Food items to stock up before winter!
Winter weather is fast approaching and I have been doing a lot of thinking about getting ready. I’ve thought about getting my yard and home ready. I’ve made the lists and shared the lists with our readers. I started thinking about another thing I do every year to get ready for winter weather. I try to think about what would happen if a snow storm was to be significant enough to keep me at home for a couple days. I hate driving on bad roads so I like to make sure I have food items I need and stock up before winter.
I have a lot of emergency supplies. I have 72 hour kits and food storage. I have cans of this and cans of that. Those are the things that we usually think of when we talk about emergency supplies. When I think of being ready to wait out a snow storm or bad roads, I don’t usually think of those things. I think more of easy to use, quick things. I think of things that we run out of every few days or things that make life convenient. Here are just of few of the things I stock up before winter.
Shelf stable milk
I know I have many cans of powdered milk in my food storage. I could open a can if I needed to but I just don’t want to if I am stuck home for just a day or two. I like to get a few boxes of shelf stable milk to have on hand if needed. If a snow storm hits and I am out of milk, I don’t want to make a quick trip to the store because we are out of milk. It’s a good stock up before winter item!
Bread
Like the milk, I know I have the supplies I need to make a batch of bread. I could make some if I needed to but it seems so much easier to think about buying extra ahead of time. I grab a couple extra loaves of bread and add them to the freezer. If we run out during a snow storm, there is no quick trip needed in bad weather. If the power goes out temporarily, sandwiches are a good quick meal. It’s another good stock up before winter item!
Peanut Butter
This isn’t an item that I usually make a quick trip out for when we run out but in the winter I think differently about it. I think it is very handy to make peanut butter sandwiches as a go to snack or meal. It is also one of my kids’ favorites. Like the other items peanut butter is something that you can store an extra jar or two of easily. Is there something like this that would be a great go to item for your family? Peanut butter or something similar is another good stock up before winter item!
Easy meals without power
We’ve talked about having the basics for a few shelf stable meals on hand before. I like to keep them handy for saving money and avoiding buying fast food. In the winter, I add another reason. If the power goes out for just an hour or two, I don’t want to break into the food storage or open cans of more long term storage foods. I just think of our favorite easy meals and plan a couple that don’t really require power or much cooking to make. I grab all of the needed ingredients and just keep them together on a shelf in the food storage room. It is so easy to save stress later and stock up before winter with a bit of planning ahead of time.
Having those few things gives me peace of mind when a storm hits. Do you have a favorite food item that you keep on hand in case of bad weather? What do you stock up before winter? Let us know! We love to hear from you.
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Ninja 3-in-1 Cooking System – MC702Another Time Saver – Freeze Your Ingredients!
Yesterday I talked about freezer meals and how much time and money they can help you save, even if you only make one or two freezer meals. All the talk about freezer meals made me think about ways you can freeze your ingredients. There are a lot of the other things I like to keep in the freezer to make meal prep times easier. Even when we have an evening at home, I don’t love spending too much time in the kitchen cooking. I am always on the look-out for meal preparation shortcuts and time savers.
I think one of the biggest time savers is having some of the ingredients to my favorite meals ready and in the freezer. Sometimes this requires cooking and freezing. Sometimes this requires chopping and freezing. Sometime this requires both chopping and cooking. Just like freezer meals, the idea is to use other free time you have to prepare and freeze your ingredients so you can save time when you are busier. Most of my freezer favorites end up being huge time savers and make some of our favorite meals, quick go to meals. Here are a few of my favorite freeze your ingredients foods.
Cooked Chicken
Face it, even though chicken is a favorite in many meals, chicken is not usually a quick meal meat. I love taking chicken breasts and cooking them in bulk. My favorite is the crock pot or the grill. One the chicken breasts are cooked you can freeze them in a variety of way. I freeze them whole, sliced, chunked and shredded. I have had great success all four ways. If you want to freeze your ingredients, this is a huge time saver.
Cooked Ground Beef
Cooked ground beef is a favorite when I think about meal prep. It can go in so many recipes. Tacos, sloppy joes, mac n cheese, there are so many ways to use it. Keep a flavoring packet and taco shells on hand, add precooked ground beef and you have a really fast meal. Another freeze your ingredients time saver!
Shredded Cheese
It seems block cheese goes on sale more often than shredded cheese. Grab a few extra blocks of cheese and shred them into baggies. Shredded cheese freezes really nicely and it is so much faster to use versus shredding cheese before every meal.
Rice
Rice is another of my favorite freezer ingredients. Cooked rice can be frozen and used later in a variety of ways. Precooked frozen rice is great as an ingredient or as a stand-alone dish. This is another great freeze your ingredients time saver.
Peppers and Onions
Both peppers and onions freeze really nicely. I love adding these vegetables to my cooking but hate the time it takes to chop them. Freeze your ingredients and save time, both these vegetables are perfect for this and freeze really nicely.
Sauces and Gravy
Sauces and gravies also work great in the freezer. Make a double batch next time and freeze half. Sometimes a good sauce or gravy is all a few basic ingredients need to make a meal great. This is a lesser thought of freeze you ingredient tip but it is a very yummy one.
Have more tips for freezing your ingredients? We’d love to hear them!
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Freezer meals – save time and money!
Yesterday I talked about how so many families are a lot like mine these days – so very busy. I mentioned activities and meetings and practices and school events and games and the list goes on and on and on. Among my ideas for saving time and money by avoiding fast food, I mentioned making freezer meals. Freezer meals are great time and money savers. Sometimes the idea of making freezer meals seems too big to tackle. Most of us have heard people brag about making a month’s worth of meals in a night, or with only 10 ingredients or some other grand and seemingly complicated requirements. Making freezer meals doesn’t have to be grand or complicated. Saving time and money by making freezer meals doesn’t have to feel scary. It should actually feel good and maybe even fun!
I make freezer meals when I can, I love it. There are lots of different ways and different strategies to being successful at making freezer meals. I’ll share of few of my favorite tips with you below.
Make things you already make
I think a lot of freezer meal talk involves new recipes and new ways of making things. This can make putting together a freezer meal seem like a bigger task than necessary. Start making freezer meals by making meals you already make and like. Examine some of your family favorite recipes and find ones that will freeze well. Start with those familiar recipes. Your comfort level will increase if you are working with something you already like.
Make a meal or two at a time
Leave the power prep nights of making 30 meals in 3 hours to the experienced freezer meal gurus. That way of preparation is not for everyone and can discourage people who are new to making freezer meals. Get that first meal or two in the freezer and go from there.
Make a double batch of dinner
Sometimes when I am making something we know and love, I make a double batch and freeze half. This works especially well with casseroles, soups and other one dish meals. Just having that one extra meal in the freezer saves time on one busy night. You’ll thank yourself later.
Know your dishes and pans
Do you have enough dishes and pans to make freezer meals? Plan ahead for how you will cook or reheat the meal. Make sure microwave meals are in microwave safe pans. Use baggies when needed. You can also buy some inexpensive “disposable” pans at the store that are microwave and oven safe. A one-time investment of $10 or so will save you much more in the long run.
Know your freezer space
Have a big freezer? Have a small freezer? Don’t make more freezer meals than you have space to freeze. Remember that even a meal or two will save time and money on busy nights. Have a big freezer with lots of extra space? Take advantage of it and make more meals.
All of these tips should help you feel more comfortable making freezer meals which will help you save time and money! Have some tips to share? We’d love to hear them!