Monday, November 8, 2010

Menu Monday- Adjusting to freezer cooking

Last week we decided to try out the "freezer cooking" method.  We made a menu for a month, made a grocery list covering 2 weeks worth of that month (it's a trial, remember), and then went out and spent a ton of money at three different stores.

The idea was that we'll (eventually) make a menu for a month at a time.  We'd go to Sam's Club at the beginning of the month for the bulky items.  Then every other week we'll head to Walmart for the items we don't need in bulk.  Then once a week we'll head to Kroger for the fresh items (like fruits.  We love us some fresh fruit).

So far, we're way over budget.  But to be honest, it's mostly because a) we bought enough toilet paper (and other items) to last us forever.  b) I bought cookie dough (and other unneccessary items).  c) This is a trial, and I seriously think we will survive a long time with what we have.

This week I was supposed to only need to go to Kroger.  However, I had to go to both walmart and kroger because I hadn't realized we'd run out of certain things when we did.  Like face whipes.

Other than that, we are as we predicted.  There's a ton of food still at our house.  I imagine we will probably survive a total of 3 weeks on what I cooked versus the planned 2.  With that, here's this week's menu:

Breakfast for the week includes a muffin, a banana, egg whites, and turkey bacon.  And coffee, of course.

Lunch is soup and sandwiches again.  It's plain but pretty healthy.  And cheap.

Monday- Spaghetti with peas, corn, and rolls.
Tuesday- Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo
Wednesday- Leftover fettuccini alfredo
Thursday- Pineapple pork chops with rice and broccoli
Friday- Taco Salad
Saturday breakfast- Biscuits, eggs, bacon/sausage
Saturday dinner- Maple glazed chicken
Sunday breakfast- Waffles and fruit smoothies
Sunday dinner- BBQ Meatloaf

I'm super excited to see how this week goes, because I can already tell I've left at least 2 meals off of the menu that are already cooked.  I also have lots of leftover pork chops that I have yet to use, along with lots of left over veggies.  I'm predicting that the spaghetti will last 2 days, the alfredo might last 3, and the meatloaf will probably have leftovers as well.  We'll just have to wait and see!

AND I'm linking up here.

4 comments:

Annika said...

Hi visiting from MPM. We also send way to much $ at SAMS! How do you like cooking from the freezer? My casseroles seem to take forever to thaw. Any tips?

Annett/ Fit Moms Fit Kids Club said...

Where did you get your freezer meal plan?? I tried it once (my friend and I spend just $150 each in California, and we had enough dinners for the month! it was great! I couldn't believe we did that on L.A. prices! We did go to 3 stores though.) I want to do it again soon to save me during the holidays.

Unknown said...

Yay, comments!!!!

Annika- I have yet to thaw a casserole. BUT I thawed my spaghetti recently, and I put it in the fridge on Saturday and it was good to go Sunday evening. So basically if I can plan a day or two ahead, I just pull it out of my freezer real early. If I'm running a little behind I pull it out and sit it in the microwave to thaw all day. If I'm really running behind, I would throw it in the microwave and actually use the microwave to thaw it.

Annett- I don't have a specific plan yet, but I really liked the information I found on The Cutting Back Kitchen. Here's the link:
http://cuttingbackkitchen.blogspot.com
She has a section or two on the left that are titled "freezer cooking" and she has lots of recipes.

Good luck, everyone!

Katie said...

Lynzie,

Thanks for referring to my blog! I appreciate it a lot...and I am glad you have found some helpful stuff. If you ever have any questions feel free to email me. I know there is a lot to it.

#1 Prices: I always spend too much at Sam's club! I am not sure if you are a couponer, but if not do you have an aldi near you? I see you live in Cincy too (like me) and they seem to be taking our city by storm. Their meat isn't a great deal, but EVERYTHING else is a lot cheaper than Sams. NOt a bulk store, but still cheaper. Same as even Kroger/Meijer store brand seems to be cheaper than Sams on most things.

#2. Meat:As far as meat, keep an eye out for great stock up meat price and then you could try to buy them at that time...because meat is the most exp. part! I can't stress how much this has saved me...

One more tip...not sure if you do this or not but freezing your casseroles in a freezer bag saves space and helps them thaw quickly. Then just dumb in the pan and bake :)

Anyways, sorry to write a book...I just love this stuff and want to see you end up saving money. It takes a while to get into completely and get the hang of it. SOunds like it has been pretty successful for you guys!