Freezer Cooking: The Planning Stage + easy Asian marinade recipe

I had every intention of going to the grocery store today, but it didn't happen. It was raining and dreary outside all day long. Plus, I'm still nursing a cold that I seem to have picked up after eating at my parents' house a few days ago. (Thanks, Mom!) So, I took the opportunity to make a list for everything I'll need for my Freezer Cooking Day.

Keep in mind, I plan on doing a very small FCD. Some people cook enough to last their families for an entire month (hence "once-a-month cooking") - and I'm talking breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I'm not that ambitious, and my freezer is not that big. And since this is the first time I'll be attempting a FCD, I'm going to start small.

I reevaluated my "to-make" list after looking in my cabinets and freezer, and based on Kenny's requests. As of right now, I'll be making:

Kenny's Mom's Spaghetti Sauce X2 (at least)

Lasagna

Asian marinated chicken and shrimp (using a marinade recipe found at Life as Mom)

Chicken Casserole X2 (using my friend, Kat's, recipe)

Mini burgers for bentos (using a recipe from the Just Bento cookbook)

MoneySavingMom has great printable worksheets to use for FCD. They make it simple to figure out what's already in your pantry/freezer, brainstorm recipe ideas, and shop for additional ingredients. There's also plenty of room for notes, and an additional page to write out prep work.

Here's what my lists look like. (Can you see my new Just Bento cookbook? And Kenny's Alton Brown cookbook?) There's another printable sheet to write out recipes, but I already have mine printed on index cards.

I gave the Asian marinade a trial run tonight for dinner, just to see if it we'd want it again. It was delicious! I deviated slightly from Life As Mom's recipe, because I didn't have any sesame oil on hand:

7 Tbsp rice vinegar (mine is basil and oregano infused)
3 Tbsp soy sauce (I used lite)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup oil (I used olive oil)

The original calls for a tablespoon of sesame oil, which probably kicks up the Asian-ness a bit. I compensated with an extra tablespoon of the rice vinegar. I marinated three fairly large chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag in the fridge overnight, then cooked them on top of the stove. They stayed very moist and tender. I served them alongside whole wheat penne pasta and corn. Pretty delicious.

I'm planning on grocery shopping tomorrow, weather and illness permitting. It's time to see what this freezer cooking business is all about!

- Mother Nature Mom

Freezer Cooking: The Introduction

Am I really crazy enough to do this? Guess so.

Freezer cooking, or once-a-month cooking, is when a crazy lady (i.e. me) decides to cook A LOT of food all at once, not eat ANY of it, and then stash it in the freezer to eat at a later date.

Ok, so that's not the entire story. But that's basically what I've gotten myself into.

I've considered doing a freezer cooking day for quite some time. I thought it sounded great last semester when I was up to my ears in papers and books and finals. Of course, that was not the time to attempt to do freezer cooking in any capacity, so I decided to put it off until I had a break from school. Since one of my New Year's resolutions is to be more organized, I thought it would be the perfect time to attempt freezer cooking! The idea is to prepare, at least in part, several meals for future use at the same time. This cuts down on cooking and prep time since you're cooking/preparing multiple meals at once. It also cuts down on the stress of having to prepare dinner, especially if it's on a school day. And, if planned correctly, it can save a ton of money.

Interested yet?

With the help of Money Saving Mom and Life As Mom, two wonderful blogging ladies with lots of freezer cooking days under their belts, I think I might be able to pull this off.

The Food:

Lasagna
Kenny's Mom's Spaghetti Sauce
My Mom's Meatloaf
Lawnmower Taco

Lots of marinated chicken and shrimp

Eventually, I'd like to do cookies and muffins as well, but I think I have enough to deal with for the time being.

So, what are some of your favorite meals? I'm willing to try them out and give them a freezer cooking day seal of approval! Especially if it involves chicken, 'cause I have a lot of chicken...

- Mother Nature Mom