One of my favorite ways to fill my freezer is by batch cooking easy freezer meals. I love making multiple batches of the recipe we are having for supper, serving one batch that evening, and putting the rest in the freezer for another day. Batch cooking doesn't take a lot of extra energy, but it saves so much time in the future. Often I try to include one freezer-friendly recipe in my meal plan each week. However, this past week I wanted to be more intentional about filling my freezer. Instead of picking out just 1 freezer-friendly recipe I could double, I picked out 4 easy freezer meals. The week was a huge success. I want you to to … [Read more...]
Cheap At Home Date Night with Home Chef {free printable}
Is anyone else feeling a bit desperate for a date night? This has certainly been a crazy year, and getting creative with date nights is more important than ever. Home Chef is the perfect cheap at home date night solution. I've used Home Chef several times now. In fact, my next order is coming next week. I am looking forward to making shrimp primavera and steak & broccoli lo mein. We have loved every Home Chef meal we've made. By the way, I have a fun free printable to go along with your at home date night. Keep reading to find out more. Stay in and enjoy a delicious, but cheap at home date night with Home Chef. This post … [Read more...]
Is Home Chef Affordable? (an honest review)
Is Home Chef affordable? Does the luxury of a home meal delivery service fit my budget conscious life style? Does it work for a family with kids?? I tried it, and this is my honest review from a frugal mom's perspective. I have always wanted to try a home meal delivery service. The idea of ingredients for fun meals showing up at my door seemed like such a fun luxury, but I could never get over the price. At least until now! This post contains affiliate links. Is Home Chef affordable? Home Chef is offering new customers 18 free meals, which makes Home Chef affordable to try for at least once. You can try Home Chef for less … [Read more...]
10 Different Meal Planning Methods
I have been married for over 10 years, but I am still trying to figure out how to manage my home, children, and work. It is amazing how there are so many different ways to do everything. I've settled into a meal planning method that works well for me, but it certainly isn't the only way to meal plan. Before we dig into different meal planning methods, let's get some of the basic questions out of the way. What is meal planning? Meal planning is the simple act of thinking ahead about what you want to eat, using those ideas to create your grocery list, and then eating those meals over the next several days. For a more detailed look at meal … [Read more...]
An Awesome and Affordable Dinner Party Menu
For Grace's wedding birthday, I came up with a simple, delicious, and affordable dinner party menu. The meal was so well received that I wanted to share it with you. The main course was crock pot cheesy pasta and beef casserole from Tammilee Tips. This recipe is so much better than regular spaghetti. The homemade sauce makes all the difference. All of my guests went back for seconds! In the picture above, I used mozzarella cheese. The recipe calls for cheddar and, I like it better with cheddar. However, you can use whatever you have on hand. There were 10 adults and 6 children at the party. I doubled the pasta recipe, and we had a … [Read more...]
More Fast & Easy Vacation Meal Planning
When our family goes on vacation, I always make a meal plan. Â We love to eat out, but it isn't very relaxing with little ones. Â Plus it gets expensive! In 2011, I pulled together a fast and easy vacation meal plan. Â Last summer when we went on a beach vacation, I decided to document our meals so I could share them with you all again. Â I hope it inspires you as you plan for your next vacation. What We (2 adults, a preschooler, and a toddler) Ate On Vacation Day One: Breakfast - peanut butter toast at home Lunch - chicken salad sandwiches, chips, and yogurt in the car Supper - chicken tenders, green beans, grapes -Â This meal was … [Read more...]