Freezer Series: Ways to use up that freezer stash.

Thought I'd mix it up today, put the next few freezer principles on hold, and throw in a couple of good recipes to help you whittle down those freezer and pantry items you may be trying to clean out.  These are what I made for dinner last night and snacks today, all from stuff I had here that needed to be used up.

The first one is a  Gluten-free White Chicken Chili, from Living Without Magazine.  Click HERE for the recipe.

Items I was able to use up: 
1. pinto beans
2. a jar of tomatillo salsa I had in the cupboard
3. frozen red-peppers
4.frozen turkey stock that I made from our Thanksgiving turkey!

The only note I would make on this recipe is that I thought it needed about 2 c. of additional stock or water...not quite enough liquid.  I swapped pintos for white beans and red pepper for green, because that's what I had on hand.  I love that this chili has so many veggies in it.

And this recipe reminds me...next summer I need to freeze zucchini in chunks for soup, instead of just dehydrating it.  For quick soups like this one, frozen would work better.  I like dehydrated zucchini for long-cooking soups though, in the crock pot.

Overall final opinion on the recipe...two thumbs up...way up!  It was quick and simple to make.  We all loved it.  I ate mine with a dollop of guacamole, because everything is better with guacamole.  Sour cream would be lovely too if you eat dairy.

Next up: Blueberry Buckwheat Muffin recipe I found at www.bestofthislife.com.  (Click HERE for the recipe.)

Muffins are a great vehicle for moving berries, nuts and fruits (and even veggies sometimes!) out of the freezer and into your family!  Who can resist anything in a cute little muffin-y package?   However they can also be a vehicle for a bunch of sugar and insulin-spiking simple carbs...so be intentional about choosing recipes that move your nutritional goals in the direction you want them to go. ;)

The flour in this recipe is simply buckwheat and ground flax seeds. Next time I am going to diversify the flour a bit though--swap in some rice and tapioca flours for a little more lightness to the texture--recipes with just buckwheat as the only flour can be a bit "rough", or "gritty" feeling to me, sort of "scratchy" in my throat...it almost makes my throat a little sore...is that weird?  My family doesn't seem to notice any problems, but I always do.  Anyone else notice that "scratchy throat" effect with pure buckwheat?  Or teff flour?  I notice the same problem with teff.  The old timers and pioneers ate pure buckwheat pancakes, right?  But those people were just a whole lot tougher than me, that's all there is to it...anyway...I digress.   So, bottom line is, I am of the opinion that buckwheat flour is great!  but needs to be mixed with other, less gritty flours.  I'll let you know if I have good success with swapping some of the buckwheat flour in this out for other flours.  And you let me know if you do, ok?

I LOVE the fact that here is NO sugar, at all, in these muffins, so you can really taste the shredded apple and berries.  (The recipe calls for chocolate chips, but I left them out...I don't want the added sugar and I don't really like how the chocolate competes with the sweetness of the fruit--shine berries and apples!  shine!) 

These muffins are tender and moist and chock-full of fiber (beware of the high fiber...if you are not accustomed to a lot of fiber in your diet, don't go crazy and eat a whole bunch of these at once, or you'll be cursing my name!!).  They are not really very sweet, except for the natural sweetness of the berries and apples, but if you want them sweeter you can always drizzle and little bit of local honey on them when you go to eat them, and that just makes them even better!

I love how these stayed beautifully moist for the next morning--these don't even really need any butter or anything on them, but a drizzle of honey is lovely.  They were a hit with the family.  Overall verdict is:  these are a keeper, but with reservations about the "all buckwheat" thing...I will absolutely be making these on a regular basis, but I do think it needs a flour tweak.

Alterations I made:  Switched the almond milk for cashew milk, switched the coconut oil for olive oil.

*Note:  If you use a dark or nonstick pan be sure to always lower your oven temp 25 degrees.

The main thing is to just keep on keepin' on with the freezer and pantry clean out...my next targets:  dehydrated zucchini and kale (from my own tiny, not super-successful, "but-at-least-I-got-some-kale-out-of-it" garden last year) and the whole peppers I have frozen that need to be stuffed...then some millet and quinoa flour, and some frozen white fish...how about you?

I'll be back later this week to wrap up the last of my freezer series with 3 more bits of freezer wisdom I've learned through trial and error, so you don't have to!  ;)

Freezer Series, Principle #3 Vacuum Seal Whenever Possible.

We've covered Principle #1: Put stuff into the freezer READY to go... and Principle #2: Be Kind to Yourself.  On to today's freezer principle (drumroll please...)

Principle #3: Vacuum Seal if Possible

It's been 5 months now since I started putting tomatoes into the freezer, and I didn't mean to, but for some reason I vacuum sealed some tomatoes and ziplock freezer bagged some.  (Oh I remember why I did that...if I only had a few tomatoes I just ziplocked...but when I had a 15 lb box I got out the vacuum sealer.)  Here are the results of 5 months in the freezer with vacuum sealing, and without.

Can you guess which one was freezer bagged, and which one was vacuum sealed?

You are correct!  The one on the left is the freezer bagged one, and the right is the vacuum sealed one.  Enough said?  

The vacuum sealed ones were as gorgeous as they were last summer.  The freezer bagged ones were o.k, but lots of ice crystals in the bag, and some freezer burned and discolored spots on the tomatoes. 

Really, it's super simple and no hassle at all to pull out the vacuum sealer...so no more being lazy on my part, not wanting to run upstairs and get the vacuum sealer, where I store it when not in use...in fact I think to make it easier next August the vacuum sealer will earn a permanent place on the kitchen counter for a few weeks.

If you are going to be freezing a lot of things next summer, and you do not have a vacuum sealer...well, you've got about 8 months to try to get ahold of one.  I got mine at Costco several years ago.  It's a Food Saver brand and works great.  I love it.  But I notice they have them all over the place in various price ranges...usually between $100 and $200.  Keep an eye open for good sales and you may even get one on clearance somewhere this time of year.  Even if you have to pay $160 for one in August, if you start saving now that's only $20/month between now and then.  Have a daily latte habit?  Make coffee at home and you'll save a LOT more than $20/month...probably $20 per week!  All for the love of fresh garden goodies in January!  It's totally worth it.

If need be you might consider borrowing a vacuum sealer, or going in with a friend or family member and sharing the purchase of a new vacuum sealer, but personally it's not something I would buy used on craigslist.  You never know what people have been carelessly vacuum sealing...like they might have gotten raw meat juices in it and not thoroughly cleaned it...ew.  Not really a risk I'd take.

Now, to vacuum seal tomatoes you'll need to "flash freeze" them whole (Simple to do:  Just line up your clean tomatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and stick the whole sheet into the freezer for about 24 hours), then when they are totally frozen, vacuum seal them and get them right back into the freezer.  The vacuum is very strong, so if you tried to vacuum seal them fresh you'd end up with a bag full of squashed tomato juice!  You can certainly vacuum seal liquid items for the freezer, like meats in marinades, and soups and stews, just be alert and shut your vacuum sealer off before it sucks all the liquid out of your bag!  And make sure the liquid does not go up into the top of the bag where you want a nice seal.

I personally ONLY vacuum seal foods that are going directly into the freezer, but I do not vacuum seal dehydrated foods, unless I am freezing them.  (Dehydrated foods are best kept in glass jars with simple screw on lids in my opinion.)  So when you vacuum seal any kind of food I'd recommend getting it right into the freezer for food safety reasons.  And be sure to thoroughly read the directions that come with your vacuum sealer. They are fun and easy to use, but make sure you observe good food handling, as always, for safety.  (That's the mom in me talking...I'm always concerned for your safety 1st! ;)

And finally, if you choose not to vacuum seal, but want to go the freezer bag route, that's fine too....just try to get as much air as possible out of those bags prior to freezing, and probably try to use up the food within a shorter period of time.  The vacuum seal bags I use are BPA free, and if you leave enough room at the top you can cut them open, take stuff out, and then re-seal them!  And personally, I recycle them when I'm all done with them.  I always try to recycle my ziplocks too, unless they've had raw meat in them, and then, they really just need to go into the garbage, sorry. :(

Three freezer principles down...three to go!  See ya tomorrow.

Freezer Series Principle #2: Please Be Kind...

Pressing onward friends...How is your freezer quest coming along?  This is about the time it starts to get a little old, because emptying a freezer takes time, and maybe a few meals that you don't necessarily love, and maybe some meals that are, how shall we say...a little unusual.

Well today let's chat about actual freezer cleaning.  But first...a few pictures, and a few principles I've been extracting from this process.

Freezer Principle #2:  Be Nice to Yourself.

So, here's the thing.  I have three freezers.  One in the house fridge, one in a little fridge I have in the garage, and one small chest freezer.  The general plan is that I keep stuff I use all the time in the house freezer (berries, nuts, frozen packages of veggies, and all those little containers of leftovers I'm going to use up "someday".  The garage fridge freezer is for prepared freezer meals I can stack, and meat stocks and broths.  The deep freeze is for bulk stuff, like bulk beef and meat purchases, and bulk preserved items, like all those tomatoes and peppers I froze in the fall.

Now the easiest part of all this usually gets done first:  eating up freezer meals that were ready to go, and using up some bulk items (tomatoes, turkey breast, etc.) and now it's getting down to some things where I have to decide "is this worth keeping and using up" and if I decide it is, I need to make a plan and actually use it, today or tomorrow...and if not, I need to bite the bullet and throw it away.

That's where it's easy to fall into the thought pattern of "Oh, I'll just hang onto it, and someday I'll do something with it".  These are things like huge Costco-size bags of stuff that you were sure would end up saving you a ton of money, but you never made a plan to use them, and now they are a. expired, b.freezer burned, or c. a burden--you don't want to mess with them anymore. 

Prime example:  today I had to throw out a 3 lb bag of almonds, unopened.  I bought them at Costco a LONG time ago and planned to soak and dehydrate them for snacking, but shortly after that I found out that almonds were the things that were causing my throat to swell up so tight that I felt like I was breathing through a coffee stir straw!  I should have given them away, but instead I thought, "oh well I will still soak and dehydrate them for my family...", but did I?  No.  After a while they got lost, buried and forgotten about, until they became expired and too old to be of any use.  And there are lots of old packages of beef bones that come with our 1/4 beef purchases.  Oh yeah, I always think I'm going to get right on making those into beef stock...but do I?  Mmmm, not usually.  And now they are too old, so gotta toss 'em.  That's a gem I hate to waste, but often do.

So.  There are lots of things like that.  You know what?  That happens.  Don't mess around saying "oh I wish I had...", or "maybe later I will...".  Just toss them.  Yes, it's like throwing $ into the garbage, and yes, it's wasteful, but it's over and done with; don't be burdened by those things any longer.  Toss 'em.  Forgive yourself.  It's o.k., I promise.  That happens to everyone. Give yourself the same grace you give others.  Be kind to yourself, ok?  If it makes you feel any better I'll show you my pile of stuff that got tossed today. 

 

You can't see the almonds because they are buried, but you can see the leftover Halloween candy...who needs that?!?!  Why in the world would I have even kept it?  Or even bought it in the first place?  Next year any kids that come to my house are getting pencils or crayons.  And the ice cream?....ay yi yi!  That was from New Years Eve.  It definitely does not need to hang around here any longer.  The Udi's buns?  Well those are just a loss friends.  I'm not sure why we even have those...if we eat GF buns we always buy from a somewhat "local" bakery (in our home state); we must've bought these Udi's buns ages ago.  Lots of bits and pieces...leftover tomato paste, a bit of freezer burned peas in the bottom of the bag.  Yeah...a few errors in judgement reflected here.  But I'm not beating myself up...just movin' on folks.  

 

Good-bye garbage.  Hello clean freezer.



The top shelf items are bits and pieces that are still good, and they are going into a chicken fiesta soup tomorrow.  The third shelf is berries and nuts that are going to be made into baked berries (a recipe that looks scrumptious from book I have called "From Scratch" by Shaye Elliot...it involves just berries, honey, and nuts).

So after this weekend, we should have one freezer that is nearly empty, and ready to re-load with READY TO GO items (please see my previous post for Principle #1).

This freezer is frost free, so I just wipe it down when it gets dirty, no need to defrost.  However my chest freezer needs de-frosting and cleaning about once or twice a year, so I will link for you some great directions I found on Martha Stewart's website:  HERE ya go.  You can clean your freezer with baking soda dissolved in hot water (2 T. baking soda to 1 qt warm water), rinse with clean water, dry and you're good to go.

Meet you back here later for more than you ever wanted to know about your freezer and mine!

Freezer Series: Principle #1

Okey Dokey.  As I've been emptying the freezer of all last summer's market bounty (along with store bought frozen items and meat...) I've learned some things that will be helpful for next season.  Here we go:

Rule #1  Put things into the freezer READY TO PULL OUT AND USE. 

This is my defining, overall take-away from this round of freezer emptying.  Henceforth, nothing will enter my freezer unless it is prepared, and ready to just take out and cook. 

For instance:  An enchilasagna, all prepared and waiting:  HELPFUL!  Big hunks of frozen meat that come out needing preparation:  NOT HELPFUL. 

Here's an example for you...last night I had an enchilasagna (enchiladas, but layered up into a casserole, like lasagna) that I had pulled out of the freezer to defrost in the fridge all night.  All I had to do was pop that pan in the oven to bake, and warm up some frozen veggies--boo yah!  Done baby.  Dishes?  Zip.  Except the plates we ate off of, and the casserole dish.  So guess what I did with all that extra time?  Made these stylin' fleece PJ pants! 

These pants could be a whole other topic, but suffice it to say I got this fleece at Jo Ann's on clearance for $3. a yard, and they are totally warm and cozy!  I love them.  When I posted them on facebook I asked the question:  "what do you think those little creatures are?  Some sort of mutant bird/squid?"  I still can't figure that one out...

 

 

Now let's contrast last night's dinner experience with my freezer experience today:  I'm making Tomatillo Chicken in the crock pot.  I froze fresh local tomatillos in the fall, along with poblanos and jalapenos--so that's good, I had them all here, ready to use...however they did release a lot of moisture in thawing, and I still had to prepare them under the broiler and in the food processor...so really, this did not help me out that much. 

 

How to fix this problem:  instead of bagging the tomatillos and peppers up separately next year I will just go ahead and broil and process them right when I bring them home from the farmer's market.  Then bag them as a sauce, ready to use, and freeze.  Then in the winter all I will have to do is open the bag and dump it in on top of the chicken when I'm ready to use it.  Easy peasy.

 

Here's another example:  Tomatoes.  Ok, I've enjoyed having them frozen, whole.  But it would be MUCH easier if I would just make them into soup immediately when I bring them home, then freeze, and add in the "milk" (coconut or dairy, whatever you like to use...) when I go to heat it up.  My friend S.T. makes soup "concentrates" in the summer:  she does not add in all the necessary liquid, but freezes a concentrated version, then adds the water when she goes to use it.  BRILLIANT!  No need to take up all that extra space in the freezer.

 

So the essence of today's principle is this: put it in ready to go.  No more sticking stuff in there to "make" later...front-load that work and just prep it before it goes in.  No more putting chicken breasts in the freezer in their original package.  At the very least I can get them into a quick marinade before they go into the freezer, so I can just bake or grill when they come out.

 

OK, more principles coming up this week...but no time to write it all today.  I'll be back tomorrow...

Solving Breakfast: Buckwheat Pumpkin Muffins

This is going to be a short one today.  I have lots to blog about, but little time, so some things will have to wait 'til later this week, but let's just get to the most important thing first, shall we?

Buckwheat Pumpkin Muffins

These muffins are by far the BEST gluten-free pumpkin muffins I've made.  And I love that they are made with buckwheat, and generally speaking, when you bake with buckwheat you don't really need xanthan gum, which is pretty much required for all other types of GF baking in order for things to "hold together".    They are spicy, and almost gingerbread-y, in my opinion.   The recipe calls for sucanat or honey as the sweetener...I used a combo of sucanat and coconut sugar (dehydrated coconut nectar, available at health food stores).  Instead of water I used apple juice.  Heavenly--ahhh, ahhh!  (Angels singing)

Go get the recipe:  http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2013/09/26/fall-recipe-connection-best-gluten-free-pumpkin-muffins-dairy-free-egg-free-corn-free-soy-free-nut-free/

I made a double batch of these today.  I'm going to save some for tomorrow, and freeze the rest for quick breakfasts next week.  I say, slather these babies up with some nut butter, add a banana, and "milk" of choice, and it works, know what I mean?

Tomorrow I'm going to be making some "egg cups"--go HERE to see my previous post about how to make those little gems.  I'm going to use some organic hash brown shreds from the freezer, some of the zucchini I dehydrated last summer, and some Roma tomatoes I froze.

I'm working every day this week on getting the freezer and pantry cleaned out and used up.  Stuff from the summer market has been in there long enough--time to use it up.  And the pantry...I'm just using up bits and pieces of staple items so I can rotate up and get fresh and organized. 

So today I used the last of my sucanat and coconut sugar in the muffins, and my 2nd-to-last can of pumpkin.  I made a loaf of GF bread for the family from a mix in the pantry, and we're having sandwiches on it tonight with the turkey breast I thawed and roasted Friday, and homemade cranberry sauce leftover from Thanksgiving that I froze--it thawed beautifully by the way!  (Next year I'm making it up early and freezing it!  One less thing to do at Thanksgiving time when I'm busy.)  AND...we're having tomato soup to go with the sandwiches:  that uses up some of my frozen tomatoes and the bone stock I made from the turkey carcass!  Woo hoo, my freezer is looking more and more bare!  I'll post some pics in a few days. 

Meanwhile...how is your freezer and/or pantry challenge coming along?  What crazy things are you using up, and serving up, this week?

Mock Cheddar Broccoli Soup: Freezer Challenge Day 1 report

Day 1 of the freezer challenge went surprisingly well. 

Items used out of the freezer:  Salmon burgers, a bag of organic mixed veggies, a bag of organic broccoli. 

Fridge items used up: 1/2 can of leftover pumpkin  (That's a tough one to incorporate....score!) and 2 cups of homemade chicken stock.

You're not gonna believe what I made; it was so weird, but strangely enough, the addition of pumpkin and coconut milk to broccoli soup makes it look and taste like CHEDDAR broccoli soup!!?!?  There's no way I was going to tell my family "this is pumpkin broccoli soup".  So at first I called it "Autumn Vegetable Bisque"....then when I tasted it I switched the name to "Mock Cheddar Broccoli Soup"!! ;)  Clever Mama.

Sorry I can't be more precise...but here's what I did:

• 1 bag of frozen organic broccoli (not a huge bag, like a 6" x 8" size?)
• 2 c. chicken stock
• 2 c. water
• 1 heaping teaspoon instant chicken flavored base (Vogue Cuisine)

Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer til broccoli is tender enough to blend...

Then add in:

• pumpkin puree--I used about 1/2 to 3/4 c.
• about 1/4 of a can of coconut milk (Native Forrest Organic)

Bend with an immersion blender until smooth. 

Then I seasoned it with:

• 1 tsp Herbamare seasoning
• 1/4 tsp pepper

It was really, really good!  I heated up the leftovers in the microwave this morning and put it in an insulated coffee mug.  I drank it for breakfast on my way in to town.  However the coconut milk does tend to make me a little congested and makes my throat or thyroid swell up a little bit.  Odd reaction, but it happens every time.  So I'll have to come up with some other milk substitute next time.  Cashew milk would be great I think (or cream or half and half, if you can have dairy).

Along with the soup we had wild salmon burgers on GF buns (I used a bottom bun only, and used lettuce leaves for the top) with tartar sauce, and mixed veggies on the side.

It was all a big hit, and made a dent in my freezer stash, so hooray.

Gotta say I am inspired by the soup.  I forget how easy it is to just make a soup really quick to go with dinner, and now that fresh veggies are just not all that great we're eating less side salads, so it's time for side veggies to be in soup form instead for a while.

What came out of your freezer today and how did you use it?

January Freezer Challenge

Hello out there...?!  Did we all survive the Christmas season?  Ready to head quietly into 2014?  Or do you still have energy left to start the new year off with a bang?

Personally, New Year's Eve is sorta' a non-holiday--you know, one of those things where you're grateful to have an extra day off work/school, but there's really not a lot of actual celebration going on.  Remember the whole Y2K fuss and commotion?  People were prepared for the end of the world as we know it--computers crashing; the entire infrastructure of the globe totally imploding.  I believe I was in bed by 10:00 that New Year's Eve.  I remember waking up at midnight when our neighbors set off some fireworks, looking at the clock, seeing that it was still running (meaning there was no power outage) and promptly going back to sleep.  Oh sure, there were times long ago, in college and shortly after, when I'd make the effort to dress up, make plans, and go out, but these days, after Christmas I'm pretty much done; ready to clean up, clean out, get organized again, and back on track.  Hence:  The January Freezer Challenge.

 

Remember all the garden or farmer's market goodies you've stashed away in there for winter?   Or even those grocery store finds you stocked up on when they were on sale?   Well guess what?  It's here!  Winter.  The time you were looking towards back in July and August when you said to yourself  "I'm going to put this away for winter" or "won't these tomatoes (or peppers or berries) taste good in the middle of winter?" 

Here are some items I have that need to be used up:  tomatoes, tons.  peppers, whole and diced--(bell, Serrano, jalapeno), blueberries, dehydrated plums, chicken stock, ground turkey, and more recently I've added two turkey breasts (purchased fresh at Thanksgiving), leftover homemade cranberry sauce, some chicken strips, one enchilada casserole, and some cooked ground beef.  Those are my first targets. 

Now...I figured out the best way to deal with those frozen whole tomatoes.  Remember?  In August I just washed them, froze them whole, and bagged them up.  Ok, the first time I tried to use them I thought it was a huge hassle because I stuck them in the microwave...bad idea.  This time (I made fiesta chicken soup out of some yesterday) I set them out on the counter for a while until they thawed a little bit, then when I was able to easily cut out the core I did that...then ran under hot water for a second...skins slipped right off.  I let them thaw further in the fridge and then popped them into the blender for puree.  They were Romas so I didn't worry about the seeds.  Oh my goodness, they were heavenly in soup.  I will absolutely be doing tomatoes this way again next year.

I have one of the turkey breasts thawing.  I'm going to roast it in my Pampered Chef deep covered baker...so tender and moist that way.  Then make sandwiches, wraps, soups and whatever else out of it.

Other challenge items coming out this week:  whole bell peppers.  I washed them and cored them and froze them whole in the summer.  This week they are getting stuffed with a beef mixture for a stuffed pepper dinner.  Berries:  I have a huge bag of frozen Costco berries, as well as local blueberries I froze in season.  I still have tons of fresh apples too...so I'm thinking apple/berry sauce, crisps, and maybe some muffins.

Tomatoes:  Those are coming out of the freezer and going to become fresh tomato soup to go with lunch sandwiches and wraps.

New Years' Resolutions?  Those, to me, are akin to "dieting"...lofty goals that seem inspiring at first, but quickly turn defeating.  No, I prefer to just keep refining, keep tweaking, keep reforming...no radical revolution that burns brightly for a moment then fizzles out, but instead the slow and steadily burning flame of permanent change. 

For instance:  I know for sure that eating "paleo", or caveman-like, is really the best thing for my body, personally.  But for me to say:  "Ok, Janury 1st it's gonna be full-on Paleo!  No grains or dairy or sugar will ever pass my lips again!"  Really?  That's not realistic, and is a recipe for failure, or worse, a cycle of "dieting".  No, I'm just looking at recent weeks and going "hmm, I see my skin is breaking out, my belly is bloated, and my thyroid is swollen...so what have I been putting into this system that has caused this change?"  Well...a few unusual things:  holiday foods, dairy, sugar, and I'm noticing a habit of eating carby-GF grains in the morning has emerged:  GF muffins and breads have become the norm, not an occasional treat.  Ok, so, quit buying so much GF bread--switch that muffin for an egg and veggie cup (made in muffin tin) and we'll soon see change.

Exercise?  I notice that during the holidays my priorities have switched to getting things done for Christmas, because there was a time factor to consider--the 25th was coming, and was not going to wait for me.  But now that it's over it's time to shift back to thinking about getting outside each day in a manner that is more important that other things, not less.  Now, other things can wait.  Before they could not, but now they can, and they will.  I knew that this lower-priority place that exercise had taken was going to be temporary, and now it's back to situation-normal.  No crazy burst of gym-membership buying, and workout clothes to purchase...just a shift of thought from "teacher gifts and Christmas cards have to come first today", to "getting out with my dog for a couple miles comes before other things".  A priority shift.  A re-evaluation of the hours of each day and what is most important.

What are the shifts taking place in your life now as we head into January?  Want to take the freezer challenge with me?  Let's get those goodies out of their frozen holding pattern and awaken those nutrients once again to nourish us in the cold months.  All the while making room in those freezers for a February freezer cooking marathon that will bless us with a bit of extra time come spring, when life will start to get very busy again.  Feel free to comment, and tell us what's coming out of your freezer this week.