The Timm Family: Cooking Adventures

Wow! Its been a busy day! Lately Joshua and I have been trying to use up alot of our random freezer food so we can make room for those items we have found that freeze best (more on that in a minute).

I never really cooked before we got married so all this is still new to me! As a swimmer, I was hungry ALL-THE-TIME and after practice the last thing I wanted to do was wait for food to be ready. When I think back to my single days I can't really remember what I ate, but I know included alot of peanut butter, cereal and trail mix!

Joshua had thought through qualities he desired in a future wife long before meeting me, and one of those was that she was a good cook. Oopsy! But thankfully he has been patient with me and is pretty easy to please and I have enjoyed this process of learning to cook for him and others. His mom and grandmother set the bar pretty high but he seems to be thankful for my cooking so far :)

I'm sad I was so picky (understatement!) growing up because my parents are both awesome cooks and I could have learned alot in those years at home! Most of what I've learned since being married has been over the phone, calling my mom in the middle of something asking her to remind me again what I am supposed to do (including today!). My stuff never tastes as good as hers but maybe one day it will.

All that said, cooking still isn't my favorite thing to do. I wish I just LOOVEED it like many of my friends. But that is getting better and as we find more of "our" staple meals it is making things easier. Easier to plan, easier to bless other in our home, easier to find joy in cooking.

I've been trying lately to have a few big cooking days each week, during Karis' afternoon naptime. My goal is just to cook and prepare as much as I can in that time and I'm finding that I enjoy this alot AND its really helpful for the rest of the week to have a head start at mealtime, with either entire or partial meals already prepared.

Today was one of those and it felt good to be so productive! After walking with Beth and Kristin, Karis and I went to the grocery store and right after I layed her down and started preparing. We are having a grill night with some friends so much of this today was meats...

Cut and sautee onions and mushrooms. Freeze 2 packs for later (I use these ALOT so they come in handy to have already prepared)
Browned some ground beef => added 1/2 onions and mushrooms for what I call a starter kit (can use this to make spaghetti, chili, or tacos later). Freeze.
Seasoned and marinated 9 chicken breasts (5 to eat tonight the other 4 to freeze for later. great by themselves, chicken sandwich, on salad, in pasta etc.)
Seasoned and marinated 2 steaks (this is special since we don't usually get red meat. will grill tonight and eat tomorrow)
Prepared and seasoned 4 hamburger patties (will grill and freeze for later)
Finally, prepared a chocolate eclair cake for small group Sunday (yummy!).

Even managed to get in a shower after all that before Karis woke up (the Lord was gracious with a long naptime today!!!). Though it was alot of work I'm glad to have it done and now to enjoy the rest of the afternoon resting/playing with Karis until Daddy gets home!

If you know of any other great (not too challenging!) meals that freeze well, please pass them along!!! (either in a comment or peg.timm@gmail.com). Would really love some new ideas.