Nothings more satisfying on a chilly day than a warm bowl of delicious
homemade soup. But unless you're cooking for a crowd, chances are you'll
be left to deal with a lot of leftovers, because it's next to impossible to make
a great homemade soup of one or two servings.
Growing up cooking big meals for a large family, scaling down recipes was
quite a challenge when I became a single grandmother. One quickly grows
tired of pizza delivery and fast food, especially when living on a fixed income
and tight budget. Remembering my days as a single, working mom lead me to
a solution.
Batch Freezing
Years ago when my kids were little, time management was a major issue.
By the time I picked the kids up from the sitter and got home, we barely had
time for baths and homework let alone cooking dinner and cleaning up afterwards.
Then
I found the Seal-A-Meal food storage system that allowed you to store leftovers
in boiling bags. My days off became cooking days; I'd prepare several
large meals and freeze them sealed in individual portion Seal-A-Meal bags.
When we'd get home in the evenings, all I had to do was put a large pot of water
on to boil. By the time I'd bathed the kids, all I had to do was toss the
frozen bagged meals into the pot, and dinner was ready in minutes with very
little cleanup afterwards.
I now use my Foodsaver vacuum food storage system in the same way. Twice a
month I cook and freeze all day, and the rest of the month all I have to do is
microwave the frozen meals or simmer them in a pot of boiled water. It
couldn't be easier! No worries about freezer burn, because the vacuum
feature of the Foodsaver removes all the air before sealing the bags.
And no other containers let you store so much in such limited freezer space.
Repurposing Leftovers
Do you rarely make meatloaf because you don't want to eat meatloaf sandwiches
for a week?
You
can solve the problem by "disguising" the leftovers on subsequent days.
Day 1- Meatloaf: Cook your favorite
meatloaf recipe and enjoy a traditional meal with mashed potatoes, a
vegetable, tossed salad and applesauce. Day 2 - Spaghetti: Chop up 2 slices of your leftover
meatloaf. Sauté a little minced onion, fresh garlic, and mushrooms in a
skillet, add the meatloaf, top with spaghetti sauce, and heat through.
Serve over cooked spaghetti with a side salad. Day 3 - Chili: Using the leftover spaghetti sauce you
tossed together on day 2 and additional leftover meatloaf if needed, you can
create a couple bowls of really tasty chili! Just add a couple of
single-serving sized cans of V-8 juice, more onions and a small can of kidney
beans (if desired), and season to taste. I like to ladle mine into a bowl
and add my leftover spaghetti noodles, chopped, and top it with shredded cheddar
cheese. Yummy!
Then
I found the Seal-A-Meal food storage system that allowed you to store leftovers
in boiling bags. My days off became cooking days; I'd prepare several
large meals and freeze them sealed in individual portion Seal-A-Meal bags.
When we'd get home in the evenings, all I had to do was put a large pot of water
on to boil. By the time I'd bathed the kids, all I had to do was toss the
frozen bagged meals into the pot, and dinner was ready in minutes with very
little cleanup afterwards. 
You
can solve the problem by "disguising" the leftovers on subsequent days.