Even Easier Crock-Pot

You know that day I put baking in jars? Well my efficiency did not stop there, my Mom had sent me a blog post last summer about pre-making crock pot meals and I thought it was brilliant, so I donned my goggles (because onions make me cry) and started chopping.

I chose two crock-pot recipes I love and, like the jars of baking, wrote out all the ingredients I won't be freezing on a card. I chopped and measured out everything that can freeze and put it in a zip-lock bag, labeled and stapled the remaining ingredient list to it. Four crock-pot meals prepped in one afternoon, yes, please. Now, when I need an easy supper I just need to dump the bag in the crockpot in the morning and turn it on.

Meal Planning

I used to be scared of meal planning. I would tell Mike I should plan some meals but the thought of it was intimidating to me and I never got around to it. Supper time would swing around and I would have two needy, hungry toddlers (do everyones kids lose it around supper time) and I would have to come up with something to eat and make it, it stressed me out. One day I hunkered down and made a meal plan and now I don't know how I lived without it, it is so easy and makes my life so much easier. It makes supper time easier, groceries easier and making better food easier. So here is how I do it.

I plan about 2 weeks ahead, 1-2 weeks at a time. I use a calendar and I only plan suppers and often don't plan weekends. When I started I made a list of all the suppers I could think of that we usually eat, so if I am planning and run out of ideas I look at my list. To get me started I make Monday crock pot day, Wednesday pasta day and Thursday rice day, I punch things into those days and put something else on Tuesday night. Friday nights we have a Bible Study/Games night at our house and eat supper together, it needs to be allergy friendly. If I dont feel like making what I planned I make something else, if it is hot out and I dont want a crock pot running all day I will make something else ect. I am pretty flexible.

Here is a sample of two weeks of meals!

Monday  - Beggars Chowder in the Crock Pot
Tuesday - Sweet Potato Soup from the Freezer
Wednesday - Pasta w/ cream sauce
Thursday - Beef Stirfry w/ rice
Friday - Burgers and Oven Fries
Monday  - Potato Cheddar Soup in the Crock Pot
Tuesday - Chicken Fingers, Fries and Salad
Wednesday - Spagetti w/ Tomato Meat Sauce from the freezer
Thursday - Sweet and Sour Meatballs on Rice w/ steamed vegs
Friday -Tacos

 Do you meal plan? Does is scare you? You should give it a try.