Deep in the Red Sauce

This is probably no where near traditional red sauce, but it is how I make it. My family loves it, and I feel good about them eating it. I do alter it a bit each time I make it- depending on what I have in my pantry and fridge.
This time I decided to write it down so I could share it with you.

Since making my first batch, I cannot go back to buying spaghetti sauce at the store.
I buy diced tomatoes and pork sausage when they are on sale, and bust that stash all at once. This is also a great recipe for using up some not-so-fresh veggies.
Another advantage to this frozen sauce, is a quick and easy dinner for those crazy week nights.
I take it out of the freezer the night before, or defrost it in the microwave the day of. 

Cook your favorite pasta...and viola! 

Dinner!

Start by getting out your biggest stock pot. And I mean big! Not a dutch oven.  A stock pot!
Put 4 lbs of regular pork sausage with 2 TBS Italian seasoning and 1 TBS rubbed sage into the pot.
Cook fully.
Drain.
While that's cooking, petite dice the following, and put it in a large bowl.
1 large white onion
2 green bell peppers
8 oz. Fresh or canned mushrooms
1 stalk of celery
2 Roma tomatoes (optional. They were just getting soft in the bottom of my fridge so I threw them in this time.)

Add all of this to the bowl of veggies,
4 TBS, or 5 cloves, of minced garlic
2 TBS sugar or sweetener
4 TBS oregano
2 TBS parsley
1 TBS basil leaves
1 TBS salt
1 TBS black pepper
1 TBS rubbed sage
4 bay leaves

Once the sausage is done, return the sausage to the pot and add all of the following,
2- 12 oz. Cans of tomato paste
6- 14.5 oz. Cans of petite diced tomatoes....any kind or flavor you prefer.
3- 15 oz. Cans tomato sauce
Stir well.
Mix in all the veggies and seasonings.
Simmer all of this on med-low...
...Go fold laundry or scrub floors or color with the kiddos...

...for 60 minutes.
Allow to cool slightly.

Divide the sauce into freezer bags with about 5-6 cups in each bag. This results in five gallon bags.
Lay them flat in the freezer.
Done!
That is 5 delicious batches of spaghetti or lasagna!
5 super easy, and wholesome, weeknight meals!
This will last my family two months!
Completely worth two hours on my day off!

Pot Roast Soup

This happens to be a rare day in Texas. The temperature hasn't risen above freezing, and we've had a slight flurry of snow. A perfect time to make another of my family's favorite meals.   

Post Roast Soup!

When I have a bit of pot roast left over- a bit of meat, a couple of potatoes and carrots- certainly nothing worth saving on it's own. I do save it. I put it in a quart zipper top bag and freeze it. 

Once I have 2-3 of those built up, I make them into soup! 

It takes about an hour, from freezer to bowl, but is well worth it.

If you are a planner like I am, you could even take the bags out of the freezer and place them in the fridge overnight to cut down on prep time. 

Or, if you are in a bit of dinner hurry, you can defrost the bags in the microwave for 6-10 mins.

Here's a basic run down on what you will need, but certainly give or take a little on the meat/veggie portions. 

1/2-3/4 lb of pot roast- beef or venison

6 ish quarters of potatoes

12 ish baby carrots

5 cups of beef broth

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 

1/4 tsp celery salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp black pepper 

Once the bags are somewhat defrosted, (I like them to be a tad on the frozen side as it makes the meat easier to cut up.) I coarsely cut up the meat and veggies, because they will fall apart a bit more while cooking the soup.

If you prefer a more finely diced soup, feel free to do so, but I don't recommend it.  

I put all the chunks into the pot,

  

Then, I add the broth and spices, and cook on high for 10 minutes. 

I use the spoon to break apart the larger pieces of meat.

After it is at a good boil, I reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10-20 mins more. 

Enjoy this with a good sized stack of saltine crackers! 

For the sickies

When I buy a whole chicken, I usually get three meal out of it. Here's how.

First time, I roast it in the oven or crock pot with veggies.
If it's a large chicken, I can cut some of the meat off the bones, and make casserole for a second dinner.
The third meal is probably my favorite.
 Chicken Noodle Soup.
I put the entire chicken, bones and veggies and any juices, in a regular sized dutch oven and fill it with water.
Sometimes, I try to get the majority of the skin off first.
I set the heat to low and simmer/boil it for a good two hrs if it was roasted in the oven. 30-60 mins if it was crock pot chicken.
I check it occasionally to see how easily the meat is to separate from the bones, it should fall right off with minimal effort.


Once it does, I get out a bowl, two forks, and a strainer. One of the bowls, i put the strainer in, and pour whatever is in the pot into it. this will allow you to save that amazing stock!


Now, I take two forks, and begin pulling meat from bone. I pull apart any of the larger chunks of meat. I take out any skin, and mash up any carrots/celery/potatoes that happened to be in there and are now too mushy to actually eat.
This is a bit tedious, but once you do it a few times, it goes rather quickly. Make sure you get all those little vertebra!


Once I have the meat on one side of the strainer and the bones on the other, I put all the meat back into the pot of broth, and throw the bones out.

I add
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
1 small onion, diced
2 TBS minced garlic
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 tsp black pepper
1 TBS parsley
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1/2 tsp basil leaves
2 bay leaves
enough water/broth to fill the pot
I boil this until the vegetables are soft.
I then add 12 oz egg noodles
Once those are done...it's chow time!!!!

Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole

This easy slow cooker recipe is perfect for freezer meals as well. It fed us for two family meals (one that night, and one frozen for later), plus 2 quart bags for the husband to take with him.

 Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless Chicken Breast                1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
2 cans cream of chicken soup                         1 1/2 cups frozen mixed veggies
1 can of water                                                  3 cups rice
2 tbs garlic powder
2 tbs onion powder
2 tbs celery salt
1 tbs black pepper

Before work, I put the chicken breast, 1 can of cream of chicken, water and spices in the slow cooker, cover, and set on low for 6-8 hrs.
After work, I shredded the chicken with two forks, stirred in the mixed veggies and the other can of cream of chicken soup. Then I topped it all in shredded cheddar. I covered it and let that cook while I made the rice.
You can make any rice of your choice, but I used brown minute rice because it only takes a few minutes, and my kids are HUNGRY!
Once the rice is done, stir that into the slow cooker mixture.
 Enjoy!    

Another week, and another set of meals.

On Thursday I had the day off, so I made a double batch of spaghetti sauce.
I only cooked a single batch (16 oz) of noodles though. That came out to be 1 gallon bag of sauce for the kids and I, and 5 quart bags of sauce+noodles for the husband. 2 meals for the husband, and 1 meal for me when I work a late shift.

Friday, I made a pot roast in my slow cooker.

3lb beef shoulder roast.
6-8 small red potatoes, halved
1 lb baby carrots
2-3 stalks of celery, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 can beef broth
3 cups water
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 TBS minced garlic
1 TBS celery salt
2 TBS parsley
Combine beef broth, water, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic in slow cooker.
put roast in.
top with onion, celery, potatoes, carrots, celery salt, and parsley- in that order.
Cook on low for 8 hrs.
This fed the kids and I. Plus I had 2 quart bags of meat+veggies (1 meal each) for the husband.
Monday we had chick fil a cause I had shit to do after work and didn't feel like cooking. I was supposed to make tuna noodle, but that obviously didn't happen.

So Tuesday, I made tuna noodle. A double batch, in my extra large stock pot.

2- 12 oz. bags egg noodles
5- 10 3/4 oz cans of cream mushroom soup
5- 5 oz cans of chunk light tuna
16 oz frozen peas (optional)
Fill stock pot 3/4 full of water, boil. Add noodles and peas. cook for 8-10 mins.
Strain noodles. Combine soup and tuna in pot, heat on low and stir until well blended.
Add noodles/peas back to pot and stir well!
It's that easy.
This fed the kids and I, plus I had 4 heavy quart bags (hopefully 4 meals) for the husband.

Wednesday morning, before heading off to work, I put a whole chicken in the slow cooker.

I layered it this way :
Whole chicken and 1 cup of broth on the bottom.
6 medium sized red potatoes- quartered.
1 lb of baby carrots
then I topped the whole lot of it with:
2 TBS of minced garlic
a layer of minced onion
a layer of celery salt
a bit of black pepper
cooked on low for 8-10 hrs.
that chicken fell apart!
It made a good meal for the kids and I that night, and the rest went into soup for Thursday. That recipe is a post of it's own! Stay tuned!!

Everything is bigger in Texas, except for the deer!

My husband comes from a long line of outdoors men. Hunting, fishing, farming. They are true Wisconsinites.
I, on the other hand, come from city folk. Wisconsinites just the same, but certainly not outdoorsy. My father took me camping all of three times in my entire life, and fishing just as much. My grandpa taught me how to filet a bluegill one summer, but that was the extent of my survival techniques.
So when I was integrated in to my husband's family, long before we were married, I was given a crash course in all the wonderful things about living off the land. Gardening, canning, and, yes, processing deer.
My first chance to witness this was a grand occasion. I was 18, and 6 months pregnant with my little man. It was the middle of a Wisconsin winter. All the uncles, some aunts, and a few cousins had all been out hunting that day. They brought home between 3 and 5 deer. I can't remember anymore, maybe it was more than that. Anyway, the skinning and quartering took place out in the garage at grandma's house, where it was good and cold. Then, the quarters were brought into the house, and put down on a big wooden board right on top of the kitchen table.
The house was stuffy, smelly, and hot; from the tenderloins cooking on the stove, from the water bath canner processing batch after batch of venison, from all the warm bodies milling about. A good dozen people all buzzing in and out of the house, working away at getting it all "put up".
Everyone took on a job. Around the table, a few family members gathered to whittle away at each hunk. Cutting meat from bone. Cubing pieces for jars, or scraps for burger. Portioning out the good cuts for freezing. Seasoning the full jars and getting them ready for the canner. Cooking the tenderloins on the stove top so we could all enjoy the spoils we worked for. Running meat into, and then bone out of, the house. It was an amazing experience. One that consumed my senses and, surprisingly, fascinated me.
Of course, Grandma and my mother in law, welcomed me to a seat at the table and I was given lessons. I certainly wasn't going to let them down. I already loved his family. They were the only TRUE family I had ever witnessed and they were welcoming and kind to me when they had every reason not to be. I wanted to fit in with this strong (and hairy) family, and they were willing to let me try. So I swallowed my nausea, put a smile on my face and a knife in my hand. I got to do a little bit of everything, and I loved it. Mostly, I loved the feeling in the house. The feeling of working as a family to provide for the family.
Fast forward 10 years, My husband had finally found a place in Texas to hunt. They were tiny Texas deer, but they were deer. And I was excited!! We all were. We hadn't had venison in years, and our mouths were watering at the thought. Of course, we had to think about how we were gonna get it from animal to plate, but I was eager to take that head on! So after a few calls to the in laws, and a couple youtube videos, I felt prepared to cut up my first deer. Alone.
My husband was going to be anything but helpful, and I didn't feel like he had to be. After all, he's the one who sat in the cold for hours, the one who field dressed, skinned, quartered, and hauled it home....I should do some work too.
When he got a deer, it was about the size of a German shepherd, but it was deer. I felt like it was a good size to practice on.

I had no clue what I had gotten my self into. Once that leg was on my kitchen counter, I picked up the phone again, and again, and again.
I have to say how much I love my in laws. They are a patient bunch, that's for sure, and they love sharing their knowledge. I am blessed to have them.
After 4 hrs, I had fumbled my way though all parts of that deer. Did I screw up the steaks? yep. Did I screw up one of the tenderloins? yep. Did it all taste amazing? Sure did!
Really, I couldn't go wrong. I canned 90% of it, and froze the other 10%, just as my husband's family have been doing for decades.
Now, I know it isn't recommended to can meat in a water bath canner. So I'm gonna say, right now, don't do as do, do as I say, and don't do it!
The second deer he got went a little better. It only took me 3 hours.
Did I screw up the steaks? YEP!

Consider the Ravens

I am in the midst of the grind. 

I landed a job as the manager of a deli...yep. Hard to believe, but I did it! I'm doing it! The stress that comes with that job...ugh...but it helps pay the bills and I'm generally happy there. It's a small business, and I have a good boss. I find it very hard to leave work, at work. I take a lot home with me. Mistakes I've made during the day. Tasks yet to be completed. Sometimes that place even takes over my dreams. ugh ugh ugh. I take 5-htp to help me sleep, and a B complex during the day. I don't know if it really helps, but maybe it does, and I really don't want to find out if it doesn't. St. john's wort worked for the depression, for a while. But, as is common, it sent my anxiety into overdrive. It got me through the worst days though. I can actually say that now...the worst days. Yes, I think those are in the past.

Things are far from good, but physically, mentally, well.....

Working, taking care of the kids, and cleaning house take up a large amount of my time. Finding a balance is a constant struggle. My husband found a job, but works out of town during the week...for now. He says that will change soon...I hope so. 

Right now, right effing now, I'm doing it all, all on my own. Some days I wonder if it's worth it. I feel alone a lot. I only see my husband on the weekends, and I'm looking at working the next two weekends. double UGH! Then I talk to my love, pray, read scripture, or meet up with a friend for a little bit, and I find the strength to keep going. 

Depression and anxiety cycle. 

Some days, I can feel the depression settling in the bottom of my gut. Dragging me down, making me want to give up and cry. Sometimes I do give in and cry. I can't count how many times I've cried in my car before picking the kids up from the sitter. I let it out, sob, as hard as I can. I don't give a shit who sees me. I need it. I can't keep it all stuffed in...it's too much. Then I dry my eyes, take a few deep breaths, and jump back into life. 

Other days, the anxiety is so overwhelming it hurts...actually hurts...to take a deep breath. The muscles in my stomach and chest are so tight, that it hurts to stretch them enough to take a good breath. I have to remind myself to take a few deep breaths several times a day. Even if things tighten right back up, at least i relaxed for a few seconds, and something is better than nothing. I've discovered a new symptom of anxiety as well. oh joy! Rashes..all over my hands and forearms. At first it looked and felt like dry skin...all peeling and itchy red bumps. horrible. I assumed it was from the soap at work. I'm washing my hands over a dozen times a day. After trying a few different lotions, and nothing helping, I remembered my dad having a similar issue. He was a weapons loader in the Air Force, and was always getting oil and grease all over his hands. I remembered how dry and cracked they would get. So I sent him a message "hey dad, did you ever find something that helped your hands? mine are terrible." He replied, "You know what, I did. I saw a dermatologist a long time ago. He said it was from stress. Once I stopped worrying about shit I could do nothing about, it went away." Words of wisdom from my dad. :)

Three Meals

With My love working out of town during the week, I've had to get creative with meals. When he was transitioning out of the Air Force, he was home earlier than I was, so he was making dinner. Now, I get off at 5 pm most days, sometimes not til 8. His job is putting him up in a hotel during the week, and I couldn't very well have him eating out all the time. Not only is it expensive, but unhealthy. Above all, I'm still a good mother and wife, and part of that is making sure everyone is well fed. So I did some digging online, pooled knowledge from good friends, and started making freezer meals. 

At first, I took a few hours on my day off day, and made three big meals. Chicken Florentine. Lasagna, and Jambalaya. I have LOVED skinnymom.com for a long time. Her recipes helped me to track calories and lose some of that baby weight! I made a double batch of the lasagna sauce. It's a family favorite and I could put some over spaghetti noodles later. It was a crazy mess, but in the end, I had a freezer full of meals. I portioned some in quart sized zipper bags for the husband to take, and some in gallon sized bags for me and kids. 

Three meals for the week may not seem like a lot, but on the days when I wanted to collapse upon walking in the door, the ease and comfort they provided was almost divine! Those 3 meals put me a week ahead of the game. (score!) I am now able to make a few large meals during the week or on my days off, and freeze some away. On the days I work, I use my crock pot. The kids and I eat that for dinner, and I freeze the leftovers for my husband to take the next week. On my days off, I cook two big meals, one for lunch, and one for dinner, and portion the leftovers. Do I sometimes feel like I spend too much of my time cooking? planning meals and grocery store trips? YES! But when my love calls and says "my roommate is jealous of my dinner" or the kids and I are sitting around the table, eating, and talking about our day, it is ALL worth it!