July 2005 - Cooking for Singles, Freezer Cook of the Month, and More!

by Carol Santee

To read this newsletter on our website, click here.

In This Issue:

KITCHEN FUN WITH CAROL

BONUS RECIPES

• Super Easy Chicken Manicotti

• Time to Spare Spuds

CONTESTS

• Recipe of the Month Contest
• Freezer Cook of the Month

FINAL THOUGHTS

KITCHEN FUN WITH CAROL

Hi everybody!  Happy 4th of July to everyone. Can you believe it's July already?  I can't! The summer months fly by so quickly.

I like to call this the "Year of Change" for my family. My twins are starting high school this fall and have just completed their first high school class - summer phys-ed. My oldest graduated from high school last month and is preparing to go to college in the fall. Of course with a graduation comes a graduation party! I made a menu of all of the food we would be serving at the party. There were lots of recipes that could be made ahead and stored in the freezer. I put my 30 Day Gourmet skills to good use! We made Creamy Fruit Dip, Brownie Bites, Freezer Cheesecake, Carolyn's Chocolate Chip Cookies, Sloppy Joes, Turkey Wraps, Swedish Meatballs, Lemonade Cheesecake, Crock Pot Mac 'N Cheese, Apple Squares, Apple Crisp, and Pecan Pie Bars. Then my husband, daughter and I had a second mini-cooking session the day before the party to finish the rest of the food. We analyzed the recipes and decided what could be done ahead of time. It was tiring but it was fun to spend the day together in the kitchen. The next day, the graduation party immediately followed the ceremony. We borrowed crock pots and set everything out on low before we left. The party was a hit and everyone raved about the food! 

Three days after the party, my daughter left to work at her summer job. She's two hours away from home for the entire summer. That brings our family down to four in the house. It's been an adjustment. The house is not quite the same without her! 

It has also been an adjustment in my cooking. I was surprised what a difference one person makes at the dinner table! It has meant adjusting how much food I cook at each meal. Some of the dishes that I cook for five are too much food for four people. That meant scaling back on some recipes or having to deal with a lot of leftovers!. To help solve this problem, I have changed the way that I package foods. I prepackage a lot of meats in meal sized portions. Two recipes serving six people each now becomes three meals for 4 people. Hamburger patties are packaged in four stacks of 4 burgers per gallon freezer bag. I have also experimented with packaging meals in single size servings so that I can just grab what I need. This works well with Cheese-Filled Shells, Pork BBQ, Meatballs and Crock Pot Roast Beef Sandwiches. It has been a learning experience for me and I am sure it will be even different when the twins leave the house. But I prefer not to think about that right now!

This issue of Chewin’ the News brings you two new recipes from Molly Allen. Molly has been cooking the 30 Day Gourmet way for the last six years. She is an active member on our message board, the Cook's Corner. She has some great tips on cooking for singles. Read more about it below in the Bonus Recipes section.. 

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BONUS RECIPES from Molly Allen

I started cooking the 30 Day Gourmet way back in October 1999, following surgery for uterine cancer.  Nanci and Tara were on a television program and demonstrated sucking the air out of a Ziploc bag containing a quiche by using a straw to prevent freezer burn.  I was captivated - what an ingenious idea!  So I surfed on over to the website and ordered the manual.  My greatest concern prior to surgery, besides the obvious, was how I was going to feed myself and my husband during recovery from major surgery and the radiation therapy that would follow.  My husband would willingly survive on pizza and quarter pounders, but that wasn’t going to cut it for me.  Tasty, nutritious meals were essential to a speedy recovery from surgery and the stamina to endure the radiation therapy to follow. 

The manual arrived the day I got home from the hospital, and I spent lots of time reading through all the information and recipes.  I asked my husband to list recipes that sounded good to him.  My mother came to help out about a month after my surgery.  I wanted her to help me get at least a month’s worth of dinners in the freezer before I went back to work.  It actually took us three and a half days, but we managed to load the freezer with “Soup”erior Meatloaf, Mom’s Chicken Noodle Casserole, Chicken Enchiladas, Cheeseburger Quiche, and Burger Bean Bake.  I returned to work for half days followed by radiation therapy five days a week for six weeks.  Having a good meal ready to pop into the oven while I rested was such a blessing.  I was hooked. Over the next five years, I became a 30 DG Whiz-kid, mainly whipping up dinner entrees. 

I’m a high school guidance counselor, so each August before I returned to work I’d go on a mad cooking spree and put at least 50 meals in the freezer.  With a weekly pizza or take-out Chinese and a leftover or “breakfast for dinner” night, the meals would last till Thanksgiving Break, when I’d do a mini-cooking session to last till Christmas break; then I’d do another big cooking session to carry us to Spring Break.  On July 28, 2005, I was getting organized to do the shopping for my annual August cooking session when my husband announced he wanted to be a "wasband".  Stop the prep work and turn off the oven!!!  Over the next five and a half weeks we legally separated, our house went on the market and sold, I went back to work, the Boys (our two miniature schnauzers) and I moved to an apartment and my "wasband" left the state. Whew.  If cancer didn’t kill me, this divorce wasn’t going to either.  But how was I going to cook for just me?

Simple.  The way I’d learned to love to cook - the 30 Day Gourmet Way!  I got custody of the freezer, so all I had to do was scale back on the number of batches of each recipe I prepare.  Most of the recipes in the manual and on the website serve 4-6 people.  That usually means four generous individual servings/meals per recipe.  Packaging for one person is a little different.  I used to use a lot of 8” X 8” square foil pans.  Now I use mostly quart sized freezer bags or the new disposable containers.  I can pop things out of the plastic bag or container into a casserole dish or sauce pot and reheat very easily.

I still make my favorite recipes, I just package them differently.  For Chicken Enchiladas, I roll two and put them in the flat rectangular foil pans. Super Easy Chicken Manicotti is a breeze.  I flash freeze the stuffed manicottis and put them in a freezer bag.  Then when I want to cook a batch, I take out three or four, put them in a small casserole with some spaghetti sauce (about half a jar), top with grated mozzarella and pop them in the oven.  I freeze the leftover spaghetti sauce in a rigid container, and use it the next time I want manicotti. Burger Bean Bake and Mom’s Chicken Noodle Casserole freeze well in a bag or plastic container.  Thaw overnight in the fridge, and pop into a sauce pan or casserole and heat thoroughly.  I make broccoli quiche and when it’s cool, I cut it into quarters and freeze in freezer bags.  Thaw overnight and pop it into the microwave for a minute or two till heated through.  I still make “Soup”erior Meatloaf - but now I form the loaves into oval-shaped patties and flash freeze.  Then I store the patties in a freezer bag.  Thaw overnight and cook on a foil lined cookie sheet in the oven, alongside a Time to Spare Spud for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees.  One of my new favorite recipes is the Chicken/Turkey Patties. They make a terrific quick meal. I heat two frozen patties in the microwave on high for about two minutes. They are great for sandwiches, crumbled over a salad, or served with mashed potatoes, gravy, and a vegetable.

In April, the Boys and I moved into a cute little ranch house with a big back yard…and a special dedicated circuit for my freezer in the garage!  30 Day Gourmet has been a life saver for me in so many ways through the changes I’ve experienced since 1999. The easy adaptability of the system, the great tips in the manual, the yummy recipes, and the camaraderie of the website message boards have removed the stress associated with getting nutritious meals on the table…cooking is an absolute joy!  And, an added bonus - I’ve lost 40 pounds since last summer.  With 30 Day Gourmet and lots of dog walking, I will continue to my goal weight.  Thanks, 30 Day Gourmet!

Super Easy Chicken Manicotti

Click here to view/print this recipe!

Time to Spare Spuds

These are great with "Soup"erior Meatloaf! Shape the meatloaf into individual loaves and flash freeze. Reheat the twice baked potatoes along side the meatloaf as it cooks!

Click here to view/print this recipe!

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CONTEST WINNERS

Recipe of the Month... Shredded Roast Beef  

Our winner this month is Kathy from Ocala, Florida, with her recipe for Shredded Roast Beef. My family loves shredded roast beef sandwiches but I would always have a problem packaging up the right portions for a meal. Well, Kathy has found a great solution to the problem. She creates individual servings by lining a muffin pan with paper liners, filling the cups with the cooked shredded roast beef, and then flash freezing them. What a great idea!

You can also freeze the meat without the paper liners. To remove them from the tin, fill you sink with enough hot water to reach the bottom side of the pan. Place the muffin pan in the hot water for about 30 seconds. This is enough time to just loosen them up form the sides of the pan and you can just pop them out with a fork. This method works well for any shredded meat. Another recipe to try this with is Pork BBQ. 

Let's meet Kathy:

"There is just my husband and me at home.  I discovered 30 Day Gourmet by accident and fell in love with the idea.  Initially, I used make ahead meals as a way of freeing up time for myself to do other things besides cooking.  We are in the middle of a big redecorating project and I wanted time to reupholster some furniture, sew window treatments, paint walls, well you get the picture.  My husband says that redoing our house is like painting a bridge, when you get to the end, you have to start all over again.  I also sew quite a bit, most all of my clothes and hubby's shirts and pants as well as assorted other things.  I like quilting and am a voracious reader.  I love experimenting with recipes and am committed to cooking low fat tasty meals as hubby has had open heart surgery and must be on this kind of life style.  But above all, healthy food should taste good, or else why bother."

Click here to view/print the July Recipe of the Month.

You too can get in on the winning! Just post your favorite freeze-able recipe on the message boards. Congratulations, Kathy!  

Freezer Cook of the Month Winner

Our winner this month is Darcy from Manton, MI, who discovered how just one day's work can do a lot of good for someone in need.

Darcy says:  

Last summer, a friend from church was put on bed rest when she was pregnant with twins. She already had a toddler running around and I knew her husband would need some help. Although I couldn't afford to make her a bunch of dinners, I knew I could help out by making freezer meals if someone helped to buy the food. The church gave me $100 for the groceries and I was able to make them 40 freezer meals. They, as well as the rest of the congregation, was amazed at how many meals they received. Since everything is prepared and frozen, I was able to take advantage of what was on sale and get a lot more food. The meals lasted them until she was off bed rest and all it took me was one day of cooking!

So, how do you make 30 Day Gourmet work for you?  How do you use it to help you deal with a challenge in your life?  How do you use it to help others?  Email me at  carol@...  to be entered in our contest.  Congratulations, Darcy!! 

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FINAL THOUGHTS

I hope you have enjoyed this weekly edition of our Newsletter.  Next month we'll have some great recipes to beat that summertime heat! Email me at carol@... with any questions, ideas, suggestions or problems. I enjoy hearing from you all!

Hope you have a great rest-of-the-month, and we’ll be talking again soon! 

Carol
 

30 Day Gourmet

P.O. Box 272
Brownsburg, IN 46112
www.30DayGourmet.com

Copyright 2005 - 30 Day Gourmet.  All rights reserved.

July 2005 - Freezer Cooking News, Salmon Recipes, and More!

by Nanci Slagle

To read the complete newsletter on our website, click here.

In This Issue:

FREEZER COOKING NEWS FROM NANCI

• Slagle Family Updates

• Trip to Alaska

• South Beach Food Tips

ALASKAN SALMON INFO & RECIPES

• Salmon Muffins

• Alaskan Salmon Quiche

WEBSITE NEWS

CONSULTANT NEWS

CLOSING COMMENTS

FREEZER COOKING NEWS FROM NANCI

We were able to fulfill a long held dream this summer and take a vacation to Alaska. My brother and his family have lived in Anchorage for 20 years but we've never been to see them (they usually come to Indiana once a year). Wow - what a beautiful place. I've decided to combine two things about our trip for the theme of my newsletter - South Beach dieting and Alaskan salmon!

Alaskan Salmon Muffins

These muffins were quick and easy to stir up. I only used one bowl and had them in the oven within a few minutes. After cooling them, I packaged 2 of them in 3 quart-sized bags. Tim took a bag of them to work the next day and warmed them in the microwave for about 45 seconds before eating.

Click here to view/print this recipe!

Salmon Quiche

Click here to view/print this recipe!

WEBSITE NEWS

July 2005 - Grocery Lists, Camp Recipes, and User FAQs!

by Shelley Miller

To read the complete newsletter on our website, click here.

In This Issue:

COOKIN' AT THE KEYBOARD WITH SHELLEY

CAMPING RECIPES

• Campfire Apple Spice Cake

• Campfire Banana Boats

USER FAQs

• MasterCook^® Imports

CLOSING COMMENTS FROM SHELLEY

COOKIN' AT THE KEYBOARD WITH SHELLEY

 

I am a committed (dare I say addicted?) freezer cook. Our family couldn't survive without some level of inventory in our freezer. Unfortunately, every meal I serve my family and guests can't come from my freezer - like when we go camping - tomorrow! When I pack the cooler in the morning, I'll pull out the frozen hamburger patties I seasoned last month, as well as a recipe of Debbie's Chicken Marinade for the grilled chicken sandwiches. I'll toss in any package of cookies or bars that haven't already been discovered since our last cooking day.

But there are lots of things we eat at camp that can't come from the freezer. Just like I use the Advantage Cooking software to generate my grocery list before a big cooking day, I also use the software to create my grocery list before we go camping! It's a little unorthodox, I know, but it gets the job done.

Each meal becomes a recipe in the software, for example, "Camp Breakfast - French Toast." I even create a special "Camping" recipe category. The recipe ingredients become everything I need to fix the meal (e.g. bread, eggs, butter, syrup, orange juice, etc.).

To start building a grocery list, I add a new cooking day and select all the camping recipes and "camping meal" recipes I want. On our trip this weekend, we've invited several single guys (who don't want to cook - imagine that!) to eat with us. All I have to do is change the recipe quantities on my cooking day plan and my grocery list automatically expands. Wow, this makes packing for camp almost fun! OK, maybe "fun" is a little extreme, but you get the idea.

 I'll be back next month with some freezer-friendly recipes. For now, since I've got camping on the brain, here's a couple of our favorite desserts for the campfire.

Campfire Apple Spice Cake

This dessert was a huge hit with the family (in spite of the fact that it preempted the s'mores) and it seems to be fool proof. I was reluctant to bake a cake in campfire coals, but it has worked every time. I used a carrot cake mix in this picture (instead of the spice cake recommended.) A delicious dessert to warm the family on a cool evening.

Click here to view/print/import this recipe!

 

Campfire Banana Boats

      

The kids have fun with this one! Slit the banana with a plastic knife, push in at both ends to make a boat, and fill it up. Wrap in foil and heat on a grill over coals or an open fire. Caution: don't cook 'em too long!

Click here to view/print/import this recipe!

USER FAQs

---

MasterCook^® Imports

< Note: This article was originally written for the newsletter last March. Although Christmas is now a distant memory, the import features of Advantage are just waiting to be unwrapped. Please excuse the context and read on!>

It sounds ridiculous, I know, but I’m finally finished with Christmas! Just last week I returned a gift that was never wrapped because I had hidden it too well and couldn’t remember where to find it. Fortunately, I was able to exchange the now out-of-season fleece-lined winter hat I bought for my daughter for a pair of summer sandals that she loves. Isn’t it a great feeling to trade something good for something else that works even better?

The MasterCook^® Import feature in the Advantage Cooking software does exactly that; it takes a  MasterCook^® recipe (something good) and converts it to the Advantage Cooking recipe format (something better)! If you have access to MasterCook^® version 4/.mxp files, the import procedure is simple. (Note: the import of .mx2 files will be included in the next release of the software.)

Go to the “Recipes” tab, click the “Import” button, and specify the location and filename of a MasterCook^® (.mxp) file. The recipe information is converted and displayed for editing. Wherever possible, the text from the original recipe is extracted and placed in the new recipe (e.g. title, source, serving size, prep time, amounts, measures, ingredients, comments, instructions). If an exact match does not exist, the conversion program will attempt to assign a “best guess” entry. Ingredients that do not have a match will be automatically added when the import is complete. The original text from the MasterCook^® recipe can be viewed by clicking the “Original Recipe” tab at the top of the window.

To leave the conversion without importing the recipe, click “Cancel”, otherwise, click “Import” to add the recipe to your Advantage Cooking database. For more detailed instructions, see page 34 in the software manual.

Even if you don’t use MasterCook^®, you can continue to add recipes to your software by importing them from the website or any one of the ebooks. It doesn’t take much to go from “good” to even “better”!

Click here to download a free trial version of the software!

 

CLOSING COMMENTS FROM SHELLEY

30 Day Gourmet

P.O. Box 272
Brownsburg, IN 46112
www.30DayGourmet.com

Copyright 2003 - 30 Day Gourmet.  All rights reserved.

August 2005 - Great Grill Recipes, Freezer Contest Winners, and More!

by Carol Santee

To read the complete newsletter on our website, click here.

If the links in this newsletter don't work, please see the "NOTE:" at the bottom.

In This Issue:

KITCHEN FUN WITH CAROL

BONUS RECIPES

• Grilled Chicken Parmesan

• Grill Fries Seasoning Mix

CONTESTS

• Recipe of the Month Contest

• Freezer Cook of the Month

CLOSING COMMENTS

KITCHEN FUN WITH CAROL

Hi everybody!  I don't know if it's hot and humid where you are but it has been a scorcher here this summer. We have had weeks of temperatures in the nineties with extremely high humidity thanks to hurricane Dennis. 

I always try to plan ahead for the summer months when I put together my summer menu. I avoid meals that will heat up the kitchen. That means we usually do a lot of grilling, cooking with a slow cooker or microwave, or cooking meals that are quick and with very little cooking time. I usually organize the menu by the day of the week. Saturday and Sunday meals are quick and easy so that we can get in and out of the house for church and family activities. Monday is a slow cooker day. This gives me time to catch up with chores around the house after a busy weekend. Tuesday is a grill day. Wednesday is Mexican with tacos, burritos and fajitas. Thursday is Chinese stir-fries or soups cooked in the slow cooker. Friday is family night. If it's cool, the kids usually want homemade pizza or calzones. If it's hot we cook something special on the grill like grill packets or some marinated chicken and grill fries.  Some of our favorite recipes include Meats in Marinade, Swiss Steak, Debbie's Chicken Marinade, Delicious Pot Roast, Meatball Subs, Montreal Chicken Sandwiches, Grilled Chicken Salad, Pork BBQ, Taco Salad and Sloppy Joes. 

We are year round grillers. We have been known to light up the grill in the dead of winter with six inches of snow on top of the grill! We have accumulated our fair share of grill recipes over the years. Some are favorites from friends and family. Others are ones that we have created on our own. Some can be frozen and others cannot. We love trying out new recipes or trying to adapt existing recipes to be cooked on the grill.

Last year while shopping for a Father's Day gift for my Dad, I came across an expandable grilling tray that is used for cooking vegetables on the grill. It expands to fit the depth of your grill. We love using it. You can use it to grill potatoes, vegetables or even cook bags of frozen French Fries. How convenient is that!

One of our favorite new recipes this summer is grilled zucchini. You cut 3 small zucchini into 1/4 inch slices. Cut up 1 green pepper into 1/2 inch chunks. Cut up 1/2 of an onion into 1/4 inch chunks. Mix it all together with 1/3 cup of light Italian dressing and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Grill at medium heat or about 350 degrees until the veggies start to brown and are crisp tender. This is a wonderful side dish!

This issue of Chewin’ the News brings you two new grill recipes including some tips on grilling potatoes or French Fries.  Read more about it below in the Bonus Recipes section. 

BONUS RECIPES 

Grilled Chicken Parmesan

I recently saw a commercial for Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil. They created grill packets where they placed the food inside the wrap and folded it to seal it. This allows you to cook your meat, sauce and vegetables all at the same time on the grill. This idea is great for freezer cooking as well! You can prepare the grill packets ahead of time and freeze them. When you want to grill, just take them out of the freezer and let them thaw completely. Heat up the grill to the appropriate temp and you are ready to make a great meal! 

My husband loves Chicken Parmesan but I don't like to heat up the oven for 45 minutes in the summer. Grill packets became our solution to the problem. It's easy to create your own grill packet. Tear off a piece of foil that is 18 inches long. Layer your recipe in order of cooking time. Meat usually takes the longest amount of time to cook so start with the meat on the bottom. Add any toppings and sauce. 

Click here to view/print this recipe!

Grill Fries Seasoning Mix

We wanted a way to cook potatoes and French fries in the summer besides using the microwave. We love those seasoned fries that you get at restaurants so we came up with our own seasoning mix. You can use this either on regular potatoes or on plain frozen French fries. We grill them using a vegetable grilling tray. I have also used a regular a cookie sheet. The secret is to make sure that you flip the potatoes or fries over every couple of minutes so that they don't burn. 

Click here to view/print this recipe!

CONTEST WINNERS

Recipe of the Month... April's Chicken Marinade  

Our winner this month is April from Beaverton, OR, with her recipe for April's Chicken Marinade. This recipe uses honey. I have never frozen honey in a marinade before. Most information on honey talks about the quality of the honey after freezing. It tends to make baked goods mushy because it breaks down. This is not an issue with marinade and it worked great for us! 

I am always looking for a great marinade. There's nothing simpler on cooking day than putting a marinade together, adding the meat and then freezing. It's a wonderful thing! We tend to eat a lot of chicken in the summer and this recipe tastes great! My kids even asked when we would be having it again. I just love it when that happens! I would also suggest trying it with pork chops. 

Let's hear from April:

I am a stay-at-home mother of my three-month-old baby girl, Allison.  Before her birth, I was a high school English teacher with an hour-long commute.  My husband and I have been doing 30-day-gourmet for a couple of years.  Every time we make a meal that we know freezes well, we make a huge batch and freeze a bunch of it in entree size Gladware containers.  The individual servings work great for us, because we can just grab one out of the freezer to take to work for lunch (much healthier than frozen meals from the grocery store, and tastier too), and it doesn't take long to build up a variety of meals.  On nights when neither of us feel like cooking "from scratch," we just grab meals out of the freezer.  This keeps us out of the fast-food restaurants.  This poultry marinade is great tasting, simple to make, and doesn't include expensive ingredients.  I found it on a hand-out that I received in a high school foods class from the Oregon Turkey Improvement Association, 13 years ago.  I used it a lot when I was still a single first-year teacher with no money.  Enjoy!

Click here to view/print the August Recipe of the Month.

You too can get in on the winning! Just post your favorite freeze-able recipe on the message boards. Congratulations, April!  

Freezer Cook of the Month Winner

Our winner this month is Theresa from Houston, TX, with her great story about the "five second rule" and freezer cooking!

Theresa says:  

The new "newsletter"(s) are great! It was so great to get the one from Carol and then from Nanci so close together. The fact that my sister, a friend and I just had a marathon cooking day on Saturday probably influences my excitement. It was my friend's first time cooking the 30 Day Gourmet way and my sister's first time in 8 years! We made 94 batches of entrees, breads, muffins, soups, sandwiches and of course, desserts! I started at 6 AM finishing my make ahead items (browned beef and fat free white sauce) and we finished around 9:30 PM. Our final recipe was the Chicken Pockets and since we had been working so diligently and hadn't stopped to eat dinner (lunch was pizza delivered to our door), we were eagerly anticipating the timer going off to signal the first tray of them being done. In my overly eager state, I opened the oven door (the upper of a double oven) and pulled out the pan and apparently those chickens had a rebirth and flew right off the pan onto the floor!!!! Unfortunately the 5 second rule didn't apply due the day's worth of build up on the floor (uncooked rice, cornflake crumbs, etc.). We were so hungry we really wrestled with the thought of digging into the steamy pile of 12 crescent rolls filled with the cream cheese enrobed chicken ... BUT couldn't get past the hairs and rice sticking to it all. So, we waited 10 more minutes and enjoyed the second batch:) When it was all over, we felt like we did after walking a half marathon back in January, but we are in that afterglow of awe at our full freezers! The new newsletters keep me inspired and act as a 30DG Rolaids (relief for the "I'm so tired of browning, cutting, mixing, stirring, labeling, storing, I don't want to do this anytime soon" feeling I had at 10:30 PM Saturday night). Thanks for doing a great job as usual !!!!!!

So, how do you make 30 Day Gourmet work for you?  How do you use it to help you deal with a challenge in your life?  How do you use it to help others?  Do you have a funny cooking story to share? Email me at  carol@...  to be entered in our contest.  Congratulations, Theresa!! 

CLOSING COMMENTS 

I hope you enjoy the recipes and the grilling tips! Next month we'll talk about back to school lunch and after school snack recipes. Post your favorite tips, tricks and recipes for packing lunches on our message board, the Cook's Corner. I'm looking forward to hearing what you have to share! 

Email me at carol@... with any questions, ideas, suggestions or problems. I enjoy hearing from you!

Have a great month!

Carol
 

 

NOTE:

If the links in this newsletter do not work for you, please check the following.....

 

1. If you get your emails from Yahoo Groups in digest form, all the links are removed by Yahoo and the email is sent in "text" version.  You need to cancel the digest emails and choose individual emails to get them sent correctly.

2. You need to choose to receive your emails from Yahoo in HTML format.  If you don't choose HTML, all the links are removed when it is sent to you.

 

To change both of these settings, cut and paste  http://groups.yahoo.com/  in your web browser window.  It will take you to the Yahoo Groups page.  Login using your Yahoo user ID and select the 30DayGourmetFreezerCooking group. Choose to "Edit Membership" from there.  Both of these settings can be changed there, and then you should be all set to get valid links in our Newsletter.

 

If you still have problems, please let me know at  carol@.... 

 

30 Day Gourmet

P.O. Box 272
Brownsburg, IN 46112
www.30DayGourmet.com

Copyright 2003 - 30 Day Gourmet.  All rights reserved.

August 2005 - Back to school snack & lunch recipes, News & More!

by Nanci Slagle

To read the complete newsletter on our website, click here.

If the links in this newsletter don't work, please see the "NOTE:" at the bottom.

In This Issue:

FREEZER COOKING NEWS FROM NANCI

SNACK AND LUNCH RECIPES

• Pizza Burgers

• Awesome Mac 'n Cheese

• Pepperoni Sticks

• Chicken Pockets

• Becky's Turkey, Bacon and Cheese Pockets

• Adam's Pizza Pockets

• Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

• Easy Chicken Fettuccine

• Tara's Favorite Muffins

WEBSITE NEWS

EMAILS FROM HAPPY CUSTOMERS

CLOSING COMMENTS

FREEZER COOKING NEWS FROM NANCI

Click here to view/print this recipe!

WEBSITE NEWS

September 2005 - Back to School Recipes, Freezer Contest Winners, and More!

by Carol Santee

To read the complete newsletter on our website, click here.

If the links in this newsletter don't work, please see the "NOTE:" at the bottom.

In This Issue:

KITCHEN FUN WITH CAROL

BONUS RECIPES

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pockets

Double Chocolate Muffins

CONTESTS

Recipe of the Month Contest

Freezer Cook of the Month

CLOSING COMMENTS

KITCHEN FUN WITH CAROL

Hi everybody!  It's back to school time at our house. My twin boys are starting high school this year so we have been getting them prepared for the big day and the added responsibilities that high school brings. My daughter is back home from her summer job for a few weeks. She is preparing to leave for The Ohio State University (Go Bucks!) to study nursing. It's been great having her back home for a couple of weeks! It's fun to watch the interaction between her and her brothers. And it is interesting with three teenagers in the house that eat constantly all day long! Not only do I have to plan for lunch and dinner but I also have to have lots of snacks and breakfast foods on hand to full up my hungry teenagers. 

Our current favorite breakfast food is Breakfast McBiscuits.  I made my first batch a couple weeks ago using English muffins, turkey sausage and eggs. I keep cheese on hand so the kids can add it themselves later if they want it. For my first batch I used Tammy's suggestion from the message boards to cook the eggs. Click here to read her posting. She bakes the eggs in a jelly roll pan and then cuts them into squares for the sandwiches. This is so simple and easy. When I made my second batch (a double batch this time!) I tried cooking the eggs in a microwavable muffin pan that had 9 muffin cups. This was fast, easy and they came out round just like McDonald's. I bought my turkey sausage in one pound chubs. I split each chub into 8 portions, used my hamburger press to form the patties, and cooked the patties on my large electric griddle. They assembled very quickly using this method. To avoid the problem of a soggy sandwich, I do not freeze them fully assembled. I place the unopened muffin, sausage and egg in a sandwich bag and then I place multiple bags inside a gallon freezer bag. When you are ready to eat them, grab a sandwich and microwave it 15 seconds so that the muffin can be opened. Toast the muffin in the toaster and microwave the egg and sausage on a plate until they are hot. If you want to add cheese, add it during the last 15 seconds of microwaving. 

We have lots of other recipes that we serve for breakfast. Another new favorite is Tara's Favorite Muffins with chocolate chips. I make the mini muffin version of this recipe. They are wonderful! We also make waffles using the Master Baking Mix, Breakfast Burritos, Peanut Butter Muffins, Granola Bars, and French Toast Sticks from the Freezer Cooking for Daycare Providers and Busy Parents ebook sampler.

For lunches, I always go with a seasonal rotating menu. Variety helps keep everyone happy. For example, when serving a sandwich sometimes I serve them on pita pockets instead of bread and with fresh spinach instead of lettuce. This makes it different and fun. Here's a sample of a menu that I use. We repeat it 3 times and then adjust the menu for the next season. 

* I use the Beef and Noodles recipe from the Healthy Freezer Cooking ebook or you could use the Crock-Pot Beef Sandwiches from The Freezer Cooking Manual. 

Some of our other favorite recipes for lunch include Pizza Pockets, Hamburger Mulligan and Pepperoni Sticks from the Freezer Lunches to Go ebook, French Toast Sticks from the Freezer Cooking for Daycare Providers and Busy Parents ebook sampler, Mac and Cheese (homemade or boxed), and Meatloaf Sandwich (I cook mine before I freeze it!). I also occasionally pack hotdogs or and left over soups or chili. 

One of our favorite recipes for lunches are homemade pockets. There are so many different combinations of ingredients that you can use to make the filling. We usually pick four different types to make for each menu rotation. That gives us one meal of pockets per week. Never made pockets before? Here are some tips to get you started.

1. For the bread you can use purchased or homemade bread dough, store bought crescent rolls, or any other homemade breading. We make our own dough to save money. The Super Easy Best Ever Crescent Rolls recipe or the Crescent Roll recipe from the Freezer Lunches to Go ebook are great for pockets.

2. Pick filling combinations that your family likes. Each pocket uses about 1/4 cup of filling so for each batch of twelve you will need 3 cups. Here are some ideas to try:

• Turkey, ham and cheese

• Chicken, broccoli and cheddar

• Chicken, mozzarella, and spaghetti sauce

• Miniature meatballs, mozzarella and spaghetti sauce

• BBQ beef

• Beef or Chicken, Mexican cheese, peppers and onion

• Shredded beef or chicken with cheddar cheese

• Chicken, peppers, broccoli and Alfredo sauce

• Philly steak, cheese, onions and peppers

3. If your filling has a sauce, do not get the sauce on the edges and do not overstuff the pockets. If you do, the pockets may not seal and their contents will ooze out during cooking. There's nothing sadder than a pocket that has lost it's filling!

4. Make sure you cool the pockets completely before freezing. Warm pockets generate ice crystals in the freezer. That makes the pockets wet when you defrost them. If this happens, warm them up in the oven instead of the microwave to dry them out.

Pockets are a fun way to serve lunch! Be creative and create your own combination of flavors. For some more helpful information on packing lunches, read Do’s and Don’ts of Packed Lunches and my ebook Freezer Lunches To Go.  Good luck this school year and enjoy this month's bonus recipes!

BONUS RECIPES

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pockets

We love pockets so I am always trying to create new flavor combinations to pack for lunch. This recipe was inspired by one of our favorite dinners, Chicken Cordon Bleu. For us, it's one of those special occasion meals that I only serve once in a while because of the prep work involved in assembling the meal. It has a great combination of chicken, ham, cheese and a wonderful sauce. This pocket recipe reminds of the flavors without all the work!

Click here to view/print this recipe!

Double Chocolate Muffins

Whenever we go grocery shopping we pass right through the bakery section of the store and you know how tempting that can be. Our local store has a two sided cart that contains lots of different muffins and they all look great! My kids are always asking to purchase some of the chocolate chocolate chip muffins. I decided to create a recipe of my own to use instead. These are light, fluffy and smell so good coming out of the oven. I have these available for breakfast and for the kids to eat after school. You'll be surprised how quickly a dozen will vanish!

Click here to view/print this recipe!

CONTEST WINNERS

Recipe of the Month... Chicken Taco Rice  

Our winner this month is Rachel from Gloucester, VA, with her recipe for Chicken Taco Rice. This rice is very versatile and can be used in many ways. It's great plain with cheese melted on top. It can be used as a filling for Chicken Burritos. You can also use it to make Taco Salad or Nachos. Freeze it in individual servings for after school snacks.

Let's hear from Rachel:

I am a stay-at-home-mom to one preschooler.  I am committed to making healthy meals, but I hate the actual cooking, so I enjoy being able to get all the cooking done for the month and have it over with!  My husband, who is self-employed, appreciates the financial savings that come with such well-planned meals.  The Freezer Cooking Manual is quite a gem, being the only freezer cookbook I could find that included instructions for creating my own cooking plan using the foods we already eat.  My interests include whole foods cooking and nutrition, scrapbooking, reading, working on my website, and research.  (I'm an information junkie!) 

Click here to view/print the September Recipe of the Month.

You too can get in on the winning! Just post your favorite freeze-able recipe on the message boards. Congratulations, Rachel!  

Freezer Cook of the Month Winner

Our winner this month is Diane with her story about how she helps others cooking the 30 Day Gourmet way.

Diane says:  

I purchased your manual several years ago after seeing you on Home and Family (I have your video, too. Love it.). I'd just like to thank you for all your hard work. This system has saved me so much stress. I cook all summer and put about 120 entrees in my freezer, so only have to "supplement cook" during the school year when things are crazy (I have two active teenagers and our family is very involved in both the Christian school where I work and they attend, and our church where I co-lead our "Heartbeat" ministry - meals for women in "crisis"). This past year especially my freezer meals were a lifesaver since I began making meals for my shut-in mother and father-in-law after they became incapacitated. I was so thankful to have "real food" that they would eat and have it ready to bring to them after a long day at school. Your manual, worksheets and system are the best out there. I always have something to bring to our "Heartbeat" new moms, patients in recovery, etc. I can't thank you enough to helping me in this ministry I really feel God has called me to. God bless you, and all your helpers.

Blessings!

Thanks Diane! Less stress is a wonderful thing! We're glad that you are able to help others in their time of need.

So, how do you make 30 Day Gourmet work for you?  How do you use it to help you deal with a challenge in your life?  How do you use it to help others?  Do you have a funny cooking story to share? Email me at  carol@...  to be entered in our contest.  Congratulations, Diane!!   

CLOSING COMMENTS

I hope you enjoy the recipes and the lunch planning tips! I've got a pocket sandwich assembly day to plan. Before I go, there was a posting on the message boards that I would like to mention.

Gina asks: 

Do very many of you actually send warm things in a thermos to school? It would allow a lot of variety. I just worried about it spoiling. Please advise.

Well, Gina, I am in my fifth year of packing lunches and I have been sending warmed foods the entire time. Not once have we had a problem with spoilage. The key is to make sure the Thermos is hot and the food that goes into it is hot as well. This means you need to pre-warm the Thermos by putting hot water in it 5 to 10 minutes before you put the hot food into it. For more information on packing a safe lunch, click here to visit the Partnership for Food Safety Education website.

Next month we'll focus on Autumn recipes such as soup, slow cooker, and bread recipes. I'm looking for your favorite recipes so post them on our message board, the Cook's Corner. I look forward to hearing what you have to share! 

Email me at carol@... with any questions, ideas, suggestions or problems. I enjoy hearing from you!

Have a great month!

Carol

 

NOTE:

If the links in this newsletter do not work for you, please check the following.....

 

1. If you get your emails from Yahoo Groups in digest form, all the links are removed by Yahoo and the email is sent in "text" version.  You need to cancel the digest emails and choose individual emails to get them sent correctly.

2. You need to choose to receive your emails from Yahoo in HTML format.  If you don't choose HTML, all the links are removed when it is sent to you.

 

To change both of these settings, cut and paste  http://groups.yahoo.com/  in your web browser window.  It will take you to the Yahoo Groups page.  Login using your Yahoo user ID and select the 30DayGourmetFreezerCooking group. Choose to "Edit Membership" from there.  Both of these settings can be changed there, and then you should be all set to get valid links in our Newsletter.

 

If you still have problems, please let me know at  carol@.... 

30 Day Gourmet

Copyright 2003 - 30 Day Gourmet.  All rights reserved.

October 2005 - Slow Cooker Recipes, Freezer Contest Winners, and More!

by Carol Santee

To read the complete newsletter on our website, click here.

If the links in this newsletter don't work, please see the "NOTE:" at the bottom.

In This Issue:

KITCHEN FUN WITH CAROL

BONUS RECIPES

Chicken and Dumplings

Slow Poke Fajitas

CONTESTS

Recipe of the Month Contest

Freezer Cook of the Month

HOW TO UPDATE YOUR YAHOO EMAIL ADDRESS

CLOSING COMMENTS FROM CAROL

KITCHEN FUN WITH CAROL

Welcome to autumn, which is my absolute favorite time of the year! Autumn in Ohio is beautiful. The trees start changing color, the air is crisp and clean, football is the Saturday afternoon staple, and we are navigating mountains of homework and school projects. 

Autumn is also time to savor the last of the fresh produce from the garden. There's nothing better than the taste of a homegrown tomato. The only exception to this is when all your tomatoes decide to ripen at once! For me, that means a big canning session of pizza sauce, chili starter or salsa. It's a lot of work but well worth the effort. In many ways it is like once a month cooking. It's a big job but there are so many rewards and a great feeling of accomplishment when you are finished.

I don't know what happens at your house but it seems that once September and October roll around the family activities just multiply. We enjoy bonfires (who doesn't like s'mores, apple cider and roasted hot dogs!), hayrides to the pumpkin patch, picking apples at the orchard, and family hikes at the state or metro parks. This year we are considering taking a leisurely drive through the rolling hills of Amish country. We will visit the dairy farms and taste test all types of cheese, visit the fabric and hardware shops, and look for one of a kind bargains at the flea market. 

We like to go to the fall festivals. One of our favorites is the Apple Butter Stirring Festival. They make apple butter in big black kettles over a roaring fire. The smells are wonderful! I like to make my own apple butter at home. I make mine in the slow cooker. It's much easier than cooking it on the stove. Click here if you would like to try it yourself.

For me, autumn also means the switch from cooking most of our meals on the grill to cooking comfort foods. This means more baking and meals cooked in the slow cooker. There is nothing better than smelling a roast in the slow cooker, tasting cookies still hot after coming out of the oven or a wonderful homemade lasagna with some fresh, hot garlic bread. Here are some of the 30 Day Gourmet recipes that are family favorites:

Oven Favorites:

• Chicken Cordon Bleu Lasagna
• Country Turkey Pot Pie 
• Parsley Parmesan Chicken 
• Round Steak Bake 
• Meal-in-One Pork Chops 
• Ham and Potato Casserole 
• Wild Rice Quiche

Stove-top Favorites:

• Mom-style Burger Helper
• Beef Teriyaki (from the Healthy Cooking ebook)
• Salisbury Patties
• Chicken Fried Rice 

Slow Cooker Favorites:

• Cheesy Chicken and Noodles
• The Emperor's Slow Cooked Chicken
• Delicious Pot Roast
• Taco Chili
• Beef and Noodles (from the Healthy Cooking ebook)
• Crock Pot Saucy Pork Chops 

A lot of recipes can be converted to slow cooker recipes. If a recipe can be cooked on the stove or in the oven, it probably can be converted to cook in a slow cooker. There are some general rules to follow. 

• You need to take the size of the slow cooker into consideration. Most manufacturers recommend the cooker be one-half to two-thirds full for best cooking results. 
• Slow cookers capture moisture as they cook. You will need to reduce the amount of liquid in a recipe when converting it to a slow cooker recipe. 
• Dairy products should be added at the end of the cooking time. This includes ingredients such as milk and sour cream. 
• Vegetables should be thinly sliced and placed near the bottom of the cooker. Meats should be placed on top of the vegetables since they cook faster. 
• Keep the lid on while cooking. Removing the lid allows a lot of heat to escape and will require a longer cooking time.

Here are some general guidelines when converting cooking times:

An interesting product has come out in the last year. They are slow cooker meal kits that you can find in your grocery store freezer section. They are complete meals that you can just put directly into the slow cooker from the freezer. These meals generally contain three separate components; a vegetable and meat mixture, a sauce packet, and a starch packet that contains rice, potatoes or pasta. These recipes can go from a frozen state directly to the slow cooker because the meats are cut into small pieces and the recipe calls for warm liquid to be added to the cooker. The starch that is included with the meal is generally precooked or an item that will cook quickly. These ingredients are added during the last 25 to 45 minutes of cooking to allow them to be warmed. Click here to read the message board posting about this topic.

This issue of "Chewin' the News" brings you two slow cooker recipes that use some of these principles. Read more about it below in the bonus recipes section. 

BONUS RECIPES

Chicken and Dumplings

This recipe is what I call comfort food! It is so creamy, there are lots of vegetables, and the dumplings are fun. The herb mixture in the dumplings gives them a great flavor. The secret to cooking the dumplings is leaving the lid off during the first half hour of their cooking time. This dries out the tops of the dumplings so they are not mushy. The lid is on for the rest of the cooking time to cook the bottoms and the middle.

Click here to view/print this recipe!

Slow Poke Fajitas

My family loves fajitas, tacos, and burritos or just about anything that you can put in a wrap. We usually eat fajitas with all the fixings such as sliced green peppers, onions, salsa, etc. Since the green peppers and the onions can be frozen without blanching, this makes a simple meal to freeze ahead of time. It's easy to cook it in the slow cooker when it's one of those crazy, busy days. Just have some extra fixings on hand and dinner will be ready in a hurry. We also like to serve this with Rio Grande Rice.

Click here to view/print this recipe!

CONTEST WINNERS

Recipe of the Month... Potato Stuffed Meatloaf  

Our winner this month is Corie with a recipe for Potato Stuffed Meatloaf. This recipe has a wonderful flavor. My picky eater generally does not like mashed potatoes but he thought this was great. He even asked when we could have it again. It doesn't get any better than that! My other son preferred it with ketchup on top instead of the sauce in the recipe. This works as well. 

I was unable to reach Corie, so we'll have to meet the creator of this recipe next month. Corie, if you read this, please contact me at carol@... to claim your prize!

Click here to view/print the October Recipe of the Month.

You too can get in on the winning! Just post your favorite freeze-able recipe on the message boards. 

Freezer Cook of the Month Winner

Our winner this month is Sharyl from Verona, WI, who is starting over again and using freezer cooking to help along the way.

Sharyl says:  

"I used to do freezer cooking a few years ago. I got slightly away from it. My husband was tragically killed in December and my life has totally fallen apart. We have recently relocated to be closer to family. I have a 5 yr old and 3 yr old, who love broccoli, its all they want to eat. (Sounds strange, I know, but they love those little green trees!!!) If I try to eat broccoli without her she takes it off my plate (but I guess there are worse things).

So I'm starting this over, small steps. Making 2 or 3 of an item at a time. I know it costs more money for convenience of items, but on some stuff, that's all I can handle. For the first 3 months or so after my husband died, we lived off peanut butter and jelly, macaroni and cheese and frozen pizza because that's all I could handle making. A lot of people made meals and that was wonderful. I had run my freezer low and was getting ready for a cooking day after the holidays were over. So we got through it. I'm slowly coming around and just taking small steps. I have some meat frozen into smaller packages frozen in marinade and stocked up on the frozen chicken breasts when they were on sale over the 4th of July.

Look forward to trying some of your recipes."

Our hearts and prayers go out to you, Sharyl. We have a wonderful community of users through our message boards that are with you 100 percent of the way! And remember, there is no right or wrong way to freezer cook. The best thing to do is to determine what works for you! Even I don't stick to one particular method. Sometimes I cook based on what's on sale. Sometimes I have just a breads and breakfast cooking day. If my life is too busy or overwhelming I may just have a meat prep day where I cook and chunk chicken and brown hamburger for future meals. That's the great thing about this system. You can make it work for you.

So, how do you make 30 Day Gourmet work for you?  How do you use it to help you deal with a challenge in your life?  How do you use it to help others?  Do you have a funny cooking story to share? Email me at  carol@... to be entered in our contest.     

HOW TO UPDATE YOUR YAHOO EMAIL ADDRESS

We've had a lot of requests lately from users who have changed their email address and who would like us to change it on their Yahoo account. The moderators are not allowed to change your email address on your account. The instructions below are from the Yahoo help center and they explain how to update the email address on your account. If you have any further questions, contact the Yahoo help center by going to www.yahoo.com and clicking on help. To update your email address you will need to login to Yahoo and change the email address associated with your account and with the groups that you belong to. Go to www.yahoo.com, login using your Yahoo ID, and follow these instructions.

. 

Your account is identified by the Yahoo! ID you use to sign in. Your preferences, profile, and email addresses are all part of your account.

Your account can have up to 5 email addresses that can be used for group subscriptions. To view the addresses linked to your account, go to My Preferences.

To change your email address, you will first need to add your new email address to your account. Skip to the next set of instructions if the address is already linked to your Yahoo! ID.

Adding an email address to your account:

1. Sign in using your Yahoo! ID and click on Account Info.
2. Click on the Edit button to the right of Member Information.
3. Add your new email address as an Alternate Email Address and click Finished.
4. Click on the Edit button to the right of Member Information again.
5. Click on the Non-verified link and follow the steps to verify the address.
6. Go to groups.yahoo.com and click on My Preferences.
7. The new address should be listed as "Not currently available for subscription." Click on the Edit button to the right of Email Addresses.
8. Click on the Convert link to the right of the new email address.
9. An email with an authorization code will be sent to the address. (It should arrive within minutes, but may take longer. Please allow up to 12 hours to receive the email.) Follow the instructions contained in the email to complete the process.

1. Go to My Groups
2. Click on Edit My Groups
3. Use the drop-down menus to select the appropriate email address for each group, and click on Save Changes.

1. Go to My Preferences and click on the Edit button to the right of Email Addresses.
2. Click on the Remove link to the right of the email address you no longer want to use.

CLOSING COMMENTS FROM CAROL

I hope you enjoy the slow cooker recipes and tips! Next month we'll focus on family gathering recipes for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I'm looking for your favorite recipes so post them on our message board, the Cook's Corner. I look forward to hearing what you have to share! 

Email me at carol@... with any questions, ideas, suggestions or problems. I enjoy hearing from you!

Have a great month!

Carol

 

 

NOTE:

If the links in this newsletter do not work for you, please check the following.....

 

1. If you get your emails from Yahoo Groups in digest form, all the links are removed by Yahoo and the email is sent in "text" version.  You need to cancel the digest emails and choose individual emails to get them sent correctly.

2. You need to choose to receive your emails from Yahoo in HTML format.  If you don't choose HTML, all the links are removed when it is sent to you.

 

To change both of these settings, cut and paste  http://groups.yahoo.com/  in your web browser window.  It will take you to the Yahoo Groups page.  Login using your Yahoo user ID and select the 30DayGourmetFreezerCooking group. Choose to "Edit Membership" from there.  Both of these settings can be changed there, and then you should be all set to get valid links in our Newsletter.

 

If you still have problems, please let me know at  carol@.... 

 

30 Day Gourmet

Copyright 2003 - 30 Day Gourmet.  All rights reserved.

October 2005 - Chocolate Recipes, Website & Consultant Updates!

by Nanci Slagle

To read the complete newsletter on our website, click here.

If the links in this newsletter don't work, please see the "NOTE:" at the bottom.

In This Issue:

FREEZER COOKING NEWS FROM NANCI

• Chocolate Cheerio Bars

• Chocolate Peanut Clusters

• Mississippi Mud Cake

• Chocolate Desserts from 30 Day Gourmet

COMPANY AND WEBSITE NEWS

EMAILS FROM HAPPY CUSTOMERS

CONSULTANTS NEWS

CLOSING COMMENTS

FREEZER COOKING NEWS FROM NANCI

Chocolate Cheerio Bars

Everyone can always use another recipe with cereal, chocolate, butter and marshmallows. Yum! My kids love these. As with most bars, cookies and candies, they can be made ahead and individually frozen for a quick lunchbox or after school treat.

 

Click here to view/print this recipe!

 

Chocolate Peanut Clusters

 

 

Click here to view/print this recipe!

 

Mississippi Mud Cake

I had heard of this but never made one before. Since I forgot to bring my digital camera home over the weekend, I was forced to take the cake to school, photograph it and then leave it in the teacher's lounge. No one seemed to be too upset:)

Click here to view/print this recipe!

 

I looked back through all of our newsletters and I don't think that we have ever pulled together all of our CHOCOLATE recipes for you. So here's a handy list of every recipe on the site that contains chocolate. If you are a dessert lover and like to have desserts handy in the freezer, I would also highly recommend that you buy Tammy's Freezer Desserts to Die For! ebook. For only $6.95 you can download 25+ freezer recipes plus lots of great info on freezing desserts. It's a great deal. Click here for a list of the recipes in the ebook.

CONSULTANT NEWS

December 2005 - Dessert Recipes, Freezer Contest Winners, and More!

by Carol Santee

To read the complete newsletter on our website, click here.

If the links in this newsletter don't work, please see the "NOTE:" at the bottom.

In This Issue:

KITCHEN FUN WITH CAROL

BONUS RECIPES

Chocolate Fudge Cake

Fudge Sauce

Pecan Pie Bars

CONTESTS

Recipe of the Month Contest

Freezer Cook of the Month

CLOSING COMMENTS FROM CAROL

KITCHEN FUN WITH CAROL

Hello cooks! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We sure did! My daughter came home from college for the weekend. We spent time with extended family. It is so nice just to sit back, relax and catch up on things that are happening in each others lives. It's great to have the support of your family. I'm very thankful to have them in my life.

The Thanksgiving holiday weekend marks the beginning of the mad rush towards Christmas. This means lots of time spent baking cookies, planning family gatherings, caroling with our church small group and making Christmas gifts. One of our favorite family activities is decorating the tree. It is so fun to bring out the old ornaments that were made by the kids when they were little. It always brings back so many memories. Some of my favorite ornaments are cinnamon ornaments. They still smell good after all these years. The is a fun project to do with the kids. You can add them to wrapped packages as a decoration. Click here for instructions on how to make them.

One of our family traditions is baking and decorating sugar cookies. We did this together over Thanksgiving as a family activity. The adults and older kids made the cookie dough and baked the cookies. Then the younger kids decorated them. We made a big batch of icing, put it in separate disposable cups and made each cup a different color. We had lots of sprinkles, edible glitter, and colored sugars to sprinkle on top of the icing. The kids thought it was great! Want to try this activity? Click here for a link to a great sugar cookie and icing recipe you can try.

I love collecting those little recipes that are printed in magazine advertisements or in with the grocery coupons. One of my husband's favorite recipes to make for Christmas gifts is called Chocolate Pizza. This recipe is from Nestle. It's one that I clipped out of a magazine years ago. The crust is made from chocolate, rice crispies, and peanuts. The top is decorated with red maraschino cherries to look like pepperoni, coconut, and the top is drizzled with melted white almond bark to look like melted cheese. This recipe freezes very well. Just make sure you bring it to room temperature before serving it. Click here to see this fun recipe.

Aren't gifts from the kitchen the best! They are great to give as teacher gifts. Many different types of baked goods will work for gift jars. Our favorite are muffins, cookies and brownies. Making kitchen gifts is a great way to spend time with your children and they get to practice their measuring skills. As Tammy mentioned in her November 2005 newsletter, there are several wonderful gift recipes on the 30 Day Gourmet web site. Click here to read Tammy's article. 

This issue of Chewin' the News brings you two new dessert recipes to make this holiday season. I hope you enjoy them. Read more about them in the Bonus Recipes section.

BONUS RECIPES

Chocolate Fudge Cake

This is one of the best chocolate cake recipes that I have ever tasted. It is dense and fudgy and so moist. The secret is the buttermilk. I used low fat buttermilk in the recipe. It works just as well as regular buttermilk. There are several ways to freeze this cake. You can freeze it unfrosted in layers. I put the layers in gallon freezer bags. You can also freeze it as a 9x13 fully frosted cake. Either way it comes out great. When I make this cake, I top it with the Fudge Sauce recipe below and then top it with whipped cream. Try it this way or frost it with your favorite frosting. 

Click here to view/print this recipe!

Fudge Sauce

This is a wonderful fudge sauce that I use as a frosting for Chocolate Fudge Cake. It is also great on ice cream. Store any extras in the fridge. One batch is enough to cover one double round layer cake or one 9x13 pan. In either case there will be a little left over to spoon on your ice cream.

Click here to view/print this recipe!

Pecan Pie Bars

This is one of my daughter's all time favorite recipes. I made this for Thanksgiving instead of making a regular pecan pie. It's nice because you can get a taste of pecan pie without all the guilt.

Click here to view/print this recipe!

 

CONTEST WINNERS

December Recipe of the Month... Pasta Fagioli Soup Mix  

Our winner this month is Rhea from Bakersfield, CA, with her recipe for Pasta Fagioli Soup Mix. This recipe has so much flavor! The herb mix used to season the soup is absolutely wonderful. I like using a soup base instead of chicken bouillon granules. To mix everything thoroughly, I processed the herb mixture in my mini chopper. If you cannot find dried green pepper flakes in your area, you can substitute 3 T. chopped fresh green pepper for 1 T. of dried but you will have to add it when the tomatoes and tomato sauce are added to the soup.

Let's hear from Rhea:

"My name is Rhea and I live in Bakersfield, Ca. I'm married and have two children and three grandchildren. I am looking toward retirement in the next two or three years and hope to have more time to experiment with cooking. I have been freezer cooking since I was a junior in high school but found your site only about 3 years ago. The soup is excellent on one of our cold foggy nights and makes a very easy, very fast Christmas gift."

Click here to view/print the December Recipe of the Month.

Congratulations Rhea! Thank you for posting this wonderful recipe. You too can get in on the winning! Just post your favorite freeze-able recipe on the message boards. 

Freezer Cook of the Month Winner

Our winner this month is Becky from Carlock, IL. Read how 30 Day Gourmet has helped her get through a family tragedy and has helped her become a better cook.

Becky says:  

"I was first introduced to 30 Day Gourmet by a friend at work.  We were both busy teachers who at the end of the day, were exhausted and didn't want to think about meals.  So one Saturday we cooked 6 recipes total.  We ended up with so much at the end of the day - it was wonderful and my husband was excited about having actual meals!  About a month later tragedy struck my family.  My brother, sister and my sister's husband were all killed in a plane crash.  My sister and her husband left behind 3 young children and my husband and I became their legal guardians.  Oh...and did I mention that I was 6 1/2 months pregnant at the time?  Needless to say the meals that my friend and I had put up were a lifesaver.  I had never been famous for cooking ability in my family so the kids were pleasantly surprised at their Aunt Becky's meals!  Now, a year and half later, I have a husband and 4 children, with another due in less than 2 months.  I have introduced a couple of my close friends to 30 Day Gourmet and so now we try to get together at least every couple of months.  And as far as my cooking ability?  Let's just say I feel pretty good about providing healthy meals for my family without the craziness that could have been if it wasn't for 30 Day Gourmet helping me find my way.  Thank you. "

 

We are so glad that 30 Day Gourmet was there to help you through this difficult time. Our hearts go out to you and your family this holiday season. And congratulations on the new baby who, according to an update from Becky, should be born any time now! 

So, how do you make 30 Day Gourmet work for you?  How do you use it to help you deal with a challenge in your life?  How do you use it to help others?  Do you have a funny cooking story to share? Email me at  carol@... to be entered in our contest.     

CLOSING COMMENTS FROM CAROL

I hope you enjoy the holiday dessert recipes! I love dessert. Anything chocolate will do in a pinch for me - brownies, cookies, cake, fudge, or ice cream. My son is the same way. All you have to do is put something chocolate in the oven and he will come running! I swear he can smell chocolate from a mile away. 

Calling all cooks...I'm looking for your favorite comfort food recipes so post them on our message board, the Cook's Corner. Any recipe posting will be considered for the Recipe of the Month contest and a chance to win $25 cash or merchandise from the 30 Day Gourmet store. Just post it under the appropriate category on the message boards. Be sure to include freezing directions! I look forward to hearing what you have to share.

Email me at carol@... with any questions, ideas, suggestions or problems. I enjoy hearing from you!

Best wishes to you and your family this holiday season. Merry Christmas everyone and have a great month!

Carol

NOTE:

If the links in this newsletter do not work for you, please check the following.....

 

1. If you get your emails from Yahoo Groups in digest form, all the links are removed by Yahoo and the email is sent in "text" version.  You need to cancel the digest emails and choose individual emails to get them sent correctly.

2. You need to choose to receive your emails from Yahoo in HTML format.  If you don't choose HTML, all the links are removed when it is sent to you.

 

To change both of these settings, cut and paste  http://groups.yahoo.com/  in your web browser window.  It will take you to the Yahoo Groups page.  Login using your Yahoo user ID and select the 30DayGourmetFreezerCooking group. Choose to "Edit Membership" from there.  Both of these settings can be changed there, and then you should be all set to get valid links in our Newsletter.

 

If you still have problems, please let me know at  carol@.... 

 

30 Day Gourmet

Copyright 2003 - 30 Day Gourmet.  All rights reserved.

January 2006 - Soup Recipes, Freezer Contest Winners, and More!

by Carol Santee

To read the complete newsletter on our website, click here.

If the links in this newsletter don't work, please see the "NOTE:" at the bottom.

In This Issue:

KITCHEN FUN WITH CAROL

BONUS RECIPES

Italian Meatball Soup

Potato and Ham Soup

CONTESTS

Recipe of the Month Contest

Freezer Cook of the Month

CLOSING COMMENTS FROM CAROL

KITCHEN FUN WITH CAROL

Happy New Year, everyone! It’s hard to believe that another year has gone by so quickly. Where does all the time go? It sure gives you a dose of perspective on your life and where it is headed. I’m not normally one to set New Year’s resolutions but the older I get the more important it seems set goals for where you are headed. This year I have decided to set some long-term goals for myself. In the past I’ve learned that goals need to be something that is very important in your life. I’ve also learned that changes in habits can take a while to “take hold” and you have to be patient (patience is something I’m always working on!). Here are some of the areas that I am going to work on this year:

Diet: I really believe it is important to eat properly but it is hard sometimes! I love anything chocolate and sometimes it is so hard to resist those treats in the house that were made for the kids. My goal for the year is to make changes little by little to the foods that we eat to make them healthier. This means a lot of work redoing recipes and having what we call “experimental dinner” nights. I am also going to try to eat more whole grain foods, fresh fish, fruits and vegetables.  

Driving: Over Christmas break we took my twin boys to get their temporary driving licenses, otherwise known as their learner’s permit. So you can imagine what I will be doing once the snow and ice disappear! I’ll be teaching my two boys to drive and taking them to driver’s education classes. What an exciting time!

Exercise: It’s easy to exercise in the warm months but the winter is hard for me. Maggie, our family dog, practically begs to be taken on a walk every night once it warms up. She will go and stare at her leash hanging up on the peg in the laundry room and cries. It is so pathetic that you can’t help but take her out for a walk. The winter is a different story. She is almost 14 and likes the snow but her bones do not appreciate the cold. I certainly understand her feelings! My bones don’t appreciate it either. My goal is to find an enjoyable physical activity for the winter months.

Mind: Last summer I joined a book club called the Page Turners. We meet on a monthly basis and talk about a book that we have read. My goal is to follow through and read the assigned book so that I can actively participate in the discussions. It’s all a matter of prioritizing my schedule. Here’s some of the books I will be reading this year: Captivating by John & Stacy Eldredge, Flabbergasted by Ray Blackston, In His Steps by Charles Sheldon, The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks, and Deadline by Randy Alcorn.

Last month I mentioned that I was going to focus on comfort foods in this month’s newsletter. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but a lot of comfort foods are full of carbohydrates and fat. This will not work with a goal of eating healthier in the New Year. There is one food that I think qualifies as a comfort food on a cold winter’s night. How about a hot bowl of soup, a hearty salad and some fresh baked bread? When planning my winter menu I always include a soup and salad night. It's once of my favorite dinners of the week. 

This issue of Chewin’ the News brings you two great soup recipes. Read more about them in the Bonus Recipes Section.

BONUS RECIPES

Italian Meatball Soup

This soup is one of my family's favorite soups. One of our local grocery stores will occasionally have precooked meatballs for seventy-five cents a pound. You cannot make homemade meat balls for that price! And it makes this recipe even easier to make. The broth is rich and thick and full of vegetables. Give it a try!

Click here to view/print this recipe!

Potato and Ham Soup

My mom and Dad have a large vegetable garden and they gave us a whole box of extra potatoes. I created this recipe to use up some of the potatoes so they would not go to waste. I'm also going to try some Twice Baked Potatoes. There are some great ideas on the Cook's Corner and Shelley's recipe from the October 2005 Chewin' the News newsletter. We also love Loaded Baked Potato Soup for lunches.

 

Click here to view/print this recipe!

CONTEST WINNERS

January Recipe of the Month... Oriental Sesame Chicken Strips  

Our winner this month is Zanne from Port Townsend, WA, with her recipe for Oriental Sesame Chicken Strips. My whole family loved this recipe. I had chicken breast tenders that I bought on sale. That made the recipe even easier to make. If you don't want to broil them, you can cook them in a skillet on the stove instead. This method works great!

Let's hear from Zanne:

"I am married, live in Washington state with my husband, his elderly parents who have dementia, and our six cats. My husband and I both work full time as well as caring for his parents. I found 30 Day Gourmet about a year and a half ago, and have been using it since we moved my in-laws in with us in October of 2004. It has been such a blessing to come home after a busy day of work to know that the majority of the work of getting dinner on the table is already done. When my in-laws were were living on their own we were always worried that they were eating well. Now everyone is thrilled about the variety of meals I serve, and I know exactly what they are getting - healthy, home cooked meals that also save me money on the grocery bill!"

Click here to view/print the January recipe of the Month.

Congratulations Zanne! Thank you for posting this wonderful recipe. You too can get in on the winning! Just post your favorite freeze-able recipe on the message boards. 

Freezer Cook of the Month Winner

Our winner this month is Kim from Surprise, AZ. Read how 30 Day Gourmet has helped make her life simpler and gave her more free time with her family.

Kim says:  

"I have loved freezer cooking for many years, almost fifteen- which is almost as old as my oldest son. I also have an 11 year old daughter, an 18 month old daughter, and a 4 month old son...quite a handful of children at times...I never could get up enough courage to do a one month session until this past September, and then I actually did 33 meals! What a sense of accomplishment! And the recipes were so easy to adjust to my famished family! The food was delicious, fresh, and best of all- homemade. I shopped and cooked for three full days, and was exhausted by the end of the third day, but I have been a happy camper for the past month and a half knowing I have ready made meals and free evenings with my husband and children. Thank you for making life simple- I cant wait to get back into the kitchen before the holidays so that I can be fully prepared for company this year!"

 

We are glad you got up the courage to try a one month cooking session. It can be a challenge but it is well worth the effort. 

So, how do you make 30 Day Gourmet work for you?  How do you use it to help you deal with a challenge in your life?  How do you use it to help others?  Do you have a funny cooking story to share? Email me at  carol@... to be entered in our contest.   

CLOSING COMMENTS FROM CAROL

I hope you enjoy the soup recipes! There is nothing like a steaming hot bowl of soup on a cold winter's night. Add a tossed salad and warm, fresh bread and you have a wonderful, homey meal. That's the best in comfort food!

Calling all cooks...I'm looking for your favorite recipes so post them on our message board, the Cook's Corner. Any recipe posting will be considered for the Recipe of the Month contest and a chance to win $25 cash or merchandise from the 30 Day Gourmet store. Just post it under the appropriate category on the message boards. Be sure to include freezing directions! I look forward to hearing what you have to share.

Email me at carol@... with any questions, ideas, suggestions or problems. I enjoy hearing from you!

Best wishes to you and your family this New Year!

Carol

NOTE:

If the links in this newsletter do not work for you, please check the following.....

 

1. If you get your emails from Yahoo Groups in digest form, all the links are removed by Yahoo and the email is sent in "text" version.  You need to cancel the digest emails and choose individual emails to get them sent correctly.

2. You need to choose to receive your emails from Yahoo in HTML format.  If you don't choose HTML, all the links are removed when it is sent to you.

 

To change both of these settings, cut and paste  http://groups.yahoo.com/  in your web browser window.  It will take you to the Yahoo Groups page.  Login using your Yahoo user ID and select the 30DayGourmetFreezerCooking group. Choose to "Edit Membership" from there.  Both of these settings can be changed there, and then you should be all set to get valid links in our Newsletter.

 

If you still have problems, please let me know at  carol@.... 

 

30 Day Gourmet

Copyright 2003 - 30 Day Gourmet.  All rights reserved.

January 2006 - More Soup Recipes, Website & Consultant Updates!

by Nanci Slagle

To read the complete newsletter on our website, click here.

If the links in this newsletter don't work, please see the "NOTE:" at the bottom.

In This Issue:

FREEZER COOKING NEWS FROM NANCI

• Brat Stew

• French Onion Soup

COMPANY AND WEBSITE NEWS

EMAILS FROM HAPPY CUSTOMERS

CONSULTANTS NEWS

CLOSING COMMENTS

FREEZER COOKING NEWS FROM NANCI

Many apologies for not writing you since October. Life swooped in and took over! Once I cast our Christmas musical it seemed like I was living at school until final exams. The play went really well. It was a WWII era show with radio studio excerpts. Great fun! My holiday was also "complicated" by some elective surgery that I had on December 15th. Male readers can skip to the next paragraph:) Ladies - I had breast reduction surgery. Woo hoo! My insurance paid (20 years of headache history) and my recovery has been good.

Most soup recipes freeze great. Check out the ones on our website.

• Basil Tortellini Soup
• Best Homemade Chicken Soup
• Cheddar Broccoli Soup
• Chihuahua Chili
• Enchilada Soup
• Fiesta Soup
• Golden Split Pea Soup
• Ham and Bean Soup
• Loaded Baked Potato Soup
• Potato and Corn Chowder
• Sally's Hamburger Soup
• Stuffed Green Pepper Soup
• Three Cheese Broccoli Soup
• Wendy's Chili
• Taco Chili

• Beefy Vegetable Soup from The Freezer Cooking Manual
• Cheddar Broccoli Soup from The Freezer Cooking Manual
• Taco Chili from The Freezer Cooking Manual
• Vegetarian Chili from Vegetarian Freezer Cooking
• Vegetarian "Chicken" Soup from Vegetarian Freezer Cooking
• Cream of Mushroom Soup from Vegetarian Freezer Cooking
• Peach Fruit Soup from Vegetarian Freezer Cooking
• Seafood Potato Chowder from Healthy Freezer Cooking
• White Chicken Chili from Healthy Freezer Cooking
• Cheese Soup from Freezer Cooking for Daycare Providers
• Hamburger Stew from Freezer Cooking for Daycare Providers
• Bow Tie Soup from Freezer Lunches To Go
• Overnight Soup from Freezer Lunches To Go
• Turkey Chili from Freezer Cooking on a Budget
• Split Pea Bacon Soup from Freezer Cooking on a Budget
• White Bean Soup from Freezer Cooking on a Budget

CONSULTANT NEWS

CLOSING COMMENTS

30 Day Gourmet

P.O. Box 272
Brownsburg, IN 46112
www.30DayGourmet.com

Copyright 2003 - 30 Day Gourmet.  All rights reserved.

February 2006 - Finger Food Recipes, Freezer Contest Winners, and More!

by Carol Santee

To read the complete newsletter on our website, click here.

If the links in this newsletter don't work, please see the "NOTE:" at the bottom.

In This Issue:

KITCHEN FUN WITH CAROL

BONUS RECIPES

Brownie Bites

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

CONTESTS

Recipe of the Month Contest

Freezer Cook of the Month

CLOSING COMMENTS FROM CAROL

KITCHEN FUN WITH CAROL

Hello cooks!

First I want to say a big thank you to all of you who sent me winter exercise ideas! You sent so many interesting options. I want share some of these ideas with you in case someone else out there is looking for some suggestions. Here are some of the ideas that I received:

An idea for winter months that may sound just plain wrong: do you have an indoor pool at your park and recreation center or YMCA? Water fitness is awesome - a good program is well rounded and hits all four elements of good physical fitness: strength training (just from resistance to the water alone as well as water weights, noodles, etc.), flexibility (stretching in the water - you'd be surprised at how much more you can do with the buoyancy help), core strength (similar to pilates mat when you exercise with toes up), and cardio (water aerobics, especially deep water, is a tough workout). A lot of city/county programs offer discounts in the winter months because people don't think of pools during colder weather.

Also, many hospital-affiliated rehab centers offer water aerobics and some gyms offer pool-only memberships. Also, check local churches. Ours offers (all for free): men's open basketball, floor aerobics, pilates, powerflex, volleyball and more. Volunteering in an Upward Bound program (I think mostly Baptist churches) would offer you benefits as well.  Tracy

Have you considered a treadmill? I don't just mean for you but also for your dog. I've seen it before and it works (after a bit of coaxing).   Luanne

I decided to try a combination of walking and a stability ball. We have had a very mild winter so far with temperatures averaging 12 degrees above normal. That makes walking bearable. As for the stability ball, I have had one for about a year  but it did not come with a video. I found an inexpensive video at Walmart and I am giving it a try. (What would we do without Walmart!) It has three levels of exercise - beginner, intermediate and advanced. The American Heart Association recommends that you engage in some physical activity for 30 to 60 minutes three or four days a week. This will be my beginning goal. Eventually, I would like to be exercising five days a week. The American Heart Association sponsors a web site called Just Move. This site has lots of information on the correlation between exercise and heart disease. They also provide a place for you to keep an exercise diary. You can set goals for yourself and track your progress. Again, thanks for all of the suggestions!

February usually makes you think of Valentine's Day. But it is also time for Super Bowl Sunday! I know lots of people who are planning a party with friends and family. Even if you are only watching the game for the great commercials, I thought it would be great to talk about recipes that are fun and easy to prepare for a crowd! There are so many 30 Day Gourmet recipes that work well for gatherings. My favorites are the finger foods that are easy to serve, disappear as the night goes on and clean up easily. Here are some of my favorites:

Chili and Sandwiches

• Chihuahua Chili
• Easy Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches
• Pizza Burgers
• Sloppy Joe Sandwich Filling
• Taco Chili
• Wendy's Chili

Desserts:

• Buster Bar Dessert
• Carolyn's Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Chocolate Cheerio Bars
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
• Chocolate Peanut Clusters
• Frozen Fruit Salad
• Muddy Buddies
• Pecan Pie Bars

Dips:

• Creamy Fruit Dip
• Hot Pizza Dip
• Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Veggie Dip
• Pastrami Dip in a Loaf
• Raspberry Fruit Dip

Finger Foods:

• BBQ Chicken Pizza
• Bloomin' Bread
• Egg Rolls
• Freezer Quesadillas
• Mexican Egg Rolls
• Soft and Chewy Pretzels
• Spicy Buffalo Wings
• Taco Rollups

Snack Mixes:

• Snackin' Mix
• Teddy Bear Snack Mix

Good luck to all of you out there who are are planning a party! I hope it is a fun time for everyone. This issue of Chewin’ the News brings you two finger food recipes. Read more about them in the Bonus Recipes Section.

BONUS RECIPES

Brownie Bites

These are so fun to take to a party or gathering! These are so easy to make if you have a mini muffin pan. You can serve them plain or frosted. One of our favorite frostings is peanut butter. Peanut butter and chocolate are so wonderful together. You could also make white frosting and color it red for Valentine's Day or your favorite team color.

Click here to view/print this recipe!

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

My father-in-law makes the best stuffed mushrooms. We usually have them at family gatherings. I lowered the fat and calories in this recipe by using turkey sausage instead of pork sausage. They still taste great! Make sure you break the sausage into small pieces after cooking. This makes it easier to stuff the mushrooms. A food processor or chopper can be used.

Click here to view/print this recipe!

 

CONTEST WINNERS

February Recipe of the Month... Cheddar and Broccoli Stuffed Potatoes  

Our winner this month is Nancy with her recipe for Cheddar and Broccoli Stuffed Potatoes. I have been looking for more potato recipes and this one is great! To get a more fancy looking potato, you can pipe the filling though a star tip on pastry decorating bag. It makes them look ruffled. This is a great recipe to have on hand for lunch. They are very filling.

I was unable to reach Nancy, so we'll have to meet the creator of this recipe next month. Nancy, if you read this, please contact me at carol@... to claim your prize!

Click here to view/print the February Recipe of the Month.

Congratulations Nancy! Thank you for posting this wonderful recipe. You too can get in on the winning! Just post your favorite freeze-able recipe on the message boards. 

Freezer Cook of the Month Winner

Our winner this month is Amyjoy from Boise, ID. Read how a 30 Day Gourmet freezer meal baby shower has changed her life.

Amyjoy says:  

"I have been raving about my new cooking "lifestyle" to everyone I can. My life has totally changed and it has been a very easy change to make. It started last January, one year ago when my sweet friends through me a "freezer meal" shower right before I had my third child. It was going to be a scheduled C-section and my second boy so I didn't need lots of clothes or toys, I needed help! So, we enjoyed freezer meals for an entire month which was plenty of time to get me back on my feet. Then my friend was also going to have a baby a few months later, she wanted the same yummy food stash as me. So we formed our "freezer meal group". We totally love the different yummy meals, ease of our days, and the fun it allows. Thank you for the book, the website, the great format and easy recipes that have always turned out! This is Awesome!!!"

 

We think so too! We are glad that you are enjoying the freedom that comes with your new cooking lifestyle. Enjoy! 

So, how do you make 30 Day Gourmet work for you?  How do you use it to help you deal with a challenge in your life?  How do you use it to help others?  Do you have a funny cooking story to share? Email me at  carol@... to be entered in our contest.     

CLOSING COMMENTS FROM CAROL

I hope you enjoy the finger food recipes! Enjoy the game and we will talk again next month!

Calling all cooks...I'm looking for your favorite recipes so post them on our message board, the Cook's Corner. Any recipe posting will be considered for the Recipe of the Month contest and a chance to win $25 cash or merchandise from the 30 Day Gourmet store. Just post it under the appropriate category on the message boards. Be sure to include freezing directions! I look forward to hearing what you have to share.

Email me at carol@... with any questions, ideas, suggestions or problems. I enjoy hearing from you!

Best wishes to you and your family this New Year!

Carol

NOTE:

If the links in this newsletter do not work for you, please check the following.....

 

1. If you get your emails from Yahoo Groups in digest form, all the links are removed by Yahoo and the email is sent in "text" version.  You need to cancel the digest emails and choose individual emails to get them sent correctly.

2. You need to choose to receive your emails from Yahoo in HTML format.  If you don't choose HTML, all the links are removed when it is sent to you.

 

To change both of these settings, cut and paste  http://groups.yahoo.com/  in your web browser window.  It will take you to the Yahoo Groups page.  Login using your Yahoo user ID and select the 30DayGourmetFreezerCooking group. Choose to "Edit Membership" from there.  Both of these settings can be changed there, and then you should be all set to get valid links in our Newsletter.

 

If you still have problems, please let me know at  carol@.... 

 

30 Day Gourmet

Copyright 2003 - 30 Day Gourmet.  All rights reserved.