Freezing Meals: Part 2

I give you installment two of my meal freezing adventures (read more on Part 1 here)! Chris and I should now be well-prepared for the upcoming days of not having the time to prepare our favorites, as our little one will be occupying much of our precious spare moments! I'm excited and motivated to continue doing this in the future, since it really takes no more time to double up a batch of a good, freezable soup or hearty meal and freeze it for later!

Our final efforts left us with four soups and a lasagna my mother-in-law made me (which separated into 4 meals for 2). My mom and I quadrupled each recipe, leaving us each several meals worth of soups! And not only was it a productive Sunday afternoon, but we had fun in the process! I will definitely be doing this again!

Here's a glimpse at the fruits of our labor:

Turkey Chili 

This is the simplest chili recipe of all time! It is always my fall back if I am not trying out some new, fancy version. Of course, feel free to change it up to your liking-I happen to like mine with a bit more corn and sometimes I like to mix kidney and black beans:)

1 lb. ground turkey, browned

1 can no-salt added corn, drained

2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 large container salsa

2 packets chili seasoning

 

Mix all ingredients in a large stock pot. Cook over medium heat for about 1-2 hours. Though the longer you cook, the better the flavors will meld together.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Because the noodles don't freeze very well, we opted to leave them out. As it is easy enough to add them when reheating the soup. Of course, omitting them gives you the freedom to switch it up with wild rice as my husband prefers.

1 (3 to 4-pound) whole chicken, cooked and shredded
1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped

2 celery stalks, roughly chopped

2 Tbsp, olive oil

2 cubes chicken bullion

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 lb. egg noodles (or wild rice)

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a dutch oven. Add onions and cook until soft (3-4 minutes). Add celery and carrots and cook until softened (another 3-4 minutes). Add chicken stock, bullion and shredded chicken, cooking until heated through. If adding noodles, pour into soup about 5 minutes before serving. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Potato Leek Soup

 A new favorite of ours and a perfect accompaniment to grilled paninis on a chilly day! Plus, this soup is a cinch to make.

Carrot Ginger Soup

This is my all-time favorite soup and so worth the prep time! It embodies the wonderful flavors of Fall and  comforts the soul with just a few sips.

And there you have it, my first adventure in meal freezing (on a large scale, anyway)!

Freezing Meals: Part 1

For the last several weeks I've been composing a list of meals I want to make and freeze ahead of time for when baby arrives. As I know that time and energy will be scarce and preparing hearty meals will likely be the farthest thing on our minds, especially with the pretty little bundle we'll want to be snuggling! Naturally, I solicited my mom's help with ideas and execution, since she is always my partner in crime with endeavors such as this:)

We decided to split our meal preparing/freezing into two days. One being breakfasts and one being soups/dinners (for times sake, honestly). So I'm here to share phase one of this adventure: Steel Cut Oats and Whole Grain Pancakes! These were ridiculously simple tasks and something I will definitely do again and again!

First: Steel Cut Oats. I LOVE this variety of oatmeal, the only problem is how long it takes to prepare compared to traditional oatmeal (about 30 minutes). But we discovered that making a big batch ahead of time and freezing it into individual portions is just the ticket to having these hearty oats anytime the mood strikes!

Step 1: Prepare a large batch of steel-cut oats. (I tripled this recipe and it takes the same time)

3 cups water
1 cup steel-cut oats
pinch of salt

Bring the water to a boil and stir in the oats and salt. Let the water and oats come back to a boil then reduce to medium-low heat.

Let the oats simmer with the lid slightly ajar, stirring frequently until cooked through - 20 minutes for chewy oats or 30 minutes for softer oats.

Step 2: Once your oats are done, scoop portions (about 1/2 cup) into muffin tins, press to flatten and let cool completely. Once cooled, place muffin tins in freezer until the oats are solid (about 1 hour).

Step 3: The oat cups should pop right out of the tins (if you have trouble, simply tip on its side and run water down the back). Place individual cups in freezer bags, over wax paper.

Step 4: When ready to enjoy, take out one or two, place in a microwave-safe bowl and cook for approx. 2 minutes. And finally, add any mix-ins you like: dried fruit, agave nectar, milk, etc. Viola, perfectly cooked steel-cut oats that taste as delicious as if it was freshly prepared!

Second: Whole Grain Pancakes. While these need far less explanation, I'll give some quick tips!

First of all, this can be done any time you are making pancakes (and even waffles) on a Saturday morning by simply doubling (or tripling) your batter and freezing the extras! Once pancakes are cooked and completely cooled, stack them in layers, with a sheet of wax paper between each layer and place in large freezer bags.

When you're feeling like a pancake or two for breakfast, a snack, whenever, pop them on the toaster on a defrost setting or microwave for about 45 seconds. My favorite way to enjoy is with a light smother of almond butter and a few slices of banana-Yum!!

And there you have it, phase 1 of meal freezing. Stay tuned for a much more extended phase 2: Soups!

Getting There

This past weekend started out with a pretty hefty to-do list. In preparation for our trip to Seattle, I wanted to get as much done ahead of time so this upcoming week wouldn't be such a blur. Thankfully, just about everything on my list got checked off, with a few things left to do today and tomorrow. Phew, I feel like I can breath a sigh of relief knowing I just need to gracefully get through the week and then it's time to relax!!

And on that note, I don't think I've ever been so prepared for a trip in my entire life! Go me!!

Here's what I accomplished this weekend:

House is clean

Laundry is done and put away

Outfits are {mostly} decided

Travel toiletries are purchased and packed

The Jetta got new rear brakes and an oil change

Hotel reservations are confirmed

Road trip snacks are planned (more on that this week!)

Anniversary cards are purchased

Meals are planned for the week using food we already have 

Dog sitter is confirmed

Oh, the sense of accomplishment ;) Hope you had a delightful weekend!