After a health scare last month with someone in our family, which in turn ER visit, a rare disease diagnosis called Eosinophilic Esophogitis. Which is a food/environmental allergy that goes undetected by the usually allergy signs (rashes, hives, anaphylaxis) it is a chronic inflammation in your body that manifests in your throat and can cause you eating and swallowing issues. How we found out: a food impaction!
All that to say, Fill Your Freezer February this year will be a little different. We are still on the elimination diet to help figure out what food(s) are causing a reaction. So we are currently NOT eating: nuts, eggs, dairy, gluten, soy and fish. Which I guess means, this should be a really health freezer prep! So although lasagna, pesto chicken, homemade pizza dough, and banana bread are all great ideas to stock the freezer up- you won’t be seeing that in these Fill Your Freezer February posts!
Goodness gracious it’s been awhile! Not sure I could count how many times I wanted to make time to hop on here, but alas, it kept getting pushed down the list.
Baby #5
Baby Boy – four days overdue, decided to join us! I had an easy, unmedicated 7 hour labor ! Born at 7 lbs 8 oz Connor Miles was born December 10. He is now 6 weeks old and the newness has not worn off. We love and adore him.! Beyond the after birth pains, I have had a pretty easy post partum. I suppose all those freezer meals and a lot of help from hubby with the other four kids over Christmas break made it easier on my body!
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.
1. Have some easy snacks ready.
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!
thinly sliced apple slices, heated/runny peanut butter, coconut flakes, and chocolate chips
2. Double Up.
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.
Corndog Muffins: cornbread mixture with chopped kielbasa
3. Have an easy dinner!
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!
slow cooker hawaiian meatballs, instant pot rice, freshly prepped veggies
4. Don’t buy convenience, DIY.
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!
I hope this helps you to start/pick back up your freezer cooking and I hope I gave you some inspiration to start thinking what meals/snacks you can make ahead for your family. Feel free to add any more tips or freezer recipes you love in the comments!
Well, we are in the last 3 months of the year! I can’t believe how last and slow this year has been for me! .. This will be my 3rd year joining in Rachel Hollis’ Last 90 Day Challenge -read more here – the whole idea is that we should be ending the year just like we start January 1st – excited for a fresh start, goal focused, etc.
For as long as I can remember my Grandma has made loaves and loaves of this A to Z Quick Bread. I don’t think she could even make an accurate guess on how many loaves she has made over so many years! I have memories of crawling up on Grandpa’s lap and him sharing a warm buttered piece with me. Epitome of a good family recipe! What makes this an “A to Z” Quick Bread is simple switching out 1 ingredient for another (eg. mashed banana for pumpkin).
It’s almost comical how badly our small bathroom needed a makeover. We’ve went back and forth not only on the color we wanted to paint to whether or not to rip it down to studs and do a total remodel. My husband is handy like that!
Lately I’ve been in the mood to finish projects up and do things that I’ve wanted to do but continued to put off (like white washing the brick on our house- see that post here). It very well could be the second trimester pregnancy surge of energy 😉
We have done many projects to our home since buying it 4 years ago, but this brick project to help our front curb appeal may be one of my favorites yet!
I knew I wanted to do something to the brick along our house shortly after we finished replacing our front door, not originally for the look, but due to the draft the old door had. With the bright, slick new door (before/after post here) the red of the brick just seemed off.
It has been a minute since I’ve made time to sit down and write on here. And I thought by jumping back in I should start with big family news: Baby #5 is coming!
I always get questions on my kitchen days when I share my Instant Pot Bone Broth. You can use a slow cooker to make bone broth, but since getting the Instant Pot a couple Christmas’ ago, it makes it so much faster!
Today I’m sharing a DIY Citrus All Purpose Cleaner: it’s quick, simple, and frugal. I shared this a few weeks ago on Instagram Stories and had quite a few questions about this ‘recipe.’
Since it is the seasons for cuties/cara cara oranges I always find myself making a batch of this Citrus All Purpose Cleaner which uses the peelings from the oranges/cuties.
It’s a safer and money saving alternative.
I started making this cleaner years ago, when money was tight and the fact that harsh chemicals make it hard for me to breathe (asthma growing up). Not only did it contain 2 ingredients that I was already buying, but it cleaned well, and was safe enough for my little helpers.
How To Make the Citrus All Purpose Cleaner.
To make this easy DIY Citrus All Purpose Cleaner you take a glass jar and add citrus peelings until you fill it up. Don’t be afraid to pack them in tight. You can choose oranges, lemons, or a mixture for this- the choice is completely up to you!
Then take plain, white vinegar and slowly pour it over the citrus peelings until the glass jar is filled to the top. Make sure all the citrus peels are submerged into the vinegar. If some of them won’t stay under the vinegar simply take them out and discard.
Using a canning lid and rim gives the jar a better seal than a plastic reusable lids. Tighten the lid and then give the jar a few shakes. Keep it in a cool dark place for 4-6 weeks. Write the date on the lid when it can be used (ex. “late march”).
How to Use It.
When it is time to use it simply open up your DIY Citrus Cleaner pouring a 1:1 ratio of citrus vinegar to water into a spray bottle.
Not only does it on windows and toilets, but I don’t have to worry about harsh chemicals getting on my little helpers’ skin.
If your spray bottle isn’t big enough to use all of your Citrus Vinegar, simply take out any of the peels that float above the vinegar. Reseal with the same lid, give it a few shakes, and store it until your next use. That’s it!
I keep a spray bottle in each bathroom along with a container of baking powder for easy cleaning and wiping. Between the two bathrooms I normally use the whole batch of this DIY Citrus All Purpose Cleaner.
Don’t forget to save this to Pinterest for reference!
