Convenience foods for food allergy families are expensive! You name it - breakfast foods, snacks, main meals, desserts? All pretty pricey. One of my secrets to staying on a budget is to double up! Double the recipe you are making, and freeze the extra! I have a kitchen cabinet dedicated to freezer containers. I double everything I can (that freezes well), and it saves me time and money when time is short, and the budget is tight. With seven kids, we are always on the go, and some nights I don't have the time to make a healthy, safe, dinner from scratch. With a well stocked freezer, I know that I can get food on the table without a huge amount of time, or breaking the budget.
Here's what you need in order to become a "Freezer Diva!"
- Advanced planning to double at least one recipe each week (two is better)
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| I use these "Pen Pal" pencil holders to keep my Sharpie and a pencil always on hand in the kitchen. The holders just peel and stick right to the door. I love not having to rummage around a junk drawer to get what I need. The masking tape is always tucked right in there too! |
On a "Double Up" night, after your family enjoys the sumptuous meal you've prepared, portion out the leftovers into containers. Use masking tape as a label, and write in permanent marker, not only the contents of the container, but a "Use by" date, and anything you'll need the day you bust out the frozen leftovers. For example, if I freeze the veggie and meat mixture from a stir fry, I write "Stir-fry: needs rice" on the label.
Be strategic about your portions. Is it something that might be nice as a hot lunch? Save in 2-cup containers for individual sized meals. Is it something that you'll want to heat up for the whole family? Make sure that the freezer container isn't bigger than the vessel you'll be reheating in!
I can't tell you how many times using the "Double Up" method has allowed me to get a healthy safe dinner on the table on a super busy day. Here are 10 of our favorite "Double Up" foods:
Pancakes (recipe in "Love Letters from My Kitchen")
Waffles (recipe in "Love Letters from My Kitchen")
Zucchini Bread (recipe in "Love Letters from My Kitchen")
Apple Bread
Kicked Up Sloppy Joes
Chicken Soup (freeze without noodles)
Potato Leek Soup
Turkey Slop (yep, it says slop...turkey in gravy, and then we serve it over a scoop of mashed potatoes) *freeze just the turkey in gravy
Meat sauce
Cookies (recipe in "Love Letters from My Kitchen")
Get started and "Double Up" a meal this week! For additional freezable baked goods, get my cookbook, "Love Letters from My Kitchen!" Available here, or on Amazon!
As always, from The Allergy Safe Kitchen, I wish you "Good Cooking, and Safe Eating"!
