Freezer Meal Making Day!

My evenings with my boys go so fast.  And though I like cooking (but can't say the same about dishes) I don't want to spend over an hour in there every night... Even on the simple meals from prep to clean up it's 40 minutes...  Especially now that my baby led weaning Declan is really eating a ton now, pizzas 4 nights a week just won't cut it.  (Just kidding about the 4 nights a week... I would never eat that much pizza to Andy's dismay.)

So I was THRILLED when one of Andy's high school friends told the Facebook world about her Freezer cooking page and she emailed out recipes from their recent day of cooking to me full of other great tips.   

So Saturday, two of us grocery shopped Walmart and Cash Wise via phone  (earbuds recommended next time...) comparing prices on everything.  It took longer but for 72 meals, it was worth the extra hour... 90 bucks a person for 12 meals... I was pleased! 

Just one of the two tables of food.

 And Sunday, we chatted, laughed and cried (over onions), opened cans, browned some beef, chopped, prepped, poured and only messed up tablespoons for teaspoons once (it was garlic... everyone loves garlic!) in around 4 hours.  

If this interests you, let me know!  I seriously want to continue this after only two meals of ease! Tonight,  I for sure had an extra 40 minutes to an hour to play and relax (and blog on a weeknight...!)  I want to get a calendar date set and a rotation going of where we cook, who shops etc.  I'll be happy to find recipe ideas and  keep up the recipes/grocery lists/label making for bags!

If this interests you, but you are nowhere near Hutch or have enough friends closer to you to get your own groups going, some links are below for ideas!  We did just 12 of the 16 recipes on that page.  The labels are the cooking directions that label the ziploc bags and the grocery list is of the 12 recipes we did.  It's an excel chart you can edit based on number of people you are prepping/cooking with.  

Other tips are having people bring a cutting board, 2 or 3 mixing bowls, knife, onion choppers, measuring utensils and if not a lot of spice is used, see if people have that in their spice cupboard.  Lay out the recipes and put the ingredients in each zone.   

Recipes

Labels

Grocery List

My 12 meals ready to go in the freezer!

Santa Fe Chicken we had tonight.  Last night was Enchiladas!

My Framily

Nope, that is not a typo (though I know these posts can be full of them... proofreading is not my strong point...feel free to comment any typos you find)  It's just a stolen word from Sprint's new ads about Framily Plans.

But it got me thinking how lucky we are to have such good Framily in Hutch with our families too far of a drive away to help watch Declan on a whim and swing in for dinner.  Plus, Declan most likely won't be having cousins anytime soon, so I love that he has friends his age close by.  You know... because an almost 8 month-old totally need friends.  Or shall I make the new word frousins... or cousiends... Ok, I'll stop attemping humor and just put up the cute pics of Dec and friends.

Major positives of two more cold days... visits from Malorie, Noah and Cameron (who I sadly forgot to get pics with, but Bailey loving on Croix will have to do :) )   Their parents all came too... adult time was great!  

Andy has been off shift work for a few weeks now, but for the past year and half, I was so grateful to be invited to Sarah and Dave's house for dinners and walks and playtime whenever Andy was on afternoons and I was lonely by Wednesday.    Dave is still on shifts so I'm trying to pay Sarah back for all the meals they fed me.  Her and the boys have been over a couple times so far this year, but I hope to get them over a lot more.  As hard as shift work was on me with one baby, she has 2.5 kiddos and is inspirational!   I couldn't be more thankful for her friendship and our conversations on life, love and advice on anything baby ;)

Declan and Daddy on Dad's Birthday

This past weekend = more Framily time!  We got to celebrate Andy's 31st birthday with our Schwedler Framily and my first Andie and Jesse.  While Andie and Jesse graciously watched Declan before dinner, we went to Cabaret (and though this blog is not a review for theater I have to prepare others... the show was very well done, I'm so glad we saw it,  but don't go to the show to be uplifted... I knew nothing of the storyline and was caught off guard.. I'm leaving it at that...)  

I got in trouble for taking this picture... 

Sunday, Schwedler's came over for brats, AMAZING cake from Costco that I may just get a membership to buy that cake from, playing with golf and there may have been some football game on in the background too...  Eli held Declan before bed practicing his future big brother skills!