December 23, 2024

At Home with GCH: Freezer Meals (BONUS: Taco Egg Rolls Recipe)

January 24, 2013 by

 

I don’t know about you, but there are plenty of days that I wish I had a private chef…someone who would do all of the meal planning, grocery shopping, food prep, and cooking!  It would make my life a whole lot easier!  But, believe it or not, I like doing these things for my household!  I like planning, prepping, and cooking!  So I’m always looking for fun ways to do these things that will keep me interested in wanting to do more!

This week I want to cover something that some of you may not have heard of; though some of you have, I’m sure.  Freezer Meals! I’m going to make your life a whole lot easier this week, and not only will you love the time this blog is going to save you, but you are going to love the money it will save, as well!

So, are you ready?  Grab a cup of coffee and settle in, and let’s talk about Freezer Meals!

I want to preface this by saying that I am not an expert in this field.  I’m just an ordinary housewife from Southeast Wisconsin, who reads blogs all over the Internet, and scans through tons and tons of recipes on Pinterest.  Put these two worlds together, and viola! … you come up with Freezer Meals!

The first thing I will tell you about Freezer Meals is that it does take some planning and time in the beginning.  But once these meals have gone through preparation stage, and actually become “freezer meals,” you are going to be so glad that you took the time to learn how to do this!

Freezer Meals are meals that you prepare ahead of time…a lot of them…all in one day.  I make 15 to 20 Main Dish meals in one day; put them all in Ziploc® bags, and then put them in the freezer.  They are perfect for the Crock Pot, oven, or stove top.  All I have to do is pull a bag out of the freezer, put it in the crock pot in the morning and let it cook all day long.  When it’s time for dinner, all I have to do is add a vegetable, salad, baked potato, rice or pasta, and dinner is served!  So now, dinner time is done in half the time that it would normally take; leaving me more time to spend with what is most important to me.

*Tip:  Always use crock-pot liners for easy and quick clean-up!  (You’re welcome!)

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So, let’s talk about Freezer Meals by starting with food preparation first.  The following are steps that I take when preparing Freezer Meals in my own home:

  1. Begin always by washing your hands first!
  2. Take all your raw meat (chicken thighs or breasts, pork chops, pork tenderloin, turkey), as well as cooked shredded chicken and hamburger, etc), divide the meat up into the amount of servings that you will need for your family, and put the total servings into a gallon-sized Ziploc® Freezer Bags.  Before closing the bag, always push out all the air from the inside of the bag.  (I always use Ziploc® Freezer bags, because they don’t allow the meat or veggies to get freezer burnt.)   Regular zip-lock style bags that are not labeled “freezer” may not prevent this from happening.)  Be sure to wash your hands once again, and to thoroughly clean the surface the meat was prepared on.  PS: whatever you do, please don’t clean this surface with bleach!!  You are going to be preparing more food on this surface, and the last thing you want is for the food to come into contact with a bleach-cleaned surface!  For a more natural alternative, use vinegar to clean all surfaces.
  3. Your next step is to cut up all your raw veggies and, once again, divide into how many servings you will need for your family, and place in Ziploc® bags.
  4. For meats and veggies that can be cooked together, just add them all into the same Ziploc® bag, and freeze.
  5. Marinades and some sauces freeze very well.  Sauces that I have found to freeze well are Spaghetti Sauce, Enchilada Sauce, and Alfredo Sauce.  These are the sauces that I use.  You can try others, as well, at your preference.  Salsa is another one that freezes well.  Throw the marinade or sauce of your choice in with the meat, push the air out, and zip the freezer bag shut.  Toss into the freezer!
  6. Breakfast, Bean, and Meat Burritos are great freezer meal candidates!  You can make up two or three dozen ahead of time, put them all in freezer bags, and then cook what you need for a family meal, or you can take out one or two at a time, and cook!  They are perfect for freezer meals!  Beef and Bean Burritos are something I like to make a lot of!  My husband loves to take them to work in his lunch, and they are also just a great thing to heat up for a quick lunch at home, too!
  7. Chili is another favorite of ours.  We always cook up a big batch of Chili, and freeze it in several gallon-sized Ziploc® bags.  Then when it’s time, we have Chili ready for Chili Cheeseburgers, Chili Dogs, Chili-topped Baked Potatoes, and more!  We love Chili in this home!  So many uses for Chili!  It’s also very easy to just throw in a crock pot (in the bag) and let it heat up throughout the day.  Cook up some cornbread and serve with the Chili!  This meal may take you around 30 minutes, at the most, to prepare!  Plus, your Chili is cooked right inside the Ziploc® bag, so there is no messy crock pot to clean! 
  8. BE SURE TO LABEL ALL OF THE BAGS WITH THE CONTENTS BEFORE PUTTING IN FREEZER!

There are just so many different kinds of meals that can be frozen.  They can be cooked in a crock pot, oven, or the stove top.  Personally, freezer cooking has been a huge hit for me. Knowing that dinner is already half-done makes my life so much easier!!  I hope if you have not given this a try yet, that you will take the time to try it.  It truly is a time-saver!

Before I close I would like to share one of my favorite Freezer Meals.  These are so easy to make, and are great when you are in a pinch for something quick for lunch for the kids!

Taco Egg Rolls

2 lbs lean ground beef

2 Tbsp minced onions

1-1/2 pkg of Taco Seasoning

1 pkg of Egg Roll wraps

1-1/2 cups of shredded Fiesta Cheese blend

DIRECTIONS:

Brown ground beef and minced onions in a medium-high skillet; drain.  Add in taco seasoning and stir until blended.  Set aside and allow to cool for about 10 to 15 minutes.

After meat has cooled down, fill each eggroll wrap with 1-2 tbsp of meat mixture.  Sprinkle shredded cheese over mixture, and close wrap beginning with bottom corner; fold in corners. Brush top of eggroll with water, roll wrap up tightly to enclose filling—sealing with top flap.

In the meantime, heat canola oil in a skillet.  Place wraps—fold side down—a few at a time, stirring occasionally, until golden brown (2-3 minutes).  Drain on paper towel.

Wraps can be topped with salsa, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, black olives, and sour cream; serve with Refried Beans.  Or you can choose to dip them in Ranch Dressing for a snack.

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Here are some other favorite Freezer Meal websites / recipes:

http://www.momontimeout.com/2011/08/breakfast-burrito-bonanza/

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/09/slow-cooker-freezer-meals-make-8-meals.html

http://onceamonthmom.com/101-fall-freezer-meals/

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/quick-easy/freezer-meals-00100000085408/index.html

http://freezermealsforus.blogspot.com/

http://themarathonmom.com/preparing-for-birth-freezer-cooking.htm

http://www.annies-eats.com/2011/03/28/stocking-the-freezer-make-ahead-meals/

http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/2012/09/bless-a-friend-with-freezer-meals.html

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/recipe_slideshows/make_ahead_casserole_recipes

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Cooking-Style/Freezer-Meal-Recipes

 

See you next week!

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If you have any questions about Freezer Meals, or Freezer Meal preparation, please email me at Christi@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.  I’ll be happy to answer your question, or find the answer for you! 

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Meal Planning 101 – Week 2 – Meal Planning Binder & Menu Planners

January 11, 2013 by

 

Hello!  Welcome to Week 2 of Meal Planning 101!  I’m glad you decided to come back and learn more about being successful in Meal Planning!  Meal Planning takes some effort, and that effort takes some organization.  Once you have a “system” in place, it’s just a matter of input from that point on!  So this week I want to talk about creating a Meal Planning Binder and Menu Planners.  This binder will help get you and keep you organized in your meal planning efforts.

My Meal Planning Binder is something that I look at least a couple of times a day!  I know… I get little nuts about it… but I am always looking for new recipes to add to my binder.  I love to try new recipes!  I have discovered some amazing meals by experimenting with my own created recipes, along with ones that I have been given by family, friends, and those I find right here by our “GCH:What’s on Your Plate?” page, and Pinterest.

Instead of giving you directions on how to make my own binder, I’m going to reference a couple of Pinterest links that will give you all kinds of binder ideas!  It’s really up to YOU how you want your binder to look and feel.

For my own binder, I include sections that include my Menu Planner for the Month, and for the Week, along with a Grocery list, Pantry/Freezer List, and a Recipes section.  I also keep a zippered pencil holder (like they use in school) to keep all my coupons in.  Personally, I am not a big coupon person!  I like them, but I do not go crazy with them!  I pick out a few that I know I will use, for products that I know we love and use on a regular basis!  You may be different than I am.  I have seen women who have coupon binders that are in 3-inch 3-ring binders, and it’s loaded with baseball card protector sheets that hold their coupons.  Way more effort than I want to put into my grocery shopping!  We’ll talk about this further in a later blog!

But before I forget, here are the Pinterest links to the Menu Planner binders: 

http://pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=Meal+Planner+Binders

http://pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=Menu+Planning+binders

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Now, let’s start with the first things that will be placed inside your binder:  Monthly Menu, Weekly Menu, Freezer / Pantry List, Grocery List, and of course, your coupons.  But for now, let’s talk about your Menu Planner.

In looking through tons and tons of Pinterest links for the perfect Menu Planner, I stumbled across one located at: www.amybayliss.com.  She offers customizable Menu Planners such as the one below.  I love this because I can type this up on my computer and make it look nice and neat!  I can change it anytime I want, and create new meals each month.  Sometimes, I leave certain meals on the menu planner because they are some of our favorites!  So this is really a convenient planner for me to us.  You may choose the planner that allows you to write in the meals for the month, or the week.  Again, it’s just a personal preference.  There is no right or wrong way to do this!  It’s all about doing it, and then finding the system that works for YOU!

Monthly Menu Planner

This exact form was found on: http://amybayliss.com/2011/08/planners-goals-calendars-church-and-ministry-sections-part-2/.   I just used the “Calendar” download.  You can change the name of the month, so you have a new form to use each month.  Amy’s site offers a lot of awesome free printables!

In my meal planning, I always start by making a list of what I have in my pantry and freezer.  That way I know what I have on hand, and what I will need to purchase.

My next step is to make a list of all of the meals that we love.  Each week, I also include a “Leftovers” night and I add this to my Menu Planner!  I hate to see food go to waste!  Nothing gripes me more than to have to throw something away just because I didn’t add it into a new meal!  So I plan at least one night a week for leftovers!  Some people don’t like leftovers…again, personal preference!

We also plan for at least two nights a month for going to a restaurant.  This might include our Date Night meal, or a meal out with friends; whichever one it happens to be, it gets put on my Menu Planner.  So what that means is that I have to plan ahead for these nights.  My husband has the craziest work schedule where he works 3 days on, and 3 days off.  So we never have a normal weekend like most couples do!  We take our weekends as we can get them!  So I take his work calendar and sit down and choose one night a month for our Date Night, and leave room for at least one more night for eating with friends.  Again…put it on your Menu Planner!!

Once I have my list of groceries on hand from my pantry and freezer, and I have written down all of my favorite meals, I start making my menu for the month!  My freezer, pantry, and favorite meals lists can just be updated as I go!  This is the first time-consuming activity that you will have, but once it’s done, it’s pretty easy to maintain!  We’re getting you closer to Menu Planning success!   Trust me, once you make your binder and a monthly menu, it will make your life so much easier for the remainder of the month!  No more planning for another 30 days!

After you have completed your Monthly Menu, your next step is to break down the Monthly menu into a Weekly menu.  Here is where you will see just seven days of menus.  Write out a Weekly menu for every week on our Monthly menu.  Once you do it, it’s done for the month, and for each week; then it’s just a matter of grabbing the next weeks form to see what’s on the menu.  You can even just use a simple piece of notebook paper to do this, if you wish.  You really don’t need any special forms, etc.  You’ll be glad you took the time at the beginning of the month to do this!  Trust me!

For Meal Planner forms, do a search on Pinterest for “free weekly meal planner printables”; there are many of them out there.  I use a lot of Amy’s forms from her site because they are customizable!  I just love the way she has formatted them, and makes it so easy for me to input my own information!  Again, you will want to search for forms that are going to work for YOU!  If they don’t work for YOU, you won’t keep up with it!  So find something that works for you and one that you enjoy working with!

Now that we have our meals planned for the month and week, it’s time to put together our Shopping List.  We’ll discuss our Shopping List and coupons next week.  You will store all of this inside your Menu Planning Binder, in the proper sections.

I hope you are enjoying this series.  If you want, please share a link to the Menu Planner that you use!  You never know if someone else will find your Menu Planner convenient for them, as well!

See you next week!

Christi

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A Virtuous Woman uses her time wisely. She works diligently to complete her daily tasks. She does not spend time dwelling on those things that do not please the Lord. (Proverbs 31: 13, Proverbs 31: 19, Proverbs 31: 27, Ecclesiastes 3, Proverbs 16: 9, Philippians 4:8)

If you were interested in checking out any of our online Bible studies, click HERE. Once we receive your registration, we will email you with further details.

If you would like to send a private message to Christi in regards to this blog, please email her at: Christi@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

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At Home with GCH – Meal Planning 101 – Week 1

January 6, 2013 by

Hello, and Welcome to Meal Planning 101!

When I first began Meal Planning, I had no idea how much this new technique in my life would make such a huge impact!  Meal Planning is now part of my every week routine!

For some people, when they think of meal planning, they thing it is too time consuming.  What they don’t realize is just how simple, and cost effective, meal planning is!  When meal planning is incorporated into your home routine, you will see yourself with more time, and money, on your hands!  Meal Planning is so worth every step!

In this new GCH series, we’ll cover the reasons why meal planning is so important; building a menu planner binder; finding recipes that your family loves; coupons; and more!  I will also be sharing some free printables that I have found online that I use in my own home!!  I will share some other websites that offer some amazing tips, as well!  I’m no expert in this field.  I can only share what I have learned along the way.  That’s why I don’t mind sharing other websites with you to help you learn even more about menu planning!  It really is something that we all need to incorporate into our routines!

Let’s start this new series today by going over the reasons of why meal planning is so important:

Top 5 reasons why Meal Planning is a must in your home:

  1. Menu Planning saves you time!

Who doesn’t need more time each day?  As busy moms who are running from here to there taking kids to school, activities, church functions, and more, we need to make sure that we manage our time to the best of our ability!  Menu Planning can help you manage your time more wisely in the kitchen!  We will show you how in the upcoming weeks of this series.

  1. Menu Planning saves you money!

Who doesn’t love more money in our pocketbooks!  How many times have you made dash to the grocery store for a loaf of bread and gallon of milk, and came home with over $100 in groceries you had not planned on spending?  Menu planning can help not only save money, but it can also help you stick to a budget better!  We will also cover some tips on using coupons with your grocery shopping! We will show you how in the upcoming weeks of this series!

  1. Menu Planning cuts back on waste!

Menu planning helps you buy just what you need, leaving less room for more leftovers that end up getting thrown out at the end of the week!  Again, we will show you how this cuts back on waste, as we continue with this series in the upcoming weeks.

  1. Menu Planning helps your family eat healthier!

This is a big one!  Menu Planning helps you stick with healthier meals by not being so stressed out at the end of a work day, there is no time to cook, and you end up heading out fast food!  Menu planning helps you keep healthier meals on the table!  We’ll show you how in the upcoming weeks of this series!

  1. Menu Planning adds more variety to your meals!

How many times have you heard “Not meatloaf AGAIN, Mom”?  Tired of cooking the same old thing over and over again?  Taking the time to plan your meals adds more variety to your meals, and leaves less room for boredom!  We’ll show you how in the upcoming weeks of this series!

So, are you ready to start learning how to plan your meals, save money, save time, and use coupons to get healthier meals at home?  I am very excited to share this series with you!  If you would like to share some of your own tips along the way, I would be happy to read them!  Be sure to share them in the comments section below!  The more we can help each other save time, money, and eat healthier, the better!!

Until next week,

Christi

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