This is not knitting related and may be of no interest.  So… skimmers feel free to skim.

Prior to Dana’s departure for the great northwest, I did what is referred to as Once A Month Cooking or (OAMC).  I, however, tended to store about 2 to 3 months of meals at a time.  In addition, I did my cooking over a few days, not just one day.  That’s the only way I could convince the brain to cooperate and not get overwhelmed.  I didn’t get involved in freezing breakfasts and snacks.  My main thing was to be able to have something ready for dinner.  I wasn’t sure if it would save on the grocery bill but I knew it would save on the eating out bill.  There would be less of me calling Dana at work and telling him to pick something up on his way home.

Anyway, when Dana moved, OAMC wasn’t feasible for just Anna Grace and me.  When I got moved I wanted to get back into it.  Plus, much of what you freeze in OAMC works great on a grill and we just bought one. But, mentally I’m quite disorganized, still can’t find most of my cookbooks (can’t find any of my freezer cooking cookbooks) and much of the things you have in your pantry we had to leave behind because the movers refused to take them.

Meanwhile, my friend Lori turned me on to her new obsession: The Grocery Game.   The grocery game works on the premise that you build a stockpile in first three months by buying things when they are at their rock bottom price and/or free.  Each week you get a list helping you through figuring out what sales are rock bottom and then helping you find coupons so you save even more.  There’s a subscription fee and I usually won’t pay money for such a thing.  But after talking to Lori I’m glad I did.  Lets take last week for example:

Purchased $302.00 worth  of groceries.  Saved $121.00.  Paid $181.00.  Another time I bought 80 bucks worth but only paid 30 bucks. 

Now I just needed to figure out how to combine OAMC with the grocery game.  I figure the idea that everything will be prepared …. well I’m giving up on that.  We’ll have a mix of things in our freezers.  (I have 2) but some nights I’ll cook and others we can use what is stocked.  I decided to just do a mini session today.  I spent one hour, that’s it.  I shredded everything, got each one made up and in the freezer.  Start of the prep time to closing the freezer door? 57  minutes. (That included 2 diet coke breaks and one chat on the phone with the hubby).

Nine quiches ready to freeze (zucchini quiche, Aztec quiche and spring veggie)

And one Aztec quiche to be baked for tonights dinner.  One quiche feeds us for 2 nights.  So I get two meals out of each quiche. 

Plus, using the grocery game, I got all the eggs dirt cheap (1 buck for 18 eggs), same with the pie crusts, the cheese and the zucchini and squash.  So, with one hour of work and $42.73 in food I now have 20 meals ready.  Just defrost and bake.  That’s $2.14 a meal not including any sides (I’m not big on sides.  We usually have this with a fresh salad. )

When I’m stocking the freezer I usually group things like this.  All the chicken meals on one day, all hamburger meals another, veggie meals or quiche type things another day, pork on another day, etc etc etc.  It helps me to not get my meats contaminating one another.  It also helps me get it all organized as well.

There are some exceptions (i.e. chili) but for me once a month cooking could more appropriately be called once a month preparation and clean up.  Things still have to be cooked.  But your meats marinate as they defrost, the quiches are ready to bake.  No digging out all your seasonings, measuring spoons, food processor etc etc etc.  Its all done at one time. 

Well, must go.  More posting to do and I want to knit.