On the Menu in January (The virtues of bulk cooking!)

Since October, a friend and I have been bulk cooking every first Monday of the month. We pick out five recipes and quadruple them. We then split what we make and come home with 10 meals (two meals for each recipe). This has been such a blessing! I can't tell you how many times it has saved me to have several meals in the freezer! With homeschooling and teaching Spanish part time, I just don't have the energy or time to cook each night.
Here is what we are preparing for this month:
Chili Relleno Casserole
Chicken Parmesan
Corn Chowder
Cincinnati Chili (this dish is served over pasta)
Spring Veggie Soup with Dill Dumplings
The Spring Veggie Soup is one of my friend's favorites. I am looking forward to tasting it! Here is the recipe.

Spring Veggie Soup with Dill Dumplings

2 T. butter
3 stalks celery, sliced
2 carrots, chopped
3/4 cup green onion, sliced
1 cup asparagus stalks, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces, cooked crisp tender
6 cups broth
2 cups packed spinach leaves
1/2 t. salt
pepper to taste

Dumplings:
1 cup + 2 T. baking mix
1/3 cup milk
3/4 t. dried dill

In Dutch oven, melt butter; add celery, carrots, green onions, and asparagus. Cook over med. heat until veggies softened (10 min.). Add broth. Cook until mixture comes to a full boil. Lower heat, simmer for about 20 min. Add spinach, salt and pepper. Continue cooking 5 min.
We will freeze the soup and on the day of serving add the dumplings. To do this: Stir together dumpling ingredients. Spoon mixture on top to make six dumplings. Cover and cook for about 10 min until dumplings are done.

I am really building up the meals in my freezer! I still have Black Bean Pumpkin Chili and a lasagna in there from our cooking session in December. We are saving money because we are buying in bulking and time because we do less kitchen cleaning. It is such a great system!