Big cooking day

[angie r]

Well, we did it. Three of my friends and I spent part of the day cooking, freezer style. We started at about 8:45 this morning and finished up about 2 this afternoon. We all have 20 meals each in the freezer at an average cost of $4.40 per meal and each meal feeds 4 people. Other than reheating and heating up veggies to go along with meals I don't have to cook for a while.

It went very smoothly working together. Just enough room for each of us to work. Whenever one of us had some downtime in preparing our meal we jumped in and helped each other. We did a good job of having meals that were prepared in different places....stove top, oven, crockpot, even the blender!

I think I really like this OAMC business!

[darlene]

Allright Angie! So you're cooking for our get together???? :lol:

What did you all make?

Wish I could get motivated to cook like that. I usually make enough in one meal that we can have leftovers the next night for supper, but no more than that.

:)

[PamE]

Whoa! That sounds great! I'd love to do that but we only have the freezer above the fridge. What all did you make?

[angie r]

I don't have a big freezer either, just one above the fridge. If you put things in ziploc bags and freeze them flat you would be surprised at how much you can fit in there!

pancakes
meat balls
pork roast
shredded pork in gravy
quiche - chicken/broccoli
mashed potatoes
mexican beef/rice filling
chicken parmesan
chicken nuggets
crock pot chicken/rice/beans
king ranch chicken
italian garlic sausage (for spaghetti sauce)
rotisserie chicken (we all took one home for dinner tonight & will turn the leftovers into chicken salad tomorrow)

I think that's it? The chicken nuggets were very time consuming but good to have on hand on those nights we are having something the kids don't like. They are also low low fat. We rolled them in a fat free ranch dressing/milk mixture, bread crumbs and baked them. Very good!!

[AnnW]

WOW!! Angie, that sounds fantastic!!! How long is the average heating up time? Could you share some of the recipes? Also, another great thing to do with the left over chicken carcass is use it as a stock for soup...I roast whole chickens alot, and then don't even pick it, just toss it in a ziplock bag for the next soup I make.

[KarlaB]

Wow is right! I wish I could get that organized and motivated here. How did you guys organize this - like how did you come up with what you wanted to make and who bought/brought what. (I feel like you mentioned this in an earlier post, but I am blanking out - sorry!)

[angie r]

We used the recipes and system from www.30daygourmet.com We had a "planning day" where we got together and decided what we all wanted to make. Each of us purchased and prepared 2 or 3 entrees and we did all the cooking at my house together. We totalled up what we all spent and 3 spent $40, 1 spent $60 so the 3 gave $5 to the $60 spender. That way we all spent the same amount.

The quiche is not cooked so it will have to thaw and be baked for 35-45 minutes. Everything else just thaw, heat and eat. The chicken parm in the oven, but the others can be microwaved.

I have a friend who is sick and another friend called today and asked if I could take a meal to her tonight. I was so excited to be able to take something yummy that won't take any of my time today!

Any particular recipe you are interested it?

[AnnW]

It sounds so interesting!!!! So, you can micro it to heat it? My problem isn't finding the time to cook, but sometimes finding enough time to cook AND eat! LOL
Could I please have the recipes for the pork roast, shredded pork and gravy and the crockpot chicken rice and beans.

[imamama]

What an awesome idea!!!! Not only cost-efficient, but fun, too! I wish I had more friends that were into cooking like I am so I could organize something like it!!!! :thumb:

Thanks for sharing, maybe I'll mention it and see what kind of response I get!!! :yippee:

[Leigh]

Sounds like you had lots of fun! I don't think that I could ever get that organized. :)