We exchanged emails and I thanked her for her linking kindness. Then one day I found out that she was heading to the same blogging conference I was in Nashville, Blissdom. I also found out that it was her first conference and she knew no one personally. So I adopted her. Oh, and I am so glad that I did.

Turns out Stephanie is a wealth of knowledge, energy and encouragement. We talked things that bloggers talk and had fun living it up at the conference. We were fast friends.

But why do I go on and on about Stephanie to all of you? Because she has a great ebook that she just released and I think it will be right up YOUR alley. It is From Your Freezer to Your Family, Slow Cooker Freezer Recipes. That is totally something you are interested in, right? Of course it is!

The ebook is packed with recipes and suggestions for doing some easy freezer meals that can go from freezer to slow cooker to the dinner table. It also has a focus on whole food recipes so no worries about artificial or processed ingredients either.

From Your Freezer to Your Family, Slow Cooker Freezer Recipes is $5.99 and includes 20 recipes, grocery lists and even labels. Be sure to get your copy today!

Samples of some recipes you will find in this eCookbook include:

• Cumin-Cinnamon Beef Stew
• Summer Veggie Soup
• Thai Chicken Curry
• Stephanie’s Goulash
• Cranberry Chicken
• Italian Beef
• Chicken & Cherries
• Peanut Stew
• Orange Beef
• Healthy Mama BBQ Chicken
• and much more!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

One reason I love freezer cooking is the easy clean up.  I’d rather make one large mess of dishes and clean them up all at once rather than doing so each night.  This is the same reason I love grilling as much as possible – easy cleanup.  Flatbread pizzas on the grill are great because you get a nice grill flavor to the crust along with the freshness of vegetables.  Topping with a variety of vegetables allows you to use very little cheese but still satisfy the pizza craving!

Grilled Veggie Flatbread Pizzas

Author/Source:

Abbi @ Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:

When you eat gluten free, sometimes you just need to mix it up.  So many GF recipes use rice, cornstarch and gums and you may be sensitive to those or you may just want to try something different.  There are many types of gluten free flours, so try some different ones and mix it up!  This week’s recipe for Gluten Free Dairy Free Strawberry Buckwheat Muffins uses buckwheat, millet and tapioca.  No rice, no cornstarch and no gums and yet has a tender crumb and doesn’t crumble – Thanks, Stephanie!  This muffin would be great with any ripe juicy fruit, like peaches or any berries.  I hope you enjoy it!

Gluten Free Dairy Free Strawberry Buckwheat Muffins

Author/Source:

adapted from Stephanie @ glutenfreehope.blogspot.com

Ingredients:

• 1 cup buckwheat flour
  
• 1 cup millet flour
• 1 cup tapioca flour
• 1 tablespoon flaxseed (I used ground golden flax because that is what I had on hand)
• 2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sucanat or brown sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon gluten free vanilla
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/2 cup gluten free dairy free dairy free milk substitute
• 2 large eggs (or use flax egg substitute)
• 1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon zest, finely minces
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, washed and chopped

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Well oil a muffin tin or line with paper liners. Set aside.

Whisk all of the dry ingredients until well blended. Add the wet ingredients and blend well. Gently fold in two-thirds of the fresh strawberry pieces. Divide batter into well oiled or lined muffin tins, filling batter to the rim of the tins. Top batter with a few of the leftover strawberries pieces for some beauty.

Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes. Allow muffins to cool completely on a cooling rack.

Freezing Directions:

Divide muffins among the indicated number of freezer bags. Remove as much air as possible, seal, label and freeze.

To serve:  Thaw.

Servings:  12

**conversion chart image provided by Erik Spiekermann

This Post will be linked at:

• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace
• Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
• Tuesdays at the Table with All the Small Stuff
• Delicious Dishes at It’s a Blog Party
• Tip My Tuesday at Tip Junkie

The 10 Day Mini Menu – Diet version gives you a variety of healthy dishes to stock your freezer for easy, diet-friendly weeknight meals.  It is less overwhelming to make and freeze a smaller menu and get you started on the right foot.  This menu focuses on lean proteins that can easily be paired with a simple salad or a quick vegetable side dishes.  There are no excuses now!

What are Mini Menus? Mini menus are a fraction of the meals you would see on a normal menu and can be completed quickly and efficiently in a few short hours, in the evenings when you are preparing the meal for dinner or during small bursts of times like naps. Mini meal plans are designed for the busy family who wants freezer meals in their freezer but doesn’t have time to do a full months worth of meals. If you are new and not sure how to get started we have a wonderful series starting with 5 easy steps to get you on your way to once a month cooking. Good luck!

**For a full Diet menu seasonal to the month of may check out the Diet May 2012 Menu. Also, don’t forget to check out the 5 Day Mini Menu that debuted on the 5th of May or the 10 Day Mini Menu, you might enjoy that one as well.

Menu

• Below is a linked list of items we have hand selected for this menu. The links below are to the original recipe. We include these so that you can get a look at what you might be preparing and to give these wonderful blog authors some traffic (they work hard to create great recipes). However, to see our freezer cooking adaptions and to alter the servings to meet the needs of your family you will need to VIEW and PRINT the printable 10 Day Mini Diet Menu May 2012 Recipe Cards.
• This plan gives you 5 recipes that you will make for a total of 10 meals. For more details and examples please see the printable 10 Day Mini Diet May Menu 2012 Recipe Cards first page, instructions.
• Having trouble using the Recipe Cards or YELLOW BOX? See this post!

Dinners

• Almond Strawberry Chicken
• Pure and Simple Crab Cakes
• Slow Cooker Apple Cherry Pork Loin
• Lime Marinated Flank Steak
• Sweetfire Chicken

• Printable 10 Day Mini Diet Menu May 2012 Recipe Cards

**Indicates meals that require NO COOKING on your OAMC BIG DAY aka “throw and go” meals, perfect for the family who needs to adjust to just do the quick meals!

Grocery List

• Included in this spreadsheet you will find a listing of all the items you will need to complete your 10 Day Mini Diet May 2012 OAMC BIG DAY by area of the grocery store. For more instructions on how to use this, go here.
• 10 Day Mini Diet Menu May 2012 OAMM Grocery List
  

  Slow Cooker Apple Cherry Pork Loin

Instructions

• These are the step-by-step instructions you will need to quickly and efficiently approach your OAMC BIG DAY. After all, if you are going to be in the kitchen for awhile, you best make the most of your time.
• 10 Day Mini Diet Menu May 2012 OAMM Instructions

Labels

These customized labels are designed specifically for this menu. They contain the name of the dish and serving instructions for preparing the dish on your serving day. They make preparation of the dishes hassle free and staying to your eating plan a cinch.

These labels are designed to be printed on Avery 8163 or equivalent! Readers who didn’t have labels available suggested just printing them on paper and taping them.

• 10 Day Mini Diet May 2012 Menu Printable Labels

Pinterest:

Are you a person that likes to see the menus visually? Perhaps you should check out the May Diet 2012 10 Day Mini Menu via Pinterest to see the yummy goodness you will be cooking up on this menu. Not sure what Pinterest is all about, check out what Once A Month Mom has to say about it.

Test Cooks

Each month we have some wonderful volunteers who “test” out the menu prior to publication. They do an amazing job of helping to eliminate confusion and mistakes. They may not catch everything but they sure do catch A LOT! If you are interested in test cook, feel free to volunteer.

Get Started

Are you new to Once A Month Mom or once a month cooking (oamc) in general? If so, you might want to spend a few minutes (or hours) on the Get Started Series. If you are in a real hurry to catch on we have written some simple steps for getting started. Welcome!

If you are feeling abundantly blessed and generous feel free to donate.

• Included in this spreadsheet you will find a listing of all the items you will need to complete your 10 Day Mini Diet May 2012 Once A Month (OAMC) Mom BIG DAY. You can make a copy of this list and customize it for yourself and your family or use it as is.
• Printable 10 Day Mini Diet May 2012 Grocery List

Having trouble using the Grocery List or YELLOW BOX? See this post!

Google Document of Instructions – Specialty Diet 10 May 2012 Mini Menu

Meat used:

• Boneless Pork Loin Roast – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Apple Cherry Pork Loin)
• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts –  it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Almond Strawberry Chicken, Sweetfire Chicken)
• Flank Steak – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Lime Marinated Flank Steak)
• Lump Crabmeat – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Crab Cakes)

Thaw (in refrigerator)

• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts –  it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Almond Strawberry Chicken)
• Lump Crabmeat – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Crab Cakes)

Night Before:

• Optional (but HIGHLY recommended) – chop up all vegetables. (See Chopping Amounts sheet on Recipe Cards)
• SEE STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS BELOW

Day of:

Designed to be printed on Avery 8163 or equivalent! Readers who didn’t have labels available suggested just printing them on paper and taping them.

The labels come two per recipe to a sheet with five recipes on each sheet. If you are only cooking for 1-4 people you will need 1 copy. For every 4 people you will need a second set of labels. For example if you are adjusting your recipe cards to 6 people you will need 2 sets of labels. If you need extra labels for some reason print out a set of the blanks to use. Make sense? I hope so! Enjoy

• 10 Day Mini Diet May 2012 Labels – 1 – Almond Strawberry Chicken, Pork Loin with Cherries, Crab Cakes, Lime Marinated Flank Steak, Sweetfire Chicken.
• Blank Labels

Filled with whole food goodness including fresh apricots, honey and yogurt, these Apricot Yogurt Scones are the perfect nutritious, delicious late Spring/early Summer breakfast. And our kids LOVE fruit. Like, addiction-level love. They also obsess over homemade yogurt. So these scones just called out to us, “We are the perfect breakfast…make us and devour us, now.” Now, no one call the looney bin, I don’t REALLY talk to scones…much.

Apricot Yogurt Scones

Author/Source:

Kristi @ Onceamonthmom.com Adapted from Apricot Yogurt Scones

Ingredients:

• 1.25 cups apricots, pitted and diced (can’t find fresh? use 1 cup dried apricots)
• 2 cups whole wheat white flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
• 0.25 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoon butter, unsalted, frozen
• 1 large egg (or egg substitute)
• 0.75 cups yogurt, plain
• 0.25 cups milk, whole
• 1 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

If you haven’t frozen your butter yet, throw it in the freezer now.The colder the better, but half an hour will suffice. Preheat the oven

Wet and dry ingredients (dry ingredients included frozen, shredded butter)

to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment (or grease and flour). Whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, honey, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Send the butter through the shredder of your food processor. Immediately toss into flour mixture and mix lightly to combine. Add the apricots and toss to coat with flour. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, yogurt, milk, and vanilla. Pour over the dry mix and use a spatula to gently combine them together. Mix just until there is no more dry flour visible in the dough. Use a 1/2-cup measure to scoop out the dough and drop it onto the baking sheet. Space the scones about an inch apart. Use floured hands to gently pat the mounds into disks. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the scones are firm to the touch, golden on top, and browned on their bottoms.

Freezing Directions:

AFTER baking, divide among freezer bags and freeze. To serve: Thaw. Heat, if desired, in microwave

Servings: 8 scones

**conversion chart image provided by Erik Spiekermann

This Post will be linked at:

• Mouthwatering Mondays at A Southern Fairytale
• Monday Mania at The Healthy Home Economist (Real Food)
  
• Just Another Meatless Monday at Hey What’s For Dinner Mom? (Vegetarian)
  
• This Week’s Cravings at Veggie Converter

Menu Plan Monday

What a crazy busy couple of weeks coming up!  We have the school year ending in two weeks, and there are a flurry of activities associated with that: field trips, volunteer breakfast, field day, end-of-the-year party, etc.  Throw in a softball tournament beginning, our 15-year anniversary (yay, us!), doctor appointments and a couple of birthday parties, and surely you can see why a menu plan is imperative this week! Having a great menu plan to follow with a few freezer meals thrown in makes me feel a little less anxious when looking over my calendar at the upcoming week.

Monday -

• Toddler Lunch – Mini-Pizza Meatloaf
• Dinner – Roasted Red Pepper Soupand ham & cheese quiche
  

  Veggie Packed Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Tuesday -

• Toddler Lunch -Mini bagel pizzas
• Dinner – Crock Pot bacon wrapped chicken

Wednesday -

• Toddler Lunch – Chicken crescent rolls
• Dinner – Spaghetti (from freezer), garlic bread

Thursday -

• Toddler Lunch – grilled cheese sandwiches
• Dinner – Anniversary Dinner Out!

Friday -

• Toddler Lunch -meeting Daddy for lunch
  

  Chicken Pesto Shells

• Dinner – tacos

Saturday -

• Lunch – leftovers
• Dinner – Sausage Loaf

Sunday -

• Lunch – pick up Bar-b-que after church
• Dinner – Chicken Pesto Shells

For more great Menu Plan Monday menu planning ideas visit orgjunkie.com!

I’d like to welcome Vanessa from Chefdruck Musings our blog partner this month! Today she’s going to help us to answer our questions on everything beef.

But I love my meat too much to give it up, so instead I began to educate myself and make more mindful choices of the meat and milk I purchased for my family. I consulted websites like EatWild.org to find resources for purchasing natural meats. I went on farm tours to learn about why there are so many corn fields, to see how milk is produced, and to understand why so much US cattle is now fed grain. I spoke to farmers big and small to try to understand their point of view. And then I started thinking more at the supermarket, making more mindful choices, and figuring out what were my big issues, the ones I was willing to spend more money on.

Because while it would be nice to simply buy all organic all local, it simply is not possible for us, or for many other families, all of the time. Choosing an all organic, all local diet is simply too expensive for most families. It certainly is for mine, and we live very comfortably in the suburbs of Chicago.

Instead, we all make decisions of what to buy every week. We make trade offs, opting for expensive organic milk but settling for vegetarian eggs rather than cage free. While we all worry about antibiotics and humane treatment of animals, we still need to feed our families, and there’s only so many dollars we can spend each week at the supermarket. Choosing what type of meat to buy is confusing, and there are many different routes you can take when buying beef, many different issues to consider.

Grass Fed vs. Grain Fed: The difference seems clear cut, cattle are either allowed to graze or fed grain, but the standards around what constitutes a grass fed animal vary. Cattle can spend 2/3 of their life in pasture and then be finished on feed lots getting fatter on grain but still be called grass fed.

Organic vs. Conventional: Cattle can be grain fed, but still be organic and antibiotic free. Some cattle are fed organic grain, and no antibiotics are added to their feed or used in their care by their farms, ensuring that the beef you eat has no traces of antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones.

Humane Living Conditions: Temple Grandin has done amazing work to improve how cattle are slaughtered in America. She has helped farms big and small get a better understanding of how cows experience the slaughterhouse. Humane living and dying conditions are a factor to consider in the meat you purchase. If you want to learn more about this issue, check out the amazing HBO documentary starring Clare Danes about Temple Grandin’s life and how her autism gave her a unique way of understanding animals.

With so many issues to consider and so many choices to make, it can be overwhelming. So how can you get started with changing the type of beef you buy?

Grinding your own meat is easy!

Start Small. Begin with your ground beef. Find a local farm or a local meat buying club and purchase your grass fed organic ground beef from them. The price tag will not be too steep and you’d be surprised at what an impact you’ll be making on your diet. Ground beef is the bulk of the beef we tend to purchase, and just having some in your freezer can make a big difference. You can also grind your own beef from cheaper cuts and make a much tastier burger.

Experiment with Cheaper Cuts. Grass fed beef can taste drastically different than grain fed. Rather than committing to buying an expensive steak and risking having your family not enjoy it, start with cheaper cuts like stew meat or tougher roasts. The Beef Council website has some great recipes for leaner, cheaper cuts that you can even access on your cell phone in front of the butcher case.

Join a Local Meat Buying Clubs: Through Google, word of mouth, or your local farmer’s market, you can find local meat buying clubs through which you can purchase individual cuts of meat or quarter, half, or even entire cows. This is a great option if you want to be more certain of where your meat comes from. You’ll need a large freezer to store the meat, and you’ll need to pay more. You’ll also need to get used to having unusual cuts and small quantities of the steaks and cuts you do want.

Purchase your Meat at Whole Foods or other Natural Stores: Whole Foods now uses the 5-Step Animal Welfare rating system and tries to be very transparent about all the meat available there. Each time you shop, you can make a more educated decision about what you are choosing to buy.

May Get Real:

Please take a moment to thank our guest authors by clicking over to their sites and/or liking them on Facebook and/or Twitter.

*This post contains affiliate links

Just recently, I have discovered a secret ingredient to baking – Buttermilk! Now I keep it it on hand for all my baking.  I found this recipe and thought the combo of bananas and blueberries sounded deliciously yummy! The first batch though, the kids weren’t too fond of the whole wheat taste, so I tweaked the flour, adding white flour and more bananas, and it was a hit.  Note – when feeding them to the littles – be prepared for a mess….the blueberries are certainly that!

Whole Wheat Banana Blueberry Muffins

Lisa @ Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
• .5 cups white all purpose flour
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• .5 cup light brown sugar
• 1.25 cups buttermilk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• .25 cups olive oil
• 7 oz frozen blueberries
• 1 Tbsp organic white sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease muffin tins or line with muffin papers.  In a large bowl mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and brown sugar.  Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk, egg, olive oil and bananas.  Quickly fold the ingredients together, just until combined.  Do not over mix. Gently fold in blueberries with one or two stirs.  Divide batter among the muffin tins, each will be very full.  Sprinkle tops with organic white sugar. Bake 20-25 minutes until muffins are risen and golden brown.  Test doneness by inserting a skewer into the center.  Let cool in pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Freezing Directions:

Follow directions above. Cool completely.  Flash freeze for 45 minutes, then transfer to a gallon freezer storage bag.  TO SERVE:  Thaw desired number of muffins on countertop or microwave 50% power for 60 seconds.

Servings: 12 muffins

**conversion chart image provided by Erik Spiekermann

Time to fire up the grill with these Tex Mex Burgers, that pack a little kick in each bite! I personally don’t care for overly spicy foods and was pleasantly surprised that jalapeños and onions are fairly mild.  It’s a great variation from your plain old cheeseburger that your whole family will love!

Tex Mex Burgers

Lisa @ Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs ground beef
• 1 whole jalapeño pepper, seeded & chopped
• .5 cups onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp cajun seasoning
• 1 tsp worchestershire sauce

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine ingredients. Form into 6 patties, making a slight well in the middle of each patty for uniformity in cooking. Place patties on preheated grill, and cook at medium high heat for apx 5 minutes each side, or until desired doneness. Serve with buns, pepper jack cheese, mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato if desired.

Freezing Directions:

In a large bowl, combine ingredients. Form into 6 patties, making a slight well in the middle of each patty for uniformity in cooking. Divide among indicated number of freezer storage bags, placing a piece of wax paper in-between each burger. TO SERVE: Thaw. Place patties on preheated grill, and cook at medium high heat for apx 5 minutes each side, or until desired doneness. Serve with buns, pepper jack cheese, mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato if desired.

Servings: 6 burgers

**conversion chart image provided by Erik Spiekermann

Getting my husband to eat vegetables is harder than getting my toddler to eat them. I’m not kidding! We’ve really started to take charge of our lifestyle and eat healthier and incorporate more color. Soup is a fantastic way to get a hefty dose of vegetables into a convenient cup. After buying the organic carton brand of red pepper soup, I decided it was time to tackle it my own way. It’s not only delicious but it’s also gluten and dairy free! And it’s husband and toddler approved!

There are two ways to get red bell peppers roasted, one is to buy yourself a jar of roasted red peppers. But they are expensive and you need a lot for this soup. The second way is super easy and if you have a gas stove or a grill there is no excuse. Simply wash the red pepper and then pat it dry. Place the pepper over the open flame and rotate it as it starts to fade in red color and get charred. It will start to pop a little too, and that is okay, it’s all part of the process. once it has a good char on all sides and is faded slightly remove it from the flame and set aside on a cutting board to cool. If you dont’t like the char taste, simply take the hot pepper and put it into a freezer bag then seal and let cool. Once cooled you can easily just peel the charred skin away and still get that great roasted pepper meat! See the slideshow at the end of the post for step by step pictures.

Veggie Packed Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Author/Source:

Kelly @ Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:

• 4 cups Vegetable broth, separated
• 1 cups Onion, yellow, diced
• 5 cups Roasted red peppers, cored, seeded, diced
• 2 cups Celery, diced
• 1 Tablespoons Garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups Plum tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup Tomato paste
• 2 Tablespoons Thyme, dried
• 1/4 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoons Salt

Directions:

Heat two cups broth in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add onion, peppers, and celery, cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and remaining broth, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 25 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender or process in blender or food processor in small batches. Return to pan, add seasonings and heat through.

Freezing Directions:

Heat two cups broth in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add onion, peppers, and celery, cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and remaining broth, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 25 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender or process in blender or food processor in small batches. Return to pan, add seasonings and heat through. Let cool. Divide among freezer bags and freeze until ready to serve. TO SERVE: Reheat on stovetop until warm throughout

Servings: 6 servings

**conversion chart image provided by Erik Spiekermann

This Post will be linked at:

• Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen’s Country Cottage
• These Chicks Cooked Weekly Recipe Collection at This Chick Cooks
• Pennywise Platter at The Nourishing Gormet
• Simple Lives Thursday at GNOWFGLINS

What is easier than cooking a freezer meal for dinner? Handing that freezer meal over to the grill master and kicking back while they cook the freezer meal! On my last cooking day, I made a double batch of these kebabs, put one in the freezer and had my husband grill the other for our dinner that night. It was so nice to put my feet up and not worry about dinner after spending the afternoon stocking the freezer. All I did was throw some rice in the rice cooker and steam some veggies to go with it. And of course, there are always less dishes when you grill – another bonus.

Skewer veggies separately to account for varying cooking times.

A few notes, this recipe works well for a few of our special diets: gluten free/dairy free, paleo/primal, and also traditional dieters. Also, if these ingredients are unfamiliar to you, check out the ethnic section in your grocery store. Most carry these items now. However, I have found the best prices at my local Asian grocery. For example, the jar of curry paste in the picture below was $4 and change in the grocery store, but I can get a larger can at the Asian market for $1.25.

These kebabs are exotic without being too spicy. I sometimes have trouble getting my toddler to eat meat, but not this. He gobbled it up and asked for more! We cooked a lot of meat, but had no leftovers. Enough said.

Coconut Curry Kebabs

Author/Source:

Kim @ Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:

Just a few simple ingredients make a delicious marinade and dipping sauce.

• 2 pounds country style pork ribs (boneless)
• 14 ounces canned coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons curry paste, more or less to taste (any color)
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
• coarse salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cut pork into 2 inch cubes and place in a freezer bag. In a food processor combine coconut milk, curry paste, lime juice, and peanut butter. Pour half of coconut milk mixture into the bag with the pork. Refrigerate the other half of the coconut milk mixture for dipping. Marinade for at least one hour. Drain excess marinade. Skewer meat with bamboo skewers and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook over a hot grill 5-7 minutes each side or until pork is cooked through. Serve with remaining coconut mixture and cooked brown rice and grilled vegetables if desired.

Red paste on the left, green on the right. I like them both!

Freezing Directions:

Prepare meat and marinade as directed above. Store meat and half of coconut mixture in one freezer bag. Freeze remaining coconut mixture in a separate bag (to be used for dipping). TO SERVE: Thaw and drain excess marinade. Follow grilling directions above.

Servings: 4

**conversion chart image provided by Erik Spiekermann

This Post will be linked at:

• Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen’s Country Cottage
• These Chicks Cooked Weekly Recipe Collection at This Chick Cooks
• Pennywise Platter at The Nourishing Gormet
• Simple Lives Thursday at GNOWFGLINS

If you haven’t tried a 10 Day Mini Menu yet, May is the month! Two of the recipes require NO cooking on your BIG cooking day, which equals super quick and easy!  And the wide variety of recipes will be sure to please your family any night of the week!

What are Mini Menus? Mini menus are a fraction of the meals you would see on a normal menu and can be completed quickly and efficiently in a few short hours, in the evenings when you are preparing the meal for dinner or during small bursts of times like naps. Mini meal plans are designed for the busy family who wants freezer meals in their freezer but doesn’t have time to do a full months worth of meals. If you are new and not sure how to get started we have a wonderful series starting with 5 easy steps to get you on your way to once a month cooking. Good luck!

**Don’t forget to check out the 5 Day Mini Menu that debuted on the 5th of May, you might enjoy that one as well.

Menu

• Below is a linked list of items we have hand selected for this menu. The links below are to the original recipe. We include these so that you can get a look at what you might be preparing and to give these wonderful blog authors some traffic (they work hard to create great recipes). However, to see our freezer cooking adaptions and to alter the servings to meet the needs of your family you will need to VIEW and PRINT the printable 10 Day Mini Menu May 2012 Recipe Cards.
• This plan gives you 5 recipes that you will make for a total of 10 meals. For more details and examples please see the printable 10 Day Mini Menu May 2012 Recipe Cards first page, instructions.
• Having trouble using the Recipe Cards or YELLOW BOX? See this post!

Dinners

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken

• Sweet Mustard Roast Beef**
• Cheesy Chicken Penne
• Chicken Marsala
• Crockpot Buffalo Chicken**
• Chili Dog Casserole

• Printable 10 Day Mini Menu May 2012 Recipe Cards

**Indicates meals that require NO COOKING on your OAMC BIG DAY aka “throw and go” meals, perfect for the family who needs to adjust to just do the quick meals!

Grocery List

• Included in this spreadsheet you will find a listing of all the items you will need to complete your 10 Day Mini May 2012 OAMC BIG DAY by area of the grocery store. For more instructions on how to use this, go here.
• 10 Day Mini Menu May 2012 OAMM Grocery List

Instructions

• These are the step-by-step instructions you will need to quickly and efficiently approach your OAMC BIG DAY. After all, if you are going to be in the kitchen for awhile, you best make the most of your time.
• 10 Day Mini Menu May 2012 OAMM Instructions

Labels

These customized labels are designed specifically for this menu. They contain the name of the dish and serving instructions for preparing the dish on your serving day. They make preparation of the dishes hassle free and staying to your eating plan a cinch.

These labels are designed to be printed on Avery 8163 or equivalent! Readers who didn’t have labels available suggested just printing them on paper and taping them.

• 10 Day Mini May 2012 Menu Printable Labels

Pinterest:

Are you a person that likes to see the menus visually? Perhaps you should check out the May 2012 10 Day Mini Menu via Pinterest to see the yummy goodness you will be cooking up on this menu. Not sure what Pinterest is all about, check out what Once A Month Mom has to say about it.

• Link will come available to the May 2012 1o Day Mini Menu later in the day on May 10th.

Facebook Fan Party:

OAMM Facebook Fan Page Party – May 10th 2012, 9:00 pm – 9:30 pm EST – We will be able to chat via video AND messaging during the event through FACEBOOK! How cool is that? We will be talking about the current month’s menus, answer your burning questions about freezer cooking and have fun getting to know one another. You can also see other past recordings from that tab as well. This is a great way to meet fellow Once A Month Mom’s or get your questions answered as you get started.

Instructions for viewing live-stream:

• Go to the Once A Month Mom Facebook Fan Page.
• Click on the “FB Fan Night” Tab on the left side margin.
• Hit “view live recording” – If I am live streaming it will show you what is happening in progress. If I am not live streaming at the time, you will have the option to click through other videos that I have recorded in the past.
• Enjoy!

Test Cooks

Each month we have some wonderful volunteers who “test” out the menu prior to publication. They do an amazing job of helping to eliminate confusion and mistakes. They may not catch everything but they sure do catch A LOT! If you are interested in test cook, feel free to volunteer. Here is a little bit about this month’s test cooks:

• Katie Oakley – I’m a busy college student getting a degree in biology and science education. I’m in my final year and began freezer cooking and meal planning as a way to keep sane while balancing a full schedule of classes, work, and volunteering!

Get Started

Are you new to Once A Month Mom or once a month cooking (oamc) in general? If so, you might want to spend a few minutes (or hours) on the Get Started Series. If you are in a real hurry to catch on we have written some simple steps for getting started. Welcome!

If you are feeling abundantly blessed and generous feel free to donate.

• Included in this spreadsheet you will find a listing of all the items you will need to complete your 10 Day Mini May 2012 Once A Month (OAMC) Mom BIG DAY. You can make a copy of this list and customize it for yourself and your family or use it as is.
• Printable 10 Day Mini May 2012 Grocery List

Having trouble using the Grocery List or YELLOW BOX? See this post!

Google Document of Instructions – 10 Day Mini May 2012 OAMM Menu

Designed to be printed on Avery 8163 or equivalent! Readers who didn’t have labels available suggested just printing them on paper and taping them.

The labels come two per recipe to a sheet with five recipes on each sheet. If you are only cooking for 1-4 people you will need 1 copy. For every 4 people you will need a second set of labels. For example if you are adjusting your recipe cards to 6 people you will need 2 sets of labels. If you need extra labels for some reason print out a set of the blanks to use. Make sense? I hope so! Enjoy

• 10 Day May Mini Menu Labels- Sweet Mustard Roast Beef, Cheesy Chicken Penne, Chicken Marsala, Crockpot Buffalo Chicken, Chili Dog Casserole
• Blank Labels

SIGN ME UP!

This is not a paid opportunity (although I wish it was) but a necessary function in the life of this blog. And a service that helps make great menus free to everyone. If you are interested in finding out more about the details of being a test cook you can read more here. If you have signed up in the past you MUST sign up AGAIN for this session. We are currently looking for cooks for June through December of 2012. We like to keep our records up to date and accurate so we create a new survey or pool of test kitchens every 6 months.

You do get to indicate which menus you are most interested in, taste preferences and availability. And I will contact test cooks on a month-to-month basis and you are able to decline if you find out you are unable for that month. So don’t worry that you have signed your life away.

We appreciate our test cooks and thank you in advance for signing up!

Here is a recipe with a southwest flair that can be assembled and frozen, a stuffed flank steak.  Then, on serving day, thaw the night before and place in the slow cooker in late morning.  By dinner, you’ll have a healthy meal with a little kick.  The cilantro, peppers and corn give it the flavor and kick you need while still keeping it healthy.

Southwest Flank Steak Pinwheels

Author/Source:

Abbi @ Onceamonthmom.com, adapted from Clean Eating Mag

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. jalapeno pepper, minced
• 0.25 cup onion, chopped
• 0.25 cup corn kernals
• 0.25 cup red pepper, chopped
• 0.25 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1.25 pounds flank steak, butterflied
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 2 cups beef broth

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine garlic, jalapeño, onion, corn, red pepper and cilantro.  Spread corn mixture evenly over steak, leaving a 1-inch border. Roll up tightly.  Secure with kitchen twine.  In a small bowl, combine oil, soy sauce, lime juice, cumin and chile powder. Rub marinade onto steak roll.  Proceed to freezing instructions.  

Freezing Directions:

Place steak in gallon size freezer bags.  To serve.  Thaw.  Heat a large nonstick skillet on medium-high.  Brown all sides, about 3 minutes per side.  Transfer to a 5- to 6-qt oval slow cooker and pour beef broth over top. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.  Remove from slow cooker.  Let rest 5-10 minutes and slice in 1/2″ slices

Servings: 5

Nutrition Data:  Serving Size = 4 ounces. Calories – 276, Total Fat – 13.2 g, Total Carbohydrates – 3.2 g, Protein – 34.9 g.  Dietary Fiber: 1.2  WW Plus Points: 7

**conversion chart image provided by Erik Spiekermann

What kid doesn’t love French Toast Sticks?  I have been making OAMM Toddler French Toast Sticks for almost 2 years now.  They are a staple in our freezer, and the kids love them plain…but isn’t it fun to shake things up a bit every now and then??

These colorful kabobs not only taste good, but they are a great way to have a “learning” breakfast or snack.  Having the kids take each individual toast or fruit off the straw helps with fine motor skills, as well as incorporating counting.  Introducing texture “Is the fruit soft, crisp, smooth, bumpy” and color recognition are great ways to make each little bite more interactive for the little ones.

French Toast Stick Kabobs

Toddler French Toast Sticks

Lisa@ Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:

• 3 french toast sticks, warmed and cut into small pieces
• 1/4 medium banana, sliced
• 1/2 kiwi, sliced
• 1 large strawberry, quartered
• 1 drinking straw, cut in half
• Alternate fruit options: red grapes, fresh pineapple, fresh melon, oranges

Directions:

Carefully slide french toast and fruit onto straw, alternating french toast and fruit.  Serve with additional fruit or syrup if desired.

Servings: 1

**conversion chart image provided by Erik Spiekermann

Expect nothing but prepare and embrace for everything

Before I had even thought about babies,  I always  told myself, when I got pregnant I would just go with what I had seen on TV, movies, and heard from friends and family. Make an appointment with an obstetrician, plan for a hospital birth with the epidural as soon as I walked through the doors, so I don’t have to feel anything whatsoever, and in the end still  get ultimate reward a beautiful baby.

Shortly before we got married we were relocated out of state for work and I met a fantastic group of women who helped me transition into life in the northwest without knowing anyone but my fiance. We met as a book club and had a private online message board where we vented about our partners, mother in laws, shared recipes and blogs we loved. Then there was a post that struck a chord in me. My friend recommended this book, Pushed, by Jennifer Block and I checked it out at the library. Wow immediately all my preconceived notions of what pregnancy and childbirth were burst into pieces and a flame was lit in my heart to dig for more information. I needed to hear it all and make my own educated decision before we got pregnant. I watched documentaries and read and read and read and read. And I was blown away at what I was discovering.

Then there it was staring at me. The pregnancy test and the reality that I really needed to put all of this new found research into a plan for myself and our baby.

This was me the day I found out that I was pregnant with our first son. Doesn’t my face say it all? Excitement, fear, pride, joy, overwhelming, and most importantly, LOVE. We were actively trying to get pregnant, but it still hit me like a ton of bricks. Holy crap we’re going to be parents. We’d only been married for 3.5 months when we found out, and then the big question started whirling through my head, “Are we ready?”

And I said to myself, “Yes, yes you are.” I started prepping my support team. I switched to a midwife because I was a low risk pregnancy there was no reason I needed to see an OB. I began to take prenatal yoga classes weekly. There I learned more about my body how to prep for labor, ease my pregnancy woes, and gain camaraderie with other pregnant women. I also begin to interview doulas and sign up for hypnobirthing classes. At this point my husband said, “I’m on board for whatever, but what kind of granola hippie stuff are we signing up for here?” I laughed and knew he needed  to be just as educated as I was becoming.

Your typical bathroom preggo belly shot

We took a summary childbirth class taught by our doula, and I gave him a few books to read. Soon enough my husband was becoming a bigger advocate than I was. And it made me beam with pride knowing he was going to be the perfect birth partner, and the best Dad for our little baby. We decided that our game plan was to expect nothing, because in labor there is no standard, there is no baseline, there’s just knowing that you’ve done everything you can up to this point and to let it just happen. But we were prepared for everything we could. We set up a birth preferences sheet, talk about what we would like to happen in case of a cesarean, and in case of complications with baby or myself. We talked it out so we could know to not be scared and to trust the process and our support team we had advocating for us.

I am of those women who loves being pregnant. (I’ll wait until you stop laughing.) Honestly I never had morning sickness, most of my appointments were uneventful, I just gained weight and grew a belly. Towards the end of my pregnancy I never became anxious or impatient. Sure I was excited to meet my baby, and see if we were having a boy or a girl. But I knew the second I went into labor my life would change forever. So would our cozy newlywed nest of bliss. I spent each night doing little things with my husband to enjoy our time as a couple before we became a family.

Our family bassinet, 60 years young, with a swaddled teddy bear in it so our four legged babe would get used to it!

As each day clicked closer to my due date, I worked harder to let go of all the things I THOUGHT about how labor would start. Although I did find myself every day going, is this it? Wait was that a contraction? But I just kept nesting and prepping every little thing I could without actually having a baby around.

Then my water broke one night before bed. I laughed and yelled at my husband and just said, “Either I just peed after going pee, or my water broke. And if my water didn’t break I need to start wearing depends!” But there was no bucket of water being dumped out of me. Nor did labor immediately start and make me scream. Nothing. So I went to bed. A few hours later my contractions started and then really picked up another hour later. We called our doula and she came over and decided it was time to head to the hospital. The whole time my contractions are getting quicker and stronger, but nothing I couldn’t handle. And in between, I was being my usual bossy self or laughing and joking. “RYAN, turn off the coffee pot.” Contraction breathe breathe. “Make sure the dog has water.” Contraction, breathe, breathe. “Don’t call anyone, this could be false labor.” (Enter snickering from doula and husband.)

My little angel

I’ll spare you the rest of the details, but if you want to read my whole story you can check it out here. But I never expected my labor to happen so quickly and be so peaceful. I never expected to be so humbled by my experience and my support team. I never expected to be able to catch my own baby and bring him to my chest. I never expected to laugh, cry and have my heart burst all in one moment. And more than anything I never expected my pregnancy and birth to empower me so much as a woman.

What to Expect When You are Expecting – The Movie

Inspired by the perennial New York Times bestseller of the same name and the first book in a series that has sold over 32 million copies worldwide, WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING is a hilarious and heartfelt big screen comedy about five couples whose intertwined lives are turned upside down by the challenges of impending parenthood. The cast includes huge stars like Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Chace Crawford, Brooklyn Decker, and more!

Baby-crazy author and advocate Wendy (Elizabeth Banks), gets a taste of her own militant advice when pregnancy hormones ravage her body. Just like me, Kelly, from Once A Month Mom, Wendy discovers that some pre-conceived notions about pregnancy don’t always turn out to be reality! Check out this kaleidoscopic comedy, coming to a theater near you May 18th.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Lionsgate via Glam Media. The opinions  expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Lionsgate.

(Angela) When May rolls around and the school year finishing up, you would think that the schedule should be winding down for everyone in my house…  But with a high schooler, a middle schooler, and one in elementary school things seem to go into high gear!  There are concerts (band AND jazz band, orchestra AND chamber AND symphony orchestras), piano recitals, soccer practices and games, track practices and meets, dance lessons and the upcoming recital, etc., etc., etc.  Honestly, if it weren’t for food in the freezer, some days I am not sure when I would have time to make dinner.

But a family has got to eat, right?  :)  These Gluten Free Dairy Free Chicken & Vegetable Nuggets are a great item to have in your freezer for busy nights.  They are delicious and quick to heat up for dinner.  I like that I can heat them and pack them up with fruit and veggies sticks for those nights we need an easy portable meal for my on the go family.  I also like to break them out on family game night, when I want a meal we can nibble on, but want to keep a hand clean to play our game.

I used a fruit juice sweetened gluten free crispy rice cereal for my bread crumbs as the breading.  I find that crushed crisp rice cereal mimics the lightness of panko bread crumbs (which contain gluten).  You can also substitute ground turkey for the chicken, if that is what you find on sale.  Enjoy!

Gluten Free Dairy Free Chicken & Vegetable Nuggets

Author/Source:

adapted by Angela from Emily @ fussfreecooking.com

Ingredients:

• 1 cups zucchini, finely grated
• 2.2 cups ground chicken
• 1 cups carrot, finely grated
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup gluten & dairy free dried breadcrumbs or crushed GFDF cereal (I like a crispy rice style)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking tray with parchment. Oil the parchment.

Using your hands, squeeze grated zucchini to remove excess liquid. Places zucchini in a large bowl. Add ground chicken, carrot, and egg. Season with salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix until well combined. Wash your hands after this.

Place the gluten free breadcrumbs on a large plate. Use one hand to shape about a tablespoon of mixture into nuggets. With your other clean hand, sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the nuggets. (This is to prevent the mixture from sticking to your hand in the next step.) Carefully flatten the chicken mixture in the breadcrumbs and coat all side of the nugget in breadcrumbs. Lift the breaded chicken mixture out of the bread crumbs and smooth out the edges as needed before placing on the prepared baking pan. Continue shaping nuggets with the remaining mixture. Spray or drizzle nuggets with oil.

Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, turning the nuggets halfway during cooking or until golden and cooked through.

Freezing Directions:

Place cooked nuggets into a freezer bag.  Remove as much air as possible, seal, label and freeze.

To serve: Thaw. Heat through.

Servings:  8

**conversion chart image provided by Erik Spiekermann

This Post will be linked at:

• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace
• Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
• Tuesdays at the Table with All the Small Stuff
• Delicious Dishes at It’s a Blog Party
• Tip My Tuesday at Tip Junkie

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Author/Source:

Kristi @ Onceamonthmom.com Adapted from Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1.67 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
• 4 tablespoons butter, cubed
• 0.5 cups sour cream or yogurt
• 0.42 cups bacon substitute, cooked and crumbled
• 0.67 cups sharp cheddar, shredded
• 0.33 cups cream cheese
• 0.27 cups green onion, sliced thinly
• salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Bake the potatoes on a tray at 400°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool enough to handle. Prep other ingredients while potatoes are baking, set aside.
In a large bowl, add butter, sour cream, 2/3 of the cheddar, the cream cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Cut your somewhat cooled potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh in the large bowl. Set skins aside for another use. Use a potato masher or fork to combine the ingredients in the bowl, taste and season as you go.
Pile the mixture into a shallow casserole or pie dish, smooth the top and cover with “bacon,” onion as desired, and cheese.
Bake casserole at 350°F for about 20 minutes or until crusty and warm.

Freezing Directions:

Bake potatoes, combine ingredients in baking dish. Cover and freeze WITHOUT baking casserole. To serve: Thaw. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Servings: 4

**conversion chart image provided by Erik Spiekermann

This Post will be linked at:

• Mouthwatering Mondays at A Southern Fairytale
• Monday Mania at The Healthy Home Economist (Real Food)
  
• Just Another Meatless Monday at Hey What’s For Dinner Mom? (Vegetarian)
  
• This Week’s Cravings at Veggie Converter
  
  

  What to do with those leftover skins? Make Crispy Potato Skin Boats with the same ingredients!

As I sat down to pencil the rough draft for my weekly menu, my head began to spin.  What a busy, busy week we have! In 2 short weeks, my stepdaughter will graduate from high school,  and there seems to be a potluck, or awards ceremony, or a soccer game every night!  Thank goodness that my freezer is stocked with great OAMM meals, so there is one less stress during an otherwise crazy, hectic week.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday -

• Toddler Lunch -Hot Ham & Cheese Sandwich on bun, carrots, pineapple
  

  Tuna Melt Quesadilla

• Toddler Snacks – Banana Bread Muffins, Ants on a Log
• Dinner – Tacos

Tuesday -

• Toddler Lunch – Tuna Melt Quesadilla, red grapes
• Toddler Snacks – graham crackers, Fruit Smoothies
• Dinner – Ranch Cheddar Burgers, Cornbread Casserole

Wednesday -

• Toddler Lunch -Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs, Mandarin Oranges
• Toddler Snacks – peanut butter toast, carrot/celery sticks & dip
• Dinner – Potluck at School – I am taking Buttermilk Brownies

Thursday -

• Toddler Lunch -Mini Pizza Meatloaves, corn, peaches
• Snacks  - apples slices & pb, crackers & cheese
• Dinner – Beefy Hashbrown Pizza, green beans

Friday -

• Toddler Lunch -Chicken Alfredo with Egg Noodles, broccoli
  

  Ranch Cheddar Burgers

• Snacks – frozen fruit cups, Peanut Butter Jelly Bars
• Dinner – Date Night!!

Saturday – Lunch – Cold Meat Sandwiches, grapes

Dinner – Steak grilled, tossed salad

Sunday – Lunch – Mother’s Day Lunch out

Dinner -Popcorn & Apple Slices

For more great Menu Plan Monday menu planning ideas visit orgjunkie.com!