A year of new recipes...my newest "plan"

I got inspired by two things...my love of cooking and wanting to try new recipes and the movie Julie and Julia.  As I thought about the hundred of recipes I have book marked online, saved in files, cut out of magazines, and book marked in cookbooks, I realized that I want to start trying as many new recipes as possible and then either saving or tossing the ones I've collected.  My first plan was to make 1 new recipe every day for the next year just like Julie in the movie.  But I don't have the funds to do that.

My next plan was do make 3 new recipes a week (I could probably afford that since most of the things I make are far from gourmet), but let's be honest, who's going to eat these new meals/snacks/treats?  ME.  And we all know that I don't need to be eating extra calories. 

So to do what I want and be realistic about it, I've decided to embark on 1 new recipe a week for the next year.  This could be a total bust and fizzle out after the first month.  I hope it doesn't come to that.  And with 2 book clubs that I'm in each month I could easily make/bring one of the recipes to each of those. 

This is making me very excited...I hope this works and continues for the next 52 weeks. 

So here is my first recipe:
Cherry Chocolate Chip Walnut Cake Cookies

1 box devils food cake mix
2 eggs
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/4 c apple sauce
1/4 c chopped maraschino cherries
1/3 c chopped walnuts
1/2 c chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients and drop by rounded spoonful on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake 375 degrees for 9 minutes.  Let cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute before transfering to a wire rack. 

My verdict:  YUM.  I Loved them.  I made these for Allison to give to her teachers at daycare on her last day and quite a few (okay close to a dozen) didn't make it on the plate.  This combined 3 of my favorite things...chocolate, cherries and walnuts.  I will definitely make these again!

Freezer Cooking Day!

So I did my first "official" freezer cooking day today.  I've done mini ones in the past, but today I cooked with a specific menu in mind.  Here you can see our August menu.  The meals in blue are ones that we already had on hand (non-perishable like spaghetti, or already frozen meals like Meat Loaf Muffins).  You can also see that I left a couple of days blank so I can try out some new recipes on days I have extra time.  The rest, I made/prepared today.  It only took me 4 hours from start to finish...and that includes loading and running the dishwasher!  Not bad for my first time if I say so myself.  When I was done Brian asked if I regretted it...ABSOLUTELY NOT!  This is totally my thing!  I love doing this; I wish it could be a full time job!  I'd love to come over and grocery shop and cook for others.  : )  As you can see my meals are in no way "gourmet."  It's just meals that are quick and easy to prepare/reheat and get on the table after a long day at work.

I hope to do this again over Labor Day weekend.  Maybe I can get September's meals prepared that time and maybe add in a few more lunch ideas as well.

Here is my to-do list (for anyone interested).  I broke down all of the things I would need to do so I had a game plan to follow.  I ended up going slightly out of order but it all worked out in the end. 
1. Brown turkey breakfast sausage for phyllo rolls. Add minced onion and freeze.

2. Cook 3 Italian sausage, casings removed
3. Brown 5 lb ground turkey
1+ c for lasagna, 2 c mexi pasta, 2 c moms hamb helper, 1 ¼ c for pizza burgers, 1-2 lb stuffed peppers (x2?), <2 c cooked for bubble up, 2 c for enchilada filling + extra for girls)
4. Cook 2 c rice (stuffed peppers x 2, enchilada filling)
5. Chop onions (1/8 c stuffed peppers, ½ c for hamburger helper, 1/8 c for bubble up)
6. Cut pepperoni into bite size pieces (1.5 oz for pizza burgers, some for pizza pockets)
7. Chop 1/3 c parsley
8. Marinade for Ziploc chicken
9. Mix meat and sauce/seasoning for bubble up
10. Make filling for pizza pockets w/cooked Italian sausage (1/2c pizza sauce, sausage, pepperoni)
11. Put 2 lasagna’s together
12. Put together Mexican pasta skillet (cool before adding macaroni)
13. Put together hamburger helper
14. Put pizza burgers together
15. Brown 1 lb ground chicken (sloppy Joes x 2)
16. Make sloppy joe filling (1 c ketchup, 1 can diet coke, s/p, minced garlic)
17. Make enchilada filling (taco seasoning, refried beans, rice, cheese, purple puree)
18. Put enchiladas together (+ little extra meat for tacos for girls)
19. Put together stuffed peppers (1 or 2)
20. Freeze chicken for chicken and rice meal
21. Bag chicken for slow cook chicken dinner (4 breasts, halved)
22. Freeze sausage for grilled turkey Italian sausage
23. Add macaroni to Mexican pasta skillet