In total we spent around $100 between the both of us and made all sorts of goodness for only $50 each! I can't believe the amount of food I went home with :)
There are many important factors we had to keep in mind to make this go off without a hitch:
1. Organization
2. High quantity of food
3. Grocery list completed in advance
4. Groceries purchased in advance
5. Recipes printed/on hand
6. And for me - loading everything up in the car to bring to her house!
We each purchased our own groceries for two meals each that we were going to make, and double, and bringing enough stuff from our pantry for banana bread chocolate chip muffins, and I bought the fixins for a batch of pizza pinwheels for our kids.
When I showed up on her doorstep I had to take a picture of all that I came with because it was beyond ridiculous. The hubby asked me where the heck I was going with all that stuff! Used every single thing in my baskets/bags. We had so much fun prepping, chatting and catching up, and cooking up a storm in what was only 4 hours in total!
So we made two slow cooker meals which we got prepped and in the crockpots right away as they both took 4 hours on high to make. Perfect timing with everything else we were making while those meals were on the go.
I made a white bean chicken chili was was easy, and smells divine! The only thing I did in advance prior to getting to her house, was dice the chicken in advance. Side note: I HATE touching raw chicken. Biggest pet peeve ever!
http://www.hamiltonbeach.com/white-chicken-and-corn-chili.html
My friend made a delicious squash and chickpea curry that made a huge batch as well and tastes YUM!
http://www.canadianliving.com/food/quick_and_easy/slow_cooker_squash_and_chickpea_curry.php
So while our meals were cooking in the crockpot we began our other recipes.
My friend made a ridiculously yummy stuffed meatloaf. The recipe is from a cookbook which I forgot to take a picture of, but here is a recipe link that is similar to the one she made:
http://www.food.com/recipe/mushroom-stuffed-meatloaf-59160
She used a combination of ground beef and ground chicken. I can't wait to try it out this week! We didn't cook it, just wrapped the meatloaf in tin foil to be cooked whenever we want to make it. I have one in the freezer and one in my fridge :)
Next up I was working on a blackbean, corn, and red pepper salad with a lime/cilantro vinaigrette. We each tried a bowl of the finished product - to die for! I've placed my baggies of the salad in the freezer to use at a later date :)
http://www.onceuponachef.com/2010/08/black-bean-salad-with-corn-red-peppers-avocado-lime-cilantro-vinaigrette.html
After we finished up these recipes we made some of Miriam's Sunday Soup Kitchen staples: Banana bread choco-chip muffins, and pizza pinwheels. Her kiddies taste tested the finished product and they were a hit! Into the freezer they all went!
We were so impressed with all the food we made, and we've made a pact to keep this up once a month, get together, cook, and share some laughs all while filling our freezer for our families.
This last pic made my day - the complete batch cooking!
And remember, it only cost us $50 each - AMAZING.
Happy cooking to all my peeps!
