Once a Month Cooking

I've tried my hand and "Once a Month Cooking" several times now. Since all our meals are camp meals during the summer I only get to try it out every fall and winter and usually by spring I grow tired of it.  Also, I don't really do as they recommend...buying and cooking all a months meals at once. I do a more gradual approach of just making double or triple a meal and freezing it as I go or one week a month.  I just don't have a whole day to cook and shop.  And I certainly don't want to hire a babysitter for something like that.  So, here is this months planned meals... most of them I am making in double or triple and really that feeds our family about twice as much because our little ones only eat about 1/2 a portion.  

Chicken Pot Pie - You make the stewish part and freeze it and then cover it with puff pastry prior to cooking and serving.

Italian Chicken - A creamy chicken pasta dish that is prepared in the crock pot.

Pumpkin Soup - A Miller family fall favorite! Easy and sooooo good! 

Tamale Pie - Chili with a corn bread topping. It is a perfect way to use extra chili leftovers.

Chinese Lemon Chicken - Another favorite in our family, basically chicken covered in sweet lemon sauce over rice. 

Roast Chickens - Really the extra meat will go in the Pot Pies and African Stew or just cut off and frozen. I may try to make broth out of the bones too.  

African Stew - Full of sweet potatoes, chicken, squash, beans and spice! 

I am hoping to get at the very least 16 meals out of this... but I bet it will be more like 20.  I can't wait to get cooking. 

Here is the recipe to Pumpkin Soup!

Ingredients

- 2 medium onions

- 2 tablespoons butter

- 1 tablespoon flour

- 2 cups chicken broth

- 2 cups whole milk or half/half

-  1 can pumpkin pie pumpkin 

- 1 can plain pumpkin (or sub with freshly cooked pumpkin)

- salt and pepper

- 2 Table spoons Agave Nectar or sweetener of choice

- nutmeg

- 3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, toasted

 

Directions

-First, steam a pumpkin, cut into pieces, for 30 to 45 minutes (If you'd rather do that than use canned).  Puree in electric mixer or food processor.

- Set aside. Can be prepared a day or two in advance. When ready to make the soup.

- Saute onions in butter in a large saucepan over low heat until soft. Sprinkle in flour and stir 2 to 3 minutes.

- Gradually add chicken broth, half and half, then pumpkin puree and agave nectar. Cook gently for 15 minutes.

- Salt and pepper to taste. Pour into bowls, add dusting of nutmeg and pumpkin seeds.