Anyone FREEZING??

[boogiemonster]

I don't mean physically.

I'm starting to think about getting meals prepared and put in the deep freeze for the first month (at least) of this new person's life with us. I wished I'd started earlier when DD was born. We have a HUGE deep freeze that we barely use and I'm getting ready to load it up.

I thought we could start a thread with healthy, frozen meal ideas to share.

Right now I'm planning on starting some vegan burritos with refried beans, brown rice, corn, and salsa individually wrapped in tortilla shells so they'll be an easy lunch at home or for DH at work.

I also want to make up a few batches of garlic soup broth. Then all I have to do is heat it up and add tortellini on a busy night. Yum. We all love this in the wintertime.

I'll probably throw in a few mac and cheese casseroles. Not the healthiest thing in the entire world, I know, but DH and DD love them (okay, I do too) and if they're already assembled and defrosted they're even easier than KD but much tastier.

Okay, my tummy's growling! Any other ideas to tempt a hungry mama?

[sorteep]

I was just talking to DH about this but we need a freezer to do it (we only have the one on top of the fridge now.. NOT enough room.. We eat mostly simple omnivorous meals, protein, green veg and startch veg (occ some gluten free grain stuff) so I will be doing lots of meatloaf, roast chicken, hamburgers, turkey breast, fish fillets and sweet potaoees, root veg, etc.. I will rely on bagged green frozen veggies at that time, will also try to do some hearty soups.. my disconnect is that I had to go on very strict diets when BF both my boys BC colic so I will m ake most meals for the rest of the family.. another prob for us is our diet restrictions makes it pretty impossble for friends/ family to make food for us.. my MIl made us chili after DS2 (spicy bean chili for a nursing mom???? whaaaaaat???) anyway, DH loved it.. I really gotta get that freezer

[*Lindsey*]

I'm planning on freezing a bunch of things before the babies are born, too. I did it when I was pg with Sophia and it was a huge help! I am going to wait a few more months, though, as I suspect we'll be having lots of meals brought to us and I don't want the ones I freeze to be gross when I need them.

[Taradactyl3]

Yeah, I'm waiting a few months too. My b'day is in sept and I'm asking for a chest freezer then. After I get it I plan to double the dinners I cook so I can freeze some. I've also thought of having a freezer shower where everyone comes to celebrate the baby and brings a meal to put in the freezer.

T

[scheelimama]

I'll probably start on this in a few months, we'll see. I have a great link for once-a-month-cooking with lots of freezer recipes. I don't know if you can see it unless you're registered, but thought I'd try to link you to it for ideas:
http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewforum.zsp?f=23
There's a sticky with OAMC plans at the top.

[boogiemonster]

Well, aren't I the impatient one!

I'm being cautious and getting things ready early since I left it too long last time and ended up on bedrest with no food in the freezer.

I'm starting with things that will still taste good in six (!!!) months. Bought the garlic today for the garlic broth. Yummy!

[shelley4]

i will be doing this too, but i am going to wait a few months as well. i plan on freezing a bunch of soups, muffins, pasta sauces, even just cutting up stir fry veggies and freezing the sauce separately.. really, it's the cutting that's the hardest part for me to do with a baby around!

burritos sound tasty too! shepard's pie is another old standby for us! (vegan, of course!). and definately a bunch of oat bars/granola bars for those quick snacks for a hungry nursing momma! i also need to pick and freeze a bunch of berries this summer, so that smoothies will be a snap in the fall for the kids and i.

awesome thread! thanks for starting it, i will definately be using it to gather more ideas!

[brooklyn_warbler]

great thread!

i plan on doing this as well, though not for a while. and the only thing i know i'll make for sure is this wild rice soup i LOVE. i need ideas for what will freeze well.

[LittleLlama]

Obviously not for you if you're vegan... but I just bot some wicked cheap beef bones for broth (for the freezer), cooked them slow and long then realized they had a bunch of meat. Score!

I just made 3 bean chili with meat. It would have been good without, but even just to be able to say it was in there made DH eat it. I could have left it out for all he knew

I used what I had which was:

2/3 c pinto beans
2/3 c soy beans
2/3 c black beans
1 can whole kernel corn
1 chopped red onion
1 can diced tomatos
1/2 can (8 oz?) Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 small can tomato paste
~ 1 tbsp ground cumin
~2 tbsp chili powder

It had a little kick, but wasn't overwhelmingly spicy. Titus likes some pretty spicy things (which I credit to curry while nursing!) so he even liked it. Anyhow, the beans had been soaked but not for long enough, I cooked everything in the crock pot for about 4 hours. I looked at that big pot and thought "Ooooh, leftovers to freeze!" but alas, it was too good to last and we ate it all already! I just need a bigger crockpot


I've had good luck freezing spagetti sauce. Also, for the carnivores- cooked bacon and cooked and chopped chicken breast freezes very well if you can vacum pack it.

Has anyone actually frozen bread dough? I see it in recipes all the time but have no desire to. I love fresh bread, especially sourdough but know that with a new babe there's no way I'd be able to keep up on a start.

[LittleLlama]

Oooh, oooh, and I had to add... if you find block cheese on sale, shred it up and toss it with some flour and freeze. It's so nice to just be able to bring in a bag and grab a handful than have to clean the grater every time!

[lisalulu]

I really want to do this this time around. We didn't have space for a big freezer last time but I'm hoping our new house will. I hadn't really thought of what to make though beyond a veggie lasagna.

[Isaac'sMa]

LittleLlama, that chile looks tasty! I'll have to add that to my list! Thanks

So far I am planning for:
Precut veggies tossed with dressing/seasoning and tempeh/tofu (stir fry)
Preseasoned/precooked taco/burrito meat
enchiladas
pancakes (I like 'em with choc. chips and bananas!)
muffins
lasagna/manicotti
choc. chip cookie logs (like the store-bought version, but home-made. Even now when I make a batch I make extra and freeze it so I can have warm cookies whenever I feel like it! I have such a sweet tooth )
pasta sauces


That's all I can think of for now...I have a list at home growing with ideas, I just can't remember them all right now! Boogiemonster, I am so jealous that you have a deep freezer! Great thread.

ETA: I probably will wait a few months to start freezing since we don't have a deep freeze and I'm worried the food would go bad before we're ready to eat it!