Chicken Is On Sale!

Chicken is on sale but what will I do will 10 pounds of leg and thigh quarters?  You can probably think of different ways you'd like to cook the chicken quarters and it is a great buy! How can you manage that?

I have a small freezer in the laundry room. It costs me under $200.00 and was delivered free by Lowe's. It has been a lifesaver and has helped when that chicken (and other products) go on sale.

With a little work on my part, I have portion ready meals in the freezer for the times when I want. This is how I suggest you do it.

1.)  Make sure you have a supply of freezer bags in the gallon size.

2.)  Bring the 10 pound bag home and portion out the meat. Hubby and I can eat only one leg and one thigh each max...if I eat only the leg, I save the thigh for my lunch while he is eating lunch with the hospital volunteers.

3.)  Trim away the fat and skin if you want to do that to save calories later.

4.)  Place your personalized portion in a freezer bag and zip it closed.  Make sure the air is out and the seal is complete.

5.)  Label the bag with the amount, i.e. 2 and then the date 8-8-2013.
(If you want to freeze one leg and thigh in a bag, you can probably use a quart size freezer bag. This single portion will allow you to make a chicken dish for company. Just pull out as many single portions as you need.)

6.)  Pop the bag in the freezer and to stay organized with what you have, designate space in your freezer for each kind of meat. Inventory your products before you buy more! A sale is totally useless if you let the food in the freezer beyond its freshness.  That will be a guide I will publish in the next post.

7.)  When thawing your chicken for a meal, use the proper technique and thaw in the bottom of the frig or under cold running water. DO NOT THAW ON THE COUNTER...IT IS NOT A SAFE METHOD. The safety of preparing food is most important. Food borne illnesses can be fatal.

Let's talk about the gorgeous roast you used to buy when you had your children at home.  You can still buy it but you will divide the portions by using a scale or just by cutting the roast into 2 or 4 pieces. A baked roast with carrots and potatoes is a yummy comfort meal and the left over meat makes a delicious sandwich the next day. Cook only the veggies you can consume at the first meal and carefully wrap the meat for your sandwich the next day*.

More tips and tricks coming...just keep coming back and leave your questions or comments here.
Thanks,
Susan    souscollier@gmail.com

* You can freeze the left over portion of meat for next week's sandwiches. Just thaw in the bottom of the frig!

Promises for success when cooking for 2!

These are promises that I am making to you...you can cook for two with no problems and you will find that once you stock your kitchen with some essentials, you will be ready for an exciting adventure into the culinary world where the 2 of you will dine!

Easy steps for cooking for two!

Cooking for two is not as hard as some might think...

come back every week for tips on cooking and freezing portions that will suit those 
senior appetites!

Every day should be fun and even a bit challenging as we grow older...we have achieved that wonderful age of retirement or semi-retirement, napping when we want and filling our plates with nutritious food that tastes great and heading out for senior specials at the neighbor restaurants. 

Cooking for 2 is really not difficult and you can avoid those gassy leftovers and the boredom of eating the same meal three days in a row.

When you come back next week, I will begin with the basics and move you into a world of great meals for you and your spouse or companion.

Any questions you have can be addressed to : souscollier@gmail.com...please type FOOD in the subject line.

I will do my best to create good recipes that you 2 will love!

Keep coming back!

Thanks for visiting...

Susan F. Collier                    recipes for seniors

Summer Chicken Salad for Two

Summer Chicken Salad…a Recipe for Two

Bake a chicken or grab one from the Deli at your favorite supermarket.  That should be good for three meals if you are seniors that eat like Hubby and I eat.  Remember that we don’t need a massive amount of meat so when your first two meals include a piece or two for him and a piece for you, you will have meat left over for a second and maybe even a third meal.*

Summer Chicken Salad…serves two

2 1/2 cups of cooked chicken ( mix of dark and white is fine) chopped into 1” cubes.

2 hard-boiled eggs chopped in 1”cubes

2/3 cup coarse chopped celery

2/3 cup frozen peas---thawed

3 Tablespoons of chopped fresh basil (don’t substitute dried at this amount)

¼ cup mayo

¼ cup Sweet Vidalia Onion salad dressing (I prefer Ken’s Lite)

Kosher salt and coarse ground pepper to taste (don’t over do the salt and use pepper as is appropriate for your diet.) What is to taste?????

That’s it. Mix it all together and serve in a fresh juicy tomato on a bed of Romaine lettuce or on whole grain white toast!

*Cook the bones of the chicken with the scraps of meat still intact and simmer for a few hours adding celery, parsley and a small piece of green pepper and a bay leaf or two.  Cool the broth and strain it. Chill and place in a freezer container to use for soup on the first rainy autumn day.  Add mixed veggies and tiny pieces of pasta and serve with a hearty salad of greens. That rustic sour dough bread and you have a great meal!

www.evamurraytoday.com

Please email me at souscollier@gmail.com with questions or other recipes you’d like to have.

Good eating, Friends!

Susan F. Collier