Avoiding the Six O'Clock Scramble...

I love inventories, and I love to plan ahead. My friend, Michelle, thinks this is hilarious, and has ribbed me about it since before Libby was born in 2003. She saw my baby clothes inventory and that was it. Life as a full time student and mom to two busy kids makes it necessary for me to plan nearly everything ahead of time. One of the things I do to survive and thrive is 'Freezer Cooking'. Some call it "OAMC - Once a Month Cooking". People ask me all the time how it works for me... Dinner last night came from the freezer, so I thought I'd share how I do it.

Dinner last night was Steak Soup, homemade. And it was yummy! Here's a picture of it:

The picture probably doesn't do it justice. Here's how it happened:

• First, I planned it. Each month, I inventory my pantry and freezer. I keep kind of a rotating list. As I use something, I mark it off; as I buy something, I add it.
• At the end of each month, I plan all meals for the coming month. I use the pantry/freezer inventory to plan what we're going to eat, in an effort to use what we have and buy less. I also base it on what is on sale in the grocery ads. I plan all dinners, Libby's lunches, kids' snacks, and breakfasts.
• I shop as little as possible. I make a shopping list based on the menu and the inventory. I shop for everything for the month in one shopping trip. I try only to return to the store for perishables, such as produce, cheese, milk, etc.
• I try to cook ahead as much as possible. Sometimes, I assemble entire casseroles and freeze them; sometimes I just brown ground beef or grill chicken and freeze it. It just depends on how much time I have.

For the Steak Soup, I precooked the stew meat in the crock pot. When it was done, I put it in a ziploc, labeled it and put it in the freezer. Yesterday morning, I took that bag out of the freezer to thaw. When I got home, I assembled the soup; because the meat was already done, dinner was on the table in 15 minutes. Better than McDonald's anyday! I'll post the recipe later... Hope this helps you avoid the six o'clock scramble!