Frequently asked questions for Menus 4 Moms

Since many of the same questions are asked on the Menus 4 Moms discussion group, I thought I would put them together and post them here.

When are the menus posted?

Every Tuesday the menu for the following week is posted (IE the menu posted on Tuesday is for the week starting 6 days later).

How many people do the recipes feed?

Menus generally will feed a family of 4 with leftovers or a family of 6 without leftovers. If your children are teenage boys, however, all bets are off!

Can I substitute other ingredients?

Many families have allergy issues or simple dislikes. Please feel free to substitute whatever you wish. A good site for substitutions is Foodsubs.com. There are also some suggestions on the notes page.

When you chop onions, how do you freeze them -- what type of bags/containers, all in one, or in several servings (how big?)? Also, any advice on how to keep from crying while doing all that chopping?

No advice on the crying part - I get dh to do it for me. After chopping, I saute them all in oil until tender and store in dated quart-sized freezer bags. I try to divide up the portions into the same number of onions there were to begin with so that each bag contains one cooked onion.

How do you cook chicken in bulk - fry, boil?

I grill mine with the marinade that is here. It is easy and a great way to cook in bulk, and adds additional flavor to recipes. If you don't have a grill, you can just bake or boil, then chop.

What other items would I want to stock the freezer with?

I would wait and add to the freezer as you cook items. I have meatballs, onions, cooked beans (from dry), cooked ground beef, cooked chicken, formed hamburger patties, and more. I tend to ask myself what I can do to make prep time easier as I am cooking and make my decisions based on that. If you are interested in what I keep on hand in my pantry (as well as my refrigerator and freezer) for the menus, read The Well-Stocked Pantry.

Freezer Meat

Most weeks feature recipes that use quick and easy ingredients like chicken from the freezer. This is a way that we save prep time in the evening. When a recipe calls for ground beef, instead of browning one pound of ground beef, buy 5 lbs. and brown all of it, freezing the extra in 4 freezer bags. When you need cooked chicken for a soup or casserole, instead of cooking just enough for that recipe, boil or grill 3-4 extra lbs. for the freezer. When we cook a ham, we dice the leftovers and bag them in freezer bags in 1-2 cup portions for later use in cooking beans or soup.

If you are just starting Menus 4 Moms you will need cook this meat since you won't have it in the freezer. Go ahead and take this time to add a few pounds of whichever meat you are cooking to your list and when you cook for the dish, put the extra in the freezer. If you consistently do this, you will always have extra meat in the freezer for those days when prep time is at a minimum. The best way to store your freezer meat is in quart-sized freezer bags. For more on what I keep stocked almost all of the time, read The Well-stocked Pantry.

Why do the recipes call for onions and peppers from the freezer?

The same principle of bulk cooking can be applied to onions and green peppers either individually or together. If your recipe calls for a sauteed onion, instead of sauteing one onion, buy a whole bag of onions, chop them all and freeze in casserole-sized servings. When you have these meal-sized portions of meat and vegetables, it is a cinch to throw together a quick meal late in the afternoon.

If you are just starting Menus 4 Moms, you will not have sauteed onions in your freezer. Go ahead and use this time to cook a bag of onions and/or green bell peppers so you will have them ready in your freezer. These are also best stored in quart-sized freezer bags. For more on what I keep stocked almost all of the time, read The Well-stocked Pantry.

What is adobo seasoning?

Adobo is a Filipino spice that is mostly made up of garlic salt. If you need a substitution, garlic salt is the best one although I would use less. Adobo is inexpensive (less than $2 for a large bottle) and can be found with the Latino foods at most grocery stores. If you can't find it, you can make a substitute.

Adobo Seasoning

• 4 tablespoons salt
• 3 tablespoons onion powder
• 3 tablespoons garlic powder 3 tablespoons ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons ground oregano

Put all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake well and store for up to two months in a cool dry place.

 

Can I substitute something for the cream soups that the recipes use?

Cream soup substitution

• 2 T. butter
• 2 T. flour
• 1 c. milk
• Salt & Pepper to taste or other spices/vegetables for flavor (mushrooms, celery, chicken bouillon, etc.)

Mix equal parts of butter & flour, stirring into a paste. Freeze in 1 T. balls or in the cubes of an ice tray. To make quick white sauce, simmer 2- T. cubes of the frozen butter & flour mixture w/ milk, then salt& pepper to taste.

Thanks to Holly from Menus 4 Moms Yahoo group for this suggestion.

How do I cook dried beans?

We regularly cook a bag of dried beans and freeze the beans in their own juice to use in place of canned beans. Dried beans are easy to cook and can be done in a slow cooker. They are far less expensive that canned beans. If you do not have any beans in your freezer and would like to stock up, use this recipe:

• 1 bag dried beans (black, pinto, kidney, etc.)
• water

Rinse beans in a colander and check to be sure there are no stones or other debris. Place beans in a dutch oven and cover with water so that the water is twice as deep as the beans. Overnight soak: Leave beans in water overnight. Quick soak: Heat to boiling and boil for 2 minutes. Turn heat off and cover, let sit for 1 hour.

Drain beans in colander and rinse pot. Place beans in slow cooker and cover with water, making sure the water is twice as deep as the beans. Cook on Hi for 5 hours or Low for 8-10 hours.

Drain beans, reserving liquid (place colander on a lg. pan or bowl then pour beans in). Separate beans into 2 cup servings in freezer bags, reserving 4 cups of beans for tonight's meal. Cover beans in each bag with some of reserved liquid.

Why aren't the menus using all healthy ingredients?

I try to use locally grown vegetables and whole grains whenever possible, but I don't specify that in the recipes because moms are all over the map when it comes to the level of healthy cooking that they can or choose to do. It is easy to substitute if you are at another level of healthy cooking and you are encouraged to substitute healthier ingredients as appropriate for your family.

Where can I get fresh, locally grown vegetables and meat?

Try eatwild.com, eatwellguide.com, and localharvest.com. Sustainabletable.com has excellent suggestions for finding sustainable food.

Where can I find out more about healthy eating?

This site contains traditional nutrition resources. The Urban Homemaker has many articles and recipes for healthy eating on their site. For more on beef, this article from Michael Pollan is enlightening. Michael Pollan decided that "If I was going to continue to eat red meat, then I owed it to myself, as well as to the animals, to take more responsibility for the invisible but crucial transaction between ourselves and the animals we eat. I'd try to own it, in other words."

If you thought organic was better and keeping money from the pockets of the conglomerates, think again. This chart tells a different story.

Do you offer a low carb/frugal/vegetarian version?

Our Busy Mom Menu includes Meal Makeovers to offer healthier versions or substitutions for dishes that could use a makeover. We do not currently offer a vegetarian menu.

Do you have lunch and breakfast menus?

No, but I do offer some ideas for breakfast and lunch. Thirteen kid-approved breakfast and lunch menus are also available from Christine Steendahl.

Where are the menu archives?

http://www.menus4moms.com/kitchen/weeklymenu/archive/

Why are there ads with the menus?

We offer both free ad-supported basic menus and upgraded paid subscriptions. In addition to not containing ads, the upgraded menus include other features that the ad-supported menus do not. For more information about our subscription upgrades, browse our available subscriptions.