By The Hanukkah Light - Lookybook

Lazy Homemaker

In preparation for a busy season I cubed up a pork roast and cooked it in my slow cooker then bagged it up in two cup portions. Then when I need it I can use it to make Oriental Pork or Pork Stew. Now I’m doing hamburger I got on sale this week the same way. It takes about 5 minutes to put something in, hours of hanging out on the computer while it cooks, then 5 minutes to bag it up. Very lazy. Tomorrow I’ll do chicken and a turkey I got very inexpensively on sale. That takes longer to deal with because of taking the meat off the bones. I will chop some, slice some and make Chicken Starter with some.

Chicken Starter is a recipe that was inspired by another recipe. I just changed the seasonings a bit for my taste. It's really handy to have in the freezer. A bag, a couple of cans of vegetable stock and some noodles or rice makes a REALLY fast soup that is homemade and delicious.

Chicken Starter
4 - 5 cups cubed cooked chicken
4 ounces butter
8 tablespoons flour
4 cups chicken stock and vegetable stock (I use half and half or more veg then chicken)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon thyme

In a large saucepan melt butter over medium heat until bubbling but not browning. Whisk in flour and cook for 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Slowly stir in chicken stock until well blended. Add spices and cook until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken. Ladle 2 cup portions of mixture into freezer bags and seal. Freeze.

Use to make -
Chicken Pot Pie: Add diced carrots and peas, bake under pastry crust.
Chicken and Dumplings: Add vegetable or chicken stock, simmer, drop on dumpling dough, cover and cook.
Chicken a la King: Add sliced mushrooms, simmer. Serve over toast or in puff pastry shells
Chicken Enchiladas
Other ideas: Use in crepes, pastry pockets, over rice, add noodles for soup etc.

The“convenience” of precooked meat in the freezer makes dinner prep much faster. It's very praiseworthy.

Currclick's Black Friday Giveaway!!!

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Thanksgiving Audio

Check out some Thanksgiving proclamations at Free Audio!

Corn!

My children (and I) LOVE Gail Gibbons books. Packed with fun information and interesting illustrations this one also has information about Thanksgiving.

Free Tea!!!!!

Right now Teasta is offering two of their samples FREE! That includes shipping. They have some really tasty offerings I got a green tea and white tea. Try it out yourself here!

Holiday Homemaking

You won't want to miss this!! By the makers of one of my most very favorite magazines Seasons at Home.

Pumpkin Time!

Well, it has been awhile hasn't it! I apologize for my absence but in the last two months I've had hand surgery twice and now a have a pretty bad cold! But I wanted to post a bit about pumpkins.

Fall is really my favorite time of year. I love pumpkins. I love to cook with them and I love to decorate with them. I really think they are beautiful. I've even grown them!

One of my favorite things to do is drive around to the pumpkin patches the day AFTER Halloween. Usually any pumpkins left are free. I think that pumpkins and gourds are great decorations through Thanksgiving so I put them out for decorations. If they are still in good shape after Thanksgiving I bring them in, cut them up, bake them and scoop out the flesh for pumpkin recipes.

Teaching Good Things has become one of my favorite blogs. Right now they feature a great pumpkin recipe that is super easy. They are also giving away two beautiful pumpkin potholders if you leave a comment before Friday night at Midnight. I know you'll want to enter.

Click the eyeballs to see a larger version.

Free Pictures!

I know, I know....I've been posting a lot about "deals" lately. But free is pretty praiseworthy, is it not???? This is a great deal for new Shutterfly members that I found out via Money Saving Mom, a great blog. Check it out soon...it won't be around long.