Cook Ahead Meals - Secret Weapon No. 7

Imagine this, grocery shopping alone, 4 hours of making your favorite dishes while sipping on some wine, having 12 meals made for your family... Does it really sound that bad? Doesn't to me!

Ok, I don't really have many "secret weapons," per se. But, I do have some ways that life has adapted since having kiddos that make things a bit easier on me. I wish I were organized enough to have them numbered, but I don't. But if I had numbered my own personal tricks, this one would be granted my favorite number, number 7... I try to keep at least a few pre-prepared meals in the freezer.

I didn't start with the cook ahead craze until after I had baby number 2. For me, it was just not realistic to cook the homemade meals I wanted for my family every night. But what I've found does work for me is to take about a day per month to make several batches of meals that I can freeze and save for those weeknights when I need a lifeline. In reality, I try to double up on making meals whenever I can. However, I try to devote half a day or so each month to making a larger batch of meals to get a stockpile in my freezer.

Honestly, this is not a perfect science for me. And I look to many websites for guidance. My favorite is onceamonthmom.com. I've had my share of failures. Meals that just don't turn out that great in the long run. But really, that would happen even if I weren't making meals ahead of time. I have some staples and favorites that are definite lifesavers for me, and I'll list some below.

I once had a mommy friend say to me that she had tried one time to make meals ahead, but quickly gave up because they didn't have that fresh-made taste her family needed. My response to that is this... Are my frozen meals as great as fresh made? I don't know. But, my frozen meals can taste pretty darn good. I can play around with recipes and find out what works well for us. And, the reduced stress and extra time with my kiddos makes the pre-prepared meals all worth it to me.

Consider doubling up (or stockpiling) whenever you can. I think it's at least worth giving it a try! For me, one day of intense food-making definitely saves me some sanity in the long run.

My favorite Pre-Prepared Full Meals:
-Beef Bourgingnon
-Beef Stroganoff
-Chicken Pot Pies
-Pork Chile Verde
-English Muffin "Pizzas" (Lunch)
-Breakfast Sandwiches- English Muffins, Eggs, Cheese, Ham (Breakfast)

Time-Saving Pre-Made Recipe Items:
-Mexican-flavored ground beef
-Pre-cooked Italian meatballs
-Brown-Rice Spanish Rice
-Mashed Potatoes/Greens

Sweet potato pillows

Sweet Potato Pillows

These yummy snacks are not quite cookies, more like little tiny soft bread-like pillows. And in fact, that's what my daughter named them. They are slightly sweet and very satisfying. A great take along snack for toddlers too.

1 cup mashed sweet potato
1/4 cup milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 cups sifted flour
1/4 cup flax meal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts (can be ommited)

Mix together first four ingredients until well combined, add sugar. Sift together flour, flax meal, baking powder, salt and spices. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Add nuts (optional). Chill for one hour. Drop by the spoon full on cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 15-20 mins. These are done when slightly springy to the touch and/or a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!