freezer Archives | The Sparrow's Home

Southern Red Beans & Rice

January 11, 2018 by Susan

What is your biggest cooking fail?

For me, red beans and rice holds that title. (The chocolate mousse that came out looking like poop is a close second).

Marrying a Southern-born man and living in the South for a number of years meant learning to cook things that I didn’t grow up on. Things like gumbo, jambalaya, and red beans & rice. Moving back home to Minnesota, I was eager to share my new found food loves with my family and friends. One problem, while I’d eaten red beans & rice lots of times, I’d never made it before. So maybe making it for a party wasn’t the best idea on my first try.

Stock the Freezer

October 5, 2017 by Susan

I am zero looking forward to my boys moving out one day. Not in the least. Nope. Uh-uh. I’m actually kind of in denial that it will ever happen.

Having said that, if I had to pick one thing that I’m kind of, a tiny little bit, looking forward to it would be cooking a wider variety of meals for Greg and I. And especially trying some of the awesome-looking freezer meals I see on Pinterest.

My kids are weird picky, and I don’t get how because from the time they were little, we had a variety of foods. They both ate everything until around 3 to 4 and then the picky moved in. We tried everything…ignoring it, forcing it, begging, pleading, bribing, punishing. Lately we’re in the mocking territory. (As in, I’ll serve lasagna and say, “The plain noodles and plain meat are over there,…the adult food is over here.”)

So when I see these crockpot freezer meals that look so yummy, but are (God-forbid) all mixed together…I pin them for later. Much later. Like years down the road. (I told you…denial) Although every once in awhile, when the boys are out, I’ll try something for just Greg and I. A casserole here. A crockpot meal there.

In the meantime, I do like to keep my freezer stocked with some ingredients that make meal prep quicker. And I’ve been on a bit of a freezer-stocking binge lately.

Ground Beef in the Crock Pot

September 28, 2017 by Susan

Have you ever needed to cook a large quantity of ground beef and wondered how to do it easily? It’s your lucky day!

This is not so much a recipe as it is a technique. And like all my favorite crock pot cooking, it requires very little effort…and that spread out throughout the day.

I have been on a bit of a freezer stocking mission lately. And having cooked ground beef stashed in the chill chest makes meal prep so quick!

Grandma Lena’s Ginger Snaps

September 14, 2017 by Susan

Of all the smells that came out of my grandma’s kitchen…from sugar cookies, to dumpling soup, to raised doughnuts…these ginger snaps might just be my favorite.

There is some debate among the family as to whether in their ideal form they are chewy or crispy. I find them delicious either way, but my preference is chewy. Having said that, I am also forgetful, and so invariably, I end up with some crispy cookies as well!

Homemade Ice Cream Anyone Can Make (Because You Don’t Need Any Special Equipment!)

June 14, 2017 by Susan

What are the lengths to which you will go to enjoy your favorite ice cream? My husband, being from the south, is a big (BIG) Blue Bell Ice Cream fan. We don’t have Blue Bell here in Minnesota. (Boo, Minnesota!) When we visited my mother-in-law in Texas, we toured the Blue Bell factory. And can I say, touring an ice cream factory is a great way to spend a day.

Visiting Tennessee in April allowed us to indulge all week long. (And we did! At one point our freezer had 5 containers.) We even packed a cooler full of ice and Blue Bell to bring home…no kidding. In case you’re wondering, Pecan Praline is our favorite, and the kids would probably say Birthday Cake.

And while it’s no Blue Bell, I’m here to tell you today how you can make homemade ice cream in minutes. Minutes! Well, minutes is all the time it takes to mix it up…of course there are a few hours of freezing time.

All-Star Hot Dog Chili

January 31, 2017 by Susan

One of my kids would live on hot dogs and chips if we let him. (We don’t let him.) But when he gets to pick what’s for dinner, hot dogs is usually on the menu. In the summer, hot dogs on the grill are a fun treat. But in the fall and winter, chili dogs hit the spot.

Hot dog chili is different from a chili you would eat on its own (ideally topped with sour cream, onions, cheese and a square of cornbread). Nope. Nothing like it. Hot dog chili is not chunky, and usually doesn’t have beans. It’s really more of a condiment.