Batch Cooking: Another Day in the Freezer

Yesterday we tucked another batch cooking day under our belt (menu here).  It just about killed me.  Today I was so tired from standing in the kitchen for almost 4 straight days, I wanted to lay in bed all day.  Didn't happen.  Two little people needed me to make more food - starting with breakfast.  Imagine that.

However, I took comfort in the fact that I have an enormous amount of food in my freezer to show for it.  HB has just as much.  It is our hope that it is enough food to last both families six to eight weeks.  Crazy amount of food, people.  We used over 20 cups of mushrooms, 8 whole chickens, a 5 pound roast, 12 pounds of stew meat, 3 pounds of round steak, 4 pounds of brats, lots of beans and rice, 11 green peppers, a gallon of cream, and lots of Real Salt.

This was some (cold) gelatinous nourishing broth, made with chicken feet.  You won't find healing nourishing broth at the grocery store.

The Cruise Director wanted to make sure we stayed the course so she taped our schedules to the cabinets.  We got off track, by the way.  The proposed schedules really do help.  When I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off and I'm tempted to say, "What do I do next?"  I just look at the schedule.

At 3:30 I realized we were not going to get everything done so I didn't make the double batch of falafel. The day started late (babysitting snafu).  And it takes FOREVER to package and clean up - we never allot enough time for that.  HB kept making quesadillas until 4:30.

 HB made 12 loaves of soaked wheat bread and it was delicious.

I wish I'd had the presence of mind to take more pictures.  Really, you just need to be here to fully appreciate the madness that ensues.  If you know HB in real life, be sure to ask her about the smoke in my kitchen (it was billowing out the windows and doors).  I didn't get a picture of that but my neighbor said, when I went to borrow worchestire sauce, "Your hair smells like smoke."

All in a day's work.
-Julie for HB

PS
The ingredients for the falafel still beckon me from the fridge.