Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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{Cooking} What’s for dinner?

August 9, 2013 by Kristin Leave a Comment

Cooking doesn’t come to me naturally, but I’ve learned to like to cook.

Sort of. {It should be noted baking is not the same as cooking in this case. I bake exactly two things that don’t come from a box. And one of those things does come partially from a box.}

I like to plan meals. I like to grocery shop. I don’t mind taking the time to prepare dinner. I have gained enough cooking confidence to tweak recipes after I’ve tried them once. But, honestly, a homecooked dinner is one of the first things to go when a day gets too crowded or I need to let go of a chore.

And I married a man that has never once made me feel like a slacker wife for sending a text at 5:05 p.m. and referring to whatever current circumstance prompts me to ask him to meet us for dinner or bring home dinner when he leaves the office.

Without meal planning, we’d never eat dinner at home. Or, rather, we’d never eat something that wasn’t carry-out at our table. Even the most simple meal planning helps me through the 4 o’clock hour when I need to decide what time to start cooking dinner. Jotting down meals and making sure I have the ingredients for them is enough to propel me to the kitchen and keeps me from asking, “What’s for dinner?”

Taking meal planning to the next level is even better. You know, when that actually happens. The two best ways for me have been freezer cooking and subscribing to eMeals.

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Freezer Cooking
Courtney is my freezer-cooking friend. Before we had school-age kids, we freezer cooked regularly. It’s been far too long since we made a productive mess while tackling a list of meals. I’m thankful we had a freezer cooking session yesterday before summer wraps up.

I’ve had a few people ask for recipes and for suggestions on a process, so I thought I’d share what we do. Like many things in life, there are many ways to go about it, but this is what works for us.

  • Find a time you can devote yourself to the kitchen. We typically block off a day and use every bit of at least six hours. Keep in mind we have four kids between us who want to eat lunch. {OTHER IDEAS: If you’re not making a day of it, doubling a recipe or diving a casserole are great ways to store extra meals in your freezer as you go about your regular cooking. One time I swapped meals with friends. In that case, I prepped one meal six times and then we all left with six different meals.}
  • Compile the list of recipes. Our go-to resources are “Don’t Panic – Dinner’s in the Freezer” and “Don’t Panic – More Dinner’s in the Freezer.” We’ve made several recipes out of these books more than once — and not just when we’re preparing meals to freeze. 
  • Make a grocery list. It’ll be long! Usually, Courtney and I decide what we want to make. And then I take all the recipes and list all the ingredients {in order of Kroger aisles, of course!}. Before I got to the grocery store, I mark off any items we have, like milk, eggs, soy sauce, or seasonings. 
  • Grocery shop. In our team, this is my job. I like to grocery shop more than Courtney does. So I just buy all the items and then we split the bill. {It’s quite an adventure if I’m shopping for our stuff as well as regular items for my own house. In fact, this most recent trip to Kroger for our freezer cooking goods came the day after I’d shopped for my family and was the only time I wasn’t juggling two lists, dividing groceries into two sections so I could keep the totals separate.} BONUS tip: We don’t necessarily plan ahead well enough, but if you watch your grocer’s ads and plan meals based on what meats are on sale, you’ll not only be prepared but save yourself some money.
  • Cook any meat ahead of time. Now, this may sound silly considering you’re already preparing to cook ahead of time. But the first few times we cooked, Courtney and I spent tons of time browning beef and cooking chicken. We finally realized if we’d throw some chicken in a Crock Pot before we met to prepare many meals, we’d be better off. {I learned this summer that frozen chicken breasts can be tossed into the Crock Pot and good just as well as the ones I wasted time thawing. Seriously.
  • Bring casserole dishes to store your meals. {If you don’t want to have your favorite Pyrex dishes in the freezer for weeks, then buy some of those disposable aluminum pans.} Soup and marinated meat are best stored in Zip-locs, so bring some of those along too. And foil works well to wrap those disposable pans freezer tight. 
  • Divide and label meals so it’s convenient for you. If your family won’t usually eat an entire 9-by-13 casserole, then divide it into two 8-by-8 dishes. If you’re supposed to top the casserole with cheese or leave it covered with foil to cook, then label it as such. So, yes, bring a roll of aluminum foil and a Sharpie so you know what’s in your freezer once you start piling it in there. 
And in the spirit of transparency, after six fun, productive hours in Courtney’s kitchen yesterday, I stashed all the lasagna, manicotti, chicken enchiladas, sesame chicken, pizza, chicken bundles, broccoli cheese soup, and meatballs in my freezer and then took my kids to dinner. My husband had a meeting. And, well, I had a full freezer. 

Now, for some recipes. This earlier post includes recipes for Parmesan Garlic Chicken, Hawaiian Chicken, Colorado Beef Enchiladas and Taco Soup. And another post includes Black Bean Tortilla Bake. Soups, lasagna and casseroles usually do well in the freezer.

Just don’t forget to thaw them before you actually want to bake/cook/heat them. Yes, I’m speaking from experience. 

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eMeals
I’ve mentioned eMeals more than once and recently posted about this subscription program. I even included a recipe for King Ranch Chicken Casserole. I have since then discovered an eMeals recipe that may go down as my favorite. I already want to make it again, but I don’t want to burn out my family on this one recipe. {I sort of do with recipes what I do with new songs I discover: Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.}

Our only complaint about the Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken is we wanted more. All four of us wanted more. Isn’t dinner truly a success when the kids are asking for more? 

Now, I was really glad to discover Kroger carries bags of frozen stir-fry rice and vegetables. I mean, who knew this even existed?! It was alright, although my own fried rice is better and isn’t really that complicated so when I put this recipe on repeat, I’ll probably break out some of my own rice mixture, you know, the one made from instant rice and frozen Asian-seasoned vegetables. Yeah, that’s how homemade works around here.

Yes, you have to pay for eMeals. But it’s worth it when the seven meals planned and organized into a list according to my specific grocery store chain show up in my inbox. It’s usually three or four pages. Each recipe looks like the one above with the ingredient, instructions, preparation/cooking time estimate, and suggested side dish. I don’t always make the side dishes planned, but they are helpful for inspiring side dishes that are in our family’s regular rotation.

It’s totally a worthwhile investment of our family, especially because the recipes have been easy and don’t require tons of prep time. And, hey, I’ve got a deal for you: Use the code SCHOOL15 to save 15% off any new purchase of an eMeals plan.

So, what’s for dinner?

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You can read previous freezer cooking posts here. Want more stories? Like 152 Insights on Facebook. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram. Follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin’. Subscribe to receive “Insights in Your Inbox.” Affiliate links included.

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56 chicken breasts and a little beef

February 19, 2011 by Kristin Leave a Comment

Courtney and I freezer cooked yesterday. We kept it pretty simple, but our freezers are now stocked with all sorts of meals.

Parmesan Garlic Chicken
Black Bean Tortilla Bake
Asian Flank Steak
Poppyseed Chicken
Manicotti
Chicken Enchiladas
Orange Teriyaki Chicken
Buttermilk Herb Chicken

These are from either “Don’t Panic – Dinner’s in the Freezer” or “Don’t Panic – More Dinner’s in the Freezer.” Except for the manicotti and poppyseed chicken, which are Courtney’s recipes. Yes, I’ll share some recipes.

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Telluride Black Bean Tortilla Bake
Makes 6 servings

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinse
1 16-oz. can stewed tomatoes (I usually use diced tomatoes)
1/2 cup enchilada sauce
1 t. chili powder
1 t. cumin
1/4 t. pepper
6 flour tortillas
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 4-oz. can diced green chiles, drained
1 cup shredded Monterey jack or cheddar cheese (for serving day, if freezing)

Brown ground beef and onions in large skillet; drain fat. Put stewed tomatoes into a blender and blend just long enough to break up large tomato pieces. (I skip that step with the diced tomatoes.) Add to skillet with meat. Stir in black beans, enchilada sauce, chili powder, cumin and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Spread one side of tortilla with cream cheese, topping with green chiles. Fold tortillas in half over cream cheese. Pour half of the cooled meat sauce into the bottom of a 7-by-11 baking dish. (We actually did two smaller ones.) Arrange the folded tortillas over the sauce, overlapping if necessary. Pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas.

Freeze at this point, if that’s your plan. Thaw to slush state when ready to bake.

To serve, cover dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until heated through. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese on top. Bake for 5 more minutes or until bubbly.

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Parmesan Garlic Chicken
Makes 6 servings

6 boneless chicken breasts
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 envelope Italian dressing mix
2 gloves garlic (I just used minced garlic)
1/2 cup olive oil

Mix together cheese, garlic and Italian mix. Dip chicken breasts in olive oil, then coat with cheese mixture. Store in freezer bag, if you’re freezing it.

Thaw completely before cooking. Place in greased baking dish and bake at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

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more than grocery shopping

December 1, 2010 by Kristin Leave a Comment

Greg called me at 12:47 p.m. and said, “Hey, darlin’, what are you doin’?”

When I answered him, I got this blog post brewing in my mind. But, first, the answer:

“I’m grocery shopping. Well, I started grocery shopping, but right now I’m walking to the bathroom because Cate needs to go. And I’m making sure she doesn’t hit me or anyone else with the small cart. You know, I’m buying groceries so Courtney and I can freezer cook, too. So I’m keeping our stuff and the cooking stuff separate. The little cart helps with that.”

By the time Greg and I finished chatting, the kids and I were close to the bathroom.

Cate went in, and had to wait for a stall. I stood with the bathroom door open, so I could see Ben, who was happily “driving” in the car cart, and make sure Cate was OK in the bathroom, which only has two stalls but had three Kroger employees either using them or waiting their turn.

I kept turning my head back and forth. First to Ben and my purse. Check. Check. Then back to the bathroom. “Cate, are you OK?”

Of course, she gave me commentary.

“I pooped some. Almost done.”

“I can’t reach the white paper [That’s what Cate calls toilet paper.].”

“Oh, there, got some.”

As she came out of the stall and walked toward the sink, I interrupted her plan. “Hey, babe, I have some handitizer [That’s Cate’s made up word for hand sanitizer.] in my purse. Let’s use that.”

I was ready to move on from the bathroom.

And back to my two grocery lists and pile of coupons.

I pushed the car cart with my 1-year-old son through the aisles with my 3 1/2-year-old daughter following closely behind pushing her cart. All was well. We filled them both up.

But it all must have taken too long for Ben’s taste because he was fast asleep by the time we got to the cheese section. He slept through the dairy section and baby aisle. He missed Cate and I unloading our carts and chatting with the cashier.

Ben woke up when the 40-degree air hit his face in the parking lot. But it was just in time for a diaper change — apparently Cate wasn’t the only one who had to go while grocery shopping — in the floor of the van. He was happy to be reunited with his bed, where he’s now fast asleep while I finish putting away all the many items from our grocery shopping trip.

So that’s what I’ve been doing.

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About Me

Telling stories is my therapy and I love sharing them with friends on my porch.

The main characters in my stories are my entrepreneur husband, our high school girl who never forgets, our middle school boy who has no fear, and our joy-filled first-grade girl. As we live out our stories, we seek God as the author of them all.

Learn more about my story here.

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I needed this weekend. The UK Wildcats didn’t I needed this weekend. 

The UK Wildcats didn’t win this afternoon like I had hoped. But following our house full of people on Friday night, I’ve spent a lot of time on my couch, under a soft blanket, with a book, while I watch #MarchMadness. 

Yesterday I pulled “When We Left Cuba” by @chanelcleeton from my to-be-read stack and then realized it was the second in a series about the Perez family. Thanks to @libby.app, I was able to get “Next Year in Havana” immediately. 

I finished it today during commercials and timeouts. And now I’m going to start “When We Left Cuba” as another basketball game also gets going. 

#KHTreads #basketballseason #weekending #bookstagram #reallife #booklover #librarybooks #KindleOasis #Kindlebooks #favoritethings
What a fun night! Basketball is best with friends What a fun night! Basketball is best with friends and food. So thankful for all these provisions and others in my life. Oh and a Cats win is icing on the cake. 

#MarchMadness #weekending #basketballseason #bettertogether #choosingJOY #BigBlueNation
You know it’s #MarchMadness when Greg Taylor pos You know it’s #MarchMadness when Greg Taylor posts on Facebook — and a picture at that! — and puts his radio/TV degree to work figuring out how to improve the viewing setup. 

#reallife #basketballseason #wifelife #choosingJOY
I had no idea just how deeply I would be affected I had no idea just how deeply I would be affected while studying Genesis 1-2. Going back to the beginning and seeing how God created, ordered, and filled the earth has been exactly what I didn’t know I needed, especially as a mom. 

For quite a while now, I feel like I’ve been living a day at a time. I used to be able to see my life in larger chunks of time and anticipate and prepare accordingly. Now, I slap things on the calendar and then deal with them as they come. Navigating life with two teenagers and a first-grader is the best and hardest thing I’ve ever done.

Honestly, this moment-to-moment living has been good for me and helped me rely on the God who created the stars and rivers that still exist in our world. Focusing on where I am helps me take slower steps, trust God to provide, and remember I’m not in control. I’ve felt an internal shift with my relationships — with my husband, kids, and friends. I’ve felt behind on laundry and dishes and piles of papers. But I’ve also felt a refreshed nearness to God. 

I’m going to rest here while believing God created life and light when there was only darkness and continues to order my days. 

#livingfaithfully #choosingJOY #momlife #faithlife #preceptstudy #genesisstudy #genesis #beginnings #reallife #PorchStories
My friend @ashleelyoung told me about this memoir, My friend @ashleelyoung told me about this memoir, but I knew nothing about Sutton Foster or her story beforehand. She’s a TV actress and Broadway singer and dancer who processes her life — complicated family life, love, loss, spotlight, infertility, adoption, motherhood — by creating. She creates in the kitchen, on stages, with yarn, with paint, with her hands, and with her mind. But her story really is all the experiences and emotions that inspire her creative work. I enjoyed this one. 

#KHTreads #memoirs #bookstagram #booklover #audiobooks #audible #bookreview
Also from the weekend: Shout out to @lifehousemurr Also from the weekend: Shout out to @lifehousemurray for putting on the fabulous @beautiful.you.conference with @meggpam from @shelivespurposefully. My girl and her friends had a great time together and my momma heart is thankful this is how they chose to spend a Saturday morning. 

#momlife #girlmom #teenagers #weekending #livingfaithfully #choosingJOY #latergram
Yesterday was one of my favorite kids of days with Yesterday was one of my favorite kids of days with some of my favorite friends. Kids played inside and out, the TV was never on, and new memories were made with old friends. Plus we ended the night with our ninth year of Little Hands Trivia Night. It was our worst finish ever, but we still had such a fun time! 

#bettertogether #weekending #livingfaithfully #choosingJOY
I’ve told you about Cate’s basketball season, I’ve told you about Cate’s basketball season, but we celebrated it (and the other middle and high school players) last night. What a joy, truly! She was surprise with the Lions Award for her overall approach to the game and her teammates. 

This context is basketball, but the bigger community and broader learning that happens are ultimately even more important. And, hey, middle school boys, you were also so much fun to watch! I’m so thankful Ben was part of that team. 

Shout out to the Schroeders for Tim being the coach of four teams and all the family time sacrificed as well as the other coaches and families who made it all possible. 

Give me a little break, and then I will be ready for more Lions and Lady Lions basketball to come! Scheduling for the fall and winter will start soon. 

I’m so proud to be part of New Covenant Christian Academy! 💛 @ncca.lions #momlife #girlmom #boymom #basketballseason #livingfaithfully #choosingJOY
Once again, I stayed up too late finishing a book. Once again, I stayed up too late finishing a book. 

“Half Way to You” by @jennifergoldauthor was my #FirstReads choice from Amazon this month and I dived right in. I loved it! This is a multi-generational story full of love, heartbreak, friendships that span decades, and travel. The story is told as a reclusive author shares her real story with a young podcaster who has personal and professional interest. The way the lives is woven together is brutal and beautiful. 

#KHTreads #AmazonFirstReads #bookstagram #booklover #KindleOasis #kindlebooks #readersofinstagram
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