Good Morning. 16-Bean Soup Simmering

14, 15, 16-bean soup w/ hot Italian sausage on the stove and filling up the house with yumminess...

My DH says when I get all domestic, it must be hormones. lol  So, there must be hormones going on this weekend. I fixed a 5 pound brisket, a 4 pound pork shoulder for NC BBQ, a rutabaga and now a big pot of 15-bean soup. The freezer is going to be nicely stocked. If we have any 3 foot snows this winter, I'm ready except for the 1/2 & 1/2 I need for protein shakes...hmm, maybe I can freeze a couple of 1/2 gallons of that too. I will try to keep at least a 30 day supply of vitamins on my shelves as well.

Someone said we should buy and freeze some peanuts, almonds and pistachios. I think that's a fine idea. 

Do you do any prep for winter? What do you do?

--gina

My freezer is pretty full already from the beans, edemama, blueberries, sugar snap peas from the summer harvest.  Ate swiss chard from the garden last night and hopefully the brocalli will head in time to miss the cold and get it in the freezer.  I'd still like to roast some tomatoes for the freezer but time is running out.  I've got to do something with the butternut squash and at least get it in.

I always buy meat, fish and chicken when it is on sale.  I cook a whole bag of chicken thighs or leg quarters at a time and freeze them seperately to pull out and nuke for a quick meal.

My trick for newbees, freeze extra soup, casserole (like the taco bake) etc in ice cube trays.  When frozen, dump into a freezer bag.  Then you can get out what you need, one or 2 cubes for a quick healthy meal.

Back home, back on track, back to work.  Have a happy Monday everyone.

Price,
What a great idea to freeze soups etc. in ice cube trays.  I need to go out and buy an ice cube tray tomorrow!  Thanks for the tips for us newbies.

Elizabeth

I'm totally spoiled- my husband does the cooking and cleaning up! He is a good and healthy cook, but messy. I used to do all the cooking, but now only rarely do. It's easier to stick with my eating plan if I stay out of the kitchen.

Plus we live urban with stores within a couple of miles.

Price, that's a great trick for newbies!

Yum - I love 16 bean soup with Italian sausage.  Just before it's done, I add some raw spinach, and cook just until it's wilted.  Even my husband likes it.

I did 15 bean soup this past weekend...used regular sausage as I don't care for real spicey. And I sorted out what was left into several containers for freezing.

We have a small chest freezer but we are picking up an upright today (it's a manual defrost which I prefer) and the current owner inherited it from his mom and they were gonna toss it because "NO ONE wants a manual defrost these days" I spoke up and was the recipient of said freezer. Just no room in the place we moved from.

I try to pick up "BOGO's" and Manager Specials (you know, those that are within a day of expiration?) and have stocked up on several packages.

I fixed chicken stir fry last night with one piece of chicken out of a three piece package...the other two are huge as well, they got cut in half, are marinading in Italian dressing and will be frozen later today.

Price, good tip.

Not much prep for the winter.  I have a few things that I cooked and divided out into small portions and put in the freezer. 

I do try to cook on Sunday some things to eat the next week.  Yesterday I cooked hamburger patties with onions, collard greens and polenta with quinoa.  DH loved the polenta - we used it like fried corn bread patties!!  Sprayed a little pam in the pan and let it get crispy on the outside.  Here are the stats for 5 2.5 inch slices - I can only eat 1 slice at a time. 

Serving Size	Quinoa Polenta
Serving Size	5 2.5-inch slices
Calories	80
Total Fat	0 g
Saturated Fat	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Sodium	270 mg
Carbs	16 g
Fiber	1 g
Sugars	0 g
Protein	2 g

Linda

 For us winter means no more hurricanes and it's usually the nicest, mildest season around.  We will finally be able to walk outdoors without burning to a crisp.
I'm going to use Price's idea about freezing in ice cube trays.  I always freeze in bigger containers and then wind up wasting so much because we don' t eat it all.
Janet

I hit the dollar store and buy a bunch of storage containers, 6 for a dollar.  Then whatever I cook I freeze the leftovers.  That way I don't have to cook when I don't feel like it.  Last week I made butter chicken and OMG was it good!  I made 10 portions so 9 went in the freezer.  I also have quinoa casserole, both with chicken and beef, in there and a bunch of other stuff.  I need to be better about labeling things.  I probably have enough for for a month.
Today I am cooking a pot roast in the crock pot.  I have some beans on hand and next will be the 16 bean soup with sausage.
I used to hate to cook but I am gradually starting to make more and more things.  It is good to finally have the energy to cook.  For a long time I didn't cook anything.
We usually don't have terrible winters but a few years ago I was snowed in for a month.  It was 2 weeks before I could even drive.  That is when I started eating refined carbs again, because I ran out of other things.  That got me up and running for over a year and I gained 70lbs at that time.  At least now, with a months worth of food in the freezer I don't have to worry about that.

Gina, my mouth is watering. I have always loved bean soup but DH will not eat beans.

I've never been much of a leftover eater, and since surgery, can not do leftovers at all except Brok's pizza.

We generally get a couple of ice storms a winter, so not much preparation. Here it's mostly getting ready and prepared for tornado season.