Now you might think this is going to be a post where I enthusiastically tell you about how I started bulk cooking meals and freezing them and my life is changed forever and is now a million times better.
I mean, I’m sure it would be if that’s what I was doing (at least that’s what 345,987 websites out there tell me will happen) but no, I haven’t started purposely making meals and freezing them for later. I’ve thought about it many times. I like the idea of the finished product in the freezer. But when it comes to devoting a day to cooking those meals… well frozen pizza’s are a good emergency stand by and I can throw them in my shopping cart in 25 seconds or less.
No freezer meals for us, until today… the day that shall forever be known as AGGGHHH-the-blankity-blank-blank-freezer-died-while-we-were-out-of-town day.
Remember these guys?
They were in the freezer.
Remember these guys?
One of them was in the freezer too.
Remember this?
The last of that was in the freezer too.
…
Fortunately not everything thawed.
Fortunately the neighbors are letting us use their chest freezer today.
Fortunately all the freezers everywhere are on sale.
Fortunately I was able to spend the afternoon (and probably tomorrow too) cooking what did thaw and putting it back in a freezer.
And so today I accidentally fell into making freezer meals. I’m sure I will love to pull something out of our new, actually freezing-cold, freezer and heat it up for dinner. And while I’m certain this isn’t at all the way one is supposed to go about this endeavor, I can’t say that today’s experience has made me a believer in freezer meals.
I’m not sure though, maybe it will make my life a million times better, I think I’ll go cook up another ten pounds of taco meat and think it over…
Behind the Willows 
I will tell you from experience it doesn’t. At least not for me and mine anyway. You take a solid day to get it all prepped, and then sure, it’s easy and ready to cook, but if it gets freezer burnt, or like your situation, and it all thaws, you’re six shades of screwed.
Frozen pizzas are amazing on the fly, crock pot meals are awesome, and there are tons of recipes that you can throw together and put in the oven. Now that makes life in my house easier. But there’s probably a modern day Betty Crocker who’d tell you otherwise, and give you a thousand reasons that could blow my little tidbit out of the water too.
I like crock pots, I like sheet pan recipes, and like you I’m not going for the freezer meals as a regular plan!
Oh no! Although I had a sneaking suspicion the chickens in the header image were somehow involved with the freezer… for better or worse!
I hope you get a new freezer soon. And I hope nothing gets freezer-burnt! :O
Better or worse… depends who your asking, me or the chicken! 😉
So, now that I am in England I can’t really do freezer meals due to the size of the freezer, but this make ahead and freeze thing is something that I have done in the past. What ended up working better than cooking for a day or two was to double or triple one recipe per week and add the extra to the freezer stockpile. To me, it was an option that just felt like less hassle.
I used to do that, or at least keep the leftovers for later meals that week but the kids… they keep growing!!! And now I have to double or triple a recipe just to feed us all! 😀
Yeah, there’s that…
Reblogged this on Anita Dawes & Jaye Marie.
I have learned some of my best tricks by being forced into doing them, necessity is one hell of a teacher!
That she is, but sometimes she’s – necessary. 😉
Oh, you rotter!
Am now traumatised at the thought of those lovely guys that I’ve seen gambolling about in your pics, now all prone and stiff in the freezer.
(Spoiled, ignorant townie.)
Well don’t imagine them that way! They look just like chicken dinners and pork chops that might be in your freezer too! 😉
Ouch. Sorry to hear your freezer went belly up. I know the feeling. Been there.
Re freezer meals. I always cook more than I need (i.e. dinner) and freeze the leftovers. After a week, you have variety and ready made meals for those times when.. 😀
Well we did clean some stuff out- nobody wanted two year old shredded zucchini anyway! 🙂
You will enjoy having things prepared. Especially on these cold days when you want to be snuggled in a blanket reading a book and dinner is ready in as much time as it takes to go from freezer to oven.
That is very true, right down to the book! 🙂
Hm-m … I think someone was, ahem, motivating you! 😀 … we don’t do a whole day of making meals, we occasionally make more than enough for two people, and freeze the extras. It builds up slowly, but we get there in the end. 😀
Too much motivation!!! Too much!! 😀
I think freezers are lonely and that’s why they break down when their people leave town.
Ahhh! I knew there must be a reason! 🙂