You know what they say about the best laid plans. I did have a plan for the last two days. It looked something like this:
- brine and roast a turkey
- make applesauce using Phoebe’s crockpot method
- bake homemade hamburger buns
- make layered chocolate pie dessert for a church fund raiser
- make pecan tarts to get a head start on holiday baking
- make a batch of pigs in a blanket
- make lazy granola
- soak, cook, and make refried beans
- make a batch of brown bag burritos for the freezer
Ambitious? Yes. Doable? I thought so, until I decided that I really didn’t want to trek to the store 16 miles away and that I could probably get creative with the ample supply of food in my pantry and freezer. Some would say it all fell apart from there, but I say adapt and overcome!
No, I didn’t get everything done and my plan changed throughout both days. But that’s what moms do, right? Roll with the punches! Here’s what got done in my kitchen during Freezer Cooking Day(s).
- Pulled the double batch of lazy granola out of my oven. I know that’s cheating, but it has to be in the oven overnight and I love having something to check off my list when I start my day!
- The beans soaked overnight, so I cooked those to make refried beans for brown bag burritos. Never got past the cooking part, so I’ve got several containers of cooked pintos in my freezer. Not a bad thing to have…
- Called my aunt to borrow a roasting pan. Kind of need that for the turkey. My cousins brought the roasting pan over before school, so I removed the bird from the brining cooler and stuck it in the 500° oven. I am now convinced that this is the best way to roast a turkey! It tasted as good as it looks, and it was done in 2 hours.
- Then I went to make my applesauce, and realized that I sent my apple wedger
to preschool for snack time. Scratch that idea.
- I started dough for pigs in a blanket and found only one package of hot dogs. So I ended up with 16 pigs in a blanket and 16 holiday dinner rolls, which worked out great for supper that night (with our turkey)!
- Without a trip to the store, I didn’t have the right ingredients to make layered chocolate pie dessert, so I ended up using what I had to make a pecan pie for church and a cream cheese apple pie for us. No one complained!
- At that point in Freezer Cooking Day, I was losing steam at a rapid pace. I still had potatoes to peel and a green bean casserole to throw together for supper. I did that, then cleaned up.
- After supper I carved up the rest of the turkey and bagged it. Then put the carcass in the crockpot to make stock. The stock simmered from last night to tonight, and my house smells so good!
- Today I started some bread in my bread machine, and this happened. I couldn’t be derailed, though. The dough was salvaged, kneaded by hand, and all was well.
- I threw together some turkey rice soup in my second crock pot and called it a day.
Plans change, roadblocks present themselves, bread machines dive off counters. It happens. In the end we had a delicious supper, some quick lunch options, and turkey stock for lots of healthy soups. I’m good with that.
Wow, you had a busy day! Can totally relate to changing my cooking plans because I don’t feel like driving to the store (though I have no excuse because mine is 2 miles away, tops)…looks like you got a ton done anyway, though!
Just a quick question about brining the turkey…do you use kosher salt or regular iodized? 2 cups seems like a lot if the latter…thanks!
I used regular salt, and yes… it was a lot. Much of it was settled on the bottom of my cooler when I took the turkey out. I don’t know the science behind it, but the turkey was delicious.
I used regular salt, and yes, it did seem like a lot. Much of it was at the bottom of the cooler when I took the turkey out. I don’t know the science behind it, but that was one yummy bird!
I’m kind of new to your blog. Remind me what your kiddos are doing while you’re cooking up a storm. I’m impressed! I was able to do 6 casseroles in a pinch the other day, but that’s it and they were only of 2 types with mostly over-lapping ingredients. I need to have a cooking day ASAP. We’re down to one casserole in the freezer:)
Well… the granola was done overnight and the turkey doesn’t take much prep at all. My 6yo was at school, and my 4yo had a friend over. They were BUSY playing, and I just didn’t worry about the mess.
My 2yo “helped me” with some things and played with the older kids… and napped! And, a tape or two of Blue’s Clues may have been played. 
I say you did great! Even with a suicidal bread machine. My boys said you need to have it on the floor next time, so it can’t fling itself of the counter! Have a great rest of the week!
Your boys are smart.
Very impressive! (I think I’ve left this same comment several times on your blog, but it certainly seems to fit!)
Well, I am impressed! Way to go MOM!
Just wanted to say that my bread machine jumped off the counter a couple of years ago and looked exactly like your pic! It’s still been going strong since that time (just had to pop the lid back on.) I use it a lot. Now I always put it on the table, not the counter and put a chair in front of it to “catch it.” Apparently my little machine gets into it’s work enthusiastically; either that or he’s trying to commit appliance suicide!
I haven’t tossed it yet. Maybe I’ll give it another go.
Hi there Amy!
I was wondering…from one real mom to another: did you cook from scratch like this when your kids were all under the age of 5? I do what I can but I feel like I’m setting myself up for failure trying to do too much and chase around toddlers and preschoolers. What’s your advice?
Well… kind of.
I haven’t bought a loaf of bread for at least 2 years, but I did used to be a fan of Pillsbury crescents and biscuits when I found them on sale… before I learned how horrible they are for us. I say pick homemade things that you enjoy making and/or don’t take much time and work with those. Do NOT sacrifice your sanity or lots of time with your kids just for cooking “homemade” all the time. (That’s a “reminder to self” by the way.)