Freezer cooking

I have been really busy lately since returning to work after Christmas... but I have been trying to stick to my New Year's goals of keeping the house in better order and cooking healthier and planning my meals ahead of time. This weekend has been no different... we have been very busy chasing the kids, shuttling them to their activities, a friend's 30th birthday party and keeping it all in order.

I was able to carve out some time this afternoon to try my hand at some freezer cooking. We have been very limited financially in the last few weeks so pretty much groceries have been limited to the basics. I have been wanting to do some freezer cooking for some time but I think my first attempt was a success...

Here's what I made today:

• Extra batch of deer chili (we still have a ton of chili from the deer that Levi killed earlier in the season)
• Honey Wheat bread in my "new" bread machine a friend gave me
• Chocolate brownies (not many left to freeze when my family found out I was making them!)
• Oatmeal Jam bars (recipe and picture are shown below)
• A huge batch of meatballs

Oatmeal Jam bars (before cut into bars)

It was my first time to make the oatmeal jam bars.... well, turned out it didn't "bar" very good. It was more of a cobbler type consistency.. but the taste is really good! I am going to serve it for breakfast in the morning to the boys.  Here is the recipe:

1 cup of butter or margarine
1 cup of brown sugar
2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups of quick cook oats
3/4 cup of jam (your choice what flavor, I used grape)

Melt the butter and add the brown sugar; cream well. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, mixing well. Mix in the oatmeal. Spread 1/4 of the mixture into a greased 8x8 baking dish. Spread the jam on top and cover with the rest of the mixture. Cook at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cool well.

I am really going to try to keep up with the freezer cooking. Our weeknights are so busy and I usually don't get home until around 6:30 p.m. and don't have time to sit down until around 10:00.... maybe if I already have supper prepared, or at least part of it, my weeknights will be much easier. I'll let you know how it goes... If anyone has any great freezer recipes, please feel free to let me know!

Asking for Help

I didn't make any real New Year's Resolutions.. I rarely keep them and just feel disappointed in myself when I don't. But I am trying to simplify and slow down in my life. I have worked diligently over Christmas break to clean, organize and throw out things in my home. Huge job and still can't tell a lot has been done, not that we have a lot, but our house is small and tends to accumulate rather quickly. I have worked to cram every domestic duty into two weeks time, all in my attempt to simplify? Uh, maybe not...

Yesterday, as I was driving down the road, I had an epiphany. I had not asked GOD for His help in calming my nerves and simplifying my life. I was trying to do it all on my own, with new calendars and bins for stuff. The first thing I should have done was ask God to take charge. I can not do anything on my own, why would this be any different!

So I asked God to take charge in this area of my life, to take away the guilt when I can't get it all done. It's hard, I admit. I want to do it all and be it all, but that's not in His plan. I will continue to pray about this daily and work to just do one little organizing thing a week or so, instead of tackling it all and exhausting myself when I have a little bit of time off work.

Only I could make simplifying stressful!!! Ha Ha!! But God is going to help me now, wish I had asked for help a long time ago!