Freezer Dinners--Amy

So, I know this isn't really a craft, but it takes just as much planning and prep work. I also think it is a good skill to learn.

I figured out how to cook 30 meals in one day!! I'm not kidding. there are 2 books that explain how to do it. Dinner is Ready and Lunch Is Ready!! Some meals, like manicoti or stuffed shells are easier to make and freeze because you don't have cook the noodles. You make meals on the stove top, the oven, the crockpot and then assemble some for cooking later. Then you put the meals in freezer bags or disposable tin pans and freeze them. Then all you have to do to get a nice home cooked meal is to defrost it and warm it up.

We have tried several of the meals and they are really good. And you can use a lot of the meals you usually make as long as you follow the rules like don't cook the noodles and don't freeze potatoes. Other great part is that you can make double of the recipe without any extra time and then you have up to 60 meals. I have not done a full 30 meals because I don't have the freezer space. But since I am in school until 4:30-5pm some days I don't have time to make a nice dinner but can't afford to eat out all the time. This is a great solution. You cook one day and have meals for a month.

You can also check out this site http://www.crockpot365.blogspot.com/ This lady makes something in her crockpot every day and has lots of neat recipies. She even can show you how to make soap or Christmas ordiments in your crockpot.

Past Cakes--Amy

I thought I might post a few of my favorite cakes that I have made over the years. They take a lot of time, but I love the end product and being able to take pride in the details. Most cakes don't turn out this well, but these are my best. A few of these are listed on Wilton.com. A few are my own thinking and ideas. The rest are from other magazines and other sites.



These I made for Haden's 3rd Birthday. I used color flow to make the face and symbols. It was easier than you might think. I used an old superman pan to make the body of Mr. Incredible.







This is a cake I made for 3 girls who were baptized along with their mother. They lived in my Branch and I loved them dearly. I covered the cake in fondant. And the loops of the bow and curls are also fondant and then dried in place before putting them on the cake.

This is a cake I made for a family reunion. I made the cookies that listed family members, put a hole in each cookie and then looped ribbon through each hole. The base is a double layer of half sheet cake which I mixed with a pound cake mix so it would be firmer. The leaves of the tree were made of wire with fake leaves and wrapped in floral tape. I put styrofoam inside the pipe and then put the in the branches. Then took a PVC pipe and placed it in the middle. Then used brown frosting up the pipe to make the tree. The tricky part was transporting it. If you ever try anything like this, I suggest you put the cookies on after you put it down for the final time (and bring extra frosting in case of cracking).


This is a 3D Mario Mushroom cake for Haden's 5th birthday. I took two large cupcake pans from Wilton and then placed them together. Then set to work turning it into a mushroom. I didn't do a very good job at making it stand up though and it ended up falling over before the party. I felt really bad but at least I got some good pictures.


















This cake was for my sister's 21st birthday. She had just gotten back from her life long dream of swimming with the dolphins. So I made this cake for her. It was made mostly with candies this time. I found the clams and shark gummies and a gas station. The sand is crushed grahm crackers. The umbrella is melted colored chocolate I painted in a bowl and then peeled out. I used Airheads to make the boogy board for the boy and the beach towel. Then I used my smallest tips to pipe the people. this one was my own idea and I was so excited it turned out so well. My sister loved it and so did everyone else.