Freezer Meal Cooking. It's Not for the Easily Stressed.

Over the weekend I made freezer meals. 

And about D.I.E.D.

It's one of the things that you are so proud of after the fact, but in the middle of chopping, dicing, cooking, straining..............you look at yourself in the reflection of the microwave and literally say: What the Hell. 

Y'all. 

I did LOTS of reading, and Pinterest posting, and list making. I had 2 different list going plus a sticky note and coupons. 

If I had to do it over again, I would send H and Jax away.....I would pour a glass of wine and crank up P!nk while cooking. That was my lesson to be learned. 

Meal planning is always stressful. However, freezer meals take it to a whole different level. 

I made the following on Saturday/Sunday:

6 English muffin breakfast sandwiches
2 pans of chicken spaghetti
Grilled chicken for salads
Grilled sausage for pasta
6 zips lock bags of pasta salad for lunches
Spaghetti
Pulled pork
Naked Burrito Bowls
Baked ravioli
Sausage penne pasta
Baby food: peas/carrots

The organization I brought to this project was comical. I even sorted my coupons based on the product location in the Kroger. WHO DOES THAT!!! 

I was slightly stressed out at times. It's a 2 person job for sure. So, it had me thinking while laying in bed Sunday night.......there has GOT to be an easier way to stock the freezer than by doing what I did! Here's what I came up with.

Option 1: Have a freezer swap party. Everyone bring 4 dishes ready to go in the freezer.......and do a raffle as who gets what. Of course you would have to agree on the meals ahead of time......but that would be fun and easy. So for instance, I could bring 4 containers of spaghetti. That is easy.....and you just double your recipe. 

Option 2: Invite a friend over to jam and sip vino and split the cost of the groceries and just cook the meals together and split them. 

My grocery bill was $306. Then, I used my Kroger card and coupons, and it came down to $203. 

You MUST be methodical in your cooking. You have to think ahead and have 2 crock pots going at once. 

My next round of freezer meals may be the last week of December. I can't commit right now. I'm still struggling from this weekend. 

I apologize for not having any cute and Pinterest worthy photos. My kitchen was a mess and I felt like a sous chef making short orders. 

It was certainly a lot of work up front, but it is so nice to have a great homemade quick and clean meal for dinner! 

I think I was a tad bit over zealous in my goals.......and again, I will have an empty house when I do this little project again. 

If you are up for the challenge.....we can certainly cook together next month. 

Well, maybe.

 If I've fully recovered. 

And you let me listen to P!nk as loud as I want. 

And lick the spoons. Whatever.