A Month of Meals

Don't you hate those days when it's been crazy and then you have to go home and figure out what to do about dinner?  Yeah, me too.  I was super unorganized in this department in the month of December and 3 things happened.  #1:  I spent a lot of extra money, #2:  I gained a lot of extra weight.  #3: I wasted a lot of extra time.  Sigh.

I normally plan out my meals one month at a time.  I get paid at the end of the month, so that's how it started happening this way (I used to do it every 2 weeks when I got paid like normal people).  I go grocery shopping once for most stuff and then have to go back once or twice for more milk or produce.  I do a lot of freezer meals, some months more than others.  I love to cook but I do not feel like doing it every day when I get home from work.  True story.

Here's how this all goes down...I love to cook and look at recipes and all month long I find recipes and start jotting them down.  I have a cheap paper calendar that I write my meals on.  Enter cheap, ratty calendar.  Just look at this pitiful thing.

I drag it around on my clipboard for a month like Linus with his dumb blanket.  It does take an enormous amount of time to menu plan, I am not gonna lie.  But I try to do a little at a time.  As I choose my recipes, I write down the ingredients needed.  I have a printed out grocery list that I add the ingredients to.  And....alright, don't laugh at me... it's in the order of the grocery store I go to.  OK.  Laugh.  But really, do you want to go shopping for a month with a list that is all willy-nilly?  I would be in there for hours.  And one thing you should know about me, I hate being inefficient (I haven't decided if this is a gift or a curse).  So, by jotting down recipes and ingredients as I go, hopefully,by the end of the month, I have a menu and a grocery list done.  Just in case you were compelled to try it yourself.  If not, relax.  I got this.

I find that I spend WAY less money on groceries if I am organized and have my meals planned.  I also do not like going to the grocery store.  At all.  So the less I have to go, the better.  I am in and out in 1 hour to 1 hour 30 mins MAX.  (A grocery list in order of the store doesn't sound so bad now, does it?)  I do not clip coupons but I do pay very close attention to prices and compare everything. Next tip, go to the grocery store early.  I am there for my monthly shopping by 7:30. A.M. The store is clean, well stocked and best part, no one is there.  I don't want to feel like I am in Disney when I am trying to compare prices of different yogurts.  I do go to Sams Club also but only for a few menu items.  (Generally chicken breasts and pork tenderloin and that is about it for my menu, about $50 worth of stuff, if that). People always ask me how much I spend for a month.  My budget for groceries is $400 a month, that is for a family of four.  I don't spend it all on that monthly trip.  I generally spend about $250-$300 at that time.  The rest is for things I need to buy later, that would expire in a month (fruit for lunches, milk, etc).  Oh.  And beer runs. Don't judge me.

My menu, as I mentioned, always includes freezer meals, which I consider to be one of the best things to ever happen in my life. I take care of these meals on the same day or the following day after grocery shopping.  I come back from the store, and remember it is still the crack of dawn, so after I have unloaded the groceries, I make myself another cup of coffee and label my ziploc bags for freezer meals.  You want to put the date, the name of the meal, and directions on the bag.
Now, if you are going to make freezer meals, and you never have, there are some things you need to know.

1. You need to figure out where you are going to put everything.  Clean out a spot/rearrange your freezer.  Most of the meals I make are in gallon ziploc bags, which take up hardly any room at all.  It works best if you can lay them flat in the freezer.  Sometimes I do things in aluminum disposable pans, which takes up more room.  I have a chest freezer in my outside storage so freezer space is rarely an issue for me.  Sorry.
2. Label your bags beforehand.
3. Print out the recipes.  Trust me on this one.  
4. Wear a short sleeve shirt.  Trust me on this one too.  Pushing up your sleeves constantly is a buzz kill.

So you've seen the blog posts where they put all their ingredients out on the counter and go at it? I can't work like that.  I think about my meals by the meat.  I work with the ground beef recipes, the chicken recipes, etc.  I like to start with the recipes involving the most work and get that over with.  Because let's face it, the coffee will wear off sooner or later and my body will realize I got up at 7 on a Saturday.  For this menu, that basically meant making the ground beef meals first.  I chopped all the onions I needed.  (I usually chop one extra cup at this time and put this in the freezer in a ziploc bag.)  Two recipes called for browning ground beef with onions.   I did those at the same time.  See the picture?  It's like dueling banjos.  But different.

Now I pull out all my ingredients for the recipes I am working with, which in this case is 2.  Recipes, not ingredients.  I like to put the recipes in front of me, under the cabinet doors and each set of ingredients goes under it's recipe.  I  can see everything and I don't get my recipes mixed up.  Like, literally open up your cabinet, set the recipe there, shut the cabinet, voila.  Recipe holder.  I made Beef Green Chile Taco Casserole and Honey Lime Enchiladas. I covered these with saran wrap and then aluminum foil when done. Using a sharpie, write on the aluminum foil.  Again, date, name of recipe, cooking directions.  Put these two in the freezer.  Done.  Have another cup of coffee.

Next, meatballs!  Super easy, makes 2 meals, gotta love it.  You are going to make the recipe and split the meatballs into 2 different ziploc bags.  I use a Pampered Chef large scoop for this job.  I love using this because they are all the same size and it is so much neater than using your hands.

If you think you will receive complaints about meatballs that are flat on one side, you can roll them a little.  Or you can tell the complainers exactly what you think.  Your choice.

Now, we are not cooking these so put them as close together as you can on a pan.

We are going to flash freeze these.  Which means, we will stick this into the freezer for about an hour (when they are not sticky, you are good to go).

Pull them out of the freezer and bag them in rows so they will lay flat in your freezer.

Alright, we have made 4 things for the freezer and grocery shopped for the month and had 3 cups of coffee.  How are you feeling?  Awesome?  Yeah, you do!  The good news is, the last 4 recipes are super easy and fast.  I wouldn't lie.  Give me just 15 more minutes.  Really.  Then you can go back to bed.

When you are making freezer meals in a bag, they are fantastic because you just dump everything in and then you are done.  No cooking.  I buy bags of frozen chicken at Sams Club (see back of counter)

I drop the number of chicken breasts needed into each bag.

I set everything out for all my chicken recipes and hang my recipes up (I am making 4 at once here!).

Dump everything in the bags (which are already labeled), mush the ingredients around so everything is covered and lay in the freezer.

4 more freezer meals.  BAM.  You are a rock star!  Now go back to bed.  Oh wait...you had 3 cups of coffee, you probably can't.  Hmm...sorry about that.

Without further ado, here is my list of monthly meals (the freezer meals are marked).  I have been working diligently on trying to post a calendar with links to all the recipes on it.  It's gonna be so cool.  Just as soon as I figure out how to do it. Since it is already the 4th, I decided to throw in the towel for this month.  I know, how disappointing.

Most days have a main dish and a side.  I should probably tell you at this time, I don't do "light" or "free" or anything of that nature.  I am southern.  It's kind of against my religion.  However, I do very little processed food and I have believed for many years that it's far better to eat something "real" than something um...let's just say, not so real.  That being said, if you want to make the main dish and serve a processed side, no judgment.

Monthly Meals (Sat is my eat out or have leftovers day!)

Week 1 
Sun    Buffalo Chicken Chili   Jalapeno Cheese Bread ( just use regular flour!)
Mon    Italian Sausage and Potato Soup       Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Tues   Pasta Carbonara                   Garlic Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
Wed   Swiss Cheese Chicken           Creamy Garlic Shells
Thurs Three Cheese Jalapeno Ranch Chili            Corn Crisps
Fri      Make your own pizzas!  Pizza dough           Pizza Sauce

Week 2 
Sun    Luau Ribs
Mon   Caribbean Jerk Chicken Skillet
Tues   Honey Lime Enchiladas     Mexican Sour Cream Rice
Wed   Spaghetti and Meatballs     Best Green Beans
Thurs Cafe Rio Chicken                Seasoned Roasted New Potatoes
Fri      Make your own pizzas!  Pizza dough                         Pizza Sauce

Week 3 
Sun    Mississippi Pot Roast          Mashed Potatoes
Mon   Best Chicken Ever               Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Tues   Crispy Key Lime Chicken   
Wed   Beef Green Chile Taco Casserole    Salad
Thurs  Tortellini Pizza Bake
Fri      Make your own pizzas!  Pizza dough                         Pizza Sauce

Week 4 
Sun      Spicy Roasted Sausage Potatoes and Peppers
Mon    Jerk Pineapple Pork Chops with Cilantro Rice
Tues    Sweet Orange Ginger Chicken        Rice
Wed    Applesauce BBQ Pork Tenderloin   Parmesan Garlic Orzo
Thurs   Creamy Chicken Italian with noodles
Fri     Make your own pizzas!  Pizza dough                         Pizza Sauce

OK, in case you are really upset that my meals are not listed in a cute calendar, I have something that will cheer you up....drum roll please....the grocery list!!!  I know, you so love me right now.  Before you look at it, I will tell you, the ingredients are listed by meal.  Here's why I did that instead of one giant master list.  In all the menus or lists of freezer meals I have ever looked at, I have never once loved every recipe that person picked.  I mean, that would be crazy right?  What is this person, my kitchen soul mate?  So when grocery lists are given for the whole post and you want to just make a few things, you have to try to figure out what to take off the list.  Who wants to do that?  No one.  So...I have listed it by meal so you can pick and choose what you want to try out.  If an amount is not listed, that is because a very small amount is needed.    

Feb Menu Shopping List

Be sure to follow me on Pinterest!  I have lots of recipes.  One of my boards is "Cooking Smarter, Not Harder", which has lots of freezer and crock pot meals.  Or just cheat and use my menus.  It would be nice to know all this insanity was being enjoyed by many!

Happy dinner planning!
K