Many of you have probably heard of this new technique for making fresh homemade bread in five minutes a day. I’ve been using it successfully for over a year now, and wanted to share my results with you in case you are thinking about giving it a try…
You will need:
The book: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day – it contains your recipe and all the details for pulling this off. I won’t be sharing the recipe here because it isn’t mine to share, but you can read the first chapter for free on Amazon to see if it is something you might want to get. Or visit your local library and reserve a copy.
Large storage container with loose fitting lid. I think you could use a mixing bowl covered with a plate or aluminum foil. The ones I use are found HERE.
Each Sunday, I make up a batch of dough which takes about 5 minutes (no kneading necessary). Then it goes directly into the storage container and into the refrigerator. One batch is enough to do four 1 pound loaves.
It will rise quite a bit and be ready to go within a few hours. You can use it at this point, or you can keep it in the refrigerator for up to 14 days according to the authors. Just be aware that around day 6 the bread begins to have a sourdough flavor, which I personally am not fond of. So we use ours up within the first four days.
Now that you have your dough all ready to go, you can pull off a portion of it and return the rest of the dough to the refrigerator. Form it into a ball and allow to rise. Then bake according to authors instructions and enjoy!
My verdict? Two thumbs up! This bread is a special treat for my family that requires very little effort and is very inexpensive to make. There are dozens of recipes in this book other than the traditional loaf. But this one is so good that I’ve never given the others a try! If you have, please tell us your results in the comments.
I love to combine this homemade bread with my Salad in a Jar and a boiled egg for an easy meal.
When I saw this idea on Pinterest, I knew I had to give it a try. I love a good salad for lunch, but usually don’t have time to put a good one together every day. I’ve tried making them ahead, but I hate to have veggies that are even a little wilted or soggy.
I was skeptical about this one. But I had my fingers crossed.
I decided to test them out for 7 whole days before sharing this with you. And I’m thrilled to say that even on day 7 the salad was as good as the day it was made. In a word, Perfection.
The secret is in the layering.
You want to have the dressing at the bottom.
Cover it with some crunchy vegetables like shredded carrots or celery.
Then goes the cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese, etc.
With a top layer of lettuce.
Just be sure to keep the softer veggies away from the salad dressing, and the lettuce at the very top. I used Wide Mouth Quart Jars, which can be found in many stores for around $10-$12 per dozen.
I also cooked some bacon and boiled some eggs so they were ready to go in the refrigerator. You can find dozens of salad ideas by searching through the Pinterest pins.
I’m a sandwich girl. Always have been. I love me a good sandwich any time of the day.
This recipe was born from my sandwich-love and my need to find ways to use up the shredded chicken I keep in my freezer. It has a nice little kick with the addition of a little hot sauce and garlic powder. Find the right loaf of bread and you’ve got yourself a family favorite – guaranteed!
Shredded chicken is a great thing to have on hand. It keeps well in the freezer, it’s easy to defrost and it’s a huge time saver. We use it to create easy casseroles, soups and sandwiches like the ones I listed HERE. This recipe is a relatively new creation, and one of my favorites.
Chicken Salad Club Sandwiches
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Recipe type: main
Prep time: 10 mins
Total time: 10 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
2 c. Cooked Shredded Chicken
1 c. Mayonnaise
1/4 c. Diced Celery
1 tsp. Chipotle Hot Sauce (I use Cholula)
1/8 tsp. Garlic Powder
Whole Grain Bread, toasted
Provolone Cheese slices
Bacon, cooked and drained
Lettuce
Tomato
Instructions
Combine first five ingredients. Spread on whole grain toast. Top with cheese, bacon, lettuce and tomato and serve immediately.
2.2.1
Scroll through HERE for more meal planning ideas or HERE to read about my Gradual Make Ahead Method. Other posts you may like:
Having Grilled Chicken Strips on hand in the freezer is one of my secrets for saving time in the kitchen. Whenever I can get a good price on chicken breast I stock up, then grill 8-10 lbs at a time, slice into strips and bag in meal size portions.
I came up with this idea after falling off the once-a-month-cooking bandwagon…mostly because the idea of spending a full Saturday each month in the kitchen was something I always dreaded. I decided I could accomplish the same thing by spending a few minutes making a little bit extra whenever I prepare dinner. It has worked like a charm for us! These Chicken Bacon Quesadillas are one of our favorite ways to use up our grilled chicken strips. Head over HERE for another delicious idea.
If you’re interested, you can stop over HERE to read more about my Gradual Make-Ahead Method™.
Chicken Bacon Quesadillas
5.0 from 1 reviews
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Recipe type: Main
Author: Lori @ MomsbyHeart.net
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 20 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 Tbs. Butter
8 Flour Tortillas
1 lb. Grilled Chicken Breast Strips
10 Strips of Bacon, crumbled
1 Avocado, diced
1/4 c. Fresh Salsa
8 oz. Cheddar or Pepperjack Cheese
Instructions
In a skillet, melt 1 Tbs. butter over medium heat.
Add tortilla to skillet and top with grilled chicken strips, crumbled bacon, avocado and a small amount of fresh salsa.
Top with cheese and a second tortilla.
Cover and cook until cheese is melted and bottom of tortilla is slightly brown.
Flip carefully and cook the other side until tortilla is slightly brown.
Repeat above steps with all tortillas.
Cut each into quarters and serve with sour cream and salsa (optional).
Here’s an easy recipe using my very own Gradual Make-Ahead Method. I generally buy enough ingredients to triple this recipe, then set two batches aside for future use. As you can tell from the photo, the kids love this one.
They also love sneaking their mugs into any photos I happen to be taking.
Beef Broccoli Stir-Fry (Make-Ahead Method)
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Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 20 mins
Serves: 3 meals of 4-6
This recipe makes three meals worth – one for dinner tonight and two for freezing!
Ingredients
6 lbs. boneless round steak or chuck steak, cut in 3 inch strips
2/3 c. water
1/3 c. soy sauce
2 tbs. corn starch
2 tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground ginger
6 c. frozen broccoli florets
2 small onions, sliced
cooked rice
Instructions
In a bowl, stir together water, soy sauce, corn starch, brown sugar, garlic powder and ground ginger. Add beef and toss until thoroughly coated. Allow to marinade for at least one hour.
At this point, you can divide meat mixture into three. Use one for dinner tonight and freeze two for up to 3 months.
In a large wok or skillet, stir fry beef to desired doneness, adding broccoli and onions during final 4-5 minutes of cooking. Spoon over cooked rice and enjoy!
When using freezer portions, you can leave in refrigerator to thaw overnight, or just cook beef frozen in a covered skillet for a few minutes, then follow directions above.
Three dinners done at once! Just be sure to leave the broccoli and onions separate when freezing this dish so you can add them in during the final minutes of cooking and avoid sogginess.
This recipe was born to be a make-ahead meal! It is easy to prepare, freezes well, and tastes great going from freezer to crockpot to plate! Whenever I prepare it for dinner, I simply make enough for an additional three or four dinners, and then freeze the extra in meal size portions. The following recipe is one 8-serving meal.
INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs Ground Beef
1 1/2 cups Ketchup
1/4 cup Worchestershire Sauce
1/4 cup Mustard
1/4 cup Vinegar
1/4 cup Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 small onion, minced
DIRECTIONS:
In a skillet, cook ground beef and onion until beef is evenly brown.
Drain beef.
Add remaining ingredients to the skillet and stir well.
Cook covered on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve on hamburger bun and enjoy!
Scroll through HERE (past this post) to view more Gradual Make Ahead Method™ recipes.
