So with my IVF approaching, and the weather turning cold again, I can't help but realize that the time for grilling will soon be over :(
Yes- this makes me a sad SAD panda
But that just means it's time to start thinking about crock pot cooking again! And in my eternally optimistic state of mind, that means it's time to start thinking about meal prep for the coming season.
I tend to surf pinterest at work when I'm bored, and it hit me today that I have over 80 pins on my crock pot make ahead meals board.
And another 58 pins on my freezer (non-crock pot) meal board
And 150 on my one pot wonder meals board
68 on my gluten free board
and 21 on my crock pot soups board.
That's 377 meals. I could literally not pin anything else and have a new recipe to try every single day for the next year.
So in order to save money AND start prepping meals for WHEN (not if) I'm pregnant and then for postpartum, I'm making a commitment to trying 25 recipes every month from my pinterest boards. And as I find recipes I like, I will be moving them all into a postpartum cooking pin board.
My plan all along has been to start doing major batch cooking starting in early 3rd trimester, and add to it every couple of weeks so that by the time I have an outside baby, I will also have 10 weeks (roughly 60 meals) worth of dinners frozen and ready to either go into the oven or the crock pot. I plan to prepare enough food in each bag (or tray) to feed 3-4 people, so that way I have something for lunch (leftovers) as well as to feed any family that might be visiting.
Freezer meals tend to last for about 3 months in the freezer. So if I start cooking around 32 weeks (or earlier if we end up having a high risk pregnancy) and prep an additional 15 meals every 2 weeks, I should be covered! I know, it sounds horrible- preparing 15 meals in one day. But honestly, I often double the recipe and split it into 2 bags, and from start to finish it usually takes about 4 hours in the kitchen.
4 hours on a Sunday afternoon is a great investment if it means I don't have to spend ANY time in the kitchen for the rest of the month.
Week 32: Prepare 20 meals. Will need to be consumed by 4 weeks PP
Week 34: Prepare 15 meals. Will need to be consumed by 6 weeks PP
Week 36 Prepare 15 meals. Will need to be consumed by 8 weeks PP
Week 38: Prepare 15 meals. Will need to be consumed by 10 weeks PP
Total meals: 65
As I create the meal plans for each batch cooking, I promise to post them!
Do you have any go-to meals for meal trains/sunshine missions/church groups that I should know about? I'm always interested in adding more to my arsenal- especially if that recipe is gluten free and nut free!
Love the idea of making meals to have after you have a baby - I do this a lot and I have found that things last a lot longer than you think in the freezer. I have been known to eat things that have been in there a year with no ill effects :)
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