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Today is a gorgeously rainy day here in Vermont and I’ve been spending it cooking and preparing food for weeks to come. With so many food allergies in my family I find it easier to make a lot of food from scratch instead of buying it from the store. A lot less additives and I can customize it to our food allergies. It also saves me a lot of time when it comes to cooking. When I get out of work, I’m more likely to skip a meal if I don’t have something prepared because I’m just too tired.
And if you’re busy and on the go a lot, finding one day a week to do a massive batch of cooking can really give you more hours in your everyday to spend time with your family, rather than spend the evening in the kitchen. This past week I took 4 hours to make a month worth of breakfasts! So here are some staples that I have in my freezer just in case.
Before starting, it’s important to have the right supplies in place. For my freezer cooking, I use these containers from the Dollar Tree to store my food. I use smaller containers because currently I’m the only one at home. Also, make sure to stock up on good freezer bags. I get my freezer bags from Aldi!
And remember, always write the contents and date on anything that goes in the freezer. A good rule of thumb is use it up before 3 months has passed.
1 | Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd’s Pie (well, I guess technically Cottage Pie) is a huge hit in my house and for any guests that come over. My best secret: lots and lots of butter! (Just brown some beef, add corn, and top with mashed potatoes and butter. Throw in a freezer container and you’re ready to go! Bake at 400f for 1 hour straight from the freezer when you’re ready to eat!
2 | Fluffy Belgian Waffles
These waffles are delicious! (I say as I’m currently eating some for breakfast.) And they’re super easy to make. The only thing I noticed with these was they needed less time to cook in my waffle iron. Only 4 minutes instead of 5. I would keep an eye on them when making. 🙂
3 | Banana Bread
This banana bread is easy to make and yummy too! Since we always have bananas in the house (because the buns love them!) it’s easy for me to whip up a batch of banana bread. Plus it makes the house smell fantastic!
4 | Farmhouse White Sandwich Bread
This is the best bread recipe I’ve found yet. I’m very happy that it yields three loaves of bread at a time instead of just one or two. We go through bread in our house very quickly so this is very nice for me. I also like that I can easily change the recipe a bit, using white/wheat flour or honey instead of sugar.
5 | Homemade Freezer Biscuits
I have never made these before today so I will have to let you know how they turn out. But I am so tired of having to buy canned biscuits every time. We love biscuits with chicken and we eat a ton of chicken. I like that these are freezer friendly so I can pull them out when needed!
I hope this helps you keep your home in order and things in the kitchen yummy and delicious! I find that making a few things at a time but keeping separate stations is the best way to do it. Start with the homemade farmhouse bread, let that sit, do the pancakes, waffles and banana bread at 3 separate stations and then tackle the biscuits and freezer pizza with the farmhouse bread.
Do you prepare food for the freezer? What are some of your favorite recipes? Leave a comment below or join the conversation on Facebook.
Hello! I'm Amanda Elizabeth, creator of The Homemaker's Cottage. As a homemaker I have constantly felt the pull between old fashioned homemaking and the fast paced world we live in today. So I created The Homemaker's Cottage: a stress-free space between the old in the new, where there is no judgement and we can learn that homemaking can be relevant, easy and even enjoyable.
Join me on this journey to serve God, your family, and begin homemaking from where you are.
Yay, Amanda! So glad you’re giving it a try. Let me know how it turns out for you.
And I know without a shadow of a doubt that I was just on your blog for the first time this week. Can’t think of how I got here though. Maybe Money Making Launch Team…or…do you know? Haha. This week’s been a blur.
Love the blog. Keep up the good work!