Up And Down The Highway

Just popping in here for a couple of minutes during this very busy week while I'm home for a bit. We spent Easter with Mommy and her family. Jessica was there, too. It is the rare occasion when we are all together, so those are special times.

It was a big celebration. Baby Girl turns two this week, so she had a slightly early birthday cake.

And Jessica turned....well, more than two, just a few days before Easter. So there were two birthday cakes in addition to an Easter dinner.

We decided to make the weekend a little get away for us and we stayed at a lovely lake resort that is close to Mommy's house. Easter came early this year, and it was cool and rainy. We surely didn't expect a fire on Easter weekend, but it was a welcome sight when we walked into the hotel.

Maybe there will be another trip here one day when the weather is warm and sunny. I won't be heading back to the resort, but I will be zipping up and down the highway a couple more times this week, doing grandmother things. This is one of those weeks when I'm glad I've done my homework and filled the freezer with things to keep Daddy-O fed until I fed until I get home.

What's in the freezer? Things I know freeze well. One of Daddy-O's favorites is the Teriyaki Pineapple Beef. I freeze that in small portions, suitable for one generous serving. He can quickly cook rice and that's homemade dinner and one less fast-food meal for him. There is a new recipe that we loved, Unstuffed Cabbage Soup. It's so hardy that Daddy-O says he thinks it should be called something besides "soup."

There are a couple of bags of Pulled Pork. Easy to make a sandwich or to serve with a baked potato. I know there is a small baking dish of Baked Ziti and Chicken Pie, both ready to pop into the oven to finish baking.

I also put some small loaves of Banana Bread in the freezer a couple of weeks ago. Not exactly dessert, but it can either be a sweet treat or breakfast for him.

Now, one word of caution if you decide to fill up your freezer with cooked/almost cooked foods. Don't forget to use them! About three weeks ago, we had nearly emptied the freezer and I made a point of cooking things so that I could restock it.

This is NOT like money in the bank that you should leave untouched for as long as possible. Cooked foods that are frozen DO have a "best by" shelf life. I try to use the cooked things within a few months. I think the official recommendation is 1 month, but I know that the food is still okay a month or two past that date. But that container I found in the back of the freezer from last year? Not gonna eat that one.

So, wrap foods for the freezer properly. Label and date the packages. And then make a plan to use them within a reasonable time. I knew my schedule was going to be crazy for the next couple of weeks, so by the time things settle down, I think my freezer will be nearly empty and ready for another round of cooking.