This is a "tried and true" recipe I've made over and over. I'm not even sure where I got it. It's easy to put together ahead of time, then toss in the freezer for later.
Touch of the Orient Chicken
10-12 chicken drumsticks and/or thighs
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 (8 ounce can) tomato sauce
Place chicken in slow cooker. Mix all other ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 5 or 6 hours.
What I do to make individual portions is mix up the sauce. Place 3 drumsticks in a quart-sized baggie -- four times, pour sauce over each portion, seal and freeze.
On the day I want to have it for dinner, I take it out of the freezer first thing in the morning and let defrost until about lunch time. I then dump the whole bag into the mini slow cooker and cook on high until dinner time. It turns out just perfect and delicious. It's great over rice.
Not really anything new, but something I haven't done in a long time.
Since I don't have access to my kitchen during child care hours, I'm always looking for things I can make ahead and this came to mind today.
I hard boiled six eggs.
I then peeled them all and put them in a Ziploc baggie. What's new to me is peeling them before storing them. I always remember my mom storing them in the peels in the fridge and always being frustrated most of the time peeling them before they are eaten. Having the eggs already peeled will make it quick to serve to hungry toddlers at lunch time tomorrow.
I'm sure you can image the odors I encounter working in a home child care. I need some sort of air freshener available at all times. I have used commercially made sprays and even Lysol in the past. Over the past few years I have been working on eliminating chemicals as much as I can. After a lot of trial and error, I found something I really love and that works!
In a spray bottle (the big pink-topped ones are from Family Dollar at $1.25 each), drip 15 drops of lime oil and 15 drops of orange oil. Fill with RO or other purified water. That's it!
I get the lime oil and orange oil at a health food store for around $5 for a one-ounce bottle. That sounds like a lot, but these bottles have lasted over a year (and I use a lot of spray). You can also find the oils online.
You could use whatever scented oils that you like. I tried everything from lavender to clove oils, and found citrus smells clean to me. I had to find something that didn't mix bad with the poop smell (have you smelled the flower stuff in the bathroom? It smells like poop and flowers--eewww).
When parents arrive just after I've changed a messy diaper and have sprayed the citrus spray, they always say, "It smells so clean in here." I smile and think they should have arrived a few minutes sooner.
I keep spray bottles of this all over the house (one in the bathroom, near the changing table, in the bedroom, living room, kitchen) handy for a quick "freshen-up". I'm happy to spray something that is safe for children, pets and everyone and chemical-free!
My favorite way to make taco meat is to add a package of taco seasoning mix to a pound or two of ground beef.
I fry it up and drain. I put in individual portions in Ziploc sandwich bags. I will reheat in my mini crock pot or in the microwave. It's easy to add to recipes or to make tacos in a hurry.
I've never followed the package directions on a package of taco meat, always just fried it up.
I've tried different recipes for play dough and even bought commercial play dough, but nothing beats this recipe:
1 c. flour 1/2 c. salt 2 tsp. cream of tartar 1 c. water 2 tbsp. oil 1 tsp. food coloring
Combine 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup salt and 2 teaspoons cream of tartar in a large saucepan. Gradually stir in 1 cup water mixed with 2 tablespoons oil and 1 teaspoon food coloring. Cook over medium to high heat, stirring constantly until a ball forms.
Remove from heat, cool and knead until smooth on wax paper. Store in an airtight container.
I made a double batch.
This recipe keeps very well in an air-tight bag or plastic container and survives many play sessions.
Leftovers On Purpose -LOP- is about how I make meals ahead and store in my freezer :). It includes ideas for feeding daycare toddlers, as well as what I do to keep healthy food choices available for myself. The same ideas would work for feeding a busy family.
. . . since I have started to work with your recipes, I have been able to cut down on my grocery list by..... believe it or not...... $100.00 per week . . . So... BIG THANKS to you and sharing your wonderful recipes that helps me keep my grocery bill down.
Touch-Of-The-Orient Chicken
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