I just prepped enough meat to make at least 24 meals for my family of 5, and I did it in less than 2 hours.
Just writing that out and reading it makes me excited. Being a Mom is complicated these days. We are running around town taking kids here and there, caring for our homes, running a business or holding down a job, and volunteering at church. And then we struggle to feed our children and ourselves a nutritious diet while we jump from one place to another and try to deal with food allergies and tight budgets.
This is where I want to spend my time, not standing over a stove all day. But I also want them to be healthy and strong.
How do you prepare a nutritious meal, quickly, and make sure that what you are feeding them is not chalk full of preservatives, allergens, etc.??? Don’t we all struggle with this??? So many of the quick-fix/ready made/pre-marinated options are just loaded with fats, salt, preservatives, hydrogenated oils, sugars, etc. But starting from scratch can be so time consuming, or so you may think.
First Key if You Have a Large Family: Get yourself a stand alone freezer!
If you don’t have one already, it will revolutionize your life! You can freeze breads, sauces, butter, soups, casseroles etc. If I make lasagna, I make two at the same time and freeze one. If I make sauces or vegetable puree’s I make one large batch and then split it up into small portions and freeze them for later.
Now, you may say that you can not afford one. I understand, but all the more reason to start saving your pennies now to get one because in the long run it will save you money! I wanted one so bad, I asked for one for my birthday & Valentine’s Day. I will NEVER regret that decision.
Back to the Meats
I went to Costco today and loaded up on them in bulk packages. I purchase organic whenever I can, and our Costco carries some organic meats. I purchase the fresh meats as a lot of time the pre-frozen ones have added preservatives to give them a longer shelf life in the freezer. I got two whole chickens, a package of chicken breasts, chicken thighs, beef stew meat, tri-tip, and two small roasts.
I am not a huge fan of dealing with raw meat, so I like doing a big batch at once and getting it over with for a while. I start by pulling the meat out of the package and washing the chicken. Then I separate the meat into gallon zip-lock freezer bags, enough to make about 2 meals per bag. I will later cook all the meat at once and then use half as leftovers, like cut up left over chicken for a chinese chicken salad.
Gallon Freezer Bags, Pre-Labeled
I pre-label the freezer bags, it is easier when they are empty, with the date, type of meat and general idea of seasonings. Then I line up the bags on my counter so I can read the “style.” Next I start dumping various marinade ingredients in the bags. This part might intimidate some but is very forgiving. I use whatever I have laying around, salad dressings, fruit or fruit juices, jellies, herbs, flavored oils, alcohol, BBQ sauce etc.
Stew Meat for the Crock Pot and Tri-Tip for the BBQ
What do I put in my Marinades?
The basic ‘formula’ I use generally. It is a HUGE approximation :
1/3 fat oil
1/3 liquid
1/3 seasonings
Raid your pantry for marinade items. Get creative!!!
Like I said, this does not have to be scary if you are not used to cooking much. It is pretty difficult to really botch it unless you go to crazy with the Cayenne Pepper or something. Things you can think about when making a marinade is “what is the meat and what do I generally like to eat and drink with it?” For example, chicken is really nice with a light white wine and a fruity salad. Well then, toss some white wine, orange juice, marmalade, and salt & pepper into your zip lock bag. Like to have some beer or tequilla with your mexican food? Well try throwing some in with your meat, along with some salsa, lime juice, chili powder and cumin. How about putting some red wine, onions, garlic olive oil and soy sauce in with your tri-tip steak, just like that steak you have at the steak house with the grilled onions on top.
I've got a nice variety of flavors going here!
Seal them Up
Once all of the seasonings are dumped in the bags, zip them closed after you let out any air. Then squish the bag around to mix the seasonings in with the meat. Next they are ready to toss into the freezer. I like to make sure the meat is spread out in the bags and spread the bags around in the freezer so they can freeze evenly. Once the bags are solid, I stack them up. This not only helps them freeze faster, but also thaw faster. I also don’t try to freeze everything at once. I put about half of what I got today in the freezer and the rest in the fridge. I will put the second half in tomorrow.
This Mexican mix has beer, cumin, chili powder, garlic olive oil, hickory smoked oil, tabasco sauce & mango preserves.
Time to Eat!!!
All you have to do is pull a bag out of the freezer the day before and throw it in the fridge. The meat marinates as it thaws overnight in the fridge. The next day it is ready to throw on the BBQ, in the crock-pot, or in the oven. And I must say that it seems that freezing the meat helps the marinade penetrate the meat more thoroughly.
I don’t know if this method actually makes the meat taste better, or I can just enjoy it more because dinner was less stressful to put on the table. No matter the reason, I’m sold and won’t be changing anytime soon!
Happy Healthy & Stress-free Cooking!!!
Sarah was there. She loved how “liquor with a big bow” made her and her friends “light up inside like a Christmas tree.” She loved the glamor of party dresses and martinis but the alcohol began to take its toll. As Sarah put it “I loved losing myself in alcohol, but I was starting to loose myself, period. And so I quit drinking.”
My sweet Joseph brings us our gratitude for today. He is our tender hearted worshiper with a ton of energy and a lively spirit.
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