Freeze-A-Thon Part IV - Utilizing Your Frozen Foods

Well, you made it through the month of March here at FREEZE HAPPY! And hopefully you have a freezer filled with delicious meals, side dishes, desserts and time-savers. But now what? There are a few ways to maximize your use of these meals and make sure you are reaping the benefits of your work so far.

Here are a few tips for using your freezer food....

Sunday Selection: Make a new part of your Sunday routine. On Sunday morning, pull out meals from your freezer and put them in the fridge. This can be 5 meals (if you are completely eating from the freezer or just one meal. It's up to you. But since most of the recipes here maintain best quality if baked from a thawed state, this is an important step to reducing your stress.

Make Ahead Monday: Stretch your frozen foods and give yourself a weekly break by using a frozen meal on your busiest weekday. Our busiest day is Mondays. I am still cleaning the house from a weekend, getting back into the swing of the week and moving back into schedules. So each Monday is Make-Ahead Monday.

Stock Your Staples: You made some meals ahead this month, but don't forget to dedicate some time to freezing time savers. Like pre-made cookie balls, pre-cooked rice and ground meats and freezing leftover stock, eggs, etc.

List It: Some find it helpful after their Freeze-A-Thon to make a list of everything they made and putting it on the freezer. Then, as you pull items out, you cross them off your list. This makes knowing what you have a breeze and also lets you know what ran out first for when you are planning your next Freeze-A-Thon!

Well, this has been an amazing month, packed with information! I hope you feel confident, inspired and ready to fill your freezer!

ALL posts in this series..
Freeze-A-Thon Part I - Organization
Freeze-A-Thon Part II - Preparation
Freeze-A-Thon Part III - Execution
Freeze-A-Thon Part IV - Utilizing Your Frozen Foods

Read more...

Freeze-A-Thon Part III - Execution

Execution Step 1: Gather Supplies

Take out all of the tools you will need for your recipes including mixing bowls, large spoons and measuring cups & spoons. Also take out frequently used ingredients like salt & pepper, diced onions, etc. Next, grab your storage containers and sharpie markers and get them ready to go. You may choose to pre-label your containers by writing meal name and simple cooking instructions onto foil sheets or ziplock baggies.

Grab some sweet tunes. This process is supposed to make your life easier, but the process itself should not be torture. Grab your favorite upbeat music, like the kind you might work out to...one that really gets your but shaking and just begs to be sung along with. Set up a stereo in the kitchen and shimmy and shake your way through your Freeze-A-Thon.

Execution Step 2: Assemble and Store

Remember my game plan from last week's post?

1. Meatloaf (raw beef)
2. Hamburger Patties (raw beef)
3. Beef Tamale Pie (cooked beef)
4. Shepherd's Pie (cooked beef)
5. Beef Quesadillas (cooked beef)

Thoroughly clean work area

6. Creamy Italian Chicken (raw chicken)
7. Thanksgiving Casserole (raw chicken)
8. Crisp Chicken Burritos (cooked chicken)
9. Chicken Parmesan (cooked chicken)
10.Chicken Quesadillas (cooked chicken)

So, I would start with beef. I would portion out the raw ground beef needed for the meatloaf into a large bowl. Add the other meatloaf ingredients into the meatloaf bowl (be careful not to touch the raw beef at this point) and set aside. Now portion your hamburger patty beef into a separate bowl. Add salt, pepper, Worcester sauce (or anything else you like to add into your hamburger mix) into the bowl.

Now you have a bowl of unmixed meatloaf ingredients and a bowl of unmixed hamburger patty ingredients in front of you. Tear of multiple sheets of wax paper and lay them on the counter. Now put your hands into your hamburger mix, mix the ingredients and form into individual patties, separating and staking each patty with a piece of wax paper.

No need to wash your hands just yet, now dig your hands into the meatloaf mixture to combine ingredients. Once mixed put raw meatloaf mixture into the pan(s).

Now wash your hands.

With your hands clean, label and cover the meatloaves and put them in the freezer. Wrap stacks of hamburger patties in plastic and then foil. Label and store in freezer.

Next, put the rest of the beef into a large non-stick pot with some diced onion and salt & pepper and brown.

The rest of your beef entrees use already browned ground beef. Lay out all of your aluminum pans and start assembling your remaining meals. Portion out the cooked beef into each recipe from the pot as you go. Once finished, label, cover and freeze. Clean work space thoroughly, wash your hands again and begin your chicken dishes.

Chicken dishes should also be sub-categorized into chicken meals prepared with raw chicken (washing area and hands thoroughly when finished) and those using already cooked chicken.

Execution Step 3: Accept what you did as a job well done

If you didn't get it all finished...no big deal. If everything was not as smooth as you had hoped....shake it off. Maybe, despite your careful planning you found yourself missing an ingredient or losing a recipe...that's fine.

Remember that ANYTHING you get accomplished signifies and entire evening you saved yourself slaving over a hot stove or simply staring into the fridge wondering what to make for dinner. It's not a tragedy if you spread this over two days instead of one or you simply give up on a meal you ran out of room for in your freezer.

And once you start eating your meals from your freezer you will learn a lot as well. What worked for you, what your family loved, what they didn't love.

Each time you do this process it will get easier and more streamlined until you are a PRO and you start your own blog and push mine to the bottom of the heap...wait, don't do THAT. As the amount of meals in your freezer grow, so will your confidence, competence and knowledge.

That's it.
You're ready.

Now, my good friends...
GO FORTH AND FREEZE!!!

ALL posts in this series...
Freeze-A-Thon Part I - Organization
Freeze-A-Thon Part II - Preparation
Freeze-A-Thon Part III - Execution
Freeze-A-Thon Part IV - Utilizing Your Frozen Foods

Read more...

Freeze-A-Thon Part II - Preparation

Preparation Step 1: Chop, chop, chopping

A day or two before your Freeze-A-Thon you need to prep your food. That means grating all of your cheese, chopping all of your vegetables, cutting down and chopping up any rotisserie chickens you bought for recipes using pre-cooked chicken (or cooking, cooling and chopping raw chicken for the same recipes). Fill your fridge with bowls filled with these items and you'll be ready to roll on the big day.


Preparation Step 2: Making a game plan

I like to make a game plan on just how I am going to put these recipes together and in what order. This is especially necessary if you have limited counter space. I generally group proteins together, it's easier and it helps prevent germs. So let's look at the sample menu I am working on...

These are already divided by protein, but you should sub-divide each category by meals prepared with raw proteins and cooked proteins. This will not only keep order, but will reduce risk of bacteria transfer.

So my game plan would look like this...

1. Meatloaf (raw beef)
2. Hamburger Patties (raw beef)
3. Beef Tamale Pie (cooked beef)
4. Shepherd's Pie (cooked beef)
5. Beef Quesadillas (cooked beef)

Thoroughly clean work area

6. Creamy Italian Chicken (raw chicken)
7. Thanksgiving Casserole (raw chicken)
8. Crisp Chicken Burritos (cooked chicken)
9. Chicken Parmesan (cooked chicken)
10.Chicken Quesadillas (cooked chicken)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ALL posts in this series..
Freeze-A-Thon Part I - Organization
Freeze-A-Thon Part II - Preparation
Freeze-A-Thon Part III - Execution
Freeze-A-Thon Part IV - Utilizing Your Frozen Foods

Read more...

Freeze-A-Thon Part I - Organization

So, you've made a few recipes, learned some great tips from this site, you've freed up some freezer space and now...you're ready. It's time to host a Freeze-A-Thon. I am going to walk you through the process over the next three weeks. If you prep well and stay organized you can make a crazy amount of home-cooked freezer meals in one afternoon. And I can show you how.

Organization Step 1: Plan your menus.

I organize this step much like I do my weekly meal plans, by protein and lack of protein. So, to create a variety I might choose to create...

5 beef meals
5 chicken meals
5 "other meat" meals
5 vegetarian meals

Now, look over your recipes (or the recipes on this site) and find 5 you would like to make from each category. Choose meals you know your family would like and you can throw 2 or 3 in that are new to try and find new favorites to add to your rotation. Also, make sure to add a few side dishes and desserts.

So my example monthly menu might look like this:

Beef:
Super Simple Meatloaf
Beef Tamale Pie
Shepherd's Pie
Beef Quesadillas
Cheeseburgers

Chicken:
Creamy Italian Chicken
Crisp Chicken Burritos
Thanksgiving Casserole
Chicken Parmesan
Chicken Quesadillas

Other Meats:
Ham & Cheese Stromboli
Pork BBQ
Ham and Potato Casserole
Tuna Casserole
Brinner (Breakfast Dinner)

Vegetarian:
Bean Burritos
Macaroni and Cheese
Vegetarian Taco Soup
Pesto
Veggie Jambalaya

Sides:
Freezy Cheese Straws
Make Ahead Garlic Bread
Cheesy Potatoes

Desserts:
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Fruit Crisp Topping
Surprise Cake

Organization Step 2: Gathering and Printing Recipes

Now, I know what you're thinking....print every recipe? Just trust me. You do NOT want to be digging through books and keeping pages open while in this process. You will want to take every possible step to make this process as easy as possible from start to finish and organization of information is key.

Organization Step 3: Assessing and Buying Ingredients.
First, print out the following downloadable worksheets to help you plan. You need (1 copy) Menu Plan and (2 copies) of the Grocery List. Download each by clicking the images below.

Grab your printed MENU PLANNER and start by filling out the meals you have planned. Mine would look like this...

With me so far?

Now grab one copy of your GROCERY PLANNER and the recipes you printed. Start with the first recipe listed (for me that would be meatloaf...see the recipe here). With the recipe and the grocery list side by side, start listing the ingredients of the recipe in the correct area of the grocery list. When needed, list each ingredient in an incremental amount. Like 1/2 c. chopped onion. Continue with the remaining ingredients in the meatloaf. I am doubling mine to make two meatloaves. Each meatloaf calls for 1/2 c. chopped onion so next to the 1/2 c. chopped onion I would put two ticks...


Once you have finished, put an x in the box next to meatloaf on your MENU PLANNER under ING to indicate that you have transferred the ingredients for that recipe onto your grocery list.

Now proceed with the remaining recipes. I am going to show examples having completed this process for ONLY the Beef and Chicken categories. My Menu Planner now looks like this...

And my Grocery List planner looks like this...

Next, take a look in your cupboards, freezer and fridge and cross items off of your list that you already have.

Then add the incremental amounts remaining to form total amounts you need to purchase from the store. Now it's time to use your 2nd Grocery List. My ticks next to pounds of ground beef added up to 10 so I am going to write 10 lbs. ground beef on my blank grocery list and continue until all ingredients are itemized and grouped by grocery store section.


Now get out there and GO SHOPPING!

As you may have guessed by my colossal 10 pounds of ground beef needed, this is a great opportunity to go to a price club like Sam's Club or Costco. Sam's Club and Costco also sell large amounts of sandwich ziplocks, gallon size ziplocks and aluminum pans. If you are reluctant to buy 50 aluminum pans either go in with a friend or buy these individually at WalMart or at Dollar Stores.

Don't feel intimidated by this process. It is much easier than it looks and makes your shopping and Freeze-A-Thon experience much less difficult.


Also make sure you have the basic tools needed as found in THIS POST.

Possible Additional Tools: You will be needing and using a lot of mixing bowls and measuring cups and spoons. The good news is, these items are all extremely inexpensive so you can afford multiple sets. I like to have two sets of this WalMart brand plastic mixing bowl set, two sets of plastic measuring spoons and two sets of plastic measuring cups. Trust me, this will make your Freeze-A-Thon much easier and save the time of washing additional dishes between assembly.

Any Questions?

ALL posts in this series..
Freeze-A-Thon Part I - Organization
Freeze-A-Thon Part II - Preparation
Freeze-A-Thon Part III - Execution
Freeze-A-Thon Part IV - Utilizing Your Frozen Foods

Read more...

Hosting a Freeze-A-Thon: Introduction

So, you've made a few Freeze Happy recipes,
learned some great tips from this site,
you've freed up some freezer space and now...you're ready.

Time for a full blown Freeze-A-Thon!

If you prep well and stay organized you can make a crazy amount of home-cooked freezer meals in one afternoon. And I can show you how.

I am going to walk you through the process over the next three weeks.

Starting with Organization then Preparation and finally Execution.

There will be helpful tips, downloadable worksheets and lots of inspiration!
So check back each Monday this month and let's get started!

Read more...