Tips for Preparing and Freezing Meals in Advance

Earlier I've posted a post regarding how to freeze vegetables and fruits.  Now, in this post, let us learn how to preparing and freezing meals in advance.

With a full freezer of home-made meals that just need warming up, mealtimes are quick and easy. Making your own frozen meals saves you money and is the healthy, flavorful option. Freezing is easy when you’ve grasped the basics.

Freezing meals is a lot easier than freezing individual vegetables. There are some foods that simply don’t freeze all that well but if they’re part of a cooked dish you can get away with it. It’s best to avoid some foods for freezing though. Potatoes don’t freeze successfully, and pasta is best cooked fresh. Rice freezes well on its own, but can go soggy if frozen as part of a dish.

Don’t even try to freeze eggs in the shell or food from a can. It can be dangerous. Most of the other freezing no-no's are safe to freeze, but just lose too much quality to make it worthwhile. Don’t’ bother trying to freeze salad vegetables – they turn to mush. Fried or greasy foods also go horribly soggy.

Creamy sauces, and any sauce containing starch or oil, such as mayonnaise, may separate and curdle. Freezing can alter flavorings, either diluting them or strengthening them. You will also find that green vegetables may lose some of their color.

Stews and casseroles, soups, pasta sauces and pies (or pie fillings) are just some of the meals that are perfect for freezing in advance. For stews and casseroles, all you need to do is put it in containers and freeze. As a rule of thumb, the faster things freeze the better, since this helps maintain texture and flavour. Check your refrigerator manual to see if you have a ‘fast freeze’ shelf.

For the best results, you need to try to freeze foods in conditions that are as airtight as possible. Frozen foods, especially meats, are vulnerable to freezer burn, where it dries out and looks grey and leathery. Proper packing helps to prevent this problem.

Stackable plastic containers are one option for freezing foods, but it is recommended that you fill them as full as possible. You can also cover the exposed top surface with plastic cling wrap. Plastic freezer bags are designed for the purpose, and make it easier to squeeze out any remaining air. Ziploc and similar freezer bags are useful for creating an airtight seal.

Tupperware

Remember that when re-heating you are effectively cooking the food further. When cooking food to freeze, for some dishes it’s always best to err on the side of slightly undercooked to compensate for this. Once you’ve experimented with freezing meals you’ll soon get a handle on what works and what doesn’t.

The great advantage of freezing is that you can heat up your favorite home-cooked meals in the microwave in a matter of minutes. Choose the right recipes and there will be no loss of quality at all. With a freezer full of delicious portions you’ll always have something to hand when you need a restful evening or a meal that’s quick to prepare.

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How To Dry Flowers

I know, this post is a bit out of topic.  But it is good to share.

If you would like to learn how to dry flowers, this article certainly can helps you. It gives you a list of the best flowers to dry and explain how to dry them so you can enjoy them for a long time.

The best summertime flowers for drying include:

• Baby’s breath
• Bachelor’s button
• Cockscomb
• Larkspur
• Roses
• Sage
• Statice
• Strawflower
• Yarrow

You can also dry cat-tail, iris, milkweed, lotus, poppy and Queen Anne’s lace.

Pick flowers which don’t have brown edges or those which have been eaten by insects. You also don’t want misshapen flowers as part of an arrangement so you’ll want to leave them in the garden. Flowers won’t look better after they’re dried than they do when they’re fresh, so you want to choose the best flowers possible.

Choose flowers which are only partially opened. The flowers will continue opening during the drying process. Gather more flowers than you think you’ll need for the dried arrangement. This will ensure you have the right number of flowers in case some don’t look as good as you’d like.

One way to dry flowers, and often considered the easiest, is to hang a group of flowers upside down in a somewhat dry, warm and dark area. Be sure the location is dry because excess moisture can cause the flowers to mold. Expect for the flowers to take at least two to three weeks when you hang them to dry.

You can also use your microwave to dry flowers. With this process you’ll need to purchase desiccating pellets which can be found in the floral section of most craft stores. You may also be able to purchase some from floral supply stores.

Find a microwave-safe container and put a layer of the pellets on the container and microwave them for about three minutes. This will dry them out completely. Then pour the dried pellets into a bowl about an inch deep.

Trim the flowers and place them into the bowl so the stem is standing up in the pellets. Then pour more pellets over the blooms until they are completely covered. Microwave the flowers for two to five minutes. Leave the flowers in the microwave for longer if they are larger blooms.

After the flowers have cooled for at least 20 minutes, pour the crystals off the blooms. Clean the petals until there are no pellets remaining. Using floral wire, tape the flowers to the wire and create your arrangement.

You can expect the flowers to look darker after they’re dried than they were cut fresh. Once they are dried they can be used to decorate your home. Now you realize drying flowers isn’t difficult, you may decide to try to dry other flowers than the ones on the above list. 

Dried flowers may not be as fragrant as fresh cut flowers, but they can be as beautiful. Dried flowers can also be a great way to decorate your home by bringing the outdoors inside. Decorating with dried flowers is also less expensive than using silk and you can dry your summer flowers at home.  Try to put it in your kitchen. :)

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Complete Party Planner

There are some people love it, others dread it – organizing and planning a successful kid’s party. If you are the latter type and need help in coming up with fun ideas on keeping kids entertained, then you should have a look at the Complete Party Planner book by Annabel Karmel.

The Complete Party Planner book is an essential resource on how to celebrate your kids’ parties in style and with tons of fun. No need to panic or have sleepless nights anymore, the Complete Party Planner book gives you lots of tips and advice on how to throw the perfect bash, whether it is for your child’s special birthday, Mother’s Day, or any other occasions. The book gives you great party theme ideas, it covers children’s games and competitions to keep the little party guests entertained, party favors, invitations and anything else you might need for a successful party.

The book also comes with delicious and nutritious recipes that will tickle kids’ (and adults’) tastebuds. From beautifully decorated birthday cakes to punches, dips, sandwiches, cookies and other party food.

Overall, I think this is a must-have book for all those parents who feel a bit out of their depth when it comes to organizing a successful children’s party.

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Gooey Cinnamon Buns

I loved cinnamon buns.  I don't why... but I simply loved the taste of the cinnamon buns. Hmmmm.....!!!  Yummy, yummy.

Even though cinnamon buns are not the healthiest things in the world to eat, gooey cinnamon buns are a delicious treat. Perhaps you’ve never made cinnamon buns because you thought they were too time-consuming or wouldn’t be worth the effort. I have a recipe here to share with you.  By following this recipe, you’ll make gooey cinnamon buns your whole family will enjoy. Of course, they may also ask that you make them more often, too.

The ingredients for the cinnamon buns are as follows for the dough:

• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 package active dry yeast (0.25 ounce)
• 1/2 cup warm water (around 110 degrees F)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4 cups all-purpose flour

Place the yeast and one teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl. Add the warm water and set it aside for about 10 minutes. Heat the milk until it begins to bubble and then remove it from the heat. Add the remaining sugar, butter and salt; stir until melted. Allow it to cool.

Combine the above mixture with the eggs and 1 1/2 cups of the flour. Stir this until it’s well-combined. Add the remaining flour, a little at a time until all of the flour is incorporated into the mixture. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for about 8 minutes. It will look smooth and elastic.

Place the dough in a large bowl which has been lightly oiled. Cover it with a damp cloth and allow it to double in size - about an hour. While this is rising, melt 3/4 cup butter and 3/4 cup brown sugar. Whisk it until smooth and then pour it into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with half of the pecans and set it aside. Mix 3/4 cup brown sugar, the remaining pecans and 1 tablespoon cinnamon together and set it aside.

After the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a rectangular shape. Brush it with melted butter and sprinkle the brown sugar, cinnamon and pecan mixture over it. Begin at the long side and roll the dough tightly, pinch the seam to seal it. Brush with butter and then slice it into 12-15 slices.

Place the cut side down into the pan with the butter and brown sugar. Cover the pan and allow it to rise for another hour. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and bake the cinnamon buns for 25-30 minutes. Allow the pan to cool for three minutes and then turn the pan over to remove them. Scrape any remaining sugar filling onto the tops of the rolls.

Make a glaze by adding 4 ounces of room temperature cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 cup room temperature butter and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Combine these together and beat until smooth. Spread over the warm rolls and then serve.

This recipe for gooey cinnamon buns may seem like it takes too long, but the results are definitely worth the effort. Why not prepare some for breakfast this weekend?

P/s: No promises. But next time, I might post step by step photo when making my cinnamon buns. :)

When You Only Have 30 Minutes

For a great cook or for someone that really loves cooking, within the time frame of 30 minutes, they can really completed few dishes.  But as for me, I don't think I can completed even with one dish.

Now, here is some ideas what you can cook within 30 minutes. Not only can you cook a memorable meal more or less from scratch in half an hour – you can even do a couple of courses. Three meal ideas when you only have 30 minutes.

Soup is easy to make and a hearty bowl of chunky soup, with delicious bread on the side can be a full meal on its own. One of the easiest and most foolproof is leek and potato soup. If you use a big saucepan you can even do it in one pot, with minimum washing-up afterwards.

Chop some leeks and a medium onion. Dice some potatoes into small cubes. Fling the lot into a pan with some butter, salt and black pepper and cook on a low heat for about 10 minutes till the potatoes are soft. Add stock – a good quality vegetable or chicken stock cube is fine – and milk. Simmer gently for another 15 minutes.

All you need to do now is blend it to a purée. Add a splash of cream and garnish with parsley or chives. Eat with delicious crusty bread or crostini. If you make a larger quantity you can eat this soup cold too – as the timeless classic of French cuisine known as vichyssoise. Hot or cold, it’s tasty, filling and fast to prepare.

Ready-made pastry makes quick meals a cinch. For a speedy taste of the Mediterranean, try spanakopita in puff pastry. Preheat the oven to about 200ºC/400ºF. Boil some frozen chopped spinach and drain well. Add dill, parsley, seasoning and half and half feta cheese and ricotta to taste. Throw in some pine nuts. Line a greased metal dish with the puff pastry, spoon in the filling and cover with another layer of pastry.  Glaze the top with beaten egg if you like.

Shove the pie in the oven for twenty minutes and you have a little taste of heaven – in no time at all. While it’s baking, whip up some quick home-made tzatziki to go with it. Just mix sliced cucumber and yoghurt, with a dash of olive oil, lemon juice and some crushed garlic.

A universally popular fast favorite is pasta and fragrant basil pesto. With a good pre-made pesto from a good deli, all you have to do is boil your pasta and mix with the pesto. It’s so easy it hardly counts as cooking, but it’s a classic meal in fifteen minutes. While you wait for the pasta you’ll have time to put together a dessert too.

Chocolate mousse is a rich treat that is easy to make and doesn’t actually require cooking – so that’s time saved straight away. Melt dark chocolate in a pan. Separate the egg yolks and whites. Whip the whites till stiff. Stir the egg yolks into the warm chocolate. Fold in the egg whites and spoon into a dish or individual glasses. Give it five minutes or so in the freezer to cool fast and then leave it in the refrigerator a while longer. Decorate with cream and chocolate…

A flavorsome and imaginative meal can be made in no time if you have the right recipe and are organized enough to have the ingredients to hand. Test yourself – it really is possible and the results will thrill.

Worth trying. :)