Spaghetti Sauce

Spaghetti is my absolute go-to meal.  It's easy, inexpensive, and you can make a huge batch and freeze it in single-meal servings in ziploc bags, saving even more via bulk purchasing, and allowing for super simple meal preparation later.

Because of this, the measurements I will be giving are relative, easily adjusted to the size batch you are making.  Just be aware so that you scale them appropriately.  I usually use a 3-lb container of ground beef, 6 jars of sauce, and about 4 large onions, for example.

For parents with vegetable-averse kids, it's easy to sneak in some extra veggies in this, too.  Just finely mince whatever veggies you like – carrots and bell peppers are great choices, for example, thanks to their nutrient contents – and add them midway through the browning of the onions.  By the time it's done cooking, they should be unidentifiable.

Pressure Canned Ham and Butter Bean Soup

 I have recently ventured into the world of home canning.  I am already in love!  I made a huge batch of my Vegetable Beef Soup, substituting frozen vegetable for the canned vegetables so they wouldn't turn to mush in the canning process; and, of course, only heated it up rather than completely cooking it, allowing it to finish cooking during the processing.  Being able to just pop the lid off, stick it in the microwave for a minute and eat it is just amazing.  Totally worth the extra time in the cooking/prep phase.

For my next adventure, I decided to do something with butter beans, since I've been told by my doctor to eat more high-potassium foods thanks to one of my medications.  Some poking around online and recipe browsing, and the basis for this soup was born.  It's rich and hearty, without being overly complicated.  The 15 pints I made won't last long!  This is definitely going to be a regular addition to our menu.

I used speckled butter beans for this first batch; regular green butter beans (aka baby lima beans) should work just as well – and possibly be more visually appealing.  Some hot sauce, like Cholula, would be a great addition/substitution for the vinegar, but unfortunately I can't use it (allergies).  Celery or bell peppers, if you have some on hand, would likely also be good additions.

Hybridized Slovenian Style Goulash

Back when I was first learning to cook on my own, I conflated two recipes my grandmother made when trying to replicate her goulash.  It wasn't "right", but as often happens, I decided I actually liked this new hybrid recipe even better, and so it is how I have made it ever since.  It has the basis of goulash - a sauce primarily made of cooked down onion and paprika with beef - but then has the addition of some tomato, mushrooms, and peas, making it a bit more interesting to eat.

This recipe is for a large batch; we usually get several 'fresh' meals, as well as several portions to freeze, which it holds up to quite well.  

Freshly Review - Day 1 - Initial Impressions

So, with my health being so poor for so long, but now good enough for my spouse to go back to classes, we've decided to give Freshly a try.

If you aren't familiar, they are one of these new trends of  "meal box plans" by mail.  BlueApron and Plated are the more well-known, but they send you ingredients which you then have to cook.  Since in my case, the standing-long-enough-to-cook is the issue, we opted for Freshly, which is ready-made meals which you just have to heat up in the microwave.  You can choose from 6, 9, 12, or 21 meals.  We opted for 6 meals to give it a try before we committed to any more.  The meals aren't exactly "super cheap" (ranging from $10.75-$11.50 per serving depending on how many you get), but it's about equivalent to fast food, and looks to be a LOT healthier.  I do feel it's a tad overpriced for the serving sizes at full price, but not so much that it is a deal breaker by any means.