So I decided to make some meals for the freezer for the last few weeks before this baby comes and for after the baby so that I don't have to worry about cooking and we don't have to go out to eat. I did this by myself at 8 months pregnant! Hmm nesting at it's best! I didn't quite finish but here is my journey. This is my first real time doing a big batch of cooking. I got my entire recipe list from this AMAZING blog: Once A Month Mom and I used this menu changing it up just very slightly.
My Menu:
- My own sloppy joes
So it was 9:00am and I was ready to start they day. I wore comfy clothes and crocs for my poor feet. Here's me and 'baby' ready to take on the day!
So I had to start out by putting the chicken for the Garlic Chicken Farfalle and the ingredients for the Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches into crockpots to start cooking.
DONE!
Then I went on to make the Raspberry Breakfast Cake with fresh raspberries, yummmm!
Before and after baking
Then I blended up the Breakfast Popsicles which are just strawberries, bananas, yogurt, milk and vanilla! I ended up having to use 2 popsicle molds! I'm so excited to try these, they looked amazing!
Then tragedy struck! One tip...don't put cooling racks with hot raspberry breakfast cake near edges of the counter :( This happens...
SAD! I do thankfully have enough ingredients for another one so I will be making another one as it smelled and looked wonderful. I almost cried as my hubby so helpfully cleaned it up off the floor for me.
Then I went on to make the Bacon Hashbrown Wraps. I made them on my electric skillet thinking it would be easier and it was but you just get kind of an egg mess if you don't watch it. I know this picture looks less than appitizing but it did have eggs, hashbrowns and bacon and then was wrapped in tortillas. I did forget the cheese :( Always read your recipes again before wrapping up and sticking in the freezer!
Then I made the Sneaky Stuffed Potatoes. What makes them sneaky is you steam and mash cauliflower in with the potato mixture. Ok so I had the tiniest russet potatoes ever known to man to work with and I don't recommend that for anyone!! I did bake and scoop them the night before to save on time (which I highly recommend as these were still time consuming) but it's terribly difficult and messy with tiny potatoes! Here they all are already wrapped and bagged ready for the freezer. The only saran wrap I have is from Christmas so it's red! LOL
Then there was a quick assemble for the Bacon Cheeseburger Chicken. You just throw everything in the pans, cover and freeze! Super easy and looked yummy. Chicken, teriyaki, ranch, cheese and bacon!
I did make the Smoked Sausage Mac & Cheese and it was super easy and I'm super excited to eat it. I apparently was so excited I forgot to take a picture LOL
Then I made up the filling for the chicken burritos; chicken, beans, and taco seasoning, then topped with cheese and rolled in tortillas. I love all these individual burritos. For both these and the breakfast burritos I first wrapped each one in wax paper and then foil, then they were put in ziploc freezer bags and labeled. I love em cause you just take out one, unwrap it, pop it in the microwave and done! Here's the filling!
Then I shredded the chicken for the Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches and mixed it back in with everything it had been cooking with for the last 4 hours! I tasted a bite and it was AMAZING! I can't wait to eat these either!
At this point it was about 3:00pm and even though I had taken my time with everything and took a lot of breaks I was losing a lot of steam! My feet and back were killing me and I was getting grumpy. I thought ok I will just make one more quick one and then finish tomorrow. So I made up a couple Pita Pizzas. You just layer your ingredients and then flash freeze (put on a cookie sheet and freeze for about 15-20 mins and then you take out and individually wrap, store, and put in labeled freezer bags. I only had enough cheese to make 4 but I plan on making more when I get more cheese! The one in pink/red is wrapped in saran wrap already.
So at this point I called it quits at about 3:30/4:00 and decided to go out to eat with hubby. Then we got home and I tackled the dishes that were left (I did have a sink full of water and did dishes throughout the day to reuse some and cut down on the end of the day clean up) I was so sore and tired though that it did take me a while to clean up. But now it's ready for tomorrow and I just have a few more recipes to do.
- Garlic Chicken Farfalle
- Sloppy Joes
- Ranch Burgers
- Green Chile Burgers
- Raspberry Breakfast Cake (take 2)
All in all I feel super accomplished and pooped! Here's my swollen feet and ankles to prove it!
Come back tomorrow to see how day 2 went and to check out some of my tips to a day of freezer cooking!!!
Awesome! I'm going to do this around Christmas time!
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