mass-cooking

14-Item Menu in One Mass Cooking Session

In Mass Cooking, My Recipes, Resources by Shannon Cochran

Mass-Cooking

I spent the better part of Thursday and Friday mass cooking. For me, I have learned it’s much easier to cook in bulk. One massive mess to clean. Many pre-prepped, healthy, homemade meals (plus cookies) to serve my family when they ask that inevitable question, “Mommy, what are we going to eat?”

Here is a list of what God, Mr. Mixer, Mrs. Food Processor, and even my little niece and daughter assisted me to make:

  • 8 C Homemade Maple Cinnamon Granola
  • Double batch of Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Trail Mix Bars
  • Double recipe of Tuna salad with Tarragon, Dried Cherries, & Pumpkin seeds
  • 2 whole Roasted Rosemary Lemon chickens

  • 2 pans of Shepherd’s Pie
  • 1 pan of Eggplant Parmesan w/ Sauteed Beet Greens & Sausagemass-cooking
  • 3 lbs. of seasoned taco meat
  • 3.5 lbs. of chicken marinated for fajitas
  • 36 breakfast tacos
  • Quadrupled batch of Double Peanut Butter Cookies
  • Kale Salad
  • Fast Roasted Asparagus
  • Double batch of My favorite pancakes *substituted Spelt flour
  • Scrambled eggs w/ peppers, smkd salmon, cheese, avocado, cilantro

Note: Taco and fajita meat, casseroles, cookies, and breakfast tacos have found a home in the freezer. They will bless both my family and me when I pull them out for future use. The refrigerator meals will save me from cooking every time my children utter, “Mommy, I’m hungry” . . . again. :)

God reminded me of this verse when I spent the latter half of today editing my work in Chapter 3.

“Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate” (Proverbs 31:31).

God honored me for making my family, not my book, my higher priority. He used the headache and fatigue of my oldest son’s growth spurt and exhausted kids from a more-than-usual-activity, busy week to cause my husband to mandate a family-wide relaxing Saturday.

Inadvertently, a Daddy-mandated rest day–and my hard work to make so many quality meals–gave me an honest opportunity to pour over Chapter 3. To be satisfied with my work and press “Send” to my writing coach. To “celebrate” this little writing victory as Robert D. Smith encourages. All of this BEFORE Dr. L returns Chapter 3–marked-up in red–in need of more work and edits. :)

Today’s reward satisfied my spirit in the Lord. I felt God’s smile. I thanked Him for answering the arrow prayer I prayed at the kitchen sink while fighting those raw chickens:

Lord, I know You see all this work that I do. I do it unto You. Now I ask You to please add time back to me. Give me time to finish editing Chapter 3 so I may send it to Lorraine this week. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Knowing God sees me and all the hard work that I do (with His help and in His Spirit of course), this compels me to keep cooking. To keep writing. To keep wife-ing, mom-ing, home-making, and life-giving wholeheartedly as unto the Lord. What an honor. What a reward. God Sees!

What about you? What good work has God called you to do? Do you know that God sees you? God sees even the smallest task that you do. And the God Who Sees, cheers for you.

Keep working for His sure reward, my friend!

Shannon Cochran