ahhh....I feel as if I deserve a good sigh after all my cooking madness yesterday. I took my first shot at mega cooking--some call it freezer cooking--others call it month cooking--whatever you call it, it is COOKING! I actually feel kind of embarrassed referring to mine as mega cooking because while most of the time I am an extremist, all out or nothing type of girl, this time I'm a MODERATE! The real pro cookers can cook for 1-6 months at a time, but I took a creep into it approach. In my freezer right now, there are enough meals for about 2 weeks. Good enough for me!
-There are many different ways to do freezer cooking, it's not a one-size-fits-all thing. Some people make their regular dinner dish, double it, make one that night, and throw one in the freezer for later.
-Others cook a whole bunch of meals in one day.
-Some cook a whole week on meals in a day.
There are endless possibilities!
Why I started FREEZER COOKING:
-Well, here I must give a couple shout-outs. My sister-in-law, Monica, used to do this when she worked, so when she got home she could pop in a meal, and not have to waste the precious time with her boys. Also, my Cousin Becky revived the idea when she blogged about her experiences in the madness. :) Thanks, Beck.
Why I like the idea:
-I figured it was a good way to put some of my extra time to use when I don't have sub jobs. And really, who wants to cook when your cute hubby gets home early from work? Not me, I'd rather get something done!
-It provides yummy/healthy meals for your family. No preservatives here!
-Save some Money: buying in bulk can be a very good thing.
If you are interested in this idea:
-ask me, I'd be happy to help where I can. :)
-google it! That's what I did.
Tips From an Amateur
*Make sure you make a very complete grocery list. Even on the staples where you always assume you will have enough. Nothing like being in the middle of a recipe and running out of FLOUR.
*Cook one type of meal at a time. Such as make all hamburger dishes, then chicken dishes, then pork dishes. It saves on clean up.
*Speaking of clean up, CLEAN often. Don't save it all until the end. Do a little bit every step of the way. :)
*Put some music on. You are probably going to need motivation at some point.
*The pros suggest putting tennis shoes on to keep your feet from getting sore. I didn't listen. And I paid for it.
*Don't do so much that you get bogged down. I started slow, and I enjoyed my day. I know if I would have tried to cook for months on my first stab at this, I would have hated it and stopped in the middle. Some people can probably handle more than me. Just go at your own pace. Enjoy it!
Don't worry, if you're not into this sort of thing. Throw in a frozen pizza. I will not judge you. :)
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way to go, brooke! what sort of meals did you prepare? sounds like you'll be set for a while!
ReplyDeleteHey Becky,
ReplyDeleteI made a lot of "incomplete" meals...such as taco meat and chicken for fettucini. That way, the meals would take less time to prepare. We aren't much of casserole eaters. Which is what a lot of the full-blown meals tend to be. (Dane can be kind of picky.) However, if you want to send me an email with your tater-tot casserole recipe that would be GOOD! That is one we like! :)