Bulk Cooking

When my son was small I always tried to be super Mom so I learned to do a lot of bulk cooking on the weekends. I would do large pots of potato salad, a roast and some fried chicken, or get out the grill and do hot dogs, burgers and chops. Things we could make meals off of Sat - Wed night. Thurs night my son got a treat at the all you can eat pizza place and Fri night we went grocery shopping and usually picked out something from the deli or did a fast food stop on the way home. Isn't it always ironic, a car full of groceries and you stop for dinner LOL. I know, I know but it wears me out and then I still have to go home and put it all away. If there is anytime when a woman deserves to be treated it is grocery night.

In this vein, I never make pasta or potatoes for one dish. First I start with eggs. After all, pasta and potatoes make great salads so I boil eggs. When they are almost done I add the pasta or potatoes.

For pasta, I drain them and divide into at least 3 of the following dishes:
Pasta salad with fresh tomatoes, diced onion and diced bell peppers tossed with Italian dressing
Pasta & egg salad - mayo, eggs and pasta although many would want to add pickles and possible mustard
Pasta & Crab meat salad - mayo, pasto, diced crab meat, diced peppers/onions/celery
Pasta & Italian sausage salad - I cook a seperate bag of mixed veg (pick any Chinese or other blend - I like them all), mix the veggies, pasta and Ital sausages diced into 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes, toss with Ranch dressing
Sphagetti - if you tossed a few Ital sausages in with the noodles you are set or you can do a saucepan of hamburger, drain and add pasta and sauce (I prefer Del Monte or Prego green peppers and mushrooms).

For potatoes, I drain them but save the liquid.
Potato salad - for me mayo and eggs is all I want but flavor with all the goodies you like
Mashed potatoes - I grew up on mash made with evaporated milk and still prefer that and I like them with a little bit of substance
Potato Soup - I toss a cup or two of cooked potatoes into the drained liquid and put it in the fridge. The next day I drain off most of the clear liquid from the top and keep the milky liquid in the bottom. I add one can evaporated milk and one can chicken broth to make potato soup. Sometimes I will add some finely diced onion which mean simmering a little longer. Or drain and rinse a can of oysters and add just before serving. This is not a runny soup but if you like it really thick you should add a pinch or two of corn starch.

Happy Cooking :)