Five Simple Ways to Fill Your Freezer

Any mom knows that dinnertime is the witching hour. Kids are hungry — and whiny, the clock is ticking, and everyone’s ready to sit down and eat. And sometimes, despite our best efforts, dinner prep can take its toll.

Make dinnertime a little easier by having a stash of homemade freezer meals on hand. Here are five simple ways to make that dream a reality:

Double tonight’s dinner.

Place the extra meal in the freezer for another night. You’ll be amazed at the meals that freeze well. Repeat twice a week and after a month you’ll be able to take a week off.

Combine bulk cooking and sale items.

Find a great sale on chicken breast. Stock up! Once you get home, mix up a few marinades, divide chicken into meal size ziptop bags, add the marinades. Seal, label, and freeze. The chicken will marinate as it thaws. Add a simple salad and steamed rice for an easy dinner.

Save leftovers creatively.

Have lots of leftovers from a party or holiday meal? Prepare individual “TV dinners.” Portion out mashed potatoes, vegetables, stuffing, and turkey into pie plates or other freezer safe containers. Wrap well, label, and freeze. Have convenient meals to grab on busy nights.

Bulk up.

Buy ground meat in bulk. Cook it right away and season for tacos and pasta meals. Freeze in meal size portions for your own convenience foods. Taco night will come together in a snap.

Bake yourself happy.

Love home baked goods? Prepare a large batch of rolls or scones. Flash freeze them and store in airtight containers or ziptop bags. Pull just what you need and bake without a lot of prep work.

Freezer cooking doesn’t have to be a daylong marathon. A few simple steps to feed your freezer can help you feed your family quickly, healthfully, and on a budget.

– Jessica Fisher, aka FishMama, is a busy mom of six kids. She regularly fills her freezer in order to enjoy easier mealtimes and good, cheap eats.

5 Simple Ways to Get Your Kids to Eat Vegetables

Limit sweets and processed foods when they are young.

Most children (and I know there are exceptions) will prefer a cookie over cauliflower. You can still give your children choices, but give them two healthy choices instead. I am always amazed at the two year olds who will eat anything from salad to okra, but it is usually because they have been introduced to a large variety of vegetables and fruits as babies.

Involve your children in the kitchen.

My children are always more likely to eat something they made no matter what it is. Kids like to take ownership of things and the kitchen is a great place to start. If they are old enough, they can be involved in the menu planning process, from choosing what’s for dinner, to preparing it. Younger children can help by washing fruits and vegetables, cutting softer vegetables with a butter knife, and arranging them on a plate.

Don’t be afraid of ranch dressing and cheese.

For a long time I didn’t like my kids to dip their veggies in ranch or melt cheese on their potatoes, but then I realized that if it was helping them to eat more vegetables what was the harm? You can make your own (healthier) version of ranch dressing and kids need the protein in cheese so this can be a great way to help get kids to try new vegetables.

Pay your kids to eat vegetables.

I realize this is a bit unconventional, but I tried it a few years ago when all my kids went through an exceptionally picky stage. It worked. I made a chart, had a list of vegetables I wanted them to eat, and paid them a quarter each time they ate a small helping. Little kids (especially those who think a quarter is a lot of money) are very excited to earn money by eating. What happened when I tried this was that many of my children realized that they actually liked certain vegetables that they had been unwilling to try in the past.

Sneak them into their food.

This is my least favorite option, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. Smoothies are my favorite way to add extra vegetables to my kids’ diet, but you can also incorporate cooked and pureed vegetables to soups, sauces, and even pizza crust! If you want some great ideas for sneaking vegetables into your child’s diet check out Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Sienfeld. There are some great recipes that even a beginning cook can tackle.

Next week 5 Simple Ways to be On Time with Kids.