Now is the time to fill your freezer with apple goodies!

First and foremost, I'll refer you to this post from 2007, and I can't stress enough how easy it is to make homemade applesauce.  You cannot go wrong.  If there is one thing you can safely experiment with, it's applesauce.  You can't overcook it, if it's not sweet enough - you add sugar.  If you want more spices, you add them.  You can make it on the stove very quickly, or in a crockpot simmering on high for 4-6 hours or on low all day, your choice.  You can peel and core the apples ahead of time, or just wash them, cut them up stem, seeds, skin and all, and after it cooks down and cools - run it through a food mill.  You can make it chunky or smooth.  You can use fresh apples, yes, but you can even use all those apples that may be getting a bit mealy in your fridge!  Don't throw them out!  Make applesauce!

To freeze it, just store it in ziplock freezer bags, squeeze the air out, and squish the bag flat so you can stack them in your freezer.  Thaw in the microwave when you're ready to eat, you'll never know it was frozen.  My husband loves homemade applesauce served warm over vanilla ice cream, a quick comforting dessert for sure if you've already got it in the freezer.

On another note, I'm currently in the hunt for a good apple pie/apple crisp filling that freezes well.  I'm going to try my favorite apple pie recipe, I'll let you know how it turns out!

Mega-cooking Meatballs

I hadn't done a mega-cooking session in a while, so yesterday I decided to turn 6 pounds of ground chuck into italian meatballs, and now I don't have to make meatballs for at least a couple of months.

Granted, 4-5 batches of meatballs hardly qualifies as "mega" cooking, but it still requires some special skills and equipment - namely a bowl big enough to squish it all around in!  I started up with my dutch oven, but ended up in a large stock pot.  You can easily tailor your own favorite meatball recipe, but in case you're looking for one, here's my recipe and how I got them from ingredients to freezer.

6 pounds ground chuck
4 cups seasoned bread crumbs
4 cups fresh bread crumbs
7 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup dried minced onion
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp granulated garlic (or garlic powder)
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 tsp salt
4-1/2 cups milk

Mix together well the beef with all the bread crumbs.  In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, onion, spices and milk.  Add to beef mixture and mix well.  Roll 1-1/2 to 2 inch diameter meatballs, and place on lightly greased or sprayed cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  When cooled a bit, transfer meatballs with a spatula (they'll be flat on one side) to a waxed paper lined piece of cardboard or cookie sheet, flash freeze, and when solid - transfer the meatballs into a large ziplock bag for storage in the freezer.  You'll end up with @ 50-60 meatballs depending on the size you make.

To use later - simply drop these fully-cooked meatballs into simmering sauce.

Healthier baked goods

Did you know you can substitute 1/4 of the white flour your recipe calls for with nutrient-rich whole wheat flour?  Perhaps not all recipes will be able to stand up to the change, but most will - cookies. muffins, breads, pancakes - try it next time you bake!

Remember, though, whole wheat flour has short shelf life - so find an appropriate sized, air-tight plastic container and store your whole wheat flour in the freezer.  It'll keep much longer!