Freezing chicken is a detail? Ummmm, yeah . . . it's a detail. A detail that stinks like nothing you've ever smelled if you don't tackle it when it needs to be tackled. Last weekend, while I was off gallivanting with college theatre pals, a friend picked up my Zaycon chicken and then hubby stuck it in the fridge. I had warned him to NOT put … [Read more...]
How I Freeze Ground Beef (Hamburger) in Meal Sized Portions
I love pre-cooking ground beef. Many of my survival meals depend on it. Maybe I’m the only one who, even when she has a menu plan, finds herself with only 15 minutes to get a meal ready. Maybe. But sometimes, I need my ground beef to not be pre-cooked. Freshly grilled-by-hubby burgers are much tastier than defrosted-by-mommy ones. And … [Read more...]
Frozen Meals Make Even "Normal" Days Less Hectic
Last week was crazy. Absolutely no deslobification progress was made. None. And when it comes to cooking for the family? Ummm, I didn't. But this week I'm working to get back to normal-ish. So since I'm determined to get back to cooking every night, I'm working on the little-by-little freezer cooking approach. Hubby was willing … [Read more...]
How To Freeze Pumpkin
Last week, when we had a fun Pumpkin Day, I had some extra cooked pumpkin that I needed to freeze for later use. Option One: Big glob frozen in a Ziploc bag, with no knowledge whatsoever of the amount or possibility of using only a portion of it. So I came up with Option Two (which contains an Amazon affiliate link): I froze the cooked … [Read more...]
Freezer Cooking For People Who Can’t Remember to Thaw (and my Mexican Casserole Recipe)
Before my second child was born (7 years ago yesterday), I shared with my mother-in-law that I was trying to freeze quite a few meals to make life easier after the baby arrived. Later, a mutual friend asked me what kinds of casseroles I had frozen. I had no idea what this person was talking about. After a very confusing conversation, I … [Read more...]
Mourning the Loss of My Crockpot (Okay, ONE of My Crockpots)
Today I did a little freezer cooking. Nothing intense, just the beans and rice I had planned to do. I de-dirt-i-fied my beans, because of course no one wants mud in their beans, and put them in my bigger crockpot to cook for the day. (No, I don't soak them.)I came back after about 30 minutes and the crockpot wasn't hot. I unplugged it, plugged … [Read more...]
Cooking Ahead = Meals From Scratch in Minutes (And My Chicken Fried Rice Recipe w/Pics)
It's freezer cooking time again. Last month, we focused on breakfasts, and I had a blast in the kitchen with the kids. The blueberry pancakes were gobbled up quickly, so I'd like to make some more of those this month. Other than that, I'm not going to do anything time-intensive. I'm going to stick with a few basics which allow … [Read more...]
Freezer Cooking: A Fun Day in the Kitchen With the Kids
I'm calling today's freezer cooking adventure with the kids a success. Even though it's also Laundry Day today. Even though it was universally decided last night that after nine whole years of never having had a real birthday party, today was the day that our dog MUST have one, which means that she's queen for the day and keeps getting let in … [Read more...]
Freezer Cooking in a Hurry – And A Plan to Do Better This Month
I have missed out on participating in the last two Freezer Cooking Days that Money Saving Mom and Life as Mom do monthly. But that doesn't mean I haven't done anything! Early in the summer, I purchased multiple pounds of ground beef and chicken breasts on sale. I had great intentions to cook them up like I usually do, but with summer and … [Read more...]