Search Results for: blog a freezer cooking weekend

Taking Inventory Of The Freezer

This weekend I cleaned out the refrigerator, nothing earth shattering about that except that it was way over due. Once I was finished with the fridge I moved on to the freezer. There was a lot of unidentifiable stuff in there that I had to throw out. As I was cleaning out the freezer I thought about all the money I’m throwing away because I never know what I have. I go to the grocery store, fill the fridge and the freezer, the overflow goes into the freezer in the basement where I promptly forget about it. I find myself … Continue reading →

Freezer Cooking without Effort

Today my freezer is somewhat stocked with meals that are ready to go. This really comes in handy on those nights when you just don’t feel like making dinner or the times when you want to save money and reduce your budget. Forget the elaborate all day plans that keep you in the kitchen morning until night cooking away. There is a reason that these methods encourage you to do it with a friend. It is a lot of work! While there may be a time and a place to do these massive freezer cooking sessions, I find that our … Continue reading →

Freezer Cooking: Chicken Marinade

Freezer cooking is a great way to save time during the upcoming holidays. Having a bunch of meals that are mostly or even fully prepared can mean the difference between having great meals during the busy season and relying on bad take out or cold sandwiches. Imagine spending the weekend shopping, cleaning, decorating and then just opening your freezer and popping a dish in the oven? Get yourself a package of six chicken breasts, divide them up into two meals, add your marinade and freeze away. Then when it comes to a busy day, just take the chicken out of … Continue reading →

Three Ideas for Cooking What We Have

Are you throwing away valuable food that can be put to good use? Even the smallest of leftovers, the most overripe of fruit and the remains of a meal can be used deliciously for meal prep. If you make it a habit to use everything you have, you will shave your food budget by at least 25 percent (the amount of food that generally goes to waste in American households). Here are three ideas for cooking what we have, based on my adventures in the kitchen this morning. I find that weekends are a good time to take stock of … Continue reading →

A Deeper Look Into a Once a Month Cooking Session

It is always helpful to get an idea what a cooking session is like, before you jump head first into trying a once-a-month cooking session. I’ve already shared what it is like to prepare for one in the upcoming days prior. I have also already given you a peek into what the start of the day looks like, so now it is time to get a bit deeper and really start cooking. After I have gathered everything, and prepared the early stages (such as hamburger meat, chicken breasts, ham, etc.) it is time to get it ready for each recipe. … Continue reading →

A Glimpse at a Once a Month Cooking Session

I thought it might be helpful to some of you, if I showed you what a day of once-a- month cooking looks like. It really differs for everyone, and it is not even always the same for me. It depends on how many meals I plan to make, which is dependent on what events we have going on during that time period. For example, if we have horseback riding lessons that night at 6:30, we have to be there by 6:00 to tack up. My last three children get home from school at 4:30, which is too early to eat, … Continue reading →

Freezer Cooking Weekend Preparations (2)

In honor of my upcoming freezer cooking weekend, I thought I’d take some time to share the preparation process up until the cooking day. I am hoping it will be helpful to you to see the steps that one must take to prepare. It takes a little bit of time, but is so worth it at the end. We’re at the new shopping list point. After you have scratched off your original list with the items you have on hand, it is now to re-write the list. You are only writing down the items you need to purchase at the … Continue reading →

Freezer Cooking Weekend Preparations (1)

his coming weekend is another freezer cooking weekend for me. We have been in preparations for the past couple of days. I thought I’d give you a look into what my days look like in preparation and then actually doing the freezer cooking meals. I always thought it was funny that they called it freezer cooking, since it sounds like I’m cooking with my freezer, which is in no way what I am doing. In fact, I actually like the term Once a Month Cooking, because unless you do it less frequently or more often, it is the correct term. … Continue reading →

Freezer Cooking: Don’t Give Up!

After spending several years on mailing lists, message boards and other resources for freezer cooking fanatics, I have seen it all. The most common thing I see, is people giving up too soon. Why? I have often wondered this myself. Why give up on something that will help so tremendously in the long run. Sometimes, I think people forget that, there you do not have to cook for an entire month, if you do not want to. Freezer Cooking can be done for a week at a time, or could be done once during a month and then not again … Continue reading →

Freezer Cooking: Meal Planning Advice (2)

At this point, I was basically looking at one hundred and thirty four meals. That’s thirty chicken recipes, thirty pork recipes, thirty ground beef recipes and thirty turkey recipes. Plus, I had made fourteen meals of pasta sauces, all together equaling 134! Seems like a lot doesn’t it? Looking at that, you probably thought, hey she doesn’t have to cook for three and a half months, but that is not how I looked at it. The very next weekend, I began my normal freezer cooking sessions. I started with the chicken, creating thirty more meals, from ten different recipes. And … Continue reading →