In 2002, My husband and our best friends decided that we were going to take a
grown-up vacation to the Caribbean.....
and when I say "Grown-up" it is really code for "Without Kids".
While planning for the trip I came Once a Month Cooking.
I decided then and there that it was the only way I could leave my children for
10 days with peace.
I had 3 children at the time.
One would eat cardboard as long as it was covered with ketchup, and the other two only wanted Mac & Cheese and/or Grilled Cheese sandwiches.
I hated to put that kind of pressure on our friend, Wendi(whom we called Other Mother)
and I knew after a couple of days they would get tired of it....So I was determined to fix all of their meals and leave them for Wendi to simply "warm up".
Well..Things didn't work out like I thought they would and I only wound up freezing a few things like soup and some meatballs.
We took our vacation. The kids were fine. The meatballs were a hit...so i made a note to self
"Frozen meatballs-GOOD".
Fast forward 3 years........
Stacy & I were again making plans for a trip out of the country.
This time, it was to bring home our 5th child...(Rachel was born during the fast forward trek) and once again I was freaking out over my children eating while I was away.
Now keep in mind that the people we had lined up to keep our children were MORE THAN CAPABLE of providing nutrients for our children. Every one of the women who stayed here cooks 10 times better than I do and they offer a larger variety when it comes to what they cook,
but I knew that I would be away from my children for 2 weeks and the thought of me not "doing " for them was making me dread the trip.
Then I remembered the cookbooks that I had purchased a few years before.
I went through them with a fine tooth comb , picked out few recipes I thought I'd try, and was off to the grocery store for the ingredients and storage wares.
To my surprise it actually worked!
One of the things that I gleaned from the cookbooks was that you can freeze ANYTHING.
There are a few recipes that do better than others, for example: 1. mashed potatoes are watery after being frozen BUT you can freeze Potato,Cheese,& Ham soup all day long. 2. You can freeze any cooked meat as long as it is covered with the juices or gravy.
When it comes to veggies- My friend Heather freezes hers already prepared.
Sometimes I freeze them prepared and sometimes I will pour in the
frozen vegetables,cover them with water, add some bacon bits, a tiny bit of real butter, sea salt, pepper, cover and freeze. When you are ready to cook them-simply pour everything frozen into a pot and cook using medium/low heat OR you can pop straight into the microwave for 7 minutes(or until cooked) and it is done.
Both are wonderful ways to store them.
Lately, because we are planning to travel in the next few months, I have been planning my meals with the intention of freezing a portion of it.
Doubling your batch will have your freezer full in no time.
Just remember to take a piece of freezer tape and label what is in the container.
It is really hard to tell what you are looking at -once it is frozen.
Here are a few of my families Frozen Favorites:
Baked Ziti and Meatballs
Pot Roast, Carrots, and Onions(served with Mashed Potatoes)
Bar B Q pork Ribs and Baked Beans
Roast Chicken and Gravy
Lasagna(Aunt Mali's or Heather's...I don't make lasagna)
Turkey OR Beef Chili
Commander's Palace Soup(Heather's)
Chicken Noodle Soup
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Turkey OR Beef Meatloaf
Field Peas
Butter Beans
Cut Green Beans
Whole Kernel Corn
Corn Casserole
Mac & Cheese
Turkey Breast
Turkey OR Chicken Dressing
Broccoli Casserole
Pineapple Chicken Breast with Rice
A few things I have learned while freezing:
Have a FREEZING PARTY!
Cooking, freezing ,and sharing the bounty with friends is AWESOME.
It helps your budget and it gives a LARGER variety in your freezer.
In my opinion-Eating something cooked by a friend is just as good as going out to dinner!
Freeze a few small batches of leftovers and see how you like them once re-heated.
You may not like the way it re-heats.
Take a piece of paper or card stock and categorize your freezers contents.
You can list by item or meal.
Tape to your refrigerator or your freezer.
Once you have removed an item or meal from your freezer, you simply mark it off of your list.
You will always know what is available and what you need to re-stock.
This is so helpful to caregivers.
I will make a menu and place it on the fridge for all to see.
When children as the caregiver, "What's for supper?"
All she has to do is look on the menu and tell them.
When it is time to start dinner she simply goes to the freezer, pulls it out, and follows the heating directions on top of the container.
Dinner is done, the children are eating something familiar, and Mom isn't worried about the caregivers stressing over dinner for 5 or more children.
If you have any questions feel free to ask.
I will answer them if I can.
PEACE.
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