From Sundy:
Let's face it -- there are some nights when I just don't want to cook. (I know some of you feel the same way.) Please understand -- I completely respect and admire people who are able to cook delicious, healthy meals every single night, but I am not always able to do that. I have a very odd work schedule.
I do, on occasion, incorporate "Fend For Yourself Night" for the family, but I feel insanely guilty if I have to do that more than once a week.
One solution would be for me to practice "Once-A-Month-Cooking." I have tried that a few times; however, there is quite a bit of planning, preparation, as well as an entire day of cooking, involved in OAMC. I am ADD. Planning? LOL Hyperfocus for an entire day of cooking? LOL (Aliisa is a phenomenal planner, btw!) I know my limitations. :)
So I came up with an option that works for me. I use this method when I know that I'm about to make something that involves browning up ground meat (turkey, hamburger, whatever). I try to brown up at least 3-5 lbs of meat at once. Or if it's chicken, I'll boil one or two chickens in a pot and broil and/or bake one or two more. Likewise, chopping two or three onions (or celery or carrots or whatever) instead of one onion is not that huge a chore.
This way, I have prepped for a few meals in about the same amount of time it takes to prep for one meal. When it's ground meat, I might make chili to freeze, an enchilada casserole, and perhaps spaghetti for that night.
This is what is currently working for me, the non-planner. :)
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2 comments:
from Aliisa:
I must admit I dont cook ahead, I am one of those people that cooks everyday. However, I do plan for those days that I dont feel like cooking. I try to plan 2 meals in my week that are super easy and quick so Im prepared for my "off" days. I do however keep a container of chopped onion in the fridge and if I make a salad, I go ahead a make a very large one so I can put salad with anything I make during the week. But since I always spice my ground meat or chicken differently for each meal, I would have trouble deciding how to spice it before I put it in the freezer *lol*. In the summer time I do try to think ahead more and instead of grilling one meal, we will grill the meat for 3 or 4. But in the winter, I have to wait and see what I "feel" like cooking.
Okay, so I just saw the part toward the bottom... :) You were saying that you'd have trouble deciding how to spice your meat before you put it in the freezer.
There are two options: you can Ziploc and freeze portions that are Italian-spiced, a Mexican-spiced, etc. etc. OR you can spice them after you thaw out the already cooked meat.
I've done both...six of one, half-dozen of the other.
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