This is Week Two of our Spending Freeze! We once again made a focused trip to the store JUST for our absolute BASIC staples.
The rest of our meals are coming straight from the pantry or freezer.
This Spending Freeze has taught us quite a lot about the difference between want and need.
It was painfully clear that we had really gotten accustomed to strolling the grocery aisle stuffing items in the buggy willy nilly.
We are hoping to roll over this life lesson when the freeze is lifted and we start a new month with a brutally slashed grocery budget.
Just cuz I WANT it doesn’t mean I GOTTA HAVE IT. :)
From the Freezer… Sweet & Tangy Chicken via Syrup and Biscuits
From the Freezer… Honey Mustard Teriyaki Chicken
Crockpot BBQ Chicken via Fork in it
This is a very B-I-G day.
ONE YEAR AGO this very week was when I made that fateful FIRST step in tackling all my dinners in LESS than an hour!
I called it the Martha Stewart Experiment.
Here’s a bit of what I said in that post one YEAR ago…
“The title {Martha Stewart Experiment} is really a misnomer, since Martha probably wouldn’t ever do this. It would be SO beneath her culinary skills, I’m sure. But in my mind, if this experiment succeeds, I’m one step closer to being Martha-like.
I am not a cook. I do not claim in any way to be one, just for the record. I know that doesn’t do anything for my wifely image. It’s not very cool to NOT be a great and fabulous cook, but it is what it is.”
I am FLOORED by the change in my cooking in just one year. If I could’ve had an itty bitty glimpse into the future, I don’t think I would have believed that I would be cooking things like Shrimp and Feta, Broiled Tilapia Parmesan, Foil Wrapped Salmon, Slow Cooked Steak, Ranch Pork Chops, the Amazing French Dip Subs, AND SO MANY MORE.
It was a year of trying many new things… some were successes and some were most definitely FAILS.
I had a major cooking epiphany after reading a post in July about freezer cooking. I started doubling easy meals to send to the freezer, and as a result, I have STOCKED my freezer! Several times I have even pulled entire week’s menus from the freezer…
Hello! Spending Freeze, anyone?
You may not realize it, but that is a pretty amazing feat for such a former non-cook as me!
I’m so glad that a year ago I decided to give this a try.
Just 10 minutes to prep 2 meals this week, and one, of course, is going to the freezer! This Crockpot BBQ Chicken is utterly amazing {and of course you know it’s easy, right?}.
This is one you definitely MUST try!!! Great to freeze too! Mmmm! Sooo good! Plus, it is toddler approved which is always a bonus. :)
Do you wanna take a stab at a stress free dinnertime? Click for more info on how on earth I do it. {Did I mention I ♥ it?}
What’s cooking at your house this week? Do you like to stock your freezer? And most importantly… When are you going to try the Crockpot BBQ Chicken??!!
Happy Anniversary! I'm so glad I found your blog because it has changed my life – seriously! I love this whole 5 dinners in 1 hour thing! I had read many, many blogs about the month freezer thing but with my life there is NO WAY I could ever have the time or patience to do that so I just kind of kept using my routine. But this way sounded doable ~ so I tried it. :) Have a great week! I really hope I get to my 1 year anniversary!
I LOVE freezer meals. I am now down to ONE meal left in my "post-baby" freezer stash. Makes me want to cry…all that work gone!! But hey, she's almost 10 weeks old and I've spent a minimal amount of time in the kitchen since she was born, which is totally awesome. Ready to tackle freezer cooking again though. Having all those meals there makes life so much simpler!
As for the BBQ chicken, that stuff is so yummy! I've been making something similar for years. Definitely love that stuff!
I recently found your blog and it is great! What I especially like about your Menu Mondays is that they are so similar in many ways to the types of meals I typically plan for my tiny family. This week I am trying a couple of recipes out that you suggested (Roasted Shrimp and a variation on Ranch Pork Chops). Keep up the great work!
Happy Anniversary!! I am really glad that I have found your blog. I am going to try the crockpot BBQ chicken next week, it looks really yummy.
I tried to do the whole cooking meals on Sunday and freezing them but I just did not like the taste that some of the foods got. Maybe I was doing something wrong and not storing or defrosting correctly. How do you defrost your meals? I might give it another try because when I did it, it was nice not having to worry about coming home to cook.
How awesome! This is an area of my life I needs tons of improvement! I pinned a bunch of these recipes on Pinterest tonight! Thanks for the inspiration!
I've been doubling recipes to freeze for a few years; it was wonderful to new cooking-free for weeks after Baby! I freeze casseroles raw and cook just prior to serving for the best taste. I defrost in fridge or bake frozen 2 hours,15 min at 300°.
I love your 5 meals, 1 hour method! I didn't think that it could be done so fast, but the fact that you post your picture and time each week made me a believer! Gotta love that feeling of accomplishment!! My biggest problem is that I always forget to set the timer. :) Thanks for the inspiration you've been to me!