Let's Start Stocking up our Freezers!
PART 1: Preparing for School Lunches
First off the best thing we ever did was get a Up right Freezer for our garage. I think we spent $200 on it and it has saved us SO much money! Ours is similar to this photo below. So start looking for some deals!
To give you a little inspiration... 2 Months ago, I took a Saturday afternoon and made a bunch of freezer meals. It definately was a New Record!
The day before I hit up the grocery store with my list of Freezer Crockpot Recipes I was going to make. With this heat I don't even want to turn my oven on- or atleast that often!
I was able to make 23 Meals!
I took the two totals of my bills (I was too tired to take off laundry detergent and snacks for our upcoming trip and other items that weren't included in these meals off my bill to figure the exact number)
but 23 meals to feed my family of 4 equal an average of $9.00 a meal! If I took the time to take off the other items from my bill I'm guessing the meals would actually cost more around $7.00.
So that means $7.00 divided by
4...grand total...
$1.75 per person to feed my family!
I think that's a victory considering each dish is filled with veges and goodness and the fact that all I have to do is thaw the night before and then throw into my crockpot that morning and...DONE! Here's what the 23 meals included (duplicates of course) Crockpot Meals: Beef Stroganoff, Chicken and broccoli Wild Rice, Teriyaki Chicken, Savory Chicken, Scalloped Potatoes and Bacon, Roast with Veges, Beef Tips, Chicken and Beef Fajitas, Garlic & Onion Chicken, Cilantro Lime Chicken, Vege (asparagus, mushroom, bacon and brocolli) pastas, garlic lemon veges to roast with a whole chicken. WOO HOO! Over the next few weeks I will share these recipes with you!
The Meals I prepare for the freezer are quick and easy! Meals that I can just grab out of the freezer on those crazy busy nights! So if you are looking for gourmet freezer meals that you take a whole day to prepare this wont be the place. I am a busy Mom, just like you all and only have a free hour or maybe 2 to stock my freezer, while my kids are playing nicely, before the fighting or boredom comes!
So here we go!
First Up...Stock your freezer with
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches!
Whether you kids are school aged kids or pre-school kids. This takes VERY LITTLE time to do and helps not only keep your sanity sometimes but keeps your kitchen clean and they are so easy to grab when you are running out the door to run some errands, soccer practice, etc! Plus it's going to SAVE you MONEY! Instead of running out the door and going through McDonald's drive Thru to pick up a snack or meal.
Some of you might already do this...the rest of you are going to think this is the absolute smartest thing EVER! That's how I was too...Why didn't I think of this years ago?!?!
Oh well that's what this blog is all about! Building a community to share these ideas!
If you are planning a Grocery trip (depending on how many kids you have and how much freezer space you have) I typically buy atleast 3-4 loaves of bread when I want to stock up.
But use what you have! If you have a loaf in the pantry then just start there.
Build your Sandwiches!
- My son was going through a Peanut Butter and Honey ONLY sandwich kick for a little bit so that's what I made. But make whatever!
- I did mine plain and simple but if you want to use those animal shape cut-outs. Or one of my favorite cut-outs is a Pampered Chef Cut-N-Seal, one I got years ago. Whenever kids come over they think the sandwiches are the "Uncrustables" you buy in the freezer for a fortune compared to what it takes to make 3 times as many on your own!
- Make up your sandwiches and put them in the sandwich ziplock baggies like you normally would.
- Then add all those little baggies into a Large Freezer Ziplock Baggie. I fit 8 into a baggie. Then add to your freezer! I have never had a problem with freezer burn or anything with mine. Maybe because my kids go through them so fast.
SAVE MONEY & TIME!
At the bottom of my Pantry I have these baskets.
Now I know if you have little ones this will be a temptation so you will need to either add these baskets to a higher shelf or put a top latch on your pantry so their little fingers aren't constantly grabbing snacks throughout the day.
If you hit a sale on large bags of chips, grab a bag or two and make your own "Chip Bags" like I did with the Cheetos.
These Baskets that I got from the Dollar Tree work perfect to hold snacks. Also perfect when packing lunches (which the kids can help with!) They grab a few items out of the pantry, add with their sandwich, some fruit from the fridge (that you can pre-bage as well, which I will show you later)
- I Heart Organizing has another great idea for snacks. She also has AWESOME ideas for organizing the home!
Popcorn in baggies all ready to go with other great quick snacks!
The idea is to save you time and help your busy life become a little easier!
Click HERE to check out more Snack organizing tips from I Heart Organizing!
Click HERE to check out more Snack organizing tips from I Heart Organizing!
- Over at "Blessings Multiplied"
She posted this great idea:
Everything you would need for a "Lunch Packing" Station in one!
Fruit Drawer
Drinks
Click HERE to go visit her blog and more GREAT ideas for making Lunch packing easier!
Hope this has helped to get you started!
This is just Part 1 of the Freezer Meals...More to come!
This is just Part 1 of the Freezer Meals...More to come!
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Happy Wednesday Friends!
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