How do you get started?

20 years ago

I am trying to become more disciplined to prepare meals ahead of time so that I'm not scrambling every night to get dinner cooked when we get home from work/school.

Do you have to have one of those food saver devices to make this work? If so, what type would you recommend that isn't going to completely break my budget?

Is there a book I should buy to help me with this program or is it something I can figure out just by sitting down and planning out menus and shopping lists?

Any help or words of wisdom will be soooo appreciated!

Comments (4)

lulie___wayne
20 years ago
Janet, we usually just cook a large amount at one time and then freeze the rest in Tupperware or other plastic containers. We've never used the food saving devices.
Just start out by making a list of your favorite meals and then list the ingredients that you need. You can make several things in one day and freeze them, or however you want to do it. If you don't mind leftovers, just cook 3 or so meals and eat on those meals all week.
Lu
yellowhair
20 years ago
Hi Janet,
I'm just starting out, too, at this and it seems overwhelming at first, but I think "planning" is the key and cooking extra when you're preparing a meal. After reading some of the posts, I got up yesterday morning, went to my refrigerator, and took out some of my bread (we never use a loaf of bread---just DH and me) and some leftover biscuits from the day before.

I made French toast out of the bread, also some croutons with garlic salt. I sliced the biscuits and put fried eggs (1/2 egg each) and ham on them. I froze them. This morning hubby took 2 out and microwaved them---no complaints. I'll do more of these! And I just used one of those clamshell clear plastic containers.

Last night while cooking, I prepared rice, with seasoned tomatoes, for tonights meal----I'll add chicken breasts. I fixed 1 cup of rice and have enough for another meal or several snacks.

I'm itching to do the once-a-month prep. We love meatloaf, I've seen where cooks use those cupcake pans (can't think of technical name) and make mini round loaves. I'm making a shopping list. And I'm looking at plastic containers differently now.

PS I saw on Tipical Mary Ellen yesterday where she used regular paper cups for freezing soup, just let soup cool down first, ladle into cup, put foil on top. I cup for 1 serving.
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BigMama
20 years ago
The best way to start is....small. Unless you are very organized......don't try to do cooking for a month the first time...just sit down and think of five or six good freezable recipes that you can prepare easily...buy double the amount of ingredients that you need and make two every time you cook..many people do it this way..when preparing the evening meal....make up two or three of the same thing.one for dinner and one or two to freeze....There are plenty of sites that will help you get organized..
alison
20 years ago
Since I'm only cooking (and freezing!) for myself, there's no need to double recipes -- it seems most of my favorites serve 8 already.

The cooking, the freezing -- these I have no problem with. Figuring out the best/quickest was to reheat them is my problem.

I try to pull something out of the freezer before I leave for work in the morning, but if I was always that co-ordinated, I'd cook more often in the first place!

How do you get started?

Comments (4)

lulie___wayne

yellowhair

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