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When it’s Chilly, we Like Chili

Although daytime temperatures here have been comfortable and sunny, our nights have been unseasonably cold for the California Central Coast. We’ve had frost at night for almost a week, and more is expected overnight in the next ten days. Yesterday seemed like a good day to make chili — one of my favorite cold weather foods.

I made a full crockpot of chili. Due to dietary recommendations, I used small white beans instead of the red kidney beans the recipe called for, but it turned out okay anyway. It was just as tasty. I was able to make ten large servings in this batch. Since there are only two of us, and we eat smaller servings, we will get at least twelve servings from this.

I put it into the containers you see in the photo when it had finished cooking. The large casserole contains about a quart and a half, since I didn’t fill it to the top. Each small container holds 16 ounces, but I left a bit of room at the top because I will freeze those portions. I love that these containers have no BPA and I can put food into them straight from the crockpot. Then I can put them right into the freezer for use when I don’t have time to cook. When I pull them out of the freezer, I can put them right into the microwave to heat. I usually just thaw them here and put them in soup mug for heating because the mug is more stable.

Do you freeze homemade foods very often? Which foods do you most often prepare at home to freeze?

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What do you think?

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23 Comments

  1. I do not freeze ready meals. We love beans but I do not eat it hot. But for the person next to me it does not matter how many degrees it is. It always consumes hot.

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    • Everyone has different tastes. I have found freezing food a good way for me to go, since I can cook when I have time and then have something put away for when I don’t have time or don’t feel good enough to cook.

  2. I don’t eat that sort of bean often, we are getting green beans in the garden. I do make humus out of chick peas sometimes with herbs, garlic and olive oil in a blender. Makes a nice spread or protein for a meal

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  3. A few years back my twins were going to enter a cooking contest. I don’t remember why tehy decided to, but they did. My eldest of the twins decided to make Chili. They make the most amazing chili! We also love chili when it is chilly!

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