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By spending a weekend meal prepping and stocking your freezer for you post-partum period will save you time, stress and money. Let’s face it cooking is not always fun on our best days, but add in a new baby, lack of sleep and a body in recovery and it becomes a downright horrible chore. While you may be able to count on friends and family for a few home-cooked meals they are not likely to feed you the entire leave period and take out while an easy option is not the best for your health. This is where your pre-planned, pre-baby cook-off will pay off.
Follow my step-by-step plan to organize your cooking day:
Step 1: Compile your recipes
You are looking for recipes that your family enjoys, freeze well, and can be used in a crock-pot or instant-pot. Some recipe ideas that work well are: Beef Stroganoff, Taco Soup, Chili, Potato Soup, Fajitas, BBQ Pork, Meatballs...you get the idea.
Step 2: Plan your grocery list
Once you have 5-6 recipes figured out then start making your grocery list, you should double your recipes so that you will make each meal twice, then breakdown your shopping list by department to save time in the store (list template at the end of this chapter). I suggest you make this a two-day approach, one day or evening to shop and one day to cook/assemble so that you do not tire yourself out.
Step 3: Shop
Make sure you pick up large freezer bags, a permanent marker and masking/freezer tape to label your meals if you do not already have these items at home.
Step 4: Cooking Day
On cooking day, organization is the key! Divide your meals into stations (this can be a fun day to have the older kids help or a friend/family member, make some snacks and cook together), use a large bowl to hold the bag that you are filling so that it does not fall over and start adding the ingredients. Some people pre-cook their meat when doing freezer bags, I personally do not, I put the meat in raw and add my other ingredients and spices next. I have never had any issues with illness or meal quality this way but follow your personal preference. As you finish each bag, make sure to push out all of the air you can so that it will lay flat in your freezer, then label, you may want to include instructions on your label such as cooking times and settings and any other items that may go with the meal such as tortillas for fajitas etc.
Step 5: Freezer
Once you have all of your meals prepared and labeled add them to your freezer, some people like to use ice cube bins to store their meals upright so that they take up less room in the freezer. If you choose to store them this way you will need to freeze them flat first and then move them to the bins.
Congratulations! You now have a freezer stocked with home cooked meals for your maternity leave, all you have to do is dump them into your cooking appliance each morning, set the timer and forget about it!
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