How did I do it???
1. Picked out 8 recipes I wanted to cook.
- chili
- spaghetti sauce
- BBQ chicken
- curry chicken
- split pea soup
- bean stew
- chicken taco soup
3. Left all the supplies out and prepped the things that needed to soak.
4. I labeled the bags with what they were and directions.
5. Started at 7 this morning. I did not really have a plan for this part... I just started rolling. Just the chopping of the vegetables took 3 hours... that is when I figured out this would take even longer than I thought! I cooked and cooked...
6. I let the meals cool and put them in freezer bags.
7. Put them in the freezer.
8. Cleaned the monster mess I left behind.
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| We keep this on the fridge so we know what we have and update it as we go! |
This was a much bigger task than I predicted... I thought I would spend a couple hours cooking and be done for the day. I thought I would be working on school work as dinner simmered... not so! It took a solid 11 hours... 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM including cleanup. Now I am not saying it wasn't worth it...
Some pros to my freezer cook day
We officially have 24 meals that will have leftovers.
These will hopefully get us through the coming busy weeks.
These meals were super cheap, so we should save a lot of money on our budget in the coming months.
The meals are healthy and will prevent us from spending money going out to eat.
I just need to change somethings for next time...
Chopping onions... any suggestions here... I can't do this without crying!
We need a dishwasher... it would make clean as we go easier.
Maybe I bit off more than I could chew... I probably did too many recipes.
Be a neater cook/clean as I go!
Does Andrew have any idea what an amazing woman you are? I'm blown away by your ability to think so proactively! Blessings all over you, friend! And if you need to borrow a little freezer space, I've been known to share some of our upright with special folks (like you!).
ReplyDeleteThanks!!! The freezer is pretty full right now... so we might take you up on that later! :)
DeleteThis is awesome! I have similar plans for the summer when it's close to Baby Dent's arrival. I also cry like a baby when I cut onions. I've heard it's the smell that makes you cry, but I haven't quite mastered avoiding the smell! I do have a manual food processor from Pampered Chef (I think it usually runs on sale in the spring/summer, but it's about $50.00). It's my go to for chopping lots of onions (and making homemade salsa). :)
ReplyDeleteAsk your hubby to do it? ;) Also, maybe find a friend or 2 to do this with & you can divide the meals up.
ReplyDeleteLOVE THIS!!!! I love freezing meals, so handy for nights when you don't want to mess with cooking!
ReplyDeleteI have so been wanting to do this and really hope I make it happen before baby #3 arrives at the end of April!
ReplyDeleteI may have the solution to your onion problem! I use "Seasoning Blend," which is a mixture of diced onion, bell pepper, and celery that is found in the freezer section with other veggies. PictSweet is one brand that makes this item, but I have also found large "no-name" bags at Save-A-Lot in clear plastic. I am never without at least one bag of it in my freezer -- give it a try!
ReplyDeleteI would love to have you come visit me at Big Doll's Boomtown sometime, too :-)