Have you ever had a project that you were bound and determined to complete, but life just got in the way? It happens to me all of the time. In fact, I had a project pending the night I went into labor with H-Dawg. Let me explain....
A few months ago, I found this amazing website via Pinterest. Basically, these fabulous ladies have created a monthly plan where they help you make a month's worth of healthy meals for you to freeze. They provide you with not only a meal plan, but a grocery list, cooking and freezing instructions and basically a fool-proof play by play to mastering this plan. Totally awesome.
So this girl, being uber pregnant and in full-blown nesting mode, pinned it. I not only pinned it, I vowed to make it happen. How perfect would it be for us to have a month's worth of freezer meals at our disposal for when we had a newborn? It had to happen.
Of course, I put off the marathon cooking for a few weeks until I finally found some time to invest in this project. I was feeling under the weather and super pregnant, so I had planned to stay home from work on a Thursday and figured I could get to cooking then. I know... feeling under the weather and super pregnant = lay on the couch, not cook a bunch of meals. I wear the crazy pants, that's for sure. David and I went to the grocery store that Wednesday night to stock up on all of the ingredients to cook the month's worth of meals. We spent about $200, which isn't too bad considering the number of meals I was making.
That night, we came home, unloaded the groceries and cooked dinner for that night. I had everything set up and ready to get cooking the next morning. And at about 11:30 that night? My water broke. For serious. Needless to say, the about-to-arrive bambino took priority, but as we were walking out the door to the hospital I looked at David and said, "The groceries are going to go bad since I can't cook tomorrow!" Of course, he looked at me, rolled his eyes and kept ushering my laboring butt out the door.
See? Literally, life got in the way of this little project! The cutest life ever, of course : ) Don't you just love how I find a way to add in a gratuitous baby H-Dawg picture when I can? By the way, he's learned how to smile in response to your smile, which basically melts my heart. Totally in love with this kid.
Aaaaaanyways, once we were at the hospital, David of course had to tell our family that his nutso dear wife was worried about the flank steak and eggplant going bad, even in the middle of labor. So it became a running joke that someone needed to head home from the hospital and start chopping and cooking to get these dang freezer meals cooked and packaged!
To make a long story longer, the flank steak didn't go bad. We had to toss some of the produce, but by the time we arrived home from the hospital a few days later, most of the ingredients were still fresh enough to use. Armed with a one week old and little sleep, I decided to cook those cotton-pickin' meals if it was the last thing I did. Yes, I just said cotton-pickin'.
And the verdict?
The meals are awesome. Well, were awesome. Now that we're into month two of baby H's life, we've just about eaten all of the frozen meals. Most of them were pretty good (there was a killer peach + ginger chicken recipe in the package) but some were not (like that quiche pictured above- major fail). And I certainly didn't get all of the meals in the plan cooked... I'd say only about 75% of them. But it's been really nice to have home cooked meals to simply pop in the stove when we don't want to cook.
Would I do it again? Probably not. I think it makes more sense to pick a few meals to freeze up, instead of trying this big ol' grand cooking scheme. And sometimes it's just as easy to cook a fresh dish, rather than use a frozen meal that you have to thaw, cook and dress up with fresh ingredients. But I can see how this plan would work for some people. It's really an amazing idea. So thanks to the ladies at Once A Month Mom! By the way, they haven't asked me to chat up their website, it's just something I thought I'd share with all of you. If you know of any other good freezer meal websites, please share!
So there you have it. Don't you love when life gets in the way of your projects?! : )
Update: I just realized that the Once A Month Mom website now charges for its monthly meal plans. When I downloaded the plan in August, it was free! It's definitely not an expensive fee, though, so probably still well worth it. Happy freezing!
That is so crazy your water broke the night before!
ReplyDeleteSo funny you post about this because I attempted the exact same thing. Three meals in one day later...I was exhausted. I don't know how they do a months worth, but the concept is pretty amazing:)
I've always wanted to try freezer meals, but have never done it. I think it's time to bite the bullet and make a few...
ReplyDeleteThis post makes me laugh. This is totally something that I would do. I would grocery shop for all these meals and then have to head to the hospital and give birth. And I too would be worried about all the food in the middle of the birthing process. Ha! Love it. I'm glad you shared that you probably wouldn't do it again, because as you were talking about it I was starting to think I should attack it.
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to do this and one of my childhood friends even has an ecookbook on a popular mom's blog, but I haven't taken the leap yet. I AM doing a 14-day crock pot challenge, on day 8 right now. I planned 14 meals to cook in the crock pot, not all dinners. It's been pretty great coming home to a cooked dinner, but crock pot cooking on a lazy Sunday wasn't much fun. I still had to chop all that stuff! A freezer meal would have been much better. I don't have kids, but I'm impressed that you still cooked the meals.
ReplyDeleteH-Dawg is totally ADORABLE!! I'll take him any time you need a break. Will even come south from New England!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, congrats and best of luck in this next (most wonderful) phase of your life!!
Denise
oh hilarious - that is how it always happens - labor strikes when you least expect it ;)
ReplyDeleteLOL! Well, good for you for persevering! I could probably benefit from this, especially since cooking for my massive crew isn't my favorite thing. :-)
ReplyDeletexo Heidi
I was also going to make a slew of meals while I was pregnant with #2 early this year. Fortunately I only got around to doubling a Clean Eating chicken pot pie recipe! I say fortunately because like you're little guy, our new little guy also had reflux, and I had to cut out dairy. Most of those freezer meals contain cheese that still don't agree with Tysen. But the chicken pot pies are broth based and delicious! :) It's a little easier the second time around, somehow I figured out how to make dinner on most nights! ;) Congratulations!!
ReplyDeleteOh girl, you make me feel much better about my "I will do it all, and I will do it all RIGHT NOW!" attitude! It's a blessing and a curse, isn't it? I was still micro-cleaning the house the night before I went into labor :).
ReplyDeleteI've been tempted to do the freezer meal thing, but still haven't because it just sounds exhausting haha!
Great post, you made me laugh out loud several times! Your son is adorable, real smiles are the greatest!