Updates on the week.

Well, our bee adventure has begun.  Ronnie is officially on his way to Ripley to pick up his bees.  When I asked him to make sure his Dad got a picture of he & Zelda getting the bees. he asked "Why? Because you've never met anyone named Zelda?".  Um, No.  Because she is Zelda the bee lady and I want to see her. 


So now it's 4:30am and I can't sleep.  I thought I would let you know what I think of the freezer cooking.  I have to say, it's been great.  It was well worth the initial effort.   I really believe it's the reason we haven't been eating out.  There is always something in the freezer ready to go.  I've had no issues with freezer burn - everything has stayed well wrapped in there. 
Here what I will do differently the next time:

• Label better - If I had more meals, I think I would have forgotten what was what in the freezer.  I'm going to try a fat sharpie the next time.
• Use real baking dishes instead of disposable.  I'm going to look for cheap baking dishes at yard sales this summer for freezer cooking.
• Change how I make the garlic bread.  The recipe is great, but when it's cooked it's a little soggy.  Next time I'm going to pop it under the broiler after it's baked to crisp it up a little.  
• Make more french toast.  This was a morning lifesaver and probably Ronnie & the boys favorite thing.  I liked that I just had to throw it in the oven for 20 minutes from frozen and it was ready to go.  
• I'm also going to look in the Bulletin Board and check store sales for a small freezer.  My big upright is still very full with the cow & deer.  Don't get me wrong, we are making a big dent in it, but we also have another cow in the field right now and I'm hoping to have a pig butchered this year.  I'd like to have a small chest freezer dedicated to my month of meals and extras like milk & bread.

I know without a doubt, I've saved at least $100 this month with freezer cooking, just from not eating out as much.  I also haven't gone to the store as often, which has to be a savings.  Let's face it, no matter how disciplined you are, it's really hard not to pick up a little something extra at the store.  Another thing that I really like is that I have less to clean up, because I did that when I was making the meals.  For the most part, it's just a baking dish, grill pan or cookie sheet and the table settings.

Conclusion:  I like freezer cooking and will definitely do it again.

Check back later for an update on Ronnie's bee adventures!

Charli