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November (Christmas Edition) OAMM Menu, Podcast, Grocery List, Instructions and Labels
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tricia on
11.01.09 |
38 Comments
Short Link: http://onceamonthmom.com/?p=4321
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Thanks for joining us again or welcome first time visitors! We are glad you have joined us. You can learn more about the origin of this months menu by listening to the podcast. If you are new and not sure how to get started, read here. For frequently asked questions visit here.
Podcast
- This audio podcast will describe to you the items on sale for the month, the philosophy behind the meal choices and helpful hints for preparing for this months cooking day.
- Listen in the orange player at the top of this post…
Menu
- Included below are the menu items that we will be preparing as part of our Once A Month Cooking (OAMC) BIG DAY. In the printable menu the menu items are listed as single, double, or quadruple depending on how much we need to make on the BIG DAY. The recipes linked below are ONLY for the single batch, to see the amounts we are making on the OAMC BIG DAY you will need to visit the Printable November Menu.
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Appetizers
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Side Dishes
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Desserts
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Breakfast
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Dinners
- Jackie’s Broccoli, (Turkey) & Stuffing Casserole
- Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
- Cheesy Broccoli & Rice with (Turkey)
- Velveeta Cheesy Southwest Meatloaf
- Sausage & Vegetable Medley**(from Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking)
- Jody’s (Turkey) & Noodles
- OAMM’s Mom’s Spaghetti Sauce
- Asian Peanut Butter Pork** (from Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking)
**Indicates meals that require NO COOKING on your OAMC BIG DAY!
Grocery List
- Included in this spreadsheet you will find a listing of all the items you will need to complete your November OAMC BIG DAY. For more instructions on how to use this, go here.
- Grocery List
Instructions
- These are the step-by-step instructions you will need to quickly and efficiently approach your OAMC BIG DAY!
- Instructions
Labels
We have designed a set of 9 pages of labels designed to be printed on Avery 8163
Helpful Hints/Resources
- How To Navigate the OAMM Menu
- How To Bake A Pumpkin
- Turkey Links:
- Butterball – Choosing a Turkey
- USDA – Turkey Basics: Safe Thawing
- Butterball – Thaw a Turkey – Video
- USDA – Let’s Talk Turkey – A Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey
- Butterball – Roast a Turkey – Video
- Share Your Recipes: Thanksgiving Appetizers
- Share Your Recipes: Thanksgiving Side Dishes
- Share Your Recipes: Thanksgiving Desserts
- Tips and Stories from other readers
What do you think of November’s menu?
And don’t forget to check out the right sidebar weekly to vote on past month’s menus!
Tags: christmas, grocery list, instructions, labels, menu, november, podcast
38 Responses to “November (Christmas Edition) OAMM Menu, Podcast, Grocery List, Instructions and Labels”
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Contemplating trying the @onceamonthmom for November with my bff on Tuesday! Menu looks yummy! http://tinyurl.com/ylgt6tu #oamm
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Since this is my first attempt, I really want to hear the podcast, but I don’t see an orange bar?
Working on it. Sorry, it worked in testing last night. It should be up within the hour.
Tricia,
I spotted an error on the PB Pie recipe. The original calls for 8 oz of whipped topping per pie, not 18 oz. The double batch only needs 16 oz of frozen whipped topping.
My DH and DD both love peanut butter. I think they’ll really enjoy that pie.
Which recipe is pictured? Beef stew? Can you post a link please?
This comment was originally posted on http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/)“>Money Saving Mom
I was hoping to join in the cooking next month with November’s meal plan. I was wondering what Pillsbury Recipe Creations are….do you mean the pizza dough, pie crust, or is there something special in the stores now that is simply called “Recipe Creations”? Thanks.
I think I might need to write a post on this.
They are basically crescents without the perforations! So crescents would be a substitute if you can’t find the one that are labeled “recipe creations”.
All great points. My favorite thing about the point on saving time is that when I am cooking in bulk, I can use 2-3 pots/pans and don’t have to dirty and wash everything multiple times! Make one BIG mess and then clean it up once. Then on rough nights I don’t have dirty pans staring at me.
This comment was originally posted on http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/)“>Money Saving Mom
Perfect timing as usually on the OAMC post. I was just thinking about starting back up with more cook ahead meals. I used to do it quite often when the kids were young and at home. Got away from it for a while, but need to get back to it. I’m a career-changer back in college and have the chance to finish a term early, but it will be crazy busy if I do. So an encouraging post to remind me of the benefits of OAMC is just what I needed today. Thanks!
This comment was originally posted on http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/)“>Money Saving Mom
What a great idea! I don’t know if I have the guts to try it out yet, but I am definitely heading over to her site for more info… Maybe soon I will try this!
This comment was originally posted on http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/)“>Money Saving Mom
woohoo. I am excited about learning more!!
This comment was originally posted on http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/)“>Money Saving Mom
I may have to try this. The holiday season can get so hectic!
This comment was originally posted on http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/)“>Money Saving Mom
thank you for this post!! I spend over eight hours every week trying to coupon, cook, plan meals and I can only imagine what I would do with all the extra time if I could do it all once a month.
Now the challenge of trying to do this with only a refrigerator freezer and very little knowledge of how to freeze food without having it spoil begins, but I’m convinced that this is the way to go.
This comment was originally posted on http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/)“>Money Saving Mom
I was wondering the same thing about the freezer. I assume people who do this have a separate freezer. Has anyone figured out if the cost of buying and operating a freezer offsets any grocery savings, or if you still come out ahead?
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Money Saving Mom here: Yes, you come out way ahead from all the figures I’ve heard. However, I don’t have a deep freeze. I just have two refrigerators so I use the second refrigerator freezer to store my month of meals. I’ve cooked/baked ahead with only one refrigerator/freezer before and if you’re creative, it’s totally possible!
This comment was originally posted on http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/)“>Money Saving Mom
Once A Month Mom – The reader that found the link to the recipe is right, it is Freezer Beef Stew from Real Mom Kitchen (http://realmomkitchen.blogspot.com/2008/08/freezer-beef-stew.html). It is on the September Menu (http://onceamonthmom.com/september-menu-grocery-list-instructions-labels-and-podcast/).
This comment was originally posted on http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/)“>Money Saving Mom
Great post! I am gaining more and more courage to leap into OAMC each baking day I do. I love having the meals ready to go, it makes life so much easier.
I was wondering what is pictured in the bags too? Looks like the makings of a pot roast or something?
This comment was originally posted on http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/)“>Money Saving Mom
Do you have any tips, or can you recommend any sites, on how to keep certain foods from getting a weird texture in the freezer. I’m new to the whole cooking ahead concept and I’ve had some difficulty in freezing dishes with potatoes or pastas. Thanks!
This comment was originally posted on http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/)“>Money Saving Mom
I have never thought of cooking my meals ahead of time and freezing them. I’m so excited to try this!
This comment was originally posted on http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/)“>Money Saving Mom
Does anyone have a good idea of what to do with young kids in one of these marathon days? I’m not daunted by 8+ hours of work – I’m daunted by the thought of what to do with my 10-month-old and 5-year-old (well, the older one wouldn’t be too much trouble – but the baby…).
This comment was originally posted on http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/)“>Money Saving Mom
you could triple the recipes instead of double and have the third person be the group childcare (in a different house) while two others prepped…just have her split the third of the grocery bill..and then rotate months for being the sitter…or you could do it on a weekend and have the husband’s be in charge of watching kids and/or pay a sitter in a separate house and just figure that into the cost of the day…or do it on your own over the course of a week..just break it up into manageable parts…maybe the baking one night…marinating meats/freezing one morning, etc…
I didn’t have a partner or a babysitter, so what I did was pick 5 of the meals I thought we would like best. I cooked/prepped everything over the course of 3 evenings (using overnight for cooking chicken in crock pot). It did take a few days to accomplish, but I did it and we are now enjoying the benefits of working extra hard for a few nights. Good luck to you!
OAMM’s has a guest post on OAMC using only a refrigerator/freezer:
http://onceamonthmom.com/oamc-with-only-a-refrigetor-freezer/
I once fit tons of homemade baby food and breast milk in my freezer and now I wonder how since it is so full of food all the time—I guess if the baby food fit, so could the meals!!
Mine is a side-by-side and the freezer door opens flush with the wall (and against a window sill) so there is not a not a lot of room to manuver!! Can’t wait to have a house with a garage and buy a second refrigerator/freezer (yes instead of a deep freeze) – our fridge is always full too!
This comment was originally posted on http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/)“>Money Saving Mom
This may be a silly question (and I am going to ask it anyway)
Are you actually cooking the food and storing it in freezer bags/containers or are you preparing it and you will stir fry/bake/fry it when that day comes? Are these meals 1 pot meals (like your picture above)? What if you want to make something such as Meatloaf and 2 sides? I am just trying to figure out how on earth will you freeze that?
I think it is an excellent idea, I just need more information. I am all for saving $$$.
This comment was originally posted on http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/)“>Money Saving Mom
I’m in a OAMC club. Each club member makes the same meal seven times over, then we swap, so you come home with seven different dishes! I love it. You send your cost in, and then we figure out how to split so the $$$ comes out even. Everyone in the club loves to cook, so the food has been great. It is super easy to make the same dish seven times over! Great way to cook once a month.
This comment was originally posted on http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/)“>Money Saving Mom
MSM, what date do you usually do your big cooking day around? End of the month?
I usually do mine at the end of the month, shop all month long. . .I am not doing a full day right now because I am 8 months pregnant. A good post to start reading (and before you get started) is the post on navigating the menu. It will answer lots of questions.
Same deal here with the kiddos — this isn’t very feasible right now with a 14 month old underfoot who happens to be obsessed with every appliance that we own (and no grandma nearby–boo hoo!). Just making one meal is a challenge! But I look forward to doing this once he can be occupied in other ways–I agree it’s the way to go!
This comment was originally posted on http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/)“>Money Saving Mom
Thank you so much for all of your hard work and posting all of this for us. I just found you from your guest post yesterday on Money Saving Mom. I just wanted to say that I was a little confused at first, but have now found the directions for when you actually want to cook and eat the meal on your labels. I wasn’t sure if others would be confused about the same thing since I saw “Labels” and thought it would just have the name of each dish on the label. Again, thank you! I have twin 10-month old boys, and I’m not sure I can get a big enough chunk of time to do a whole month’s menu just yet, but I’m thinking of trying an abbreviated version to get started!
The recipe on this month’s menu sound great! I just have one problem, I’m allergic to mushrooms! I can’t eat mushrooms or cream of mushroom soup, and so many recipes call for it! Does anyone have any good suggestions for substitutions?
I have been doing the OAMC for several months now. It seems that I have a problem setting aside a whole day, so I do 2 or 3 meals almost every weekend.
I personally don’t like mushrooms either! I usually either don’t do the mushroom recipes or leave them out. In the case of the Sausage Medley maybe just substitute another vegetable. Cream of Celery soup usually is a good substitute for Cream of Mushroom as well!
I’d just sub like another said..with celery or some other mild flavor..and/or make a giant batch of your own cream sauce base…I’m sure that’s cheaper..and since you probably have onions/celery chopped up..a bit more wouldn’t be that big of a deal…when I make from scratch I generally use powdered milk for my “milk/cream”..often doubling up the amount you’d use for a cup…and/or use some evaporated milk…about 1 T fat/1 T flour to 1 cup liquid..then seasonings..for celery..I might take 1/4 cup finely diced celery..a T or two of diced onion..to 1 -2 cups of the cream sauce…less liquid if you need the consistency of condensed soups…normal liquid if you are going to add water to any step of the way…
I have read that it is a good idea to keep a log of prices so you know when an item is truly on sale. Does you have any suggestions on how to do this? I am sitting here surrounded by sale ads and have no idea how to tackle this easily.
I have a post written many months back called, “How Low Can We Go” where I talk about keeping a food log of low prices. I even have a “price sheet” for the Dayton area, I need to a little updating to it but it should give you a good idea of the lowest prices I have seen. Really, it also depends on season a bit too (and area of the country/world). Once you start one for your area you will start to see trends. The biggest thing is to just get started.
How coooool! I couldn’t listen to the podcast on your site on my iPod so I went to iTunes, searched for Once a Month Mom, and WOW! There you are!
I’ve subscribed to the podcasts so when December’s comes available, it will auto download. Yay!
I’m so proud of you and your technology skills. Sweetness!!!
Allie
So last night I listened to the Podcast on my drive in from work. Too cute “Persimmons”. The Podcast was definately helpful.
Allie
Just wanted to let you know that you left a line of the directions for the bacon brunch bites out. I went to the original recipe and it calls for cooking the bacon and onions together prior to assembly. (I couldn’t figure out why these wouldn’t be grease balls if you used uncooked bacon.)Everything I’ve tried so far is great! We love the french toast sticks at our house.
No actually, I remembered that but we cook those two items up using other methods via the instructions. Of course, if you aren’t doing the entire menu and using instructions that might be a little confusing so I will make sure that I add those in just in case.
Okay, we did our big cook this weekend and had the following difficulties:
1-What was Pilsbury Recipie Creations? We used two types of Pilsbury Pizza Crust instead. (Which may have led to the next problem)
2-We got confused by the instructions for the Veggie Pizza. Perhaps there were some doubling errors or perhaps we just can’t read! But we made two sheets of pizza which meant 2 cans of crust per sheet (to total 4). The amount of ranch powder in the topping was WAY to salty for our taste so we reduced it by one half. We still ended up with WAY too much spread and just froze the extra and called it dip. What did we do wrong?
3- One of the recipies (a mashed potatoe one) called for sour cream but sour cream was not on the shopping list. I improvised with some yogurt.
4- 20lbs of turkey did not provide nearly enough cups of turkey meat called for. Perhaps we just had scrawny turkeys but next time I’ll use at least 30lbs of turkey as we were about 16 cups short.
5-Butterhorns needed several more cups of flour to transform from goo to dough. We made those late in the day so that may have been user error.
I’ve don’e OAMC several times before but this was my first try with a partner. I’m just sorry we ran into so many snafus. Admittedly I didn’t do all my homework by double checking the recipies/grocery lists the night before (I would have spotted the sour cream then) and I should have resolved the Recipie Creations issues sooner.
I hope this helps you and other cooks. Thanks for the hard work!