This is what I have been up to. It’s been kind of a whirlwind so I am quite pleased this all fell together in the right place. I have the new website layout, I’ve been able to post a few photography blog posts (there’s some advice and ideas, but mostly humor), I have a new baby, kids are in school, ahhh. I was hoping to be able to blog this week and my poor sick husband actually brought it all together so here’s my The Best Sick or Pregnant Meal with a 2-for-1 Freezer Recipe and SodaStream Hack blog post. Luckily, I had all of this in the freezer ready to make, so it took me about a half hour to put this together. Not including the writing part, which is happening still, right now, while I peck at the keys on the keyboard with one hand as I feed said new baby.

Best Sick or Pregnant Meal

Let’s start with my favorite part of all this, the Ginger-Lime Spritz Recipe. When I was pregnant we went to our family cabin up north and the cabin had received a present for Christmas – the SodaStream! It was glorious, I fell in love. I really wanted to cut out my consumption of 1 coke per day. My husband said no. It was a novelty, not something worth spending so much on. Well, I kept pestering about how I could make simple syrups for it, we wouldn’t have to use store bought syrups, how it would be cheaper and healthier and so on. Then I stopped. I dropped it. And not long after, he just came home with it for me and it really has been a great change in out house! I cut down to sometimes having 1/2 a coke a day while I was pregnant (I diluted the coke).

This is a refreshing, zesty soda that blows store bought ginger ale outta the water. Pun intended. And it is so simple. And you don’t have to add a ton of sugar and there are no unnatural ingredients! It’s just ginger, lime juice, sugar and water! That’s why I call it a SodaStream Hack.

Ginger-Lime Spritz Recipe

Ingredients:

- 1 Ginger Root

- 1 Cup Sugar

- 2 Cups Water

- 1 Tablespoon Lime Juice

Directions:

1. Peel and slice ginger into small chunks.

2. Add ginger to water and bring to boil over medium-high heat.

3. Whisk in sugar.

4. Simmer 20 minutes.

5. Add 2 – 4 tablespoons to 1 liter soda water.

6. Add 1-2 tablespoons lime juice.

* I make it stronger for those who are sick – especially when I was pregnant and had morning sickness. 

Ok, next are 2 easy freezer meals. Why not make up some chicken and veggies and use them 2 different ways for 2 different meals? I paired them together for my husband, but I often put one or the other in my kids lunches. Here it is, my 2-for-1 Freezer Recipe, including a Lime and Hot Sauce Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe and a Chicken Pot Hand Pies Recipe. You can make 10 hand pies and 10 double servings of soup with this base and these recipes. 

Base Recipe

Ingredients:

- 4 Boneless Chicken Breasts

- 4 Carrots

- 1 Onion

- 2 Stalks of Celery

- 4 Cloves of Garlic

- Salt and Pepper to Taste

- 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Directions:

1. In a dutch oven heat oil on medium height.

2. Cut chicken into bite sized chunks and add to dutch oven.

3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

4. Wash veggies and peel carrots, cut into bite sized chunks.

5. After about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, add garlic and onions.

6. Add carrots, stir.

6. Add celery.

7. Take half of mixture out and set aside.

 

Lime and Hot Sauce Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

- 1/2 Base Mixture

- 1/4 Cup Lime Juice

- 2 Tablespoons Hot Sauce

- 1/2 Tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes

- 1 Package Noodles (I let my kids choose)

- Water from Cooked Noodles

Directions:

1. Add red pepper flakes to mixture in dutch oven.

2. Turn to medium low heat, stirring occasionally.

3. Cook pasta in large pot.

4. Slowly, while simmering, add boiled pasta water to dutch oven.

5. Keep pasta in pot with some water.

6. Keep mixture and water at a simmer for 30 minutes.

7. Add lime juice and hot sauce.

8. Add cooked pasta last, once cooled more.

9. Put into freezer bags or tupperware once cooled.

*Next time I’m adding some frozen kale, whether the kids want it or not.

This is great for any sick day. And, you’ll especially appreciate that it’s ready in mere minutes thanks to the microwave. Which even kids can use if you happen to be the one who’s sick. If you’re just looking for some comfort food and don’t need soup, you can have that in mere minutes, too. Just make up this Chicken Pot Hand Pies Recipe and stock up your freezer when you don’t have time to make a home-cooked meal. I made these especially for after the baby came. So my family would have a meal only mom makes without me actually having to make it! My husband could pop it into the oven and I could stay in bed with my new babe. Everyone was happy.

Chicken Pot Hand Pies Recipe

Ingredients:

- 1/2 Base Mixture

- 2 Tablespoons Butter

- 2 Tablespoons Flour

- 1 Cup Milk

- 1/2 Bag Small Potatoes (like Trader Joe’s Teeny Tiny Potatoes)

- 1 Cup Frozen Corn

- Salt and Pepper to Taste

- 6 Sprigs Fresh Thyme

- Double Recipe Pie Crust (Use pre-made crust for all I care! I am not a pie crust snob, sorry!)

Directions:

1. Keep base mixture aside.

2. In stock pot melt butter and add flour, stirring into paste.

3. Add milk and salt and pepper.

4. Boil water and cook potatoes in separate pot.

5. Simmer butter, flour and milk mixture into thick consistency.

6. Add thyme to base mixture. 

7. Prepare corn.

8. Add everything to butter, flour and milk mixture in stock pot. 

9. Let cool.

10. Make 10 circles of uncooked pie crusts on aluminum foiled cookie sheet.

11. Pour mixture into center of uncooked pie crusts, fold and pinch.

12. Freeze on cookie sheet, once frozen transfer to freezer-safe bag.

13. Bake at 425 Degrees for 20-25 Minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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