Easy Stromboli

So I like the idea of this recipe from What About Pie but I need it to be more of a meal than a snack. So here's what I'm going to do (and I'm making four of them)
Ingredients:

• Frozen Bread Dough or Cold-Case Pizza Dough (like pillsbury bc I have coupons)
• 40 slices of big salami
• 40 slices of big pepperoni (so I can mix it up)
• 6 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup
• 2 red or green peppers sliced the short way into rounds
• 1 frozen thing of spinach thawed
• Low-fat cottage cheese 16 oz
• 1 egg
• Italian seasoning

So basically I'm going to make my lasagna filling. 

1. Mix the low-fat cottage cheese (or ricotta, whichever is on sale), thawed and drained spinach, 1 egg, half the mozzarella and half the parmesan
2. Then spread it on the rolled out dough
3. Top with the peppers and meat
4. The rest of the mozzarella and parmesan 
5. Roll
6. Bake (whatever the dough says, my guess is 350-400 for 12-15 minutes)

I'm going to make the rolls, half bake them, freeze and bake them the rest of the way when we are ready to eat. 

Pictures and results to come! 

I'm back! And freezer meals take 2

Sorry, I've been gone for a while. I started a new job 6 weeks ago and lots has happened since then. I'm in love with my new job. It is amazing to find a job that makes you so happy. I'm the new Development and Marketing Director at Freedom Service Dogs. We save dogs from shelters and train them to be service dogs for folks with disabilities and veterans with PTSD. I'm feeling uber blessed on that front.

On a not so fun front, last week we found out that my cat of 8 years, Lucy, has a baseball-sized tumor in her belly. I only noticed it because she seemed kinda skinny all of a sudden. We took her in, she had a fever and was in distress. The doctor broke the bad news but said as long as she's eating and going potty and generally happy then we just need to enjoy our time with her. Well, I think she heard him and gave him both (or hell all 4) middle fingers, as she is happy and cuddly as ever. (I think the narcotics he gave her are helping too). She's a fighter. I'm devastated, as is Mike, but she seems unfazed. That kitten has been through everything with me and she's not ready to go yet it seems.

So yeah, that's been consuming my time. I crafted for the first time in probably a month the other night and made an awesome (faux) leather and lace convertible clutch/crossbody/tote more on that another day.

This morning, while watching last night's SNL because I'm too lazy to stay up that late, I've been clipping coupons from the Sunday paper. The Giants vs. Falcons game is on now and I've been spending the entire first half pursuing my pinterest and other favorite blogs to find some more meals to make and freeze. I think we'll do the cooking next weekend so I can play over the next several days. Here's what I'm going to make:

• Martha's chicken pocket pies (but I'm going to use crescent rolls)
• Stromboli
• Parmesan Honey Pork Roast
• Pioneer Woman Enchiladas (the ones I made last time, albeit delicious, were a pain in the arse to make and the tortillas fell completely apart)
• Pioneer Woman Chicken Spaghetti (apparently people swear by this recipe)
• Lidia's Mushroom Ragu
• Chipotle Chicken with Peppers
• Cheeseburger Soup (but I'm going to lighten it up)
• Greek Inspired Slow Cooker Chicken
• Also, my favorite low-fat banana bread (thank you buttermilk)

The only problem is I think I need a second crockpot! Time to call the mother-in-law-to-be. 

I think I'll even post pictures this time.

Now I have to gather all my recipes in my spreadsheet and figure out what we need to buy. I'll put my spreadsheet up on google docs to share. It has my recipes item-by-item, coupons, shopping list. It is intense and worth it! 

We're not grocery shopping until December!

Today I cooked all day--literally. My goal is Mike and I won't have to go grocery shopping for anything but milk and produce until December. After visiting four stores yesterday and a lot of couponing and planning (about 4 hours), we now have over 50 meals in our freezer!

From my last freezer meal cooking:

• 3 peanut stir frys
• 3 chicken enchiladas
• 1 buttermilk chicken

And then today:

• 4 lasagna soups for two
• 4 apple squash soups for two
• 4 french onion soups for two
• 6! butternut squash lasagnas (and we just had one and it seems to make 2 meals per pan! That's 12 meals!) (also, this is amazing!)
• 4 lettuce wrap fillings (PF Changs knock off)
• 6 frozen pizza doughs
• 4 pizza casseroles
• 4 white cheddar chicken casseroles

Plus! We have:

• 6 pizzas (from costco)
• 2 bags of potstickers
• 10 lbs of chicken

Combine that with the ridiculous deals I got on uncle bens side dish rice and cereal (hot and cold), we can pretty much survive a zombie apocalypse.

Oh and I got 24 yoplait yogurts with 4 coupons that were save .40 on 6, those coupons double (but I think it didn't, now that I think about it) and then I got $1.25 off my next transaction with the purchase of 12. So I bought my yogurts first and then used those catalina coupons ($2.50) off the rest of my groceries! I'm going to figure out how to be an extreme couponer for our December shopping trip.

Basically: couponing + once-a-month cooking = win!