Boil pot, boil

[mousme]

Macaroni is done and in the freezer, in spite of a wee mishap in which I burnt it not once, but twice during the process. I don't know how I managed to still get it to taste good, but nonetheless it has passed a taste-test and does not taste burnt in the slightest. I was very careful not to mix any of the burnt part into the rest, so that may have done it. Oops.

Part 1 of the minestrone is simmering on the stove. It turns out that my mother's minestrone recipe is too big for my biggest pot, so I dumped out half the vegetables and am going to do two "batches" of the stuff. I will also have to invest in some larger pots if I'm going to be cooking in bulk on a regular basis.

By the time both batches of minestrone will be done, it will be time to go to Hurley's. I have a few dishes to do, but nothing terrible or overwhelming. I will try to get all my laundry folded and put away while the simmering happens, too. Dishes will take precedence over laundry, but laundry is getting done.

Tomorrow morning when I get up I shall immediately start a chili, which will then get dumped into the crock pot to simmer all morning. That will free up the rest of my morning and my pots and pans to make some squash soup and some spaghetti sauce. If I have time in the afternoon I will try my hand at some borscht, too.

The parental units have declared that they are coming by tomorrow. My mother has declared jihad on the front garden this time (I'm curious to see how firm her resolve will be in the face of the inclement weather), and my father wants to help me secure the bookcases and has also agreed to help me set up the washing machine, as I think I've mentioned before.

...

This place is quiet. Too quiet. I must go see what trouble the cats have got into now.

Comments

[irishyogini.livejournal.com]

Woot!

Check you out, Ms. I-can-cook-for-reals.

;)

[mousme.livejournal.com]

I feel like a domestic goddess today!

Now, if only my back weren't protesting all the hours I spent on my feet. Bah. ;)

I've been able to cook for reals since I was about twelve, but I rarely get the chance to do it on a large scale. :)

[foi-nefaste.livejournal.com]

I recently picked up the Moosewood Cooks for a Crowd cookbook, which has a bunch of vegetarian recipes that they claim feed about 20-24. The ones I've tried feed freeze really well, and are quite tasty.

I think Chapters/Indigo currently has that going for about 5$ (which is where I picked up my copy) - you might want to check it out, if you're interested in recipes in fairly massive quantities.

(Also, can I express a serious amount of jealous with regards to your freezer? Really now. Jealousy. I'm turning green as I type.)

[mousme.livejournal.com]

*makes notes*

The freezer makes me very happy indeed. :D

[taxlady.livejournal.com]

So, how did you get the laundry done if your dad is going to help set up the washing machine tomorrow?

[mousme.livejournal.com]

I'm using the old washing machine in the apartment upstairs for the time being. The place is empty while we're waiting to find a new tenant. :)

[pasley.livejournal.com]

I am really envious of your freezer!

I have bunches of soups and stews and chilis in our fridge freezer, and now have no more room! And I really really wanted to save most of it for the long (poor) winter months, too, but it looks like I'm going to have to eat some of the food to make room for others.

Lucky you!

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Boo on the no room. :(

I'm not getting my freezer until next Thursday, and I'm already starting to see that my little freezer in the fridge is getting awfully cramped.

I also discovered that I don't have enough Tupperware in order to cook in bulk! How weird is that? I'm going to have to go out today to get some more, I think.

[pasley.livejournal.com]

I used to use Tupperware for storage, but now I use freezer bags, which save a lot of freezer space! They also keep the food fresh longer, since you can squeeze---or suck---out the extra air to more or less vacuum seal the food.

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Do soups and chilis and stews work in freezer bags? I'll confess I'm really worried about spillage.

[pasley.livejournal.com]

They work very well, actually, and so long as you use really good quality freezer bags, there's no problem of spillage. Freeze the stuff in smaller batches---the large rather than jumbo sized bags---so you don't have to defrost more than you need. The only problem is that soups/stews can freeze in odd shapes, so the trick is to freeze them in the bags sitting in a tupperware-type container or anything with a flat bottom that doesn't allow the food to spread out too much, *then* remove the container once the food it frozen.