FREE Meal Planning Course--Lesson #3--(Finally!)

© T.B. Cooper

Meal Planning Lesson #3
My Secret to Meal Planning Success--

Well, I think you've waited long enough for me to come forth with this lesson.

My gosh, the last few weeks have been full and overflowing with equal amounts of good and bad, and in true Libra form (with severe bipolar depression), I've tried my damnedest to stay balanced, coming real close to just shutting down. I've wanted to give up more times than I'd ever admit, and I can't say I'm feeling much better about life right now... I'm just... going.

Like I've said before, Family comes first, and if I want to have a breakdown I have to schedule it in and then cancel the appointment later on because I just don't have that kind of time! So, I've had to handle what I could, when I could... and now I can finally post something of my own/my interest. 

So, let's not keep you waiting.

My secret?

Pre-makes.

?

Oh-wow...
Right? That's what you're thinking? Hold on, it gets better--I promise!

so...

Isn't that what Meal Planning/Prepping is? Isn't it all pre-makes?

Well, it depends on how you look at it. Let me explain. Meal Planning/Prepping in the traditional sense, is really about having your meals planned and prepped for. That's easy enough to understand.

For me, however, the way most Planners/Preppers do it, the making the whole meal in a bag or casserole dish, freezing it, thawing it out, and then cooking it, is too confining and boring, for me.

Sorry-- well--sort of.

My blog, my post, my opinions… Moving on.

**I'm including a Printable of the same list of Pre-makes I/we do every month. I keep it in a sheet protector and when we're prepping, I hang it with magnets on my fridge, so we can see what we're doing – as a checklist.

But I'm getting ahead a bit…
​
​Let's go back for a second.
Remember the list we did on the back of the Snack Calendar,
to the tally up the meats?
(Lesson #2)

​And remember what I said about the Vegetables?
(Lesson #2)

This is where my Pre-make/INGREDIENT-way, rocks!

Let's think for a minute, so I can explain my thought process, when planning out our meals...
*I chose meals I would cook, every day, for the month.
*I planned my groceries/ingredients, accordingly.

Now,

==== I KNOW MOST of the ingredients can be made ahead of time and frozen... how?
Well,
#1 because I'm smart and
#2 because I'm observant.

You know, people pay good money for already made stuff, like “meal helpers” from the frozen aisle.

Okay, but I'm not one to pay good money for something I'm perfectly capable of doing for myself.

So that's my secret.

Do you feel like I've let you down?

​Let me add to this, the bonuses I've found, because contrary to what you might think (not saying you do, but if you do)--
I didn't start off my Meal Prepping/Planning this way.

I too, started with doing the (Already-made)meals ahead of time.

That lasted all of two weeks.

The amount of money versus the redundancy, and to be honest-- poor quality of the food, made me change the game-- real quick.

For example, maybe it's just me, but, I also don't claim to be a great cook. Like, I'd never have the balls to enter a competition,
because I just cook. That's what I do, and apparently most people love it... And I'm just tickled and grateful that they do.
I don't do pretty food. Just like my house is not decorated pretty.

I do comfy. My house and my cooking are just warm and welcoming and make you feel at home.

​**With that in mind, don't expect my recipes to be like everyone else's either. I don't purposely rebel against the standard recipe format, I just am incapable of following one, let alone thinking in that black and white structure.

​Anyway……

The example I was going to point out – Crockpot Chicken.
So, a bunch of recipes you'll find online for Meal Prepping, will be crockpot dinners.
And a majority of those involve chicken.
Well, I like chicken.
But I HATE the way chicken comes out in the crockpot.

The videos
the recipes
the pictures...

All look SO YUMMY!!

For Recipe ideas on Crockpot meals (including chicken) that you might be better at cooking, than me...
​checkout my Pinterest board:

But mine NEVER comes out that way.
UNLESS, my chicken is pre-cooked and then tossed in.

​​*cue 'Aha' audience clip* (I don't have one... just imagine it though)

I don't know what it is, but every recipe, every time-- the chicken comes out the same.

IF I PUT IT IN RAW- to cook... Kinda rubbery. Kinda stringy. Kinda really nasty.

Like I said, I'm not a “cook.” I'm just a mom/wife/etc. etc.

Also, another thing I hate about the “other” way of Meal Prepping--

“take it out from the freezer the night before, let defrost overnight in the fridge, and in the morning (before work for example) empty contents into the crockpot, and it will be magically done when you get home.”

I don't know whose fridge they're putting these freezer meals in, to defrost overnight. NOT MINE. Freezer meals can sit in my fridge for two days, before thawing to be even remotely manageable. My fridge(s) are set at what they were programmed to (37°) by the factory.

I'm not changing that.

So what do I do? How do I defrost my frozen foods?

Well, I'll tell you, but I think legally I need to add this disclaimer:

Disclaimer/Commonsense WARNING: DO NOT USE the following method. Possible harmful effects could occur that include poisoning, tummy aches, diarrhea, vomiting, anal leakage, death, and broken legs and/or hearts, among other things. If you use this method, you do so at your own risk, and accept full responsibility for your actions and any repercussions that may occur. You have been warned.

Okay-- now this is what I do.

So here's the scene… It's 5:47 PM, I've been at my computer all day… Kids are hungry, mom is hungry… Husband and sister are on their way home from work… And I'm NOWHERE NEAR DONE working for the day… And – I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT DINNER. Gasp*yeah. I know. Total parenting/wifely fail.

But…

I have a teakettle and frozen ingredients.

Which means I also have choices.

I could stick to the menu, and make what I have planned for, or I can make something completely different… It's my choice. So I ask myself, how committed am I today to cooking (_blank_)?

First, I fill the teakettle w/water and set it to boil. Then I go pick out what I'm going to make, meat-wise/pasta too, if applicable.

I set the bag of meat in a pot on the counter (on top of a pot holder) (same with pastas), and then go back to my desk, or go potty, or go get coffee, or yell at the kids, or all of that combined…

Once the water boils, I pour from the tea kettle on to the meat/pasta (still in their bags), and let them sit in the water for about 15/20 minutes or so.

 !!AH!! yeah, I know… We've been told and warned for years NOT TO DO THIS, but here I am saying, I do this.

​ Well, yeah… I do. I basically do my own “boil in bag” version. The meat or pasta is already cooked-- well, mostly... The pork and chicken cubed pieces aren't. However, the way I freeze and store those/all of it, make the thaw-out time minimal, like 10 minutes- tops. I'm only thawing enough so that the meat/pasta is manageable and I can break it up and throw it in, into whatever I'm going to make.

Anyway, once that's done…

Here's my 15 minutes in the kitchen… (And no, I'm not breaking that 15 minutes down into increments to illustrate)... I'll saute some onions, garlic, and peppers in my big electric skillet... At the same time, I also boil/steam the rice and/or veggies (cabbage, carrots, broccoli/cauliflower etc.)in separate pot(s). Then, back at the skillet, I'll throw in the meat, add a bit of saucy and/or spices etc.… and then finally add the pasta and/or veggies, into the skillet… or something similar to that if throwing together a casserole,
or (if done earlier in the day) for chili, etc.

 And-- DONE.

 Dinner(for tonight) and lunch(for tomorrow) done in 15 Minutes of actual “in the Kitchen” cook-time...

So-- What's on the list of Pre-Makes?

​ Let's go over it…

The biggest section, is the “Freeze” section. I know, real imaginative label…
The Freeze section is divided into three smaller sections.

The first, is a fairly simple section, the name alone tells you what each ingredient is, and how to prepare them/it.
With the ingredients in this section, you simply cut, dice, chop, spiralize or shred them,
​and then put them into a freezer bag.

​​Cut, Dice, Chop, Spiralize, or Shred

Diced Red Bell Pepper: red pepper – diced
Diced Green Bell Pepper: green bell pepper – diced
Chopped Celery: celery – chopped up
Shredded Carrots: carrots – shredded
Non-peeled/Cut Carrots (for dogs): carrots – cut, not peeled
Shredded Zucchini: zucchini – shredded
Cabbage Steaks: cabbage – cut into flats
Thin-cut Cabbage: cabbage – cut into thin strips
Diced White Onion: white onion – diced
Diced Potatoes: potatoes – diced
Shredded Potatoes: potatoes – shredded
Green Beans: fresh green beans – ends trimmed off, and then cut in half or thirds
Cut-up Sausage Patties: frozen breakfast sausage patties – cut up into squares/cubes
Cubed Pork Tenderloin: pork tenderloin – cut into cubes/chunks
Cut-up Chicken: chicken thighs – skin and deboned, and cut into chunks
Cut-up Bananas: bananas – cut into pieces for smoothies
Cut-up Kielbasa: kielbasa sausage – sliced in half lengthwise and then sliced again into pieces
Sweet Potato Noodles
Zucchini Noodles
Carrot Noodles
*Ground Eggplant(yes, I know this one doesn't fit, but as noodles Eggplant sucks. But ground like meat, it makes an excellent meat-alternative. Just drain and let sit in fridge for 24 hours before cooking)

 The next section for frozen stuff, is stuff you have to Mix together/Make (but not cook), and then freeze.

Mix/Make
Pepper/Onion mix: green peppers, green onion, white onion – diced and mixed together
Onion/Cilantro mix: white onion, green onion, and cilantro – diced and mixed together
Sausage/Pepper/Onion Mix: Cut up sausage patties, pepper/onion mix – mix together equal parts
Broccoli/Cauliflower/Carrot mix: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots – cut up and mixed
Zucchini/Yellow Squash mix: zucchini, yellow squash – cut into half circles and mixed
Celery/Onion/Sage mix: celery, white onion: diced and seasoned with Sage (for dishes like Pot Pie)
Biscuits – homemade biscuits put on cookie sheet (raw), then frozen, then put in freezer bag
Rolls – homemade rolls put on cookie sheet (raw), then frozen, then put in freezer bag
Hamburger Patties: ground beef/homemade patties – placed on cookie/frozen, then put in freezer bag
Tuna Burgers: tuna/homemade patties – placed on cookie/frozen, then put in freezer bag
Salmon Burgers: salmon/homemade patties – placed on cookie/frozen, then put in freezer bag
Chicken Patties: ground chicken/homemade patties – placed on cookie/frozen, then put in freezer bag
Pork Patties: ground pork/homemade patties – placed on cookie/frozen, then put in freezer bag
Black Bean Burgers: black beans/homemade patties – placed on cookie/frozen, then put in freezer bag
Chili/Taco mix: canned-- diced tomatoes, diced green chilies, tomato sauce, black beans, taco or chili seasoning – mixed together in a bag, labeled and then frozen
Veggie Soup mix: one or two handfuls of assorted vegetables from whatever is being prepared, such as peppers, onions, celery, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini/squash, cabbage… Also add frozen spinach, mushrooms, one or two cans of diced tomatoes (if desired), and garlic
Smoothie mix Packs: assorted frozen berries, frozen banana chunks, yogurt ice cubes – mix together into sandwich baggies and store in a separate basket in the freezer, to pull out as needed to make one really large breakfast smoothie for two small/medium ones
Separated Tortillas: package of tortillas – opened and separated with waxed paper in between each tortilla, then put back into the package and frozen, to use as only a tortilla at a time
Separated Bread: package of bread – opened and separated by two slices into one sandwich ziploc baggy, then put back into the bread loaf bag and frozen in the freezer door shelves, to use as necessary, one sandwich at a time.
Separated Thin Bread: package of thin bread – opened and waxed paper inserted in between each “bun,” then taken out and warmed in the toaster for one minute… Then with a knife, separate top piece from bottom, then toast again if so desired (two minutes – for my husband's sandwiches)
Yogurt Ice Cubes: tub of plain or flavored yogurt – spoon into ice trays and then freeze, then store in empty yogurt tub. Yes, you will have extra that doesn't fit-- put into the Smoothie Mix Packs.

The last section of the freeze list, requires you to cook the food and then freeze it.
​Each item should be fairly self-explanatory… If you need a recipe, just contact me.

 Cook & Freeze
Beef Meatballs
Sausage & Beef Meatballs
Chicken Salad
Honey Sesame Chicken
Lime & Cilantro Chicken
Grilled Garlic & Herb Chicken (for my sister's lunches)
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken (for my sister's lunches)
Grilled Southwestern Chicken (for my sister's lunches)
Meatloaf Muffins
Ground Beef
Ground Pork
Ground Chicken
Boiled Chicken
Rice Bread
Breakfast Muffins: Leftovers from breakfast, individually wrapped in plastic wrap then put into a labeled ziploc gallon bag
Pasta Noodles: egg noodles, shells, elbow macaroni – boiled and strained for about an hour, then frozen
Sloppy Joe/Beef Mix: Cooked ground beef, tomato sauce, Sloppy Joe seasonings
Pancakes (leftovers from breakfast, separated by wax paper and layered into a ziploc bag & frozen, then heat in toaster like Eggos)
Waffles (leftovers from breakfast, separated by wax paper and layered into a ziploc bag & frozen, then heat in toaster like Eggos)

 Okay, that leaves us with three more sections, that are not frozen goods...

Dry Goods
Bisquick-type mix
Muffin mix
Pancake mix
Ritz Cracker Crumbs
Breakfast Flats mix
Rice flour
Cream of Rice cereal
*recipes for this section, I will post soon. Of course, you can always do a search online or visit me on Pinterest and check out my Breakfast board, or Mixes & Spices board for recipes/ideas.

Cook & Can
Chicken Broth- Made from boiling chicken and/or chicken bones and veggie end pieces/clippings
Chicken Stock- (unflavored)for dogs
Leftover Soup (soup that didn't get eaten as leftovers, the next day)

Weekly Pre-Makes
Lunchables: lunch meat, cheese, crackers-- cut up and divided into square “lunchable” inspired containers
Salad mix: red lettuce, green lettuce, romaine, spinach – broken up into salad-bite sizes, and then mixed together and put into Ziploc gallon bags WITH a paper towel inside to absorb moisture, then rolled and squeezed to get excess air out
Breakfast Flats (like Belvita or Quaker Breakfast Flats)

 So… I have this list in a sheet protector
(yeah, I know – I said that already),
and I do the same thing I do regarding my Menu/Calendar--
​
I write on the paper (w/pencil, that you of course, can use a fine tip eraser marker if you want) next to each item how much I need of each.

Or, like the Pepper/onion mixes – I already know how much I make by now--
Example:
6 green bell peppers
2 bunches of green onions
8 white onion
1 bunch cilantro etc. etc.

Then, I put the sheet in the protector, grab an eraser marker and cross out (on the plastic) the items I'm NOT MAKING.
And you'll notice, I marked a few of the numbers with RED notes, to explain what you're looking at...

 And THEN...
I keep a different color eraser marker in my apron, and as we make this and that – I cross them off, until we're done.

 2-3 days of roughly 4 hours each, of prep work.

And that's all it takes, and I'm done cooking for the month, and usually with extra to carry us into the next month as well,
or for those days when there's unexpected extra mouths to feed.

Now, again, if I find I don't have time, or don't feel like it, or we have guests – whatever, I have already cooked and ready ingredients that are part of a HUGE ENDLESS MENU… The menu in my head, which is fueled by a knack for being able to throw stuff together,
regardless of a recipe.

Flexibility – so important.

And, you know what else is important?

No “Fend for Yourself Nights” AND-- Lunches are covered.

How? Well…

The leftovers/Lunches happen, because I ALWAYS make more than what we're going to eat that night, and since leftovers are good 2-3 days, if kept in the fridge, in quality Tupperware/plastic storage containers, this also means = Money $aved.

No “Fend for Yourself” nights ALSO = Money $aved, because if given the choice, they ALWAYS go for “the good stuff,” which is usually the expensive stuff, as well… Bread usually runs $3.25/loaf, not expensive? Add everything that goes into a sandwich, multiply it by nine…
and, uh--yeah…
​To each their own, but I'm not trying to spend that kind of money, by being too lazy to make sure there's enough (made)food to eat.

 Well, that's that lesson.

Below you will find the Printable, with extra space in case you think of stuff to add.

Again, you can totally use your whiteout tape, or ask for an adjustment (one time) to customize it how you want.

**Also, your copy will more than likely printout darker and more vivid... I kinda need new toner
and I'm too cheap to buy it until I'm REALLY out!

And again, if you have questions or need help… Contact me.

One LAST THING...

I AM SUPER TIRED... BUT, I am posting the Thanksgiving Lesson as soon as I am done with this.
So Don't GIVE UP ON ME!!! Please?! I AM trying....

Be back shortly!

CLICK BELOW to download your FREE Pre-make PRINTABLE!

mealplanningpremakesprintable_tbcooper.pdf
File Size:	69 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

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And ONE MORE--MORE thing...

Expect tutorials out of this course too.

I made sure we took LOTS of pictures, so I'll be making short 'How to' lessons, like how to de-bone chicken thighs for boneless chicken, and how to cut cabbage, etc.
+Recipes too!

And if you've missed any of the Lessons, so far...

Announcing the FREE Meal Planning Course(Why I Meal Plan & how my method is Different)
Lesson #1 (Meal Planning Binder, Calendars & Grocery Lists)
Lesson #1.5 (How I Organize Meal Planning in the Household)
Lesson #2 (How to Make your Grocery Lists for the Month)
Lesson #2.5 (Meal Prep Kitchen Necessities)