Oatmeal Freezer Cups - A Quick and Easy Breakfast Option

My kids love oatmeal.  They really do.  They eat it all year round and I admit - I just buy the packs. I've always just done the packs because I am lazy and don't want to clean up the pot afterwards. When I saw the idea of freezer ready oatmeal cups, I figured I would give it a try.  These were very easy to prep and I love that you can do tons of different flavors and combos.  These make a great option for anyone really - hubby, me or kiddos.  My daughter wasn't home when I made these or she would have loved to add the toppings in.  Next time!

Vegan Quinoa Chili

I simply love this dish and we eat year round - even in the hot summer time!  Why? Because it is fairly simple to make and makes a ton! I always have plenty left over for lunches the next day and then can freeze a good portion for a later dinner. So it saves me time in the long run. My kids eat it too.  They like theirs topped with cheese and I'm definitely ok with that.

Here is What You Need:

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 cup water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped (I forgot this in the pictures but it does add a nice bit to the chili)

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium zucchini, chopped

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

3 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes

1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce

2-3 tablespoons chili powder, depending on your taste (we used 1 because I can't tolerate it!)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Optional:  1 jalapeno pepper, diced

Here's What You Do:

1.  Prep your quinoa by combining with the water in a medium sauce pan and cooking over medium heat until the water is absorbed. This takes about 12-15 minutes. Set aside.

2.  In a large pot (very large), heat your olive oil over high heat. Then add in your onions and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes).  Stir in your garlic, jalapenos (if using), carrots, celery, peppers and zucchini.  Cook all of these until the veggies are nice and tender which takes about 10 minutes or so.

3.  Now add in your black beans, your kidney beans, tomatoes, and tomatoes sauce.  Stir in the quinoa you cooked previously. 

4.  Add in your seasonings and then simmer on low for about 30 minutes.

Frozen Peanut Butter Treat (aka smudgies)

I have been using this recipe for months now and many of my challengers LOVE it. Kids love it, adults love it, and all the while we are eating something clean and healthy. I decided it was time for me to write it up and get it archived on my own personal little recipe book.  I only put my favorites on this blog so that I can find them easily and share them easily with you guys.  So here you go!  An awesome little treat for summer.

Crockpot Steel Cut Oats

Well hello there!

Team ACT has been holding down the fort here at OurGreeneHome while I finished baking the bun in the oven.  That's right, Little Two was born about 2 weeks ago!  This pregnancy was a little tougher than the last, but the adjustment period afterwards has been a TON better!  We are so in love with our newest addition!

That being said, it's now time to break out all of the freezer meals I prepped before Little Two's arrival... way back in December.  This morning it was some steel cut oatmeal I made in the crockpot.  Not last night.  Not this morning.  But waaaay back in December.  And all I had to do this morning was reheat my serving in the microwave and add my favorite topping!  Super easy - super delicious and nutritious!  

Make these beauties one afternoon, freeze, and have a hearty oatmeal breakfast any day of the week!

Simple & Sweet Sugar Cookies

DH and I have had the conversation recently about sugar cookies.  They're his favorite.  We've been together for over 13 years and this is the first I've heard of it.  You learn something new every day, right?  I've got to admit I love his classic style because I'm all about "doctoring" up everything to the max... you know like triple chocolate fudge and chocolate chips and Oreos AND almonds in my ice cream ;)  The man loves himself a simple sugar cookie with a sugary crust.  Ahh, I'm in love. In honor of his recent birthday, I decided I'd try to make him these.  I have never made homemade sugar cookies, thinking they'd be really hard to make.  We've been settling for the slice and bake variety.  Which albeit are good, but have some weird ingredients.  Yeah. These have sugar, butter, flour, eggs, vanilla, baking soda & the weirdest thing... cream of tartar ;)  I think he about died when he tasted the first one hot out of the oven.  Crunchy from being rolled in sugar and a sweet buttery vanilla flavor... Swoon.  Birthday score for me! This recipe makes A TON.  I got 46 medium sized cookies to be exact.  So... I made 20 and froze the rest for my very own homemade version of the slice and bake variety!  Disclaimer:  I don't have pictures of steps along the way in case these didn't turn out.  The original recipe calls for a stand mixer and mixing "just so" and I didn't have time last night to do all that.  Well, folks, I'm glad to say you don't have to!  These turn out FABULOUS with a little elbow grease!! YAY!

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins

I'm craving sweets.  Real bad.  Lots of sweets.  Anything I can get my hands on really.  And this is happening during one of the worst possible times of the year - Halloween candy is EVERYWHERE!!  I overdid it yesterday and felt it in the afternoon.  But, nonetheless I woke up this morning with more sweets on the brain.  Pregnancy, sigh.  After a quick look on Facebook this morning, I found that Team ACT had posted a picture of her Super Easy 2 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins and decided it was high time for some pumpkin in these parts!  One problem.  No cake mix.  Doh!  SO, online searching I went.  These from Kitchen Treaty are moist and delicious, just like the pumpkin muffins Team ACT made, but they do require a little more time.  Good news, however, (Miss Team ACT :)) ... they're even better if you add chocolate chips to the mix!!

Freezer Friendly: Homemade Crockpot Chili

Hi there :) Missed you guys! But, do tell.  How much are you loving the easy and delicious recipes from Team ACT?  I tell you what... I am SO glad she is a part of my team! In honor of Fall being Just . Around. The. Corner - let's get some chili cooking!  Set it - forget it - and enjoy it after a long day. I've tried many crockpot recipes for chili.  Some have been better than others, but this one has been my favorite so far.  And it makes a LOT.   I had plenty to serve for dinner to 4 adults and have enough to freeze for later.  We LOVE LOVE LOVED it served over baked potatoes with some cheese sprinkled on top.  This recipe was also the first in which I made my own homemade chili seasoning.  The recipe I found and used was delicious and had a little kick.  The best part about making your own is being able to control the amount and type of ingredients - I used less salt and more hot peppers for the kick.  YUM.

Whole Wheat Muffins - Ready for Mix-ins! : Freezer Friendly

I've been doing a lot of reading online lately about food, our ability to get food, and the kind of foods we eat.  I have high cholesterol.  At 28.  Had I not had Little One I probably wouldn't have learned this little tidbit and it might not have mattered as much to me.  Honestly, my whole worldview has changed now that I'm a mom.  This little life depends on me to be healthy... to set a good, healthy lifestyle example in food and exercise.  Now, I don't love eating healthy all the time (cheese is my weakness!!) and working out on a regular basis (ugh.  it feels soooooooo repetitive.  I just don't enjoy "the hurt" from working out.  But.  My mind has got to change.  I'm really trying to become better at these - for myself and for Little One.  

Now back from that tangent - I am trying to reduce the amount of processed (pre-made) food that we consume and to increase our amount of daily vegetable and fruit intake.  DH and I decided yesterday that we will cut out most fast food, especially if we're eating it because we're being lazy.  I read something a while back that has really stuck with me as it pertains to children and what they eat.  It was something along these lines... children aren't born with the taste and cravings for salty, processed, empty food.  They learn to like these foods because we feed it to them.  I fail daily at this, but it serves as a reminder to me to stop and think about what I'm feeding Little One.  

So you're a busy mom?  Hectic schedule?  Too many things to do in one day?  How can I possibly cook for my family to cut out some of the processed foods?  Check out this site and this site.  Tried and true places to start.

1) Start with freezer friendly meals.  

2) Set apart an hour a week to meal plan (look up some recipes you want to try!).  

3) Prepare your grocery list based on sections of the store.  I'm kinda crazy, but every time I go I always follow the same path.  This allows me to set up my grocery list the same way every time.  This little time I take to categorize my list based on section of the grocery store or aisle saves me A TON of time in the store and I don't have to backtrack.  

4) One weekend day (or week day - it doesn't matter... just sometime when you have childcare or you know your child can be easily entertained while you cook for about 30 - 45 minutes...) prepare your meals.  

5) Start with 2 or 3.  That's 2 or 3 more than you had before you started!  I try to pick meals or foods that have similar ingredients to save time on prep work.  Start small and slowly work it in.  If you don't like something you've made, mark that off the "to-try" list for next time.  If you like it add it to your "regulars" list.  You can do it!!  

I've found this site - 100 Days of Real Food - she has A TON of good ideas and recipes.  These muffins are from her site.  Little One LOVED them.  They aren't sweet like regular muffins - and it's super fun to be able to add your own different "sweet" fruit mix-ins.  Banana was our favorite (but we're a banana muffin kind of family!)  Let me know what you decide to mix in - the options are endless!

 

Mama & Baby Love's Healing Chicken Soup: Freezer Friendly!

We're supposed to get a blizzard tonight.  Yes.  You read that right!  There's just something about the warning of snow that makes me crave soup.  I made this soup from Mama and Baby Love's ecookbook - you can find yours here!  It's the first ecookbook I've ever purchased and I wasn't disappointed.  All of her recipes are freezer friendly and 95% of her recipes are grain-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free.  Annnnnd it's only $9.99.  Totally worth the splurge in my book!

Try this recipe of hers and you'll be hooked.  Although hers called for making it with a whole chicken, I used some cubed frozen chicken breasts I had on hand.  It was hearty, made the house smell heavenly while cooking all afternoon, and most importantly was scrumptious to eat.  Love. 

Mama and Baby Love that is ;)

Chocolate Frozen Banana Pops

Or I like to affectionately call them "Hello Summer - I miss you - Please come back - Chocolate Frozen Banana Pops" ;)   I don't know about you but these frigid days lately have been a little too much.  And today it's 60 degrees?  Saturday, yep, it's gonna be 30.  Weird.

Alas.  Make these SUPER easy fun treats.  And pretend.  Just pretend.  You may have to crank up the heat in the house, but pretend you're on a tropical paradise!  DH and I were looking for some sweet, easy on the wallet and waistline, dessert options.  These fit the bill!  Yum.

Lasagna Roll Ups & Homemade Marinara Sauce

I made these roll ups on January 16th.  Today is January 28th and I'm just now blogging about it.  Can you tell I'm SO ready for February?  New month.  New start.  Do you want to know a secret?  FRIDAY is February 1st!!  This Friday.  Does it amaze you as much as me that this year is flying by already?!?  Let's all do a small celebratory dance... drum roll please... because I've sold THREE orders in my Etsy store.  Y'all.  That is just amazing.  Thank you to everyone who has backed my projects with your support!  As a sign of thanks - I'm doing a giveaway! Check out my Facebook page and comment before 8 pm tonight to be entered in the drawing :)  You just don't know how much I've needed your sweet faces this past month.  You are truly a gift from God!!

Now, let me tell you another secret.  

These beautiful things are in my freezer right now!  Topped with my homemade marinara.  Waiting on February 14th.  8 pm.  Dinner date at home with the DH after Little One is in bed.  I'm so excited!  We won't have to fight the crowds.  Won't have to worry that Little One will decide to be cranky on that one night we want to eat in peace.         I won't have to be flustered and running all around wondering what I'm going to fix.  These are 4 leftovers from my meal we had mid-January.  Frozen.  Ready to go.  All I have to do is add a salad and some garlic bread.  And boom.  Valentine's Dinner - ah-hem - a homemade Valentine's dinner is made!  

I'll be the first to say these do take a little prep time - or maybe it's just me. Those blasted lasagna noodles gave me a little trouble because I didn't have a pot big enough to really cook them.  Maybe you are better at this than I!  Now I know why I usually stick to the Crockpot Lasagna ;)  Buuuut.  This is worth the effort.  Especially to dote on your special ones with.  What else says love like good, homemade food.  Only you and I have to know you pre-made it, froze it, and it only took 35 minutes to reheat on a weeknight! 

Frozen Yogurt Berries

Heeeeelllllllooooooooo!  Lots of new things going on with OurGreeneHome lately!  Let's see here - I've started a Facebook page, revamped my Etsy store and sold my FIRST official order!  Of course, don't forget you can also hop on over and find us on Pinterest too.  Join us to see what's up!!  I guess there's been a lot of time to sit and think about what the new year will look like around these parts.  Unfortunately I haven't been cooking much lately thanks to DH and Little One being sick basically for the whole month of January so far!  Boo.  Poor fellas!  A touch of pneumonia (DH) and conjunctivitis (Little One) about did us in last week.  Thanks to my trusty teacher immune system, I've been playing mommy, wife, and most importantly nurse - doling out lots of hugs, Kleenex, and medicine.  SO.   Sorry for the absence of blog posts!  Now you know why ;)  Thankfully, they are both on the mend now.  February is looking up!

Here's a tasty treat that I tried thanks to a Pinterest find... I made it last week because I knew I had the ingredients on hand.  We were looking for sore throat remedies and healthy sweet treats... and quite frankly I was going stir crazy!  Haha!

These are easy peasy.  Seriously.  And seriously good.  The yogurt makes the berries creamy and the sweetness from the honey pairs well with the tangy berry bites.  These frozen yogurt berries would be so good on top of frozen yogurt ice cream, pound cake, angel food cake, and remember these?   Drizzle with a hit of melted chocolate for a less-than-sinful treat! Sign.  Me.  Up.

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Happy New Year!  Here's a great recipe to start off 2013 in a healthy way!!  I'll cut right to the chase...

I was pleasantly surprised by this deceivingly cheesy treat.  The whole dish has just 8 ounces of cheese.  Yes.  Just 8 ounces!  The butternut squash gave the dish it's traditional yellow-orange color and a mildly sweet, fresh taste. This meal looks like a heavy, cheesy macaroni dish, but it's light enough that you'll want to eat the entire pan full.  Yes.  It's on the menu this week too!  It's just that good.

Healthy Mama BBQ Chicken: Crockpot & Freezer Friendly

Earlier this year I bought my very first ecookbook.  It takes up no space and is available wherever my computer or smart phone go --- which is, one or the other, always with me.  I think I may be in love.  It's this one from Mama and Baby Love and the cookbook is well worth your money.  It's chocked full of healthy freezer friendly meals!

This happens to be the first recipe I made of hers and it was delicious!  Can I tell you that I stretched two chicken breasts into four HUGE meals (1 dinner, 2 people + 1 lunch, 2 people) for my family.  You should try this one too!  And can I say... I'm stoked that the recipe made 2 big bags for my freezer... because one is waiting on me when I want to do nothing after this busy holiday season ahead!!

Honey Glazed Spiced Chicken: Crockpot & Freezer Friendly!

I am was so stinkin' excited to try this new chicken dish.  I am always looking for a new and different way to do chicken because we eat a lot of chicken around these parts.  Unfortunately this is one of the dishes I lost thanks to Miss Sandy.  Thankfully it's so easy I can whip it up again really soon!

- Stay tuned for finished pictures! - 

Zucchini Turkey Burgers Revisted

Hello.  I've missed you.  It's been a CRAZY - I repeat - CRAZY couple of weeks.  We traveled back to our home home for a weekend of wedding preparations and engagement partyin'. On our ride back I had shingles appear and was subsequently banished to my home for a week praying so hard that Little One wouldn't catch the chicken pox from me!  We traveled back home home to happily help celebrate DH's sister's wedding.  {insert deep breath here} And we had to leave early so we could travel back to our home and prepare for Hurricane Sandy.  Whew.  Just writing all that makes me tired.  I've never wanted to get back into a schedule and routine as I do now.  I wasn't lying when I said I was stocking my freezer for a busy October!  The good news is we are okay and we had no property damage from the storm.  We did, however, lose power and some of my freezer meals.  So sad!  I will post one of the recipes I was waiting on to cook - and I'll remake it - and let you know how it turned out.

I'm so glad I had these handy zucchini turkey burgers in the freezer. I was able to cook them up before we lost power so we could have some good protein to eat after the storm.  I unfortunately didn't have the ability to let them thaw all the way so they were still quite frozen when the time had come to cook them.  The winds were picking up and I just couldn't wait any longer.  But let me tell you - even though they were a little tough because I had to cook cook cook them - their flavor was delicious!  I was afraid the zucchini would make these fall apart when they were cooked, but they held together really well.  Know that I will make these again and prepare them in a way that they will maintain their juiciness :)  

See?  Easy way to get hidden veggies into your kids!  They look {and taste} just like real burgers, but they're loaded with zucchini!  They had a great flavor.  As you can tell, I cooked them on the stovetop.  I would highly highly suggest that you allow these burgers to thaw completely before cooking them.  

Even if our burgers were tough, we are so thankful that was one of the biggest problems of the week!  SO many people lost SO much.  

Together we are prayerful for all those affected by Sandy's wrath.

Say a prayer today with me,

Lemon Caper Tilapia Packets: Freezer Friendly

As a part of my recent freezer friendly adventures, I decided to try a fish dish.  We had these this week and their delicate and moist deliciousness did not disappoint.  I served these with a side of steamed cabbage for a healthy, light weeknight supper.  And the best part is the only preparation I had on a busy, ok. let's be honest, tired night, was to pop the packets on a sheet tray and bake.

Zucchini Turkey Burgers: Freezer Friendly

These burgers are in the freezer and waiting on me!  I'm excited to try them since I added zucchini to them for the first time.  If they're great - it would be an awesome way to add some more vegetables into our diet... something I'm always looking to do.  Check back and I'll let you know how they turn out!! - big juicy burger picture goes here -

Citrus Chicken Strips: Freezer Friendly

I promise you.  These babies couldn't be easier to make... and eat!  The hardest part - for me at least ;) - is slicing the raw chicken into strips.  You marinate these gems, cook them up, then freeze them into portioned sizes.  That way you can pull them out of the freezer, reheat them, and you're ready to go!  So far, we've used them as salad toppers for a Greek-type salad and a Mexican-inspired bean and corn salad.  Let's talk about easy!!

Meatball Subs! - Freezer Friendly!

Along with my freezer cooking preps a few weeks back, I made a pan of meatballs for us to have.  These are by far my favorite - and they are so moist and juicy!  This time instead of making them small, I made them about the size of a ping pong ball and cooked them a bit longer.  Last Saturday, we had just gotten back from a trip and were in full "Let's do nothing" mode.  Ever have one of those days?  We literally did nothing all day.  It was great to relax!

Well, I couldn't very well cook could I?  So I pulled out these babies and whipped up some marinara.  Actually, I had planned to have these sandwiches because I had bought some club rolls and shredded mozzarella, but I forgot the sauce!  So I made some really quickly.  I might just start making it this way all the time.  

For the sauce: Take a large can of whole peeled tomatoes.  Add to a sauce pan and use a spatula to break up the tomatoes.  I added a dash of basil paste and 3 cloves of smashed garlic (that I later removed).  You could also add some red pepper flakes, some onion, and/or olive oil.  This is where you can go crazy.  Add some shredded veges to make a pumped up spaghetti sauce that your kids won't know there's veges hiding in :)  I let it simmer for about 10 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

For the meatballs: Pull 6 out of the freezer (or enough for you and your family - 3 meatballs per sandwich).  I defrosted at 1.5 minutes on 30% power. Then cooked them for 2 minutes on full power or until heated through.  

Now it's time to assemble the sandwich!  Slice the rolls almost all the way through and place in a "bed" of foil (this will help when you heat it and also helps the sandwich stay upright).  Put in a little marinara, add 3 meatballs, spoon a little more marinara over the meatballs, top with shredded mozzarella cheese and broil until the cheese is brown and bubbly.  I put mine in the toaster oven for even less work!

These were to-die-for.  Really.  And took no time to make!

Put remaining marinara in the refrigerator (or freeze) until you need to use it.  I used it to make Cinci's Chili on Sunday.  Yes!!


The Verdict
Hello easy peasy sandwich.  You are my new favorite.  Yespleaseandthankyou.

P.s. Make meatball sliders the same way for a quick, easy, and fun appetizer!
P.p.s. Even Little One loved these sandwiches!!