Comments on: Save Time & Money with Once-a-Month Cooking, Part 1

By: rachel b.

rachel b. — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 05:21:58 +0000

Miranda - yes, it's ABSOLUTELY worth the work. I know I spend 30-40 minutes each night making a meal and I spend at least 15minutes choosing what to make. So multiply that times 7 nights -- and that's not including the hundreds of times I think the thought during the day, "what's for dinner??" But when you have one big cooking day and can make 10 to 15 meals -- that is saving you countless hours of prep work and stress AND you can shop for larger quantities = save money (i.e. you know you're making 3 meals with sauce so you can buy the economy sized sauce instead of the standard small sizes). Sarah -- Since it seems like you enjoy the OAMC, please share what resources you use for choosing recipes!! I posted earlier that i've used the oamc.com site but the recipes are limited (not super healthy or requires large portion sizes). So please do share!

By: rachel b.

rachel b. — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 05:17:05 +0000

Jennifer - what resources do you use to come up with recipes? You mentioned a website...? The site i've tried (onceamonthmom.com) is great if you cook a HUGE quantity and don't mind unhealthy meals -- but i only want to cook like you said....4-5 meals at a time and want them healthier/yummier than what my website offers.
Please share your ideas!!

By: Miranda

Miranda — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 04:59:32 +0000

Really. How long have you been doing it. That has to be one crazy day of cooking! Dose the food reheat well. Sorry, that's a lot of questions. But I'm just wondering if it's worth all the work.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 23:41:12 +0000

OAMC is the best! Once you start doing it you'll never go back to cooking dinner on a nightly basis!

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 22:21:36 +0000

It actually doesn't take a ton of freezer room. I have done this for 3 months now and LOVE it! I started by cleaning out my freezer completely of anything I did not know was in there or had no desire to eat. When I did the OAMC the first time I had 16 meals that I was able to freeze in gallon size ziplocs and froze them as flat as I could get it so it only took half of my freezer. I am now sharing the cooking/prep responsibilities with 3 other ladies from my church-this month we each fixed 4 meals-one for ourselves and the rest to share with each other (using the OAMM website which already adjusts quantities). We had a $100 budget each and all managed to come under budget-not bad to end up with 16 different meals that I just have to pull out of the freezer and bake or throw in the crockpot!

I am looking forward to reading part 2 to see if there are ways we can be even more efficient and thrifty with our meals!

By: Melissa

Melissa — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 22:15:01 +0000

Hilary,
It varies by recipe. Most of the recipes like casseroles that aren't cooked before they go in the freezer need to unthaw in the fridge first and then are cooked following the directions as for when they are made fresh. The recipes that are cooked before they go in the freezer (such as meatballs, freezer burritos, etc.) just need to be reheated on the stove or microwave.

By: Erin

Erin — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 21:33:26 +0000

I did once a month cooking for a while and I found a great website that does a lot of the planning for you. It is http://www.onceamonthmom.com. They do a monthly menu and you are able to print out the recipes and shopping list. I had to modify the menu for my family but it was still great to have all the recipe ideas.

By: Christie

Christie — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 21:22:43 +0000

I'm very excited about this topic. I've wanted to try it but found it difficult to get started. Looking forward to part 2!

By: Hilary

Hilary — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 21:09:53 +0000

I just would like to know how you go about heating the meals up from the freezer.

By: Becky

Becky — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 21:07:04 +0000

This sounds so awesome!!! I wish I could try it BUT I currently live in a small apartment and my freezer is so tiny. I currently make a meal plan every week for my family (spend $90 to feed 3) and everything I make only takes about 30 mins. I let my daughter watch 1/2 hr of TV a day and thats just enough time to make a meal. Once we move into a bigger place and I have the freezer room I am so going to try these recipes!!! Thanks!

By: Kay

Kay — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 20:50:05 +0000

Where I live they actually have a business that you go into and put together your own meals (they have done the prep work) and then take them home to freeze leaving the mess for someone else but putting the home cooked spin on your own meals Wonderful and easy!!

By: victoria

victoria — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 19:49:30 +0000

i am a mother of 16month old twin girls and three boys 15,13, and 5 and let me tell you dinner is always a nightmare! i have to make something for the girls and something for the 5yr old. my older boys eat what my husband and i have. i feel like a restaurant. i love to cook but now with the twins i don't have the time. i find myself buying takeout a lot and spending more money on fast food which is not healthy at all so i look forward to trying this oamc!!! thanks

By: Domestic Diva

Domestic Diva — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 19:26:45 +0000

I have never freezer cooked before but the idea of it sounds interesting to me. The only thing close to freezer cooking that I do is save leftovers in the freezer for lunch. For instance today at lunch I made too much soup, so I portioned out the leftovers and stuck them in the freezer. I have at least two meals of soup waiting for me come lunch time.