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01-25-2013 at 11:23 PM
PandasMama...
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PandasMama0626 is not online. Last active: 05-25-2013, 3:56 AMBronze

make ahead dishes anyone?

Hey there ladies! Anyone out there making and freezing dinners ahead of time? If so, how far in advance are you doing it before your due date and please share your favorite recipes! I'm trying to get prepared and start cooking/freezing soon :)

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01-26-2013 at 12:39 AM
lbonga1
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lbonga1 is not online. Last active: 05-25-2013, 12:13 AMNewbie

If I had a bigger freezer I would, but it looks like I'll be stuck cooking PP. My fiancé hates cooking, and sometimes even complains that microwaving food is too much effort. I plan on making a lot of slow cooker meals and trying to find some one pot recipes. 


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01-26-2013 at 7:13 AM
Trish&Pete...
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Trish&Pete07 is not online. Last active: 05-23-2013, 6:10 PMBronze
Check out Pintest or Once a Month Mom. They both have a TON of freezer meal ideas. A lot of them are super easy or will have something like make 30 meals in 4 hours and come with all the recipes and shopping lists. Other then that If I am making spaghetti sauce, a casserole or something like shepherds pie I tend to just make a little more (double the recipe) and freeze some. I love crock pot meals too, so if a specific meat (like chicken or roast or something similar) is on sale I will cut up some veggies and make a sauce/marinade and throw it all into a Zipploc bag. Then i can just pull it out, throw it into the crock pot turn it on and be done with it. 

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01-26-2013 at 7:41 AM
OhBaby+201...
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OhBaby+2013 is not online. Last active: 05-24-2013, 5:11 PMNewbie
I started around 35 weeks to make stuff.  I have pasta sauce and pulled pork frozen flat in ziploc bags.  Also have a tonne of turkey soup and squash soup, chicken Alfredo, lasagna, chili, manicotti and sheppards pie.  We only have a fridge freezer so I have some of the larger dishes at my sisters in her deep freeze and will get them as space frees up.  All in all we have a good month if not more worth of dinners stocked up.  Happy cooking!
 
01-26-2013 at 7:56 AM
Rose120
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Rose120 is not online. Last active: 05-11-2013, 11:39 PMNewbie
I don't really like food from the crock pot or casseroles that much and we don't have a ton of freezer space so instead of cooking I'm just going to try and do a lot of prepping. Like cut up fresh vegetables so they are ready to be thrown in dishes. Individually freeze pieces of chicken and make sure I have lots of healthy snacks on hand. I like to cook though so I think throwing together an easy meal at the end of the day while H holds the baby won't be a big deal to me
01-26-2013 at 8:10 AM
ginifred
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Georgia
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ginifred is not online. Last active: 05-13-2013, 5:30 PMSilver

Im due feb 21 and started making freeze ahead meals last weekend. Fortunately we have a deep freeze in the basement so we have lots of room. 

 

Up on the menu is baked spaghetti, easy enchiladas, poppy seed chicken casserole, chicken spinach and pasta bake (found on pinterest), chicken Alfredo bake, chicken crunch casserole, cheesy hamburger casserole (found on pinterest - just like hamburger helper but better and you know what goes in it!), and I'm preparing the meat for about 4 different crock pot recipes. I have the cans, packed them in boxes with the recipie and stuck them on the floor next to the deep freeze. 

 

My husband doesn't mind cooking, but this really makes it easy.  I did this when we had our first kid and we didn't have to think about dinner ps for almost 3 months.  

01-26-2013 at 8:35 AM
Of The Eld
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Of The Eld is not online. Last active: 04-19-2013, 8:54 PMNewbie

I've pinned a bunch of stuff. We're on a low carb diet (due to GD, but we're planning on keeping it up for awhile) so some of these are a little less noodley and starchy than you sometimes find. Feel free to add me!

http://pinterest.com/paperstsoapco/freezer-foods-because-we-can-t-live-off-pizza/


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01-26-2013 at 9:22 AM
artroyer
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artroyer is online. Last active: 05-25-2013, 8:56 AMBronze
i have a crock pot recipe book and just went through there to find yummy and easy meals.  Then I went shopping for the food and combined all of the ingredients into gallon freezer bags, labeled with the meal name and cooking instructions.  I did some like a month ago and did some more yesterday.  I would've done them earlier, like around 37 weeks, I just couldn't bring myself to do it!  Do it as soon as you can find the energy!

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01-26-2013 at 11:02 AM
ahcantrell...
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ahcantrell90 is not online. Last active: 05-15-2013, 5:08 PMNewbie
I don't have a big freezer unfortunately, so I can't do a lot. I'm mostly making breakfast burritos, muffins, bread dough, chili, and maybe lasagna. I'm mostly worried about having breakfast and lunch for my DH. 

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01-26-2013 at 11:19 AM
lsleeper22
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lsleeper22 is not online. Last active: 05-22-2013, 1:41 PMNewbie

We don't have a lot of freezer space either.  Regardless, I'm sure we'll try to freeze at least a few meals when we get a little closer.  Fortunately my husband is the cook of our family for the most part so that is definitely a bonus!  Also, we live in CA and both of our families live back east in NH, so when they come out for the birth in April they've expressed they will be happy to help out however possible.  :) 


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01-26-2013 at 12:18 PM
kelly321
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kelly321 is online. Last active: 05-25-2013, 8:45 AMGold
DD was a preemie and the only way I even got warm meals while she was in the NICU was by heating up some of the things I had frozen. Since I had a decent chance of getting HELLP again this time, I started early with the freezing. Basically when I was making something freezable, I just made a bit more than usual and instead of saving leftovers and eating them the next day, I froze them. My freezer is now full, and I have: chicken broccoli alfredo, another chicken/ham pasta, breakfast casserole, beef enchiladas, tomato cream soup, cauliflower soup, shrimp curry, spaghetti casserole, spinach casserole, twice-baked potatoes, oriental beef, chicken tortilla soup, artichoke chicken couscous, Greek spinach balls, taco empanadas, blueberry bars, and oatmeal bars. We should be good for a few weeks PP :-)


BFP1: DD1 born April 2011 at 34w1d via unplanned c/s due to HELLP, DVT 1 week PP
BFP2: 3/18/12, blighted ovum, natural m/c @ 7w4d
BFP3: DD2 born Feb 2013 at 38w3d via unplanned RCS due to uterine dehiscence BFP Chart 
01-26-2013 at 1:12 PM
meansbaby2...
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meansbaby2013 is not online. Last active: 02-10-2013, 2:39 PMNewbie
I made some pancakes that I froze for breakfast. They microwave really well. I also made some burritos which I just take out of the freezer and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Lasagna also freezes really well. There is a great site called "moneysavingmom" that also has freezer meals. It is a great site.

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01-26-2013 at 8:34 PM
Misses-C
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New Jersey
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Misses-C is not online. Last active: 05-24-2013, 7:27 AMSilver

I just did this today.  I made 7 different dishes that, some, are broken up into two meals.  I'm EXHAUSTED.  I'm about to jump into the shower and call it a day.

I made:

chicken mac and cheese

chicken pot pie

ziti

chicken soup

stew

swedish meatballs

a tomato sauce

Plus my DH's friend came over today, and made us lasagna tonight, and another one that he put in the freezer for later.

I figure throw in a pizza or chinese takeout every once in a while, and I'm set for a bit.

With DD#2, I came home from the hospital and had to cook that night, because DH was sick with a stomach bug.  I don't want to have to cook a meal when I get home this time too.

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