those numbers are just a few of the things the heart ministry center pulled off in january. yes, in one month HMC helped that many people. now you know why i won't shut up about how awesome they are!! i was lucky enough to spend some time there last week. it was wonderfully eye opening. i met some awesome people and am going back to teach a cooking class (finally!) to their women in the pathway program. ericka, the pathway coordinator, asked me to focus on freezer meals, once a month cooking, meal planning, and budgeting. these are especially important for the women to learn since most are on food assistance. the pathway program's main goal is to help the women become self sufficient. so when these women find jobs/get better jobs, the hope is this class, will arm them with the knowledge and ability to budget and meal plan and it won't be so hard to acclimate to losing some of their food assistance. i want the recipes to be easy, fast, and all the ingredients to be relatively inexpensive, that can be found at any grocery store. it should also be noted that these women have voluntarily joined the pathway program and chose to attend these classes. this goes back to what i was saying about people really wanting to learn how to cook and garden. the women are making the choice to make life better for themselves and for their children. sometimes without the support of their families.
i have come up with some freezer friendly meals for breakfast & dinner. they are:
apricot french toast served with cottage cheese
whole wheat berry pancakes
egg "cups" (those egg meals in a muffin tin all over pinterest)
quiches
lasagnas
minestrone
chili
enchiladas
then for lunches i was going to recommend making big batches of the following, once a week. inspired from this post. they can also be served as a side at dinner:
lentils
black beans, rice, and spinach
ravolis (the frozen kind, prepared)
hard boiled eggs
black eyed peas (see recipe below)
for some cheap, quick, & easy meals i was going to talk about...
roasting
tacos
grilled cheeses and all the variations
soups + stews
for kid -friendly, but not totally gross meals....
homemade mac + cheese with veggies
mexican "pizza"
homemade whoppers (with ground turkey, whole wheat buns) and sweet potato fries)
spaghetti and eggs (linguine + spinach with fried egg, hot sauce, and parmesan on top)
runza casserole
appetizers for dinner (cheese, fruit, hummus, veggies)
pizza
what do you all think? anything i am totally missing? please share any recipes, tips, or ideas that you have with me. i want to really set the women up for success in the kitchen, for it to be fun, and for the kids to get into it, too.
.....
black eyed peas with leeks (+ variations) inspired by 101 cookbooks
-- total cost: less than $6, enough for several lunches or as a side to one dinner and as the main dish for a couple lunches
1/2 lb. dried black eyed peas, prepared
3 leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced
olive oil
butter
juice from 1/2 lemon
salt & pepper
small handful, fresh or dried herbs (parsley, tarragon, marjoram are good choices)
heat olive oil + butter in skillet, add leeks and cook until almost caramelized. add leeks to warmed blackeyed peas. season with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and herbs. add more olive oil if too dry looking. serve warm and enjoy.
*great with beef kielbasa or apple chicken sausages stirred in
*make a light soup by adding to veg or chicken broth
*put a poached egg on it
*beautiful with a roasted chicken
*easy protein for a kids lunchbox
* berries are tasty alongside
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