love staying at Trump Hotel.
“We were laughing — wait until the Donald hears about this,” he said.
And for what it’s worth, they hope the staff member doesn’t get in trouble.
Amazing. For many, many people, (including many Christians, which it’s well know that the Robertsons are,) would have threatened lawsuits, or at the very least demanded a public apology.
But instead, they acted about as Christ-like as any celebrity, Christian or non, I’ve ever heard of.
“I think it was a facial profiling deal,” Jase said.
Humor, and grace. Our churches would be overflowing if we had that kind of response all the time.
Yep – I’ll be tuning in to A&E.
by kathilipp | Aug 13, 2013 | God |
Teaching Children Bible Memorization
Proverbs 22:6
Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.
Psalm 119:11
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
The Bible instructs us to teach and to train up children according to God’s will and verse memorization is part of that. We are to think on what is good and pure as Paul instructs us in Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
So what are great ways to teach children Bible verses? I asked the question on my Facebook page and so many responded with great ideas. Music was by far the most recommended way to get the Bible into their cute little minds. Here are some reader suggestions.
Cyn Rogalski
“MUSIC! Set the words to music, even Twinkle Twinkle, it really helps them to remember.”
Heather Van Nortwick Faulkner
“When we were doing AWANA and my kid’s had to memorize a verse each week I got a little voice recorder (from Target in the toy section). They said the verse into it and would listen to it over and over and say it along with it.”
Carol Daniels Boley
“Definitely music. Even in high school when they had to memorize verses in Bible class, we would pick tunes that fit. Did you know Esther 4:16 works perfectly with “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina?”
Randi Schmid Seeds
“Family Worship CDs are awesome; we use those to memorize (without them realizing it!) and then we memorize the old fashioned way too just writing it down and saying it every day until we memorize it.”
Murphy Baumann
“In my classroom, when we had a long passage, I would give each child one word written on a small dry erase board and then have them get in order by saying the verse with them. I would have them change words with someone and do it again. After a few times I would time them to see how quickly they could get in order. For individual memorization it helps to have the words on paper. Have the child cut the words out, mix them up, and then put them back in order a few times. This could work for adults too!”
Sabrina Martinez
“I post a sticky note on their bathroom mirror with a scripture every day. With 3 girls getting ready in there, at least one of them is likely to memorize it.”
Stephenie Hovland wrote a blog post memorizing scripture. May be something some of you could use Faith-Filled
Teresa Svatos Drake friend in Washington created a wonderful book for kids called Alphabet of Promises. The story behind the book is precious, as well.
Ronda Jones Doug Jones Knows the creator of Memlock and she says his system is awesome!!
Be sure to check out my Pintrest Board for other resources and great ideas on how to memorize verses and get your kids excited about it.
by kathilipp | Aug 13, 2013 | Me |
At almost every event, women have come up to me and said, “I want to do what you do!” And I want to help. I’ve want to coach, I want to encourage.
And then life and family hi and my best of intentions go out the window.
But now, thanks to my amazing co-author, Cheri Gregory, there is a way you can see what the process of writing a book looks like from every angle.
“Write Beside You” is your chance to hang out (albeit virtually) with me and Cheri as we write The Good Girl’s Guide to Breaking Bad Rules.
You’ll have access to a secret Facebook page where we’ll regularly post status updates about their progress. We’ll share what we’re learning about the writing process (i.e what’s working well and what’s not!)
You’ll be able to ask your questions about writing, speaking, platform-building, marketing, etc. and receive specific answers.
Plus, you’ll be hanging out with a bunch of like-minded women who will (we are confident!) become a source of support, brilliant ideas, and even accountability.
You can participate as much or as little as you like. All we ask is that you be respectful of everyone in the group and keep everything confidential.
If you’re interested, fill out the application here and you’ll hear from us soon!
by kathilipp | Jul 31, 2013 | Home |
Need Some Organization Inspiration?
Today and Friday on Focus on the Family – The Get Yourself Organized Project
This is one of my favorite broadcasts on Focus. We talk about all aspects of organizing your home – and what happens when the President of Focus on the Family throws away his wife’s Bed Bath and Beyond coupons…
Listen to the broadcast online at: Today’s Broadcast
Too Much Paper?
Download Your Free Copy of the Life Organization File
Everyone is drowning in paper. If you spend more time moving piles off your kitchen counter than you do preparing food on it, go on and download your free copy of how to create your own Life Organization File.
Head over to my website to get your free copy: THE LIFE ORGANIZATION FILE
by kathilipp | Jul 23, 2013 | Relationships |
Looking for a few ideas on how to keep things hot in your meal planning and your marriage?Need some summer inspiration for your meal planning? 
First, go to our Summer Sizzle Page and get 5 of our favorite summer recipes!!!
Do you need to spice things up in the midst of the summer heat?
Take advantage of the Summer Sizzle Pack! A copy of The What’s for Dinner Solution and The Marriage Project. Signed (if you’d like!) Sealed and Delivered for $15 plus shipping. (Use the code SIZZLE to receive your discount at checkout! This is good through August 1st.
The What’s for Dinner Solution has all of my family’s favorites – and I’m sure you’ll find a few that will be part of your dinner menu as well.
The Marriage Project is a great read for anyone who wants a few ideas on how to have a closer, more connected relationship with their mate.
by kathilipp | Jul 21, 2013 | Home |
Reader’s Favorite Chicken Marinades
Reader’s Favorite Chicken Marinades
Most of us eat chicken and it is probably the animal protein we eat more than others. So it is no surprise that it can get to be a dull and boring dinner dish and before you know it we are cooking the same chicken dishes over and over again. Over 40 of you responded with great recipes when I asked what your favorite chicken marinades are. Bev Galema got busy and blessed us with 4 great recipes. I have posted her and a few others below. This should help you with the menu planning for the next week and you have the answer for “What’s for Dinner?” Bon Appétit
Teriyaki Dump Chicken
Suggested by: Bev Galema
1 clove garlic crushed
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 T cider vinegar
2 T brown sugar
1/2 T minced ginger
1 1/2 lb’s chicken pieces (5-6 boneless skinless breasts)
Directions:
Place all ingredients into a gallon sized freezer bag, seal and gently shake to blend. Label and lay flat in freezer.
To make dinner from the freezer meal: Thaw in refrigerator overnight. To cook in Crockpot, pour contents of freezer bag into Crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours or until done.
To bake in oven: bake at 350 degrees in baking dish 30-45 minutes or until done.
These would be great on the grill as well!
Caribbean Dump Chicken
Suggested by: Bev Galema
8 oz. can pineapple chunks with juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
Optional: 1/2 cup golden raisins
1 1/2 pounds chicken pieces (5-6 boneless skinless breasts)
Directions: Place all ingredients into a gallon sized freezer bag, seal and gently shake to blend. Freeze laying flat.
To make dinner from the freezer meal: Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Place all ingredients in Crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 4-5 hours or until done.
To bake: Bake in oven in baking dish 350 degrees 30-45 minutes or until done.
Chicken in Mushroom Sauce
Suggested by: Bev Galema
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
Place chicken in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Combine soup and sour cream; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until chicken is tender. Sprinkle with bacon. Yield: 4 servings
BBQ Chicken
Suggested by: Bev Galema
4-6 Chicken Breasts
12 oz bottle of BBQ Sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1/8 t of cayenne pepper
1 t garlic powder
Once the chicken is cleaned, I like to rub it with the Cayenne Pepper. But, if you’re in a hurry you can just add the Chicken to a freezer gallon Ziploc bag and then add the rest of the ingredients. Once bag is closed, use your hands to mash all the ingredients together! To cook: Take the freezer meal out of the freezer and hour before starting OR run it under some room temperature water for about 30 seconds. Dump meal in a Crockpot and cook on Low for 4-6 hours!
Sweetened Wine Chicken
Suggested by Jennifer Huffman
1 bottle Marsala cooking wine (small bottle, usually with the vinegars in the salad dressing aisle)
1/2 cup honey
4 cloves grated or crushed garlic
Whisk ingredients, together and coat chicken pieces thoroughly. Marinate for a minimum of 4 hours. Cook in skillet or grill over medium heat.
Herb Chicken
Suggested by Liliana Toler
Put your chicken pieces on a Ziploc bag add
2 T of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic minced,
1 t of 4 of each of your favorite Italian herbs fresh is best , but dry can be use as well
1 T of balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper mix the ingredients and put to oven to oven 350 for 20 min or so or best grill or skillet is delicious and you will enjoy it!
Blackened Chicken
Suggested by Kristen Williams Reichert
My father in law owned his own chicken restaurant for years and his secret is the brine. For every 2 pounds of chicken use
1 T of salt
1 t of garlic powder
Place in a bowl of water left overnight in the fridge. Then add whatever spices you like before cooking. I like balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, honey and rosemary.
Blackened Spice Mix for Chicken
Suggested by Susie Neiger
I keep a spice-mix in a jar, and sprinkle it on boneless chicken when sautéing…
Here’s the spice mix:
Blackened Chicken Spices (enough for 5-10 lbs of chicken … use sparingly unless you want it really spicy!)
4 T paprika
2 T onion powder (or dried minced onion)
2 T garlic powder
2 T pepper
1 T salt
1 T oregano
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
Mix and store in a jar. Use a little or a lot, (depending on how spicy you want it) – sprinkle on boneless chicken when sautéing in a little oil in a skillet.
by kathilipp | Jul 17, 2013 | Me |
So in yesterday’s post, provokingly titled Let Me Tell You Why I Unfriended You On Facebook I talked about the need to filter some of the people in your life if you’re struggling in areas.
While the reaction on Facebook was overwhelmingly positive, enough issues were raised that I would love the chance to clear things up.
- I didn’t unfriend you on Facebook, I promise. I didn’t. I’ve unfriended exactly two people in my life, and they both were for extreme kinds of things that I promise you you’ve never done. They both know that I unfriended them, and they both know why. I did, about 18 months ago, merge my Facebook Profile with my Facebook Page. I was getting close to maxing out on the number of friends I could have, and so I merged to a Page that has an unlimited number of followers. That killed my personal profile and i had to start all over friend-wise. Over the past 18 months, if you are someone I know in person and I’ve seen you on a friend’s feed and you’ve said yes to my friend request, or you’ve sent me a friend request, we are friends on my Facebook profile. Or you may be a follower on my page. Either way, I get to hear what you want to say, and try to respond as much as I can. That blog post was in no way telling a former friend here is why I’ve unliked you – because I haven’t. (I HAVE hidden a couple of people’s Facebook streams because of what I’ve talked about in yesterday’s post, or because of extreme religious and political views – but I usually unhide most people once elections are over.)
- I wasn’t saying you should only post negative stuff. Somehow, that is how it got interpreted by a few people. I was asking for a little balance and reality. I love to celebrate your child’s good grade and your dog passing obedience school. As I said in the post – I also love when you, with humor and grace, share about a bad hair day.
- My main objective was to help women feel permission to not have to read every status update. Facebook is a tricky place and by the number of Facebook comments I got yesterday, I can tell this is an issue for a lot of women. Some people said that they only want to be positive and post good stuff. That’s fine. I’m just saying, if you are doing more than posting encouraging updates, if you’re bragging on a day to day basis, I may hide your posts. You have the right to post what you want. I have the right to read what I need.
If yesterday’s post caused you to rethink a post today, I’m glad. If it gave you permission to hide, even for a day or two, somebody’s post that was dragging you down, I’m really glad. If you felt that I was trying to hurt a former Facebook friend, I am truly sorry. I promise you that was not my intention.
Marinades 
