Once upon a time I loved nothing more than spending a weekend in my kitchen. But four children later there isn’t a lot of time for long sessions in the kitchen. But the reality is that I need to spend more time in the kitchen to save time during my busy week by having meals on hand. So yesterday afternoon while retro daddy drove grandma betty home – I got cracking and made perogen. I would describe them as little puff pastry parcels of bolagnese baked in the oven. The little ones would tell you they are meat pies. And Finn ate over 12 of them.
They were a huge success and one batch makes about 80 which means I have 2 containers full in my freezer. It did take a while to make them up (did I say there were 80?) but the little ones devoured them. In a flash. And I’m a poet and I didn’t know it as these are my ‘frozen perogen’. Another success from this book. I honestly think this is the best cookbook I’ve bought! I really do want to make everything from it.
And earlier in the week I made PW’s Oatmeal Crispies for morning tea. I looooooove this recipe as it makes 2 huge rolls of cookie dough so I tend to bake one and freeze one. These never last long. I leave out the pecans to keep them nut free for school but oh boy they are absolutely delicious with pecans. As in eat 5 in a row delicious. So today is my crazy day with school pick up, race to gymnastics, entertain the twins for an hour in a small confined space with a baby on my lap when they’d rather be jumping around doing gymnastics, race home to everyone wanting dinner on the table as soon as we get in the door. Normally I would go to quilting but retro daddy has warned me he’ll be working in the office very late (i.e. after midnight) so having dinner and snacks sorted today is a dream.
I like the look of perogen. They might be just the thing to put in the freezer here….while I don’t have a kitchen!!
I love PW’s Oatmeal Crispies. They are so yummy!
Food is the heart of every happy home. What lucky children you have. What are you quilting I wonder. Cherrie
Loving all the ideas you are giving me lately Corrie with all your recipes! xx
That book sounds divine! My oven has decided to die on me and we are thinking of renovating our kitchen. Part of me doesn’t want to spend money on the oven, as it will be going along with my old kitchen. I cook everyday, so I am a bit challenged. I think I see a slow cooker coming my way somehow! I need to start researching ovens too, as I want to love my next one, not just put up with someone else’s choice.
I hear you on trying to entertain children in confined spaces. My crazy day is Wednesday with school pickup, kinder pickup, ballet (where I have to entertain my youngest two, who would rather be out doing ballet, well elephant dancing is more like it) and of course crazy hungry childen at the end of all that. Happy baking. Jacinta
They sound great! I miss cooking. I have had no oven for a while now, should be back to normal next week.
By the looks of the comments, I am not alone with no oven either! lol.
Your kids are so lucky to have a great mum who can cook!
I love the idea of quick meals in the freezer but they tend not to last long in our house. Is there any secrete in freezing the perogen? Do you freeze them on a tray first and then pack them into a container once frozen or use freezer paper between the layers in a container?
Yummo I love that idea, they would be perfect for disguising a few vegetables too.
Those perogen look delicious! My other half is Polish and they have a dish very similar called Pierogi which they filled with either savoury or sweet and are absolutely scrummy! I think that book is getting higher and higher on my ‘wish list’ after seeing all the wonderful things you’ve made!
You sound organised. Make the slow cooker your friend. Do you ahve one Corrie? It is fantastic. I am going to do a double batch of bolognaise sause in it on Wednesday. Half will be used for us and the other half will be made into something for a Mum from school who has just had her fifth.
I seriously have to look at getting this book:)
those are to pretty and perfect to eat, i’m so behind on blog reading, i just watched your make over, you are beautiful
I do a big cook up on Mondays, I have the oven going, the slow cooker going, and stove top, makes the rest of the week nice and easy.
I have not thought of freezing cookie dough though. Can you do that with any cookie dough?
Enjoy the rest of your week
Jacqueline.
Looks yummy!
I think ‘stash meals’ like these are like pockets of hidden sanity in the freezer! I love them and I think one the best investments we ever made was our upright freezer which lives in the laundry. I love it so! Frozen cookie dough? Of course, I usually always have a stick in there – great to pull out in a panic when you realise there are no school snacks left! Wait until you have three lunchboxes to fill xxx
I’m looking forward to getting more freezer space so I can double the dough and freeze. Magic!! x