That’s the way I saw it too, some people may want help but don’t want to feel like they are being needy, so I like how cooking for community is just about offering help to anybody and everybody
COOKING FOR COMMUNITY It's a wonderful service you are rendering. There are seniors who need other types of aid. There are needs that seem so trivial to the young and able-bodied that no one seems to think about them. Such as grocery shopping for the aged etc
Cooking for the community. Rebecca, can I just say, I think you are an amazing woman. I applaud your parents for raising such a kind, generous, and loving woman. May God bless you always!!!
Cooking for Community keeps it general. Although they DO need the food, they don’t want to be labeled as “needy”. What a great job you are doing especially since you are not used to cooking in larger quantities. It is a learning process, kind of like when a mom is used to cooking for a big family and become empty nesters, just in reverse. I love watching you solve problems as they arise, not everyone has that capability. Keep in mind that if you have something you don’t know how to solve, you have us to offer ideas for making adjustments to recipes (thinking of your soup quandary). It is fun to watch you plan what to make and execute the plan. For your give away you might want to do a recipe contest for a certain meal, or casserole, or dessert, etc. Another way to use your community, us. By the way, we are learning along with you. This week I learned how to make teriyaki sauce from you, and I’m 75, never too old to learn!💖💖💖
The griddle is great because when I was a kid our stove broke and we couldn’t afford to replace it until my mom saved up so she used her griddle to feed us for a few months. Lots of folks may need to use something like this if the have no stove in their living arrangements.
So I started watching this on my phone with an earbud in place As I walked into the store my earbud died so I had it on at low volume on my phone At that particular moment you were describing the need to stir/agitate chocolate for melting process Another shopper stopped to look over my shoulder to see what I was listening too She thanked me for the tip and informing her of your TH-cam channel
Sweetheart I am 55yo. Taught to cook by parents born 1928 and 1911! And last month I decided to break lose and create some of these recipes I've saved, written down or bookmarked! Totally out of my comfort zone! I wasted about $300 worth of food and the loss tore me up but I had to learn to stay in my wheelhouse and cook what we love!!
A few crockpot tips: Meat cooks faster than veggies in the crockpot, so cut the raw veg smaller and put them in first, sauce and season them, and lay the seaoned meat on top with some of the sauce so the veg gets the heat first. Thighs don't dry out as readily as breasts, so use them in dishes with veg, saving the breasts for crockpot recipes without vegetables. I hope that's helpful.
I wonder if the crock pot was too full. Not sure why that would affect heating but I've heard to only fill it like 2/3 full? Love your videos, you're inspiring me, Rebecca!
Dense vegetables like potatoes and carrots are notorious for taking longer to cook. I used to cook a lot of crockpot meals and would always put the potatoes and carrots (and usually the onions) in early and set it on low for probably three or four hours until they started feeling a little bit tender before I put any meat in especially chicken as it cooks very quickly. I did this even making beef stew because as tough as stew meat can be, if you put it in to begin with you ended up with shredded beef cubes basically.
Cooking for community is more universal, you could do so much more with it. In fact your whole channel falls under that too because your budget meal ideas is also something for the community 😊
Oh darn- a LONG video with Rebecca😂 Let me encourage you to wait a bit before giving away the second griddle. It might come in handy while you’re preparing large quantities now and convenience will help prevent burnout. This was a beautiful video- thank you for what you’re doing.💜
Rebecca, you can NEVER make a video that’s too long for ME!!! Sometimes, I have your video playing while I’m in the kitchen doing my own food prep. Your narration is always just right. I admire you for all you’re doing to help this family so much! Thank you for sharing this new adventure with us. I am learning from your trials and successes. Wishing you many blessings! 💕🙌🏼🙏🏽
That was an amazing video! Don't apologize for the length - I love watching and listening to you (the week you couldn't talk was disappointing to me). These meals look delicious and your ideas are always incredible. For someone so young you have a lot of great knowledge and tips. I'm 62, nearly twice your age, but I learn something from you almost every video!
Crockpot tips- think of it as a pot on top of the stove that is on low or simmer. They often work best when you have them near full and for 7 hours plus. When using chicken- I recommend thighs and cooking them whole. Then remove them and chop or shred. Both will help retain moisture. If you need to add frozen veggies- pop them in the microwave or boil for a minute to bring them up to the same temperature. This way your soup can keep cooking without having to catch up. If you end up with another large batch like this one- pull out another crock pot and divide the batch. So you will remember write down all the improvements you made to your printout so it will go more smoothly next time! 😊
When I need my crockpot soup to cook faster, first I heat up the chicken (or beef stock) in the microwave and partially cook the veggies, also in the mw. Soup is done in 4 hours. I love the tips and tricks I learn on this channel. Great community here!
I don't know if anyone else suggested having a set of recipes and letting her pick a couple of things she would like to have each week. Please keep sharing these prep sessions with us. This is a great way to show how a family could prep for the week while teaching time management. I hope she is watching these so she can see the care you put into these meals. Where is the info for amazon or your PO box? Another thought might be to just give them a bottle of syrup. Last tip, if you warm your veggies in the microwave before putting in the crockpot, it won't cool off the soup and slow the cooking process. I hope you are still reading! 🤪
Just to note, most of the meats I get from Walmart are usually tough and take HOURS to get tender. I typically put my meats in a covered roasting pan and bake a long time. Just something to consider in the future. A baking bag is another option that works well to tenderize meats. Also, a huge thank you for this video! My family is large, and finding large batch cooking to put in the freezer (for times when I am too tired or sick to cook) is often the same stuff that we wouldn't eat. But your meals are foods that we would actually eat! 😍And although I wouldn't have time to prep as much as you cooked, I could easily do one dish at a time and freeze it! Lastly, you are such a beautiful person on any given day, but your face glowed after meeting this beautiful family! Just another beautiful example of how it is better to give than to receive! 🥰Thank you for taking us along! It was a blessing to watch!
Helpful tip. When making bulk sandwiches, lay all the bread out on the counter. That way you can go up and down and cover all the slices with mayo and then your fillings on one row and then just flip over the tops when done! :) Makes it alot faster :)
As an alternative, you could always just cook extra of what you make throughout the week for your husband and self, and just portion and freeze their portions. Then you only have to make whatever number of portions you are missing. You can. Offer a variety for them in that ways
Wow she goes to bed at 7? I'm 74 and I'm up until 11p.m. or later. That's amazing. Your food looks so,delicious today. Sorry about the power troubles. You are still the most wonderful young woman. And cooking for community is the best. Have a wonderful weekend honey. Oh my this is by far the best thing on youtube. You are the kindest. That dumpling soup looks delicious cuz im a big soup eater.,yummy. Cant wait until next week hugs and much love
A tip on crock pot. Potatoes will do better cut smaller. Veggies take longer to cook in crock. Try not to fill crock more then 2/3rds full. I like to cook on high for the first 2 hours then finish on low. Or I will cook the whole meal on high. Love that you are doing this. It can help our older community staying in their home. It warms my heart to see you doing this. Thank you. Everything is looking delicious.
Cooking for community. It encompasses everyone and it’s positive and uplifting. Crockpots are finicky. Try it again for fun and not under pressure. You’re doing amazing. You have a heart of gold. 💛
Cooking for community is a general term, that could avoid potential embarrassment for recipients. It's also potentially more than neighbors in the future, your community can be as big or small as your imagination can grasp. You are doing a great service, and I know it's appreciated. Thank you for being a caring person and neighbor and I'm glad it helps your channel at the same time. You are on to something great here and I wish you continued growth, blessings, health and happiness.
I think what you’re doing for grandma and grandson is awesome and I always look forward to watching your new videos. Keep up the great work you’re doing! People like you make a difference in our world!
I have watched this video multiple times. I have a disability, but I am still working. Meal-prep is my best friend and it's hard to find videos that are full of comfort food with accessible ingredients! I love also how you explain your process as you go. I also appreciate how you also share the realness of when things don't work out as expected! Keep your videos coming.
Chicken Pot Pie Soup you can always just bake the biscuits and wrap 2-3 biscuits in little bundles and they can place biscuits in bowl and pour the soup mixture over the top of the biscuits, should work since the flaky crust is usually baked across the top anyway. Thank you for what you do. You are appreciated. Maybe a little celery in the Soup or celery salt.
I cooked for a large Foster Family for years. (As many as 12 at times. Just recently stopped because of my health.). I got so much out of doing this. Most times I showed up with hot casseroles or fresh pizza the family had no idea what they were doing for dinner. They were so appreciative and I got to see the kids grow up. Great family and a great experience. Even a small amount of food delivered to a family who is struggling will be so appreciated and brighten the day for them. Thank you and bless you for what you are doing.
Cooking for Community is a great name. I really related with you on life happening... lol... the power goes out, the crock pot version crashed, the desert breaks apart... life. You persevered and made it work. I was really moved when you let us know how the drop-off meeting went. It was a little emotional. Rebecca, you are making a difference. Your heart shows through with the love you put into every dish. Thank you!
Thank you for taking the time to do this. It shows you are a good -hearted, caring person. We need many more like you. I wish you success in all you do.😊🌹🌹
Like many other commentors, I think you show so much compassion for what you are doing. It made me tired just watching the video, knowing how much time and effort went into this. I know you are adding soups to your menus and you mentioned she likes fish. I used to make a fish chowder that everyone loved. Maybe something like that would be appealing to her.
I like 'Neighbours in Need.' BUT ------------- I did read a comment below that stated the fact how 'COOKING FOR COMMUNITY' does describe what you offer. To me, that's a great point if you are looking for help with meals; as the name provides the reader with the knowledge of what you offer. So due to this I will choose 'COOKING WITH COMMUNITY.' Neighbours in Need would be a great name for a Community Welfare organisation which specialises in aiding the community in a variety of other needs like gardening; home care; shopping or travel to Drs or medical appointments etc. It could offer cooking too but the name is more suitable for an organisation which offers a variety of ways to help the community, not just one. Really enjoying your videos.. God bless you Rebecca. Thank you for what you are doing. 🥰
I prefer Cooking for Community; more scope. Also, watching you make the peanut butter bars reminded me that this is a very good reason to have a kitchen scale. Instead of measuring something sticky and hard to get out of a measuring cup, like P-butter, weigh it once, jot down the tare weight and note it on your recipe. Then, after that, whenever you make it you can weigh it on a piece of waxed paper or similar; no measuring cup to scrape out or clean, it is very easy to get off the paper, and is very fast. I make a lot of pie crusts with lard, which is VERY sssssticky! This method saves me a lot of hassle and inconvenience. Thanks for the videos.
I like Cooking for Community because it reiterates the fact that you're providing food. Neighbors in need is good but it doesn't specify that you're providing just food. Also, my sister makes chicken pot pie soup for their bar & grill, and puts crumbled baked crust on top. It's so good!
To incorporate this idea of "crumbled baked crust on tope" for make-ahead meals, spread a couple raw pie crusts onto cookie sheets (sprinkle on seasonings if desired) and bake them till golden brown. Once cooled, break them into pieces and store in sealed bags. My dad actually prefers a sugar-sprinkled crispy crust fixed like this to go with cooked fruit, instead of a true "cobbler" crust- so that's another option that would reheat well in a microwave! 😊
I hope you see this. First, let me say I’m proud of you for helping your community . And also if you make something with to much salt you can put a potato in it to put out salt and then you just discard the potato. You may want to cut the potato in half or even quarter it hope this helps you in the future.
C for C gets my vote. Those pans you showed are also excellent for freezing soup in portions. Freeze them, a quick dunk in warm water releases them and then into freezer bags. Fish heats up great in a toaster oven, but it would require different packaging and not sure if they have that appliance,
Whenever i use potatoes in a crockpot, I always boil the potatoes or carrots, those 2 vegetables take so long to cook, i add them later, some people will probably say not to, but i have been using the crockpot for 30+ years, and if your cooking with chicken, i highly recommend cooking those 2 veggies first, with beef , like in a beef stew, beef can handle longer cooking times, so having them together is fine, although if your in a little hurry id cook them separately as well. I love your new challenge for yourself, its gonna be quite the learning experience, i do it for several elderly, and sometimes its very fun when everything works perfectly, other times its annoying.... just remember its an act of love and always appreciated. Also as far as not following the recipes exactly, you do it the way it works for you, or how you like it, i find those recipes work best, cause its more relaxed. Thank you for sharing all your ideas and videos!!❤❤❤❤
I am loving these videos. Cooking for Community is basically what your whole channel is about and the meals you are making for people in need is perfectly in line with that. Since you help people 'survive with flavor' with your usual videos, that is essentially 'cooking for community' at its core. I am ever hopeful that this idea expands and catches on with many other creators who could work this act of charity into their existing channel. I've seen landscapers cutting yards for free for content with the ad revenue paying for the service. Wouldn't it be great if all the gardeners, cooks, landscapers, repairmen, etc. worked this kind of thing into their channels? You might be an early adapter of a revolution of giving. Oh, this is what I would have done about the chicken pot pie - I would have scooped out half of it before adding the veggies and frozen it to be used as a base for some other dish which includes chicken, 'cream of' soup, and potatoes (there must be many). I've been cooking this way for many years and I'd like to offer some suggestions. It's wise to make extra large batches of certain things to build up your freezer. I make rice, beans, ground beef - cooked with peppers and onions, in big batches and portion them out into baggies. I freeze them lying flat and I have the base for a future meal already cooked. My food tastes much better than anything I can buy (if I do say so myself), it's MUCH cheaper, and I can freeze in any portion size I want - whether it's enough for one meal or a big batch of one of my favorites (don't forget to label everything.) Plus, it's not that much more effort to do it this way than it is to just cook enough for one dish. I also buy proteins in large packages (including canned tuna) and then break them down into smaller portions to freeze. My family is not a fan of thawed cooked chicken so I do it another way. Chicken leg quarters (or the parts of your family's preference) can be frozen in baggies with the marinade of your choice so the whole thing can be thawed overnight and then dumped into the crockpot the next morning for a fantastic meal after a hard day. (Think chicken thighs in a sweet and sour type marinade, cooked all day low and slow, then put onto a sheet pan under the broiler for a few minutes right before serving.) Sorry for the novel, but your video inspired me.
Cooking for community keeps it with out loss of dignity. When using a crock pot keep the chicken in whole pieces and cut up later or add potatoes an hour later. So fun to see you so excited. You have a sweet kind heart. God bless you dear for your generosity.
Cooking for Community. It's so amazing what you are doing. If only the world had more people like you in it, then this world would be a better place to live.
I've learned that chicken thighs are better for slow cooker recipes as they can cook longer and don't get dry. I also wouldn't cut the chunk of meat before cooking, unless you plan to add the chicken later in the process. You're doing a great job, though! It is different upsizing recipes, and the more you do it, the more you'll know how your equipment works with it (slow cooker, oven, etc.). I'm with everyone who voted for Cooking for Community!
You can cook scrambled eggs on a cookie sheet, in the oven. Make sure the cookie sheet has edges, to hold the loose egg mixture. After cooking them, you cut the eggs to your desired size, and use for breakfast sandwiches, or just a square of scrambled eggs. You can also crack eggs onto a preheated (or cold) cookie sheet, to bake "fried eggs" in the oven, when making ahead breakfasts sandwiches with "over easy eggs". I crack the yolks before cooking, for breakfast sandwiches!
Amen I agree. She is cooking for the community 😊 please let us know if we can help. This has gotten much bigger than finding an outlet for extra food when you are showing how to use Dollar Store foods. I usually would not help others but I understand how you feel about helping others... but you can not afford to do this out of your own pocket. You are now making 36 meals a week... that is commendable but that is also a lot more than just feeding 2. Please let us know how we can help. God bless you. We are all here to help each other.
I know it's too late now, but for future reference I would suggest holding off on transferring things from crocpot to fridge until it's had a chance to properly cool down; otherwise that's opening up chance for bacteria to grow & food poisoning to form. Just a friendly reminder from your literal chef friend. 🙃
I cook for lots of people and for groups often. Some tips: For your chicken pot pie soup: Precook your potatoes or use a diced hashbrown. Poultry seasoning would also help season the soup and make it take more pot pue-ish. Poultry seasoning is a one stop shop with sage thyme rosemary etc. Often when I'm using crackpots I add things in stages. When you're cooking in big batches especially for b8g groups you will be shocked how much salt it takes to bring stuff alive lol. For teriyaki sauce instead of just using soy sauce also use mirin and hoisin sauce. You can also help balance it with pineapple juice. The tube ginger may have been what made it too salty. Ginger is pretty strong and I add it a bit at a time. You'll get the hang of this. I will say don't give up on the crock pot. It is an amazing tool especially when cooking for large groups. ❤ Also I have cooked the last minute lasagna recipe from your channel twice now and have gotten rave reviews both times. Everyone loves it. Thank you for what you do.
I think it's really cool that you are helping out by making meals for a community member. I have always wanted to do this, but our area doesn't allow homemade food as a donation...🙃 Another thing you can make from the bread ends is stuffing. Pair that with some chicken (or any protein), gravy, and a veg...
Firstly, I love that you’re doing this. Making meals for someone that needs them can make such an impact. It will affect their wallet, their bellies and stress levels. It’s a small act but it truly makes a difference. Secondly, I’d like to suggest my grandma’s crockpot pork chop recipe. Season pork chops, coat in flour and pan fry to brown. In the bottom of your crockpot add a splash of chicken broth. Layer your seared chops in the crockpot. Deglaze the pan with onions (I keep frozen onion scraps in the freezer specifically for this), plus optional add ins garlic and mushrooms. If you had any seasoned flour leftover add here too, cook the flour for a couple minutes and add some more broth to make a pan gravy. Add everything to the crockpot with a can of cream of mushroom soup ( I prefer the low sodium/heart heathy one). Keep in mind the amount of liquid you add is the amount of gravy you’ll get. Cook low for 6-8 hours. Thin breakfast chops 6 hrs, thicker ones 8 hrs. It’s amazing with mashed potatoes or rice. It’s simple, it’s easy, it always turns out great.
This series has been so helpful. Thank you! I vote for community cook in name change. I'm so happy you got meet with and discuss the meals with the family. Incredibly rewarding! That griddle was a great idea as well.
I am more amazed each time I watch one of these videos of you working so hard and meticulously at making these meals for another family, donating more of your time and resources so selflessly, doing your best to make sure that these meals are perfect, all the thought and and effort into each detail, just as you would do for your own family. I could go on and on. I loved all of your videos before you started doing this, learned so much from them. Hopefully, you decide to accept some of the things your viewers would really like to gift you with. It's us giving a little something back to you for having the honor of watching you in these videos and getting to see such a good, incredibly honest and caring person teach us things and help others. The apron looks so pretty on you. Lastly, I didn't get a chance to comment on the video where you showed Michael and the dogs, that was just precious, more, please!! All three are adorable, look very well cared for and happy, and they are all lucky to have you.
I prefer Cooking for Community. 😊 Just fyi, do not add anything frozen to partially cooked foods in crock pot...thaw and slightly heat in microwave first. Otherwise the temperature will be reduced significantly and affect the overall cook time. What a sweet lady you are to think of and addressthe needs if others!
Your wonderful at thinking of others especially seniors, you have such a tender heart, I am a great grandmother and grandmother and sometimes pepper even gets spicy for us older people. And our stomachs don’t handle all the wonderful spices or vinegar or acidity dressing we loved to eat a few years back. Or missing our wonderful extra spicy foods we used to gooble down. But our group of seniors out of 25 of only 2 can handle the spicy spices and we’re all jealous!! But we all love you and your food and videos. So thank you though for everything you are doing and keep doing with your big loving heart that you will be so blessed one day with your beautiful dream for blessing so many others ❤
I have done this before with peeled large chunks of potatoes and recently over salted something and didn't have potatoes on hand so used peeled large chunks of apple with the core cut out and it also did the trick.
Sweet lady you have been an answer to these peoples prayers. You are blessed with your beautiful soul, and it shows:you can't help yourself. Love your videos they could never be too long. Thank You, God Bless you.Hugs, Rebekah
Rebecca you are an Angel. I loved the longer video. I was glued to it. I think Cooking for Community is a great name. A hint when cooking chicken soup kind of things is to use bone broth. It really adds to the richness of it. I wish i was closer to you because I'd love to help. I ran my own catering business and I miss cooking for a crowd. I know they really appreciate you and the hard work you put into the meals. I've had to learn to cook for one and all on a camp stove. I'm learning to bake in a cast iton pot over hot coals now. Talk about burnt bread lol. Tfs your ♥. Blessings
I have 4 kids and had to figure out how to cook for a bigger family and with that lots of trial and error along the way. I had all those same issues when using the crock pot. A few suggestions that I've learned along the way. Only cook your potatoes with the cream of chicken soup mixture for the first 2 hours than add in the chicken. I've learned to never put freezer bag veggies into my crockpot until the last 30 minutes. Those freezer veggies only need to cook in the microwave for 7 minutes, so crock pot should be similar. Another thing I do is I've invested in an instant pot, and I use it to cook large batches of chicken. You can cook frozen chicken for 22 min, and after it's done cooking, you can shredd or dice all the chicken. Now if you don't use all the chicken right away you can freeze it and use for a later date but make sure to write the date and what is in the freezer gallon bag so you know for future reference. You're doing an amazing job. Keep up the god work.
"Cooking for Community" is better. It's more positive IMO. Soup with something cold is a REALLY good idea for lunch, either a sandwich or a salad with a protein incorporated. Your HB slow cooker looks like a 12 qt. I bought the jars of herbs and spices, washed the jars, then refilled them with bulk herbs and spices. Over time, the bulk is cheaper than the jars. But that's here in the Midwest. Loving the Reeses bars! Super love the griddle!!!!!!! ❤❤❤ If you don't want to make French toast casserole, you can make bread pudding with the bread heels, or homemade dressing, or croutons, or bread crumbs. I always add sugar to my french toast custard. It helps the bread brown. I am sure your accidental souffles will taste lovely. A mini generator that works on batteries might be a good next purchase if your electric company does that on a consistent basis. It is NOT you!! Writing directions for a recipe, particularly for crockpots, is difficult at best. And as far as the soup, maybe the power outage blew a fuse in the crockpot. I am so glad you got to meet them!!!🎉 Yes it was long and there was a lot of content. But it's GOOD content. In the scheme of things, stuff does happen. You fixed it. WAY TO GO. 🎉🎉🎉
Hi Rebecca, just a word of encouragement it's not the Crock-Pot or you is the potatoes. You always have to cook the potatoes by themselves and then add them later. Crock-Pot cooking is so nice you put all your stuff in the Crock-Pot the morning, and when you get off work dinner is done. Don't give up, you'll figure it out
I thought this video was amazing and I really enjoyed watching you prep everything and hearing about the grandmother and her grandson. I don’t think it’s just two people who you’re helping this is going to be like a pebble in a pond. There are probably people in the Dollar Tree Dinner family who may have started to do this for someone in their community and while I don’t cook and won’t be providing meals I will be donating to an organization who does. ❤️
The addition of fresh fruit is a great idea! Fruit is delicious but it is expensive and it is difficult/time consuming to prepare (especially something like a cantaloupe). I also love the addition of a crockpot soup. It's nice to have a few crockpot meals in the rotation and soup is a great meal option.
Great job! The meals looked really good! If you are going to make her a big batch of mashed potatoes I think you don't need to dish them out into small contains unless she had trouble scooping it up. If in a large bowl she could dish up however much she wants to eat. Also make sure to provide a big side of gravy!! ❤
I vote for Cooking for Community as the name for your new venture. I also loved the long video and love the way you explain what you're doing and why, as you go along. You are doing an amazing job.
You might consider a Part 1 and Part 2 versions of your marathon Cooking for Community videos, just to take some stress out of the editing and uploading. I really like your meal ideas. I’m being inspired with ideas for my country kitchen. Best regards!💜
such a large amount in the crockpot can almost double the cooking time and adding frozen vegetables will definitely lower the temperature and slow cooking time. I also use lots more chicken stock or bouillon and more seasonings. As aside, frozen gnocchi make great dumplings in soup. You are doing a great job and it is so wonderful that you are able to help out this family who needs it!
Your initial soup disappointment is exactly why I literally NEVER cook with breasts; they dry out, get rubbery, and have no flavor. They are very low fat, but very unforgiving! I have literally picked out pieces of breast while the rest of the soup finished cooking. I finally figured that IF I have to ever use breast, lightly poached is the best way to go. Then add it to whatever at the end. But I usually use thighs; I like the flavor, and they are much more forgiving if overcooked. AARGH!
I just love your channel… I watch several cooking influencers and yours is by far my favorite. Thank you for all the many good tips and ideas you share . Bless you for helping this senior and get grandson. No one in our country should ever go without food! You have such a kind and loving ♥️… Thank you for sharing. PS… I hope you love your griddle as much as I love mine! 😊
Crockpots have a place but like any cooking method it takes a different skill set to be useful. I don't fill it more than halfway so it fully heats. They are worth it for time management. One of my favs is pulled pork and butt roast is an economical protein. I hope you did a copyright search on the names. That'll save you headaches later on. People pick quicky names to avoid conflicts that are memorable and can expand into a brand (501c) which would allow publishing a book/manual; kitchen blessings, bountiful cooking, neighborly baskets...? I know in Az there's already a "community kitchen" 501c. You might want to see if there's an org in your area putting on holiday meals, meals on wheels etc to see how they size up and purchasing. I love that you expose the fails and you're right that fixing recipes is part of the process.
I’m always so fascinated when I see people making French toast like that.. everyone I know (Canada) uses regular white squishy bread, not dried out, with eggs, a splash of milk, maple syrup, and cinnamon. Looked so good though! 😊
I do not do the cooking for anyone. I put shelf stable items in a 2 gal ziploc from Dollar Tree. We furnish 5 bags to needy families that they can cook when they need them. I love Spend With Pennies. You have such a good heart. Well done. You are training yourself for a future in catering.🤣🥰 I do not use my crock pot for recipes with different textured items. I prefer Dutch Oven oven roasted vs crock pot.
Cooking For Community is a great name! I’m loving these videos; I can’t wait for more. It’s so exciting planning the menu & getting feedback from her & her grandson. Your thoughtfulness and good intentions are so inspiring ❤
I absolutely love this channel! Such an inspiration! I also loved your apron, hummingbirds are my favorite bird to watch. Wish we had others to do the same in their neighborhoods, I'm disabled my husband does just about everything in and outside the home. So Grateful..
Awesome Job 👏 thanks for the ideas 💡 🙏 I try to donate a day of meals to my local homeless community a few times a year normally around 150 people show & also preparing meals they can grab & go for later or take to other family members who can’t get to the church is always appreciated thanks
I think it's really cool that despite everything (the power going out, figuring out larger quantities, running out of time, etc), you still kept going and managed to salvage the soup. I feel like sometimes I can be quick to give up when things don't go the way I planned, so I think that was a good lesson in never giving up, and that with a little extra time and effort, things will work out eventually even if they didn't initially. I think it says a lot about your character. Thanks again for all of your hard work - you're doing amazing!!! 💖
I absolutely love these videos!! Not only are they inspirational in terms of serving your community, but they're so informative! I've learned more from your videos than I have from most TV cooking shows. I'm in my early 20's and still consider myself a beginner to intermediate level cook, so your videos have been so helpful to me in terms of creating meal plans, budgeting, tips and tricks, and overall they're just relaxing to watch! Thanks for everything you do, I'm sure your neighbors are so thrilled and grateful for everything you're doing to help them 💕
I also want to add that my mom is a homecare therapist for the elderly, and there are so many people out there who could benefit from this type of service. Aging, disability, and illness can all limit the cooking options people have. My grandma is in her 80's, a three-time cancer survivor, and a cancer patient yet again, and she used to make the most wonderful spreads of food. She was a phenomenal cook. Now, she's very frail and just doesn't have the strength or energy to cook anything. She relies on meals that our family makes for her and frozen microwave meals. She still cooks a handful of things, but lifting pots and pans is a lot of work for her. She always tells me how she wish she could make her food herself, but that she's so grateful she has home-cooked food by us to look forward to. Many people out there don't have that option. Even helping out one or two people like Rebecca is doing is a massive service to those people, more than any of us may realize. So again, thank you so much Rebecca, you're doing amazing things and the universe will reward you in kind!! 💕
The chicken bullion you added for flavor is the best stuff! You can get a big container of it for $6 at Walmart and it lasts forever. I use it in place of boxes or cans of broth, saves a lot. I also add a little when cooking rice or pasta to add extra flavor.
I like cooking for community. My church does Souper Sundays- volunteers bring crockpots full of soup and it is served with bread and butter. I’ll make the soup from this week
You are awesome doing this and I do not mind the length. It was the perfect amount for what you covered. I like that it also means meal prep for you and your partner as well so you are not cooking anything that you also do not eat. so it is a win win.
I’d guess your power issues and size of batch had a lot more to do with the inconsistent cooking of the soup than the crockpot, it’s also possible power outage/surges (especially if you have frequent ones) can kill appliances like crockpots.
I hate premade sauces but I discovered that some months back when I was going through a hard time, its so tasty and meaty. Its a cheat code lol! I add garlic peppers onions and seasoning for some extra oomf
"Cooking for Community" is my vote. Please don't apologize for the longer video! I much prefer the longer videos though i know that they can't happen often because they take more effort. I did miss the shot of the food labeling. I'm not sure why but it's one of my favorite parts, like putting the finishing touches of love on the food. I am LOVING this series
Hi Rebecca ! So glad that you put cooking spray in your tins,I didn't a couple of years ago,even though they were non stick, the eggs,they stuck and they stuck hard,no matter how much I soaked and scrubbed them, they weren't gonna come clean,so to the garbage they went ! I was so ticked off at myself, I hate wasting anything, but I got a couple of new ones and learnt my lesson and always use non stick cooking spray.Learn from my mistake. You wanted your audience to pick a name, well Cooking for the Community sounds pretty good to me. Those sandwiches you made, they looked so good and having the lettuce and tomato on the side,so they won't get soggy until you eat them, great idea ,really yummy ! I think I'm gonna have to buy the ingredients and make some of them for myself as well as the soup,although I think I'll leave out the dumplings.I've never been fond of them !All great meal ideas Rebecca ! You've out done yourself !Bravo ! 👏👏👍👍😊😊🥣🥣 I hope you have a wonderful week Take Care,Laura
I love crockpot mealsbut i always have trouble with getting potatoes done and you probably shouldn't cut your chicken into chunks until its done idk just a idea 😊 you are so nice for doing this for them im disabled to and its definitely hard to eat healthy or for me it is 😢. God Bless you sweetie ❤
How wonderful that you all got to meet - getting hints and answers directly from the folks eating the meals is always helpful. Maybe with the fish - just and idea, because my folks did this (freezing and reheating) - making canned tuna or salmon loaf in 13x9 pan and cutting into portions. Good side dish is creamed canned potatoes or mashed ones. Cooking for Community is great name.
I really like the idea of a fish loaf cut into portions- it could be similar to what I was going to suggest which was making it into fried patties (using binders like egg and crackers/bread crumbs, similar to a meatloaf)! Oh, and I'd imagine leftover fried fish loaf sandwich would be just as tasty as a leftover meatloaf sandwich, too! 😃
Wow- look at all these amazing comments! 😍 Here's something I have personally discovered about crockpot cooking: if the main ingredients to your crockpot recipe typically take similar times and temps for cooking in the oven or stovetop (or if all are precooked and just being heated up together), throwing them all in the crockpot at one time should be fine. However, root vegetables like potatoes and carrots take a longer time and/or higher temp to cook than chopped chicken. You could partially precook the potatoes-or what I would more likely do is put the potatoes in first, along with the liquids, and let those cook for a while before adding chopped raw meat. On the flip side, a large, dense chunk of meat would need a longer cook time than frozen hashbrowns (which are partially precooked already plus much smaller pieces). I use my crockpot the most for things like vegetable soup, chili, or a cheesy dip-- basically things that don't need intensive cooking but can benefit greatly from slower and lower cooking to enhance flavors and/or prevent scorching! As for seasonings-- use the knowledge you already have concerning what flavors tend to intensify or diminish whenever something is cooked longer: salt can definitely intensify as moisture evaporates, but I know garlic mellows out the longer it's cooked! My rule of thumb is season lightly until it's almost done, then add more if needed ☺ I love what you're doing for this family while also helping all of us- and true joy like yours is contagious!💗
A crockpot recipe that could work here: Pork tenderloin Can of root beer (just need enough to just about cover the pork) Cook low 6-8 hours and drain the soda. Shred the pork and add your favorite BBQ sauce I’m not sure the “high” cooking time but it’s pretty fool proof. It’s also a super common recipe to Google if you want to double check it. You could prep this as sandwiches - provide rolls, and when preparing don’t mix a lot of BBQ sauce in to keep it drier. You can give them a condiment cup or two of sauce and a side of coleslaw, baked beans, or mash! Grilled zucchini/yellow squash as a veggie side. Perfect for a summer lunch or dinner
Cooking for Community has a greater reach of folks in need for just in a tight spot. Sometimes people are in a tight spot for a short time and just need a helping hand for a brief time. By the way, I think everyone would agree that your entire being has been lit from within since the start of this series of videos. Bless you. Let me tell you I am not a mushy sort of person but you my lady restore my faith in people.
I'm so glad you're finding out their preferences! (as just about everyone has!) Like I also don't prefer ketchup on my meatloaf. Maybe a bit of bbq sauce, but just a bit. This way you know they really can enjoy your food! That's so great!! 🩷🩷🩷
Personally, I would keep the rice plain and just add more sauce on the side. Seniors taste buds are very different as I said previous comment I used to cook for 50 seniors twice a month and they felt black pepper was too spicy.
Personally I like having plain rice on the side, though the sauce would probably help keep it from drying out. As you noted, pPplain rice allows me to tone down the salt or spice to my taste.
Cooking for community because it describes exactly what you are doing. Neighbors in need could be any type of chores such as lawn care. I have never commented on a TH-cam video but I just think you are really great and give your heart to your projects. Good for you!!!🎉
Don’t give up on the crockpot! Here is a soup you might try. Crockpot Stuffed Pepper Soup: 2 pounds ground beef (85/15) I large onion, diced. 3 diced peppers (I use 1 green, one red and one yellow); 6 cups low sodium chicken broth, 32 oz can crushed tomatoes, 12 oz fire roasted tomatoes, 1 cup instant rice, garlic powder, salt, pepper and seasoned salt to taste. Brown the ground beef with the peppers and onion. Transfer to a large crockpot. Add broth, crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes. Season with spices ( I usually use 1 t salt, 2 t garlic powder, 1 t pepper and 1 t seasoned salt. Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 hours. Add the 1 cup instant rice. Cover and cook another 40-50 minutes. It is fast, easy and so good.
I'm so glad you're eating some of what you're cooking! It's the best way to know how it reheats. :D And boy was I glad when you angled the camera away from the blinking stove clock after the power outage. LOL I vote for cooking for community. The neighbors title makes me want to know about the neighbor. That crock pot was AWFULLY full. I think you're supposed to keep it a couple inches down the side. Maybe boil water in it with a thermometer?
Cooking for Community! I like the implied message of community, especially with the current situation where people are focusing on "us vs. them" mentality. Your work is so inclusive and helps people in a variety of situations which makes you so very special!
We were a family of five but my dad and my brothers were especially hearty eaters so we often would do large groups of French toast as it was a particular favorite. Our griddle was out of commission so we learned that you can put French toast on a rimmed baking sheet and put it in the oven and then flip it partway through. If you’re making a lot of other things it means you don’t have to watch it as carefully and you can spend your time doing the rest of the breakfast without running back-and-forth to the griddle. I don’t remember the temperature but I believe it was in the 375 range.
Rebecca, I'm so glad you sound like you're finally feeling a little better! That sickness has been taking everybody out lately. I like Cooking for Community or maybe one day, Dollar Tree Dietary Donations. Thank you for your video! Also, that apron is so freakin' adorable 🌺🐦
Crock Pot chili! Simple to make and portion out meal-prep style, and it's relatively inexpensive if you catch ground beef on sale. If you include a sleeve of saltines, a snack baggie of shredded cheddar, and a small container of sour cream when you pack it up, you're golden. It's a great, filling meal. 2 lbs ground beef, 3 cans tomatoes w/ chiles, 2 packets Food Lion (or any brand, I guess) chili seasoning, & 3 cans seasoned kidney/pinto/black beans. Super simple, pretty much just brown the meat, dump it all in the crock pot together with a little extra water per the packet instructions, and let it cook for 4-6 hrs!
Great tip also! You should start making your own stock! We save our veggie scraps in a freezer bag and once it’s full we make a huge batch of stock and freeze them. It’s great to always have delicious stock on hand (for basically free) ❤
I cook in my crockpot a lot. It takes time to learn how to cook in a crockpot. I have made many recipes in the crockpot that were not crockpot recipes. I have made chicken pot pie soup. I used canned potatoes. If you use fresh potatoes in a crockpot meal, it is best to cut the potatoes small. They cook better that way. If you figure out the art of crockpot cooking, I think you will enjoy using your crockpot.
Neighbors in need!!! ❤❤❤ I bless you 🙏 for giving your time, energy and finances helping this sweet family. Also, creating content will spark ideas 💡 so others can step up and prepare meals as well.
I love watching these updates! I love Cooking for Community - it has a great ring to it, and it sounds more inclusive/puts the focus on the community aspect of your venture. I'm definitely inspired to try the egg bites for my husband to have. I loved that you were able to finally meet the family you're supporting! Maybe the grandma would enjoy some sort of a loaded baked potato soup, if she was a fan of your mashed potatoes? Just a thought, because I agree that a soup-and-sandwich combo is a winner for a balanced lunch - especially if you throw in an apple or some sort of fruit.
You said 8Tbsp is 1/4 a cup. It is actually 1/2 a cup. 4 Tbsp is 1/4 a cup. That might be why your sauce never thickened up. Also, try putting a pan of water in your oven when cooking the eggs. It provides moisture. That is how Starbucks does it. I love how your heart for your neighbors. 🥰
The variety of foods that you ate providing is really fantastic. I remember when my Mom & Dad were getting Meals on Wheels for seniors. Most of the time they were barely edible. You are preparing tasty, nutritional meals. Well done!
I absolutely LOVED this video! I say this all of the time but seriously look forward to your videos all of the time. Today I was crying watching because it is so cool what a wonderful thing you are doing for others, and how much passion you have in your soul while you do it. It has been a long time since I have been passionate about anything, so its sooo nice to see. I love your variety of meals... love the fruit, want to make the egg bites, I love how your package everything, chicken looks bomb, I was drooling to try everything. Have u ever had fruit "chow" like cantelope with cliantro, hot sauce, lime and salt and pepper? Do you have amazon affliate link for the griddle been wanting to get one for awhile I HATE making pancakes, french toast, grilled cheese, quesadillas one by one.. hehe. Can't wait to see whats on the menu next week. PS I like "Cooking for Community" the best because it has more of a positive connotation to me
When you flashed the Depression cookbook, the upper left side had a recipe for Slumgullion!! I thought that was a made up name my mom used for one of her dinners. The flash was too quick for to see what was used. She used browned ground beef, peppers, onions, mushrooms and corn with a beef gravy, served over egg noodles. Sometimes used mashed potatoes❤❤
Cooking for Community avoids the embarrassment of being in need.
That’s the way I saw it too, some people may want help but don’t want to feel like they are being needy, so I like how cooking for community is just about offering help to anybody and everybody
This!
This, I was about to post the same :) It focuses on the What, and not spotlighting the Why
COOKING FOR COMMUNITY
It's a wonderful service you are rendering. There are seniors who need other types of aid. There are needs that seem so trivial to the young and able-bodied that no one seems to think about them. Such as grocery shopping for the aged etc
Yup
Cooking for the community. Rebecca, can I just say, I think you are an amazing woman. I applaud your parents for raising such a kind, generous, and loving woman. May God bless you always!!!
Yes....Amen to that 😊
❤I was thinking same thing. Huge hug 🫂 to you and your parents or whom ever taught you to be so caring. ❤
Yes ma'am absolutely 💯 😊
Cooking for Community keeps it general. Although they DO need the food, they don’t want to be labeled as “needy”. What a great job you are doing especially since you are not used to cooking in larger quantities. It is a learning process, kind of like when a mom is used to cooking for a big family and become empty nesters, just in reverse. I love watching you solve problems as they arise, not everyone has that capability. Keep in mind that if you have something you don’t know how to solve, you have us to offer ideas for making adjustments to recipes (thinking of your soup quandary). It is fun to watch you plan what to make and execute the plan. For your give away you might want to do a recipe contest for a certain meal, or casserole, or dessert, etc. Another way to use your community, us. By the way, we are learning along with you. This week I learned how to make teriyaki sauce from you, and I’m 75, never too old to learn!💖💖💖
God bless you thanks for doing this
The griddle is great because when I was a kid our stove broke and we couldn’t afford to replace it until my mom saved up so she used her griddle to feed us for a few months. Lots of folks may need to use something like this if the have no stove in their living arrangements.
So I started watching this on my phone with an earbud in place
As I walked into the store my earbud died so I had it on at low volume on my phone
At that particular moment you were describing the need to stir/agitate chocolate for melting process Another shopper stopped to look over my shoulder to see what I was listening too She thanked me for the tip and informing her of your TH-cam channel
Sweetheart I am 55yo. Taught to cook by parents born 1928 and 1911! And last month I decided to break lose and create some of these recipes I've saved, written down or bookmarked! Totally out of my comfort zone! I wasted about $300 worth of food and the loss tore me up but I had to learn to stay in my wheelhouse and cook what we love!!
Nothing wrong with experimenting, but maybe try one thing at a time so you don't lose much money if it doesn't work. Good luck. x
A few crockpot tips: Meat cooks faster than veggies in the crockpot, so cut the raw veg smaller and put them in first, sauce and season them, and lay the seaoned meat on top with some of the sauce so the veg gets the heat first. Thighs don't dry out as readily as breasts, so use them in dishes with veg, saving the breasts for crockpot recipes without vegetables. I hope that's helpful.
Thank you!
Also when using frozen veg thaw before adding if putting in half way through cooking. Frozen veg lowers the temp and makes the cook time longer.
I wonder if the crock pot was too full. Not sure why that would affect heating but I've heard to only fill it like 2/3 full?
Love your videos, you're inspiring me, Rebecca!
I was going to say the same thing. I've made all of the crockpot mistakes while making food for my dogs.
Dense vegetables like potatoes and carrots are notorious for taking longer to cook. I used to cook a lot of crockpot meals and would always put the potatoes and carrots (and usually the onions) in early and set it on low for probably three or four hours until they started feeling a little bit tender before I put any meat in especially chicken as it cooks very quickly. I did this even making beef stew because as tough as stew meat can be, if you put it in to begin with you ended up with shredded beef cubes basically.
Cooking for community is more universal, you could do so much more with it. In fact your whole channel falls under that too because your budget meal ideas is also something for the community 😊
Oh darn- a LONG video with Rebecca😂
Let me encourage you to wait a bit before giving away the second griddle. It might come in handy while you’re preparing large quantities now and convenience will help prevent burnout.
This was a beautiful video- thank you for what you’re doing.💜
I agree - keep it for yourself, you may find yourself needing it!
Absolutely! It may come in handy
Oh totally agree keep the 2nd griddle
I agree, as well. It may come in handy for you in the future. Thank you for your thoughtfulness, though. 🩷
What they said!
Rebecca, you can NEVER make a video that’s too long for ME!!! Sometimes, I have your video playing while I’m in the kitchen doing my own food prep. Your narration is always just right. I admire you for all you’re doing to help this family so much! Thank you for sharing this new adventure with us. I am learning from your trials and successes. Wishing you many blessings! 💕🙌🏼🙏🏽
I'm glad I'm not the only one that does that! I'm listening on headphones while baking a birthday cake for my demi-niece. 😅
That was an amazing video! Don't apologize for the length - I love watching and listening to you (the week you couldn't talk was disappointing to me). These meals look delicious and your ideas are always incredible. For someone so young you have a lot of great knowledge and tips. I'm 62, nearly twice your age, but I learn something from you almost every video!
Yup....same here 🙂
The length was perfect. I appreciate and enjoyed every minute of it. Can wait to see more.
Above 50 myself and I really really love her meal prep shows and also, she knows how to stretch a buck.
Agree 100% your videos are never too long,every minute is very inspiring 🫶🏻💖
Crockpot tips- think of it as a pot on top of the stove that is on low or simmer. They often work best when you have them near full and for 7 hours plus. When using chicken- I recommend thighs and cooking them whole. Then remove them and chop or shred. Both will help retain moisture. If you need to add frozen veggies- pop them in the microwave or boil for a minute to bring them up to the same temperature. This way your soup can keep cooking without having to catch up. If you end up with another large batch like this one- pull out another crock pot and divide the batch. So you will remember write down all the improvements you made to your printout so it will go more smoothly next time! 😊
Great ideas!
How would you recommend cooking thighs? Like air fryer? Boiled?
When I need my crockpot soup to cook faster, first I heat up the chicken (or beef stock) in the microwave and partially cook the veggies, also in the mw. Soup is done in 4 hours. I love the tips and tricks I learn on this channel. Great community here!
I don't know if anyone else suggested having a set of recipes and letting her pick a couple of things she would like to have each week. Please keep sharing these prep sessions with us. This is a great way to show how a family could prep for the week while teaching time management. I hope she is watching these so she can see the care you put into these meals. Where is the info for amazon or your PO box? Another thought might be to just give them a bottle of syrup. Last tip, if you warm your veggies in the microwave before putting in the crockpot, it won't cool off the soup and slow the cooking process. I hope you are still reading! 🤪
Just to note, most of the meats I get from Walmart are usually tough and take HOURS to get tender. I typically put my meats in a covered roasting pan and bake a long time. Just something to consider in the future. A baking bag is another option that works well to tenderize meats. Also, a huge thank you for this video! My family is large, and finding large batch cooking to put in the freezer (for times when I am too tired or sick to cook) is often the same stuff that we wouldn't eat. But your meals are foods that we would actually eat! 😍And although I wouldn't have time to prep as much as you cooked, I could easily do one dish at a time and freeze it! Lastly, you are such a beautiful person on any given day, but your face glowed after meeting this beautiful family! Just another beautiful example of how it is better to give than to receive! 🥰Thank you for taking us along! It was a blessing to watch!
Helpful tip. When making bulk sandwiches, lay all the bread out on the counter. That way you can go up and down and cover all the slices with mayo and then your fillings on one row and then just flip over the tops when done! :)
Makes it alot faster :)
Great tip! That's what I did when I worked in a preschool kitchen. 🙂
That’s how my dad did it for six school aged kids.
As an alternative, you could always just cook extra of what you make throughout the week for your husband and self, and just portion and freeze their portions. Then you only have to make whatever number of portions you are missing. You can. Offer a variety for them in that ways
Wow she goes to bed at 7? I'm 74 and I'm up until 11p.m. or later. That's amazing. Your food looks so,delicious today. Sorry about the power troubles. You are still the most wonderful young woman. And cooking for community is the best. Have a wonderful weekend honey. Oh my this is by far the best thing on youtube. You are the kindest. That dumpling soup looks delicious cuz im a big soup eater.,yummy. Cant wait until next week hugs and much love
I agree with all you posted. 😊
She may have some workers help her get into bed, and they need to go home. Just a guess.
My husband's great grandma is 78 and would stay up until like 2am with us lol
I'm 71 and up until 11:30pm...retired of course but I'm awake (when I sleep) usually by 7am
A tip on crock pot. Potatoes will do better cut smaller. Veggies take longer to cook in crock. Try not to fill crock more then 2/3rds full. I like to cook on high for the first 2 hours then finish on low. Or I will cook the whole meal on high. Love that you are doing this. It can help our older community staying in their home. It warms my heart to see you doing this. Thank you. Everything is looking delicious.
Cooking for community. It encompasses everyone and it’s positive and uplifting.
Crockpots are finicky. Try it again for fun and not under pressure.
You’re doing amazing. You have a heart of gold. 💛
Cooking for community is a general term, that could avoid potential embarrassment for recipients. It's also potentially more than neighbors in the future, your community can be as big or small as your imagination can grasp. You are doing a great service, and I know it's appreciated. Thank you for being a caring person and neighbor and I'm glad it helps your channel at the same time. You are on to something great here and I wish you continued growth, blessings, health and happiness.
I think what you’re doing for grandma and grandson is awesome and I always look forward to watching your new videos. Keep up the great work you’re doing! People like you make a difference in our world!
I have watched this video multiple times. I have a disability, but I am still working. Meal-prep is my best friend and it's hard to find videos that are full of comfort food with accessible ingredients! I love also how you explain your process as you go. I also appreciate how you also share the realness of when things don't work out as expected! Keep your videos coming.
Chicken Pot Pie Soup you can always just bake the biscuits and wrap 2-3 biscuits in little bundles and they can place biscuits in bowl and pour the soup mixture over the top of the biscuits, should work since the flaky crust is usually baked across the top anyway. Thank you for what you do. You are appreciated. Maybe a little celery in the Soup or celery salt.
I cooked for a large Foster Family for years. (As many as 12 at times. Just recently stopped because of my health.). I got so much out of doing this. Most times I showed up with hot casseroles or fresh pizza the family had no idea what they were doing for dinner. They were so appreciative and I got to see the kids grow up. Great family and a great experience. Even a small amount of food delivered to a family who is struggling will be so appreciated and brighten the day for them. Thank you and bless you for what you are doing.
Cooking for Community is a great name. I really related with you on life happening... lol... the power goes out, the crock pot version crashed, the desert breaks apart... life. You persevered and made it work. I was really moved when you let us know how the drop-off meeting went. It was a little emotional. Rebecca, you are making a difference. Your heart shows through with the love you put into every dish. Thank you!
Thank you for taking the time to do this. It shows you are a good -hearted, caring person. We need many more like you. I wish you success in all you do.😊🌹🌹
Like many other commentors, I think you show so much compassion for what you are doing. It made me tired just watching the video, knowing how much time and effort went into this. I know you are adding soups to your menus and you mentioned she likes fish. I used to make a fish chowder that everyone loved. Maybe something like that would be appealing to her.
I like 'Neighbours in Need.' BUT ------------- I did read a comment below that stated the fact how 'COOKING FOR COMMUNITY' does describe what you offer. To me, that's a great point if you are looking for help with meals; as the name provides the reader with the knowledge of what you offer. So due to this I will choose 'COOKING WITH COMMUNITY.' Neighbours in Need would be a great name for a Community Welfare organisation which specialises in aiding the community in a variety of other needs like gardening; home care; shopping or travel to Drs or medical appointments etc. It could offer cooking too but the name is more suitable for an organisation which offers a variety of ways to help the community, not just one. Really enjoying your videos.. God bless you Rebecca. Thank you for what you are doing. 🥰
That's what I thought too.
Cooking for community
I prefer Cooking for Community; more scope. Also, watching you make the peanut butter bars reminded me that this is a very good reason to have a kitchen scale. Instead of measuring something sticky and hard to get out of a measuring cup, like P-butter, weigh it once, jot down the tare weight and note it on your recipe. Then, after that, whenever you make it you can weigh it on a piece of waxed paper or similar; no measuring cup to scrape out or clean, it is very easy to get off the paper, and is very fast. I make a lot of pie crusts with lard, which is VERY sssssticky! This method saves me a lot of hassle and inconvenience. Thanks for the videos.
I like Cooking for Community because it reiterates the fact that you're providing food. Neighbors in need is good but it doesn't specify that you're providing just food. Also, my sister makes chicken pot pie soup for their bar & grill, and puts crumbled baked crust on top. It's so good!
I agree, Neighbors in Need sounds like a charity that collects clothing donations for people in need due to things like house fires and such.
@@AshleySC83 YESSS 💯
To incorporate this idea of "crumbled baked crust on tope" for make-ahead meals, spread a couple raw pie crusts onto cookie sheets (sprinkle on seasonings if desired) and bake them till golden brown. Once cooled, break them into pieces and store in sealed bags. My dad actually prefers a sugar-sprinkled crispy crust fixed like this to go with cooked fruit, instead of a true "cobbler" crust- so that's another option that would reheat well in a microwave! 😊
I hope you see this. First, let me say I’m proud of you for helping your community . And also if you make something with to much salt you can put a potato in it to put out salt and then you just discard the potato. You may want to cut the potato in half or even quarter it hope this helps you in the future.
C for C gets my vote. Those pans you showed are also excellent for freezing soup in portions. Freeze them, a quick dunk in warm water releases them and then into freezer bags. Fish heats up great in a toaster oven, but it would require different packaging and not sure if they have that appliance,
Whenever i use potatoes in a crockpot, I always boil the potatoes or carrots, those 2 vegetables take so long to cook, i add them later, some people will probably say not to, but i have been using the crockpot for 30+ years, and if your cooking with chicken, i highly recommend cooking those 2 veggies first, with beef , like in a beef stew, beef can handle longer cooking times, so having them together is fine, although if your in a little hurry id cook them separately as well.
I love your new challenge for yourself, its gonna be quite the learning experience, i do it for several elderly, and sometimes its very fun when everything works perfectly, other times its annoying.... just remember its an act of love and always appreciated.
Also as far as not following the recipes exactly, you do it the way it works for you, or how you like it, i find those recipes work best, cause its more relaxed.
Thank you for sharing all your ideas and videos!!❤❤❤❤
I am loving these videos. Cooking for Community is basically what your whole channel is about and the meals you are making for people in need is perfectly in line with that. Since you help people 'survive with flavor' with your usual videos, that is essentially 'cooking for community' at its core. I am ever hopeful that this idea expands and catches on with many other creators who could work this act of charity into their existing channel. I've seen landscapers cutting yards for free for content with the ad revenue paying for the service. Wouldn't it be great if all the gardeners, cooks, landscapers, repairmen, etc. worked this kind of thing into their channels? You might be an early adapter of a revolution of giving.
Oh, this is what I would have done about the chicken pot pie - I would have scooped out half of it before adding the veggies and frozen it to be used as a base for some other dish which includes chicken, 'cream of' soup, and potatoes (there must be many).
I've been cooking this way for many years and I'd like to offer some suggestions. It's wise to make extra large batches of certain things to build up your freezer. I make rice, beans, ground beef - cooked with peppers and onions, in big batches and portion them out into baggies. I freeze them lying flat and I have the base for a future meal already cooked. My food tastes much better than anything I can buy (if I do say so myself), it's MUCH cheaper, and I can freeze in any portion size I want - whether it's enough for one meal or a big batch of one of my favorites (don't forget to label everything.) Plus, it's not that much more effort to do it this way than it is to just cook enough for one dish. I also buy proteins in large packages (including canned tuna) and then break them down into smaller portions to freeze. My family is not a fan of thawed cooked chicken so I do it another way. Chicken leg quarters (or the parts of your family's preference) can be frozen in baggies with the marinade of your choice so the whole thing can be thawed overnight and then dumped into the crockpot the next morning for a fantastic meal after a hard day. (Think chicken thighs in a sweet and sour type marinade, cooked all day low and slow, then put onto a sheet pan under the broiler for a few minutes right before serving.)
Sorry for the novel, but your video inspired me.
Cooking for community keeps it with out loss of dignity.
When using a crock pot keep the chicken in whole pieces and cut up later or add potatoes an hour later.
So fun to see you so excited. You have a sweet kind heart. God bless you dear for your generosity.
Cooking for Community. It's so amazing what you are doing. If only the world had more people like you in it, then this world would be a better place to live.
To @cdv706: I agree with what you said, but I'd add this:If only people were just kind to one another, this world be a better place to live.
I've learned that chicken thighs are better for slow cooker recipes as they can cook longer and don't get dry. I also wouldn't cut the chunk of meat before cooking, unless you plan to add the chicken later in the process. You're doing a great job, though! It is different upsizing recipes, and the more you do it, the more you'll know how your equipment works with it (slow cooker, oven, etc.). I'm with everyone who voted for Cooking for Community!
You can cook scrambled eggs on a cookie sheet, in the oven. Make sure the cookie sheet has edges, to hold the loose egg mixture. After cooking them, you cut the eggs to your desired size, and use for breakfast sandwiches, or just a square of scrambled eggs. You can also crack eggs onto a preheated (or cold) cookie sheet, to bake "fried eggs" in the oven, when making ahead breakfasts sandwiches with "over easy eggs". I crack the yolks before cooking, for breakfast sandwiches!
Amen I agree. She is cooking for the community 😊 please let us know if we can help. This has gotten much bigger than finding an outlet for extra food when you are showing how to use Dollar Store foods. I usually would not help others but I understand how you feel about helping others... but you can not afford to do this out of your own pocket. You are now making 36 meals a week... that is commendable but that is also a lot more than just feeding 2. Please let us know how we can help. God bless you. We are all here to help each other.
I know it's too late now, but for future reference I would suggest holding off on transferring things from crocpot to fridge until it's had a chance to properly cool down; otherwise that's opening up chance for bacteria to grow & food poisoning to form. Just a friendly reminder from your literal chef friend. 🙃
I cook for lots of people and for groups often. Some tips:
For your chicken pot pie soup:
Precook your potatoes or use a diced hashbrown. Poultry seasoning would also help season the soup and make it take more pot pue-ish. Poultry seasoning is a one stop shop with sage thyme rosemary etc. Often when I'm using crackpots I add things in stages. When you're cooking in big batches especially for b8g groups you will be shocked how much salt it takes to bring stuff alive lol.
For teriyaki sauce instead of just using soy sauce also use mirin and hoisin sauce. You can also help balance it with pineapple juice. The tube ginger may have been what made it too salty. Ginger is pretty strong and I add it a bit at a time.
You'll get the hang of this. I will say don't give up on the crock pot. It is an amazing tool especially when cooking for large groups. ❤
Also I have cooked the last minute lasagna recipe from your channel twice now and have gotten rave reviews both times. Everyone loves it. Thank you for what you do.
I think it's really cool that you are helping out by making meals for a community member. I have always wanted to do this, but our area doesn't allow homemade food as a donation...🙃 Another thing you can make from the bread ends is stuffing. Pair that with some chicken (or any protein), gravy, and a veg...
Firstly, I love that you’re doing this. Making meals for someone that needs them can make such an impact. It will affect their wallet, their bellies and stress levels. It’s a small act but it truly makes a difference. Secondly, I’d like to suggest my grandma’s crockpot pork chop recipe. Season pork chops, coat in flour and pan fry to brown. In the bottom of your crockpot add a splash of chicken broth. Layer your seared chops in the crockpot. Deglaze the pan with onions (I keep frozen onion scraps in the freezer specifically for this), plus optional add ins garlic and mushrooms. If you had any seasoned flour leftover add here too, cook the flour for a couple minutes and add some more broth to make a pan gravy. Add everything to the crockpot with a can of cream of mushroom soup ( I prefer the low sodium/heart heathy one). Keep in mind the amount of liquid you add is the amount of gravy you’ll get. Cook low for 6-8 hours. Thin breakfast chops 6 hrs, thicker ones 8 hrs. It’s amazing with mashed potatoes or rice. It’s simple, it’s easy, it always turns out great.
This series has been so helpful. Thank you! I vote for community cook in name change. I'm so happy you got meet with and discuss the meals with the family. Incredibly rewarding! That griddle was a great idea as well.
I am more amazed each time I watch one of these videos of you working so hard and meticulously at making these meals for another family, donating more of your time and resources so selflessly, doing your best to make sure that these meals are perfect, all the thought and and effort into each detail, just as you would do for your own family. I could go on and on. I loved all of your videos before you started doing this, learned so much from them. Hopefully, you decide to accept some of the things your viewers would really like to gift you with. It's us giving a little something back to you for having the honor of watching you in these videos and getting to see such a good, incredibly honest and caring person teach us things and help others. The apron looks so pretty on you. Lastly, I didn't get a chance to comment on the video where you showed Michael and the dogs, that was just precious, more, please!! All three
are adorable, look very well cared for and happy, and they are all lucky to have you.
I prefer Cooking for Community. 😊 Just fyi, do not add anything frozen to partially cooked foods in crock pot...thaw and slightly heat in microwave first. Otherwise the temperature will be reduced significantly and affect the overall cook time.
What a sweet lady you are to think of and addressthe needs if others!
Your wonderful at thinking of others especially seniors, you have such a tender heart, I am a great grandmother and grandmother and sometimes pepper even gets spicy for us older people. And our stomachs don’t handle all the wonderful spices or vinegar or acidity dressing we loved to eat a few years back. Or missing our wonderful extra spicy foods we used to gooble down. But our group of seniors out of 25 of only 2 can handle the spicy spices and we’re all jealous!! But we all love you and your food and videos. So thank you though for everything you are doing and keep doing with your big loving heart that you will be so blessed one day with your beautiful dream for blessing so many others ❤
I like c4c. Next time something is to salty just a an uncut peeled potato. It will soak up salt then you just discard the potato. Works for me.
I have done this before with peeled large chunks of potatoes and recently over salted something and didn't have potatoes on hand so used peeled large chunks of apple with the core cut out and it also did the trick.
Sweet lady you have been an answer to these peoples prayers. You are blessed with your beautiful soul, and it shows:you can't help yourself. Love your videos they could never be too long. Thank You, God Bless you.Hugs, Rebekah
Rebecca you are an Angel. I loved the longer video. I was glued to it. I think Cooking for Community is a great name. A hint when cooking chicken soup kind of things is to use bone broth. It really adds to the richness of it. I wish i was closer to you because I'd love to help. I ran my own catering business and I miss cooking for a crowd. I know they really appreciate you and the hard work you put into the meals. I've had to learn to cook for one and all on a camp stove. I'm learning to bake in a cast iton pot over hot coals now. Talk about burnt bread lol. Tfs your ♥. Blessings
I have 4 kids and had to figure out how to cook for a bigger family and with that lots of trial and error along the way. I had all those same issues when using the crock pot. A few suggestions that I've learned along the way. Only cook your potatoes with the cream of chicken soup mixture for the first 2 hours than add in the chicken. I've learned to never put freezer bag veggies into my crockpot until the last 30 minutes. Those freezer veggies only need to cook in the microwave for 7 minutes, so crock pot should be similar. Another thing I do is I've invested in an instant pot, and I use it to cook large batches of chicken. You can cook frozen chicken for 22 min, and after it's done cooking, you can shredd or dice all the chicken. Now if you don't use all the chicken right away you can freeze it and use for a later date but make sure to write the date and what is in the freezer gallon bag so you know for future reference. You're doing an amazing job. Keep up the god work.
"Cooking for Community" is better. It's more positive IMO.
Soup with something cold is a REALLY good idea for lunch, either a sandwich or a salad with a protein incorporated.
Your HB slow cooker looks like a 12 qt.
I bought the jars of herbs and spices, washed the jars, then refilled them with bulk herbs and spices. Over time, the bulk is cheaper than the jars. But that's here in the Midwest.
Loving the Reeses bars!
Super love the griddle!!!!!!! ❤❤❤
If you don't want to make French toast casserole, you can make bread pudding with the bread heels, or homemade dressing, or croutons, or bread crumbs.
I always add sugar to my french toast custard. It helps the bread brown.
I am sure your accidental souffles will taste lovely.
A mini generator that works on batteries might be a good next purchase if your electric company does that on a consistent basis.
It is NOT you!! Writing directions for a recipe, particularly for crockpots, is difficult at best. And as far as the soup, maybe the power outage blew a fuse in the crockpot.
I am so glad you got to meet them!!!🎉
Yes it was long and there was a lot of content. But it's GOOD content. In the scheme of things, stuff does happen. You fixed it. WAY TO GO. 🎉🎉🎉
Hi Rebecca, just a word of encouragement it's not the Crock-Pot or you is the potatoes. You always have to cook the potatoes by themselves and then add them later. Crock-Pot cooking is so nice you put all your stuff in the Crock-Pot the morning, and when you get off work dinner is done. Don't give up, you'll figure it out
I thought this video was amazing and I really enjoyed watching you prep everything and hearing about the grandmother and her grandson. I don’t think it’s just two people who you’re helping this is going to be like a pebble in a pond. There are probably people in the Dollar Tree Dinner family who may have started to do this for someone in their community and while I don’t cook and won’t be providing meals I will be donating to an organization who does. ❤️
The addition of fresh fruit is a great idea! Fruit is delicious but it is expensive and it is difficult/time consuming to prepare (especially something like a cantaloupe). I also love the addition of a crockpot soup. It's nice to have a few crockpot meals in the rotation and soup is a great meal option.
Great job! The meals looked really good! If you are going to make her a big batch of mashed potatoes I think you don't need to dish them out into small contains unless she had trouble scooping it up. If in a large bowl she could dish up however much she wants to eat. Also make sure to provide a big side of gravy!! ❤
I vote for Cooking for Community as the name for your new venture. I also loved the long video and love the way you explain what you're doing and why, as you go along. You are doing an amazing job.
You might consider a Part 1 and Part 2 versions of your marathon Cooking for Community videos, just to take some stress out of the editing and uploading.
I really like your meal ideas. I’m being inspired with ideas for my country kitchen.
Best regards!💜
such a large amount in the crockpot can almost double the cooking time and adding frozen vegetables will definitely lower the temperature and slow cooking time. I also use lots more chicken stock or bouillon and more seasonings. As aside, frozen gnocchi make great dumplings in soup. You are doing a great job and it is so wonderful that you are able to help out this family who needs it!
Your initial soup disappointment is exactly why I literally NEVER cook with breasts; they dry out, get rubbery, and have no flavor. They are very low fat, but very unforgiving! I have literally picked out pieces of breast while the rest of the soup finished cooking. I finally figured that IF I have to ever use breast, lightly poached is the best way to go. Then add it to whatever at the end. But I usually use thighs; I like the flavor, and they are much more forgiving if overcooked. AARGH!
Agreed, whenever I make soup with chicken breast, I just add them at the end after turning off the heat. Turns out perfect.
I just love your channel… I watch several cooking influencers and yours is by far my favorite. Thank you for all the many good tips and ideas you share .
Bless you for helping this senior and get grandson. No one in our country should ever go without food! You have such a kind and loving ♥️…
Thank you for sharing.
PS… I hope you love your griddle as much as I love mine! 😊
Crockpots have a place but like any cooking method it takes a different skill set to be useful. I don't fill it more than halfway so it fully heats. They are worth it for time management. One of my favs is pulled pork and butt roast is an economical protein. I hope you did a copyright search on the names. That'll save you headaches later on. People pick quicky names to avoid conflicts that are memorable and can expand into a brand (501c) which would allow publishing a book/manual; kitchen blessings, bountiful cooking, neighborly baskets...? I know in Az there's already a "community kitchen" 501c. You might want to see if there's an org in your area putting on holiday meals, meals on wheels etc to see how they size up and purchasing. I love that you expose the fails and you're right that fixing recipes is part of the process.
Pork butt is fantastic in the crockpot. I only use tougher cuts in the crockpot. Breasts don't do well on low and slow.
I’m always so fascinated when I see people making French toast like that.. everyone I know (Canada) uses regular white squishy bread, not dried out, with eggs, a splash of milk, maple syrup, and cinnamon. Looked so good though! 😊
I do not do the cooking for anyone. I put shelf stable items in a 2 gal ziploc from Dollar Tree. We furnish 5 bags to needy families that they can cook when they need them. I love Spend With Pennies. You have such a good heart. Well done. You are training yourself for a future in catering.🤣🥰 I do not use my crock pot for recipes with different textured items. I prefer Dutch Oven oven roasted vs crock pot.
Cooking For Community is a great name! I’m loving these videos; I can’t wait for more. It’s so exciting planning the menu & getting feedback from her & her grandson. Your thoughtfulness and good intentions are so inspiring ❤
I absolutely love this channel! Such an inspiration! I also loved your apron, hummingbirds are my favorite bird to watch. Wish we had others to do the same in their neighborhoods, I'm disabled my husband does just about everything in and outside the home. So Grateful..
Awesome Job 👏 thanks for the ideas 💡 🙏 I try to donate a day of meals to my local homeless community a few times a year normally around 150 people show & also preparing meals they can grab & go for later or take to other family members who can’t get to the church is always appreciated thanks
I think it's really cool that despite everything (the power going out, figuring out larger quantities, running out of time, etc), you still kept going and managed to salvage the soup. I feel like sometimes I can be quick to give up when things don't go the way I planned, so I think that was a good lesson in never giving up, and that with a little extra time and effort, things will work out eventually even if they didn't initially. I think it says a lot about your character. Thanks again for all of your hard work - you're doing amazing!!! 💖
I absolutely love these videos!! Not only are they inspirational in terms of serving your community, but they're so informative! I've learned more from your videos than I have from most TV cooking shows. I'm in my early 20's and still consider myself a beginner to intermediate level cook, so your videos have been so helpful to me in terms of creating meal plans, budgeting, tips and tricks, and overall they're just relaxing to watch! Thanks for everything you do, I'm sure your neighbors are so thrilled and grateful for everything you're doing to help them 💕
I also want to add that my mom is a homecare therapist for the elderly, and there are so many people out there who could benefit from this type of service. Aging, disability, and illness can all limit the cooking options people have.
My grandma is in her 80's, a three-time cancer survivor, and a cancer patient yet again, and she used to make the most wonderful spreads of food. She was a phenomenal cook. Now, she's very frail and just doesn't have the strength or energy to cook anything. She relies on meals that our family makes for her and frozen microwave meals. She still cooks a handful of things, but lifting pots and pans is a lot of work for her. She always tells me how she wish she could make her food herself, but that she's so grateful she has home-cooked food by us to look forward to.
Many people out there don't have that option. Even helping out one or two people like Rebecca is doing is a massive service to those people, more than any of us may realize. So again, thank you so much Rebecca, you're doing amazing things and the universe will reward you in kind!! 💕
Amen
The chicken bullion you added for flavor is the best stuff! You can get a big container of it for $6 at Walmart and it lasts forever. I use it in place of boxes or cans of broth, saves a lot. I also add a little when cooking rice or pasta to add extra flavor.
I like cooking for community. My church does Souper Sundays- volunteers bring crockpots full of soup and it is served with bread and butter. I’ll make the soup from this week
You are awesome doing this and I do not mind the length. It was the perfect amount for what you covered. I like that it also means meal prep for you and your partner as well so you are not cooking anything that you also do not eat. so it is a win win.
I’d guess your power issues and size of batch had a lot more to do with the inconsistent cooking of the soup than the crockpot, it’s also possible power outage/surges (especially if you have frequent ones) can kill appliances like crockpots.
I hate premade sauces but I discovered that some months back when I was going through a hard time, its so tasty and meaty. Its a cheat code lol! I add garlic peppers onions and seasoning for some extra oomf
"Cooking for Community" is my vote. Please don't apologize for the longer video! I much prefer the longer videos though i know that they can't happen often because they take more effort. I did miss the shot of the food labeling. I'm not sure why but it's one of my favorite parts, like putting the finishing touches of love on the food. I am LOVING this series
Hi Rebecca ! So glad that you put cooking spray in your tins,I didn't a couple of years ago,even though they were non stick, the eggs,they stuck and they stuck hard,no matter how much I soaked and scrubbed them, they weren't gonna come clean,so to the garbage they went !
I was so ticked off at myself, I hate wasting anything, but I got a couple of new ones and learnt my lesson and always use non stick cooking spray.Learn from my mistake.
You wanted your audience to pick a name, well Cooking for the Community sounds pretty good to me.
Those sandwiches you made, they looked so good and having the lettuce and tomato on the side,so they won't get soggy until you eat them, great idea ,really yummy ! I think I'm gonna have to buy the ingredients and make some of them for myself as well as the soup,although I think I'll leave out the dumplings.I've never been fond of them !All great meal ideas Rebecca ! You've out done yourself !Bravo ! 👏👏👍👍😊😊🥣🥣
I hope you have a wonderful week Take Care,Laura
I love crockpot mealsbut i always have trouble with getting potatoes done and you probably shouldn't cut your chicken into chunks until its done idk just a idea 😊 you are so nice for doing this for them im disabled to and its definitely hard to eat healthy or for me it is 😢. God Bless you sweetie ❤
How wonderful that you all got to meet - getting hints and answers directly from the folks eating the meals is always helpful. Maybe with the fish - just and idea, because my folks did this (freezing and reheating) - making canned tuna or salmon loaf in 13x9 pan and cutting into portions. Good side dish is creamed canned potatoes or mashed ones. Cooking for Community is great name.
I really like the idea of a fish loaf cut into portions- it could be similar to what I was going to suggest which was making it into fried patties (using binders like egg and crackers/bread crumbs, similar to a meatloaf)! Oh, and I'd imagine leftover fried fish loaf sandwich would be just as tasty as a leftover meatloaf sandwich, too! 😃
Cooking for community; the other one may be embarrassing to the recipient.
Wow- look at all these amazing comments! 😍 Here's something I have personally discovered about crockpot cooking: if the main ingredients to your crockpot recipe typically take similar times and temps for cooking in the oven or stovetop (or if all are precooked and just being heated up together), throwing them all in the crockpot at one time should be fine. However, root vegetables like potatoes and carrots take a longer time and/or higher temp to cook than chopped chicken. You could partially precook the potatoes-or what I would more likely do is put the potatoes in first, along with the liquids, and let those cook for a while before adding chopped raw meat. On the flip side, a large, dense chunk of meat would need a longer cook time than frozen hashbrowns (which are partially precooked already plus much smaller pieces). I use my crockpot the most for things like vegetable soup, chili, or a cheesy dip-- basically things that don't need intensive cooking but can benefit greatly from slower and lower cooking to enhance flavors and/or prevent scorching! As for seasonings-- use the knowledge you already have concerning what flavors tend to intensify or diminish whenever something is cooked longer: salt can definitely intensify as moisture evaporates, but I know garlic mellows out the longer it's cooked! My rule of thumb is season lightly until it's almost done, then add more if needed ☺ I love what you're doing for this family while also helping all of us- and true joy like yours is contagious!💗
A crockpot recipe that could work here:
Pork tenderloin
Can of root beer (just need enough to just about cover the pork)
Cook low 6-8 hours and drain the soda. Shred the pork and add your favorite BBQ sauce
I’m not sure the “high” cooking time but it’s pretty fool proof. It’s also a super common recipe to Google if you want to double check it.
You could prep this as sandwiches - provide rolls, and when preparing don’t mix a lot of BBQ sauce in to keep it drier. You can give them a condiment cup or two of sauce and a side of coleslaw, baked beans, or mash! Grilled zucchini/yellow squash as a veggie side. Perfect for a summer lunch or dinner
Walmart sells marinated pork tenderloins that are very good quality and affordable. Just throw them in the oven and bake
Cooking for Community has a greater reach of folks in need for just in a tight spot. Sometimes people are in a tight spot for a short time and just need a helping hand for a brief time. By the way, I think everyone would agree that your entire being has been lit from within since the start of this series of videos. Bless you. Let me tell you I am not a mushy sort of person but you my lady restore my faith in people.
It's obvious you get a lot of joy out of this. Very generous!!
I'm so glad you're finding out their preferences! (as just about everyone has!) Like I also don't prefer ketchup on my meatloaf. Maybe a bit of bbq sauce, but just a bit. This way you know they really can enjoy your food! That's so great!! 🩷🩷🩷
Personally, I would keep the rice plain and just add more sauce on the side. Seniors taste buds are very different as I said previous comment I used to cook for 50 seniors twice a month and they felt black pepper was too spicy.
Personally I like having plain rice on the side, though the sauce would probably help keep it from drying out. As you noted, pPplain rice allows me to tone down the salt or spice to my taste.
@@bevintx5440 she might want to enclose a note letting them know if they pop an ice cube on top of the rice before microwaving, it won't dry out.
Me😢
@@Randilynn66 Thanks for the tip. I usually just add a tiny bit of water.
Same here. I prefer to have plain rice.
Cooking for community because it describes exactly what you are doing. Neighbors in need could be any type of chores such as lawn care. I have never commented on a TH-cam video but I just think you are really great and give your heart to your projects. Good for you!!!🎉
Don’t give up on the crockpot! Here is a soup you might try. Crockpot Stuffed Pepper Soup: 2 pounds ground beef (85/15) I large onion, diced. 3 diced peppers (I use 1 green, one red and one yellow); 6 cups low sodium chicken broth, 32 oz can crushed tomatoes, 12 oz fire roasted tomatoes, 1 cup instant rice, garlic powder, salt, pepper and seasoned salt to taste. Brown the ground beef with the peppers and onion. Transfer to a large crockpot. Add broth, crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes. Season with spices ( I usually use 1 t salt, 2 t garlic powder, 1 t pepper and 1 t seasoned salt. Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 hours. Add the 1 cup instant rice. Cover and cook another 40-50 minutes. It is fast, easy and so good.
I'm so glad you're eating some of what you're cooking! It's the best way to know how it reheats. :D
And boy was I glad when you angled the camera away from the blinking stove clock after the power outage. LOL
I vote for cooking for community. The neighbors title makes me want to know about the neighbor.
That crock pot was AWFULLY full. I think you're supposed to keep it a couple inches down the side. Maybe boil water in it with a thermometer?
Cooking for Community!
I like the implied message of community, especially with the current situation where people are focusing on "us vs. them" mentality. Your work is so inclusive and helps people in a variety of situations which makes you so very special!
We were a family of five but my dad and my brothers were especially hearty eaters so we often would do large groups of French toast as it was a particular favorite. Our griddle was out of commission so we learned that you can put French toast on a rimmed baking sheet and put it in the oven and then flip it partway through. If you’re making a lot of other things it means you don’t have to watch it as carefully and you can spend your time doing the rest of the breakfast without running back-and-forth to the griddle. I don’t remember the temperature but I believe it was in the 375 range.
Rebecca, I'm so glad you sound like you're finally feeling a little better! That sickness has been taking everybody out lately. I like Cooking for Community or maybe one day, Dollar Tree Dietary Donations. Thank you for your video!
Also, that apron is so freakin' adorable 🌺🐦
Crock Pot chili! Simple to make and portion out meal-prep style, and it's relatively inexpensive if you catch ground beef on sale. If you include a sleeve of saltines, a snack baggie of shredded cheddar, and a small container of sour cream when you pack it up, you're golden. It's a great, filling meal.
2 lbs ground beef, 3 cans tomatoes w/ chiles, 2 packets Food Lion (or any brand, I guess) chili seasoning, & 3 cans seasoned kidney/pinto/black beans. Super simple, pretty much just brown the meat, dump it all in the crock pot together with a little extra water per the packet instructions, and let it cook for 4-6 hrs!
Great tip also! You should start making your own stock! We save our veggie scraps in a freezer bag and once it’s full we make a huge batch of stock and freeze them. It’s great to always have delicious stock on hand (for basically free) ❤
Cooking for community ❤ You are gift and I'm so glad I found your channel. Thank you for everything you do!!
I cook in my crockpot a lot. It takes time to learn how to cook in a crockpot. I have made many recipes in the crockpot that were not crockpot recipes. I have made chicken pot pie soup. I used canned potatoes. If you use fresh potatoes in a crockpot meal, it is best to cut the potatoes small. They cook better that way. If you figure out the art of crockpot cooking, I think you will enjoy using your crockpot.
Neighbors in need!!!
❤❤❤ I bless you 🙏 for giving your time, energy and finances helping this sweet family. Also, creating content will spark ideas 💡 so others can step up and prepare meals as well.
I love watching these updates! I love Cooking for Community - it has a great ring to it, and it sounds more inclusive/puts the focus on the community aspect of your venture.
I'm definitely inspired to try the egg bites for my husband to have. I loved that you were able to finally meet the family you're supporting! Maybe the grandma would enjoy some sort of a loaded baked potato soup, if she was a fan of your mashed potatoes? Just a thought, because I agree that a soup-and-sandwich combo is a winner for a balanced lunch - especially if you throw in an apple or some sort of fruit.
You said 8Tbsp is 1/4 a cup. It is actually 1/2 a cup. 4 Tbsp is 1/4 a cup. That might be why your sauce never thickened up.
Also, try putting a pan of water in your oven when cooking the eggs. It provides moisture. That is how Starbucks does it.
I love how your heart for your neighbors. 🥰
Ty for sharing this with all of us ...🌞
I have a copy cat egg bite recipe, and I make it in the instant pot.
The variety of foods that you ate providing is really fantastic. I remember when my Mom & Dad were getting Meals on Wheels for seniors. Most of the time they were barely edible. You are preparing tasty, nutritional meals. Well done!
I absolutely LOVED this video! I say this all of the time but seriously look forward to your videos all of the time. Today I was crying watching because it is so cool what a wonderful thing you are doing for others, and how much passion you have in your soul while you do it. It has been a long time since I have been passionate about anything, so its sooo nice to see. I love your variety of meals... love the fruit, want to make the egg bites, I love how your package everything, chicken looks bomb, I was drooling to try everything. Have u ever had fruit "chow" like cantelope with cliantro, hot sauce, lime and salt and pepper? Do you have amazon affliate link for the griddle been wanting to get one for awhile I HATE making pancakes, french toast, grilled cheese, quesadillas one by one.. hehe. Can't wait to see whats on the menu next week.
PS I like "Cooking for Community" the best because it has more of a positive connotation to me
When you flashed the Depression cookbook, the upper left side had a recipe for Slumgullion!! I thought that was a made up name my mom used for one of her dinners. The flash was too quick for to see what was used. She used browned ground beef, peppers, onions, mushrooms and corn with a beef gravy, served over egg noodles. Sometimes used mashed potatoes❤❤
Cooking for Community is less offensive to people who need help.