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Thanks for the link!
I'd second the addition of mayo and salad dressing to the list-- they are so easy to make and so much better fresh and home-made.
My list also includes bread. Homemade is cheaper, tastier, and without any unpronounceable ingredients.
They freeze fine. Best if they're cooked on the firm side of done, like you would for a salad.
Speed comes from what you put behind you. - Judi Ketteler
I'm getting inspired by this thread. Made my own pasta sauce tonight for the first time. Couldn't believe how easy it was and how few ingredients I needed. I'll never buy jarred again.
2014 Surly Straggler
2012 Salsa Casseroll - STOLEN
Ya! Just sautee onions, garlic, and toss in the tomatoes. I often toss in cashews and spinach, too. For a "cheesy" sort of sauce I add nutritional yeast and a bit of oat milk or soy milk (or whatever nut milk is around). (I am vegan, too.) Sometimes I run it through the food processor but if I don't want to do so many dishes I just have it over pasta or quinoa as is.
Giant TCR C3 :: Specialized Jett 143
Specialized FSR :: Terry Butterfly
Vintage Giant Road Bike :: Specialized Lithia
Martha Rose Shulman is doing work-ready portable lunches this week.
Speed comes from what you put behind you. - Judi Ketteler
Getting some great ideas ladies, thanks! Right now I am still at phase one, giving up artificial sweeteners and phasing out HFCS. So far three weeks in and no headaches at all! I have not taken Excedrin, only took Ibuprofen after my 85 mile race.
Amanda
2011 Specialized Epic Comp 29er | Specialized Phenom | "Marie Laveau"
2007 Cannondale Synapse Carbon Road | Selle Italia Lady Gel Flow | "Miranda"
You don't have to be great to get started, but you do have to get started to be great. -Lee J. Colan
Things to help with making from scratch.
chicken stock: I buy whole chicken and cut it up. I freeze up the chicken pieces in groups then freeze all the bones together. When I have bones from four chicken, I make stock. No Salt no seasoning. simmer for about 4 hours then cool the stock by putting the pot into the sink and fill the sink with cold water. Place the cooled stock still in the pot in a fridge. I let the oil congeal then scoop out the oil. scoop or pour the stock into ice cube trays and freeze. This way you have small portions of frozen stock. No need to go buy stock. Use however many cubes of frozen stock to meet your need.
Pizza: got the idea from bobboli. We make enough pizza dough for 10 to 12 pizza. roll out, spoon out pizza sauce, some cheese on it, bake. When cooled we bag them up and freeze. When we want quick pizza, take the frozen pizza out, add our toppings, add more cheese if you want then bake. 20 minutes tops.
egg noodle for chicken noodle soup. I make enough egg noodle for about 4 batches of soup. Only takes one egg, pinch of salt, some flour bit of water. Make noodle freeze in three or four bags. when we want soup, we just use one of the frozen bag of egg noodle.
hmm should go back to making my own salad dressing. Citrus dressing.
Occasionally we bake extra potato. The extra one is used within few days for stuffed potato. Saves time for baking raw potato. It's just matter of heating.
We use pressure cooker to cook beans. Lot faster. Pinto beans cook within half an hour. Chick peas within one hour. stew 1 hour.
We also make hamburger patty in bulk then freeze them into groups of 4, separating the patty with wax paper. Burgers are quick and easy.
no need bread
few of the time savers.
I'm curious - where do you all find the freezer space for all of this pre-cooked homemade stuff?
I tend to gravitate towards things like canned beans because I absolutely do not have freezer space for anything that is shelf-stable. We keep in the freezer chicken carcasses for stock and/or stock, random bits of meat for sausage, high-oil grains that are likely to go rancid, and a few bread products that we can't eat before they go stale. And butter, because it freezes well and is way cheaper at Costco. After that, I am completely out of freezer space. Do those of you who make lots of stuff ahead like pizzas have separate deep freezers? Or do you prioritize food over having an ice-maker?
Yes I do have a deep freezer. It's made by Arctic Air model CF15 I think. It's good size. I keep my whole wheat, organic brown rice, bulk herbs, pizza crust, nuts such as almond, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, meat and stock,
Very Important: Do put dates on the items you put in the freezer so you know how old it is.
I've been wanting to get a (smallish) deep freezer, for putting up goodies from the garden primarily. But the problem is where to put it? The most obvious spot is where the litter boxes are, and I dread the cats' reaction to having their bathroom moved. Stupid, I know...
Was talking to my brother last night, and he proudly told me that in the week since he's stopped consuming HFCS, he's lost 4 lbs. Well, duh. But I'm glad to see another person moving away from processed foods. It won't cure his increasing baldness, but I bet he won't care about that so much when he's at a better weight!
Nearly two months in, still no migraine! I gave up all artificial low-calorie sweeteners, haven't touched one since 12/31. I am very low on HFCS and down to caffeine only once every other day or so. I usually I try to have a real sugar Coke if I want one. I just have to kill my sweet tooth which is hard since my cubicle neighbor always has chocolate and candy!
But the chronic bad headaches are gone and that is a blessing. I only have been suffering with allergy headaches but those are far less severe than what I was getting. After I give up HFCS for good I am going to focus on a more natural diet but with spring race season in full force it is hard to do too much at once. Still eating Lean Cuisine and the like for lunch but removing the diet sodas has made a world of difference. I would like to invest in a small deep freezer to make food ahead of time, on the wish list it goes.
Amanda
2011 Specialized Epic Comp 29er | Specialized Phenom | "Marie Laveau"
2007 Cannondale Synapse Carbon Road | Selle Italia Lady Gel Flow | "Miranda"
You don't have to be great to get started, but you do have to get started to be great. -Lee J. Colan
Yay, Amanda! I'm sure you'll find a way with race season. Just don't overthink it and stick to your plan.
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遙知馬力日久見人心 Over a long distance, you learn about the strength of your horse; over a long period of time, you get to know what’s in a person’s heart.
Amanda, why don't you just make yourself a good old fashioned turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread for lunch? Or any other non-processed meat? Make it the night before, stick a piece of fruit in the bag, and you're done. Or make a big salad full of veggies/beans on the weekend and use it for lunches, adding in other stuff?
I notice you drink soda for caffeine. Have you ever tried tea or coffee? One cup a day wouldn't hurt you, for sure. Even a teeny amount of real sugar in it would be better than the fake stuff.
My close friend and riding buddy drinks tons of diet soda and is crazy about using fake sugar; won't touch the real stuff. The rest of her diet is pretty good. I want to tell her to quit the diet soda, but I am afraid she will not take it well.
2015 Trek Silque SSL
Specialized Oura
2011 Guru Praemio
Specialized Oura
2017 Specialized Ariel Sport