What a wonderful day!

Today was cooking day. By 2:00 my freezer was once again filled and by 3:00 I had everything cleaned up, put away and the dishes finished. I just finished eating a yummy Crustless Spinach Quiche for dinner and I'm now waitng for my husband to come home. Seth's been gone for a little over a month and this was his final class. So when I say he's coming home, I really mean it!

This weekend over at Today's Housewife the recipe theme is freezer cooking. Hmmm... do you think I might have a recipe to fit that? =D

I'm posting 2 recipes here today. I couldn't decide which one I wanted more, one that is yummy but small, or one that is yummy and large. I'll post the yummy and large one first.

One of the owners of Today's Housewife is expecting a bundle of joy this month -- hence the freezer meals. To help her along I'll be sending her a file with all the recipes I have used so far. If anyone else wants a copy just send me a note!

Note: When freezing meals I highly recommend using Ziploc bags and Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil. I had a bag explode in my freezer (wasn't Ziploc) and the non-heavy duty tend to rip easy.

Chicken Manicotti
3 chicken breasts
¼ tsp Garlic powder – provided
1 box manicotti shells – uncooked
48 oz jar spaghetti sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese
9x13 baking pan

Cook chicken in oil, cool and slice lengthwise. Pour 1/3 of sauce into bottom of 9 x 13 baker. Season chicken with garlic powder. Stuff seasoned chicken into uncooked manicotti shells. Line shells into baker. Top with remaining sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and freeze. Attach bag of mozzarella cheese to baker. Label with recipe name and instructions.

SERVING DAY INSTRUCTIONS: Thaw completely. Bake at 350 uncovered for 45 minutes. Top with cheese. Cook an additional 10-15 minutes. Serve with garden salad and crusty bread.

Ham and Swiss Pastry Bake
2 cups cooked, cubed ham
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
¼ cup finely chopped celery
¼ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
2 TBSP minced onion
1 tsp dry mustard
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/3 cup light mayonnaise or salad dressing (for serving day)
1 - 9” deep-dish frozen pie shell

Chop ham, grate Swiss, chop celery and bell pepper. Combine ham, cheese, celery, bell pepper, onion, mustard, and lemon juice in a 1-gallon Ziploc bag. Label with name & instructions and lay in unopened pie shell. Put both into a gallon Ziploc bag to keep everything together.

SERVING DAY INSTRUCTIONS: Thaw ham mixture. Add 1/3 cup mayonnaise and put into the 9” pie shell. Preheat oven to 375, bake uncovered for 25-35 minutes, until golden brown.