Happy February! It’s a New Month which means a new challenge (read the beginning post HERE)! I decided this month is Fill Your Freezer February partly because the Holidays took over my normal kitchen/food routine, but also like a lot of people, I need to be better at our grocery spending. You can do this anyway you like – a pantry challenge, freezer cooking sessions, frugal food menu, but here’s my plan:
Today I wanted to share a little of what I have been cooking up lately. I have only recently gotten back into weekly meal prep and really trying to get my freezer stocked. This pregnancy has been a little rough and I didn’t get the 2nd trimester “relief” or energy back with this time, at least not to the extent I normally do. But now that I’m down to the final weeks before baby #5 arrives I’m trying to kick freezer cooking days into overdrive now versus spending hours on my feet and in the kitchen after baby comes when I should be resting and snuggling!
I do have other freezer cooking posts over the last couple of years, like my Fill Your Freezer February posts if you want to see more recipes and ideas, but today I wanted to give some Freezer Cooking Tips to have success on your freezer cooking adventure! With a mixture of freezer cooking and some weekly meal prepping (even if it’s simply washing and prepping fruits and veggies) has helped a lot with getting meals on the table quicker (and with less mess!) because it cuts down on the daily prep work too, making weeknights or busy weekends just that much smoother.
I wanted to share a few tips/tricks with you, hopefully a few money saving, time saving, and new ideas. Or at least, a refresher course even for those of us getting back into meal prepping and freezer cooking.
Have some easy snacks around today, especially if you are like me and have kids home and running around the day that you are cooking and prepping! Ideas include: granola bars, fresh fruit, trail mix, or do like we did and set up a big plate of apple nachos!
The trick is to plan on making a double meal for one of the meals for the day. If I hadn’t actually planned on making a batch of these corndog muffins to eat for lunch I would have had to cut into my freezer batch to feed the kids if lost track of time or didn’t want to stop the work flow to make something else entirely. I will plan and buy enough knowing I will make a batch specifically for lunch at the same time I am getting them ready to freeze! {Make one/ Freeze One Method of freezer cooking!} Even if you aren’t in the kitchen for hours, using this method for dinner or perhaps the next days meal by simply prepping leaving in the fridge overnight will save you time and energy.
By all means take the advice from #2, put an easy dinner in the slower cooker before you get into freezer cooking, or just have sandwiches! You put in a lot of work for your future self today, so pat yourself on the back, and if your kids are like mine they will be happy to eat some peanut butter and jelly for dinner without anyone complaining!
I am completely okay with buying frozen pizzas, ready made dinners, frozen lunch items but it’s not a long term solution for our family- both nutritionally and financially. But I admit it means keeping up on your pantry inventory and freezer/meal prepping. Here are some examples of items I make instead of buying.
For instance I am getting ready to make a big batch of cookie dough. I will add extra post-partum nutrition (like flaxseed) but can be used as a treat for the kids to eat also. The great thing is I just freeze by the spoonful instead of taking the time to bake all the cookies before freezing, which cuts down prep time but making the same amount of mess. Nothing like the smell of baked cookies to make them just a little more enjoyable when the time comes to actually eating them. Pop them on a cookie sheet frozen while your oven preheats and then bake approximately 15 minutes at 375 degrees!
Trail mix. I know it’s convenient to buy but we like to DIY Trail mix because normally they are made with peanuts (which are not as nutritious as other nuts) and I can also buy ingredients on sale and make a bigger batch. The kids like helping to make this and coming up with different flavors. A lot of time I have most of the items already in my pantry or already on my grocery list. The “recipe” I always think as I mix a batch up is- something crunchy (nuts/pretzels), something sweet (chocolate chips, mini marshmallows), and something chewy (rasins or other dried fruit).
Muffins are also a great item to have a big stack of in your freezer. Making muffins vs bread makes it easy to take out only what you need for a quick breakfast or a snack. I have used my grandma’s recipe for over 10 years and simply switch out the main ingredient to make a variety of flavors. Click here for that recipe!
I also have the pizza dough recipe I have been using for years also (recipe here). I plan on getting a few of thes in the freezer also since we normally have a pizza/movie night at home once a week. I just freeze the dough in a light oiled gallon bag before I let it rise and take it out the morning of (or night before and put it in the fridge) and set it in a bowl to let it defrost and rise most of the day. Dough doesn’t actually take that long to mix up but again, skipping the step of prep/clean up helps when you are in a busy season of life!
Oh March, we are ready for you! The weather has hit 50 degrees the last few days and gosh, we’ve enjoyed it! I’ll be honest and say I’m glad the freezer cooking us up I was getting a little burnt out. This week I skipped some days and doubled up on others; it all evened out 😉 (more…)
This week freezer cooking was a mixture of favorites and new recipes, so a fun week! You can read the other updates this month HERE (and grab a FREE printable), Week One, and Week Two. There are so many ways and methods to Freezer Cooking. Taking this month to bulk up the freezer will help over the next couple of months and then I can slowly add in more or replace what we eat which helps save on time, menu planning, and our health! (more…)
Halfway through the Fill Your Freezer February Challenge! This week wasn’t as productive as the first as far as the quantity added to the freezer, but progress was made!. (more…)
I got an email this morning from a reader saying she wanted to follow along on Fill Your Freezer February, but was unsure how to get herself started.
At the end of every December, I always take the time to reflect on the year and start planning for the upcoming New Year. And every year I feel like I get a little better at setting more realistic goals and my 2022 goals are no exception.
I made a “master” list for my 2022 goals, but then I took some items and have specifically set up to focus on in the first quarter of this year — because baby #6 is due in April! Granted, items on my list include getting certain things done before the baby boy arrives, but finding a way to breakdown your master goal list will help not to become overwhelmed with so many plans and ideas for a new year.
Tip for 2022 Goals: When making your list, remember to find things to STOP doing– especially within our daily habits and routines.
What can you expect from me this year? I wanted to write out my intentions and ask for some feedback as I plan into 2021 with intention. As always, my goal is guide into becoming better, learning new things, and taking care of ourselves. I’m here for support, share for encouragement, and to spark your own creativity!
(more…)
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Want help freezer cooking? Check out my
annual Fill Your Freezer February FREE challenge!
Grab the printable to get started!
And if you are new to me, hi!
I’m Faith, married to Calvin,
we have been blessed with FIVE
beautiful children that we choose
to homeschool, we love a good DIY,
the kitchen is my favorite place,
and I’ll talk about anything over a
hot cup coffee.
If you need help finding something
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This sauce is so, so good! My kids actually requested Red Pepper Pasta for dinner the other night, and since we are doing Fill Your Freezer February I figured I might as well put some away in the freezer while I was at it! It’s not spicy, but feel free to add red pepper flakes if you like some spice!
