what's in my freezer

With baby girl due to arrive in six weeks (theoretically), I've been nesting like crazy lately.  I've become a tad bit obsessed with cooking and freezing food to stock our freezer.  I remember how crazy it was in the first few weeks after the bean was born.  It took every ounce of energy I had to take care of and feed the baby, much less to cook for myself and the hubby.  I did some freezer cooking the first time around, but definitely not enough.  With kiddo #1, I had enough food stored away in the freezer to feed us for about a week or so.  This time around, in addition to a newborn I'm also going to have a very energetic (and increasingly defiant) two-year old to contend with.  So I really need to get ahead of the game and get plenty of food in the freezer now, before I add kiddo #2 into the mix.  To that end, my goal lately has been to get at least one thing a day prepared and into the freezer.  Whether that means muffins made from a mix, ingredients thrown into a freezer bag to thaw and dump into the crockpot later, or a fully cooked ready-to-go meal, I figured that doing one item a day was a decently doable goal.  I've also been trying to meal plan with that goal in mind, doubling whatever I can so that I have extra leftover to freeze.  Plus, I've been taking advantage of store sales to stock up on things like frozen veggies, bread, pizzas, and snacky-type stuff that don't really require any work.

I'm pretty proud to say that after a couple weeks' work, I think I have enough food in the freezer to feed my little family (two adults and a toddler) for about a month after baby girl makes her arrival.  That includes food for breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.  And it doesn't include pantry staples that I'll also have on hand to whip up simple meals.

So without further ado, here is a list of links to some of the recipes I've put together to stock my freezer.  In addition to using some of my tried-and-true favorite recipes, I've been scouring Pinterest lately accumulating new recipes for us to try.  And as you will notice, I am really putting my new Weelicious cookbook to good use.  Hubby got it for me for Christmas and I LOVE it.  Seriously my new favorite cookbook.  I've made a ton of recipes out of it already and can't wait to try more.  And I love it because the food really is good...for the bean and for us grown-ups, too!  So alot of the items listed below that I originally made with the bean in mind will probably end up being eaten by mom, too.  Just being honest here, folks!  Anywho, here ya go:


Lunch-type Foods for the Bean:

• Corndog Muffin Bites...I made mine with boxed cornbread mix and turkey hotdogs.  The bean loves them!  Great for lunches.
• Mac & Cheese Bites...I made a few substitutions/additions with this one.  I used ham instead of chicken because that's what I had on hand.  I also added finely chopped broccoli.  Gotta sneak some veggies in there somehow!

Veggie-type Foods:

• Carrot Snack Sticks...The bean loves these (and so do I).  They are a great side dish for toddler lunches.
• Zucchini Tots...Yum!  These could work as a side for a toddler lunch OR with dinner for us grown-ups.  Very tasty.
• Baked Zucchini Coins...These are so good.  We had some as a side with dinner the other night and hubby could not get enough!
• Veggie Nuggets...A great recipe from Weelicious.  I made mine with sweet potato instead of regular potatoes just because that's what the bean prefers.  They are sooooo yummy!  Here is the how-to video direct from the Weelicious site.
• Spinach Gnocch-wee...Haven't actually tried these yet, but I had all the ingredients on hand so I figured why not!?  Excited to see how they taste!

Ready-to-cook Meal Items:

• Cheesy Potatoes and Ham...I added broccoli to mine!
• Hawaiian BBQ Chicken...I just threw all the ingredients in a freezer bag.  I'll thaw it the night before and then dump everything in the crockpot to cook.  So easy.
• Bacon and Cheese Chicken...This is a favorite of ours.  Again, I just put everything (except the cheese and bacon...I'll add those on cooking day) in a freezer bag to thaw and cook in the crockpot when I'm ready.
• Corn and Black Bean Tostadas...I add ground beef and diced tomatoes to mine.  I browned the beef and threw everything (except the rice...I'll add that on cooking day) into a freezer bag.  Just thaw, reheat, and serve with tostadas, chips, or in taco shells.  This is a favorite in our house!
• Meatballs...Alot of uses for these (with pasta, sandwiches, in soups, etc.).
• Sloppy Joe Meat...Already cooked, ready to reheat and throw on some hamburger buns.
• Meatloaf...I don't follow a specific recipe, just threw together my favorite meatloaf.
• Mexican Shredded Chicken...Again, no real recipe.  Just chicken and a can of diced tomatoes and chiles.  Throw in the crockpot for a few hours until cooked, then shred the meat.  This is great in tacos or just over rice.

Soups:

• Black Bean Soup...This is another favorite of ours.  I made a big batch the other night and froze what we had leftover.
• Crockpot French Onion Soup
• Chicken Taco Chili
• Pasta e Fagioli...I make my version of this with regular tomato sauce instead of spaghetti sauce.  And I usually use frozen mixed veggies since that is typically what I have on hand.

Breakfasts and Snacks:

• Oatmeal On-the-go Bars...These are really more of a snack-type food for me.  It's tough to find time to eat during those first few days after baby comes, so these should come in handy!
• Carrot Cake Cookies...From the Weelicious cookbook.  These are soooooo good!

In addition to the food I actually made, I am also stocking up on things like bread, waffles and pancakes, and of course meat.  I always keep a bag of individually frozen chicken breasts in the freezer...they are great for throwing in the crockpot with some bbq sauce or italian salad dressing for an easy dinner.  Just serve over rice.

So even though I still have a ton to do before baby comes, I'm feeling a little more prepared.  At least I know that we'll have plenty of yummy food to eat and that the dinnertime craziness won't be quite as crazy as it was the first time around.

toddler muffins

So all of a sudden, the bean has gotten a little picky about food.  He's usually such a good eater, but recently he has become a little finicky...especially about veggies.  So I guess I need to get a little creative about how to incorporate more veggies into his diet.  One weapon in my arsenal? Toddler muffins!

I made these the other day and they are so good!  They taste like kind of a yummy cross between banana bread and carrot cake.  And I did make some substitutions:

• In place of the squash baby food, I used a squash/pear combo.
• I used oats instead of oat bran.
• I used Chinese five spice powder instead of pumpkin pie spice.

So far they have been a hit with the bean (and with mama, too).  I will be on the lookout for other recipes where I can sneak in some veggies for my bean!

easiest dinner ever

I have recently fallen in love...with my crock pot.  For years, my crock pot had gone neglected...unloved. But in recent months, I have discovered what all the fuss is about and have become reacquainted with my crock pot.  And I love it!  I love it so much in fact, that I asked for a second one for Christmas.  And Santa (the hubby) delivered.  Now I am the proud owner of two crock pots.  And I use both of them regularly.  I even have double crock pot days from time to time, where I put both of them to work making a delicious and easy meal for me and my family.  Well a couple weeks ago, I discovered how to make the EASIEST dinner ever.  You ready?  Here goes...

crock pot + frozen chicken tenderloins + salad dressing of your choice + 4-6 hours = dinner

Awesome, right?

I was inspired by this recipe for chicken souvlaki from Real Simple Magazine.  This recipe has been a favorite of ours for years.  So I wondered if I could combine this old favorite with my new love...my crock pot.  And the answer is YES.  Instead of marinating and grilling the chicken as called for in the original recipe, I just dumped my frozen chicken tenderloins and a bottle of Greek salad dressing into the crock pot.  Six hours later, it had transformed into the juiciest, most flavorful chicken I've ever had.  Pair that with warm pita, tzatziki sauce, and a yummy Greek salad...and I was in Greek food heaven.

Since then, I've discovered that this formula of chicken plus salad dressing equals deliciousness works well with other salad dressings, too.  Last week, I tried a balsamic vinaigrette with the chicken and then served it over rice.  To die for.

So there you go...easiest dinner ever.  Now go wipe the dust off your crock pot and make some dinner!