Information

What does it all Mean?

by Liss Burnell

First things first, When I started on my journey of living on a budget I read everything I could find.  I learned a few minor tips and tricks here and there, and then, I read about something called Once a Month Cooking.

For those of you not familiar with the term, it essentially means exactly how it sounds. You spend an entire day or weekend cooking various meals to place in your freezer. All this with the hope that these meals will keep you going through the entire month, thereby saving you copious amounts of time and energy, as well as money.

I thought , " this is wonderful. I will make a list of all the foods that we really like as a family, and then I won't have to cook again for a month, except for reheating."

 I ingratiated myself in my work. I spent 2 full days planning the menus, I had several chicken dishes, beef dishes, Burritos, (complete with homemade refried beans, which in itself created a huge mess in my kitchen). I made giant batches of meatballs, thinking of several different types of meals that I could toss together without thought.

 I reserved plenty of time to cook, 2 full days, and I began my cooking bonanza. That's when it happened.
 Reality.

My 2 year old, running around the house, wreaking havoc as pots boiled over on the stove. Crock-pot chicken, cooked overnight, the stench of chicken fat grease enough to bring a gurgle deep within my throat. I cut and chopped what seemed like hundreds of onions and green peppers to fill beef and bean burritos. I had trays of food laying around the house in various nooks and corners, even on top of the television stand in the living room.

I made lasagna by the pan full. All in all, I spent Two long days and night cooking from dawn till dusk, while my husband was working. All I had to show for my efforts was a very small freezer, above my fridge, Three-quarters full of meals that I no longer desired to eat.

I'm talking about sensory overload, I couldn't stand the taste of smell of food, let alone wanting to eat it. I had tasted various recipes a hundred times throughout the day. Bits of half cooked beans, the rich ricotta cheese blend used in the layers of lasagna.

 My poor husband, on the other hand, was ravenous when he returned home from work, anxious to sample anything I had left out. His stomach was greeted with cold sandwiches and salad, my senses fully revolted by food.

 The ironic thing is, I didn't even have enough meals for a full month, more like 2 ½ weeks, and really, after cooking all those items, I didn't have the desire to eat any of them for the first month!

So, by now your asking yourself, is Cooking to fill your freezer really worth it?  The answer, of course, is yes.
Should you try to do it all in one day, or a weekend? Probably not.

How Do I get Started?

 What I highly recommend when starting out, is to make Planned Leftovers. Meaning, you know you'll have at least 2 servings extra that you can place in the freezer following a meal. These leftovers can be from casseroles, mashed potatoes, pot pies, you name it.
 If you created meals for 2 people each night by preparing planned leftovers, you would have at least 10 days out of the month that you wouldn't have to cook. (Simply reheat and serve with salad or rice.)

Recipes to Fill the Freezer