Anyone not making freezer meals?

HorseLover11 · August 2014

I see this on a lot of to do lists, but this is not something I have any interest in doing. I do not like eating the same thing for more than 2 days in a row and I really am not a fan of left overs... I have a feeling we will have so much family in town and they will be doing a lot of cooking/bringing food in and if I have all this food prepared then I will be hosting everyone else. Maybe if we had older kids it would be different as you have more mouths to feed.

My plan is to stock up on a lot of Trader Joe's freezer meals which serve two and are delicious. Anyone else going this route? I guess I just didn't want to feel like a bad mom/wife!!

kayemgi · August 2014

I am planning to make some freezer meals, but only a few and it's like, the last of my priorities. I'd love to have two or three easy things that we can just heat up or throw in the crock pot, for nights when it's just too much to even think about dinner, but if I don't get to it, oh well.

MrsHamon09 · August 2014

No freezer meals here our freezer is just too small for that. Don't feel bad about not doingit everyone is different.

Fishyhatch · August 2014

We're not doing it either, also have a tiny freezer. I will just plan simple meals for the first weeks that I know my husband can help with like taco night, pancakes, etc.

slowmo · August 2014

Freezer meals are not my thing, either. Maybe I'll make one lasagna and freeze it? My husband loves to cook, fortunately, and my mom will be around the first couple weeks. If we get desperate, there's a diner a block away, and a couple local places that deliver.

camichael84 · August 2014

I'm not planning on freezer meals either. DH will be home for nearly four weeks and enjoys cooking. That said, I don't really expect him to cook much either, and figure we will go quick and easy meal routes (frozen dinners, lunch meat, crock pot meals, ect). But like you, I'm a FTM, and it may be different if I had some little ones to feed.

mrsdanielleM2010 · August 2014

I am planning on making freezer meals, but not an insane amount. I thought we'd have a chest freezer in time, but we won't, so it's going to end up being a few containers of tomato sauce, a lasagna, and some prepped things to throw in the crockpot easily. My mom will be around for a couple weeks and she's going to cook, and after she leaves I should be good to go. The freezer meals are more for 6 weeks later, when I go back to work and am completely overwhelmed.

StefanyaMarie · August 2014

I didn't the first time and it wasn't too bad really. I was going to make a week or two worth this time but then started thinking about it and there are so many meals that take very little prep or time to make that I think I am just going to stick with those instead. My husband is a cook so he said that the first couple days I'm home (he works second shift) that we will throw something in the crockpot during the day and then all I have to do is clean it up quick in the evening. I thought that was a pretty good deal.

peanutbuttervibes · August 2014

MrsHamon09 said:
No freezer meals here our freezer is just too small for that. Don't feel bad about not doingit everyone is different.

This!

mapchick77 · August 2014

I made a few the first time around and we didn't really rely on them all that much so I am not going to stress myself out this time prepping stuff. I will stock up the fridge with easy-to-prepare meals, making sure I have plenty of good stuff for my toddler, and hopefully that will suffice.

I do plan on making a few frozen meals for my parents to eat since they are staying at our house with DS while DH and I are at the hospital.

kmbk27 · August 2014

I've said that I am going to, but it is getting bumped further and further down on my priorities. I think I might make some soups to freeze and breakfasts, and I will stick with easy to throw together dinners.

suitern · August 2014

I don't think we will do any freezer meals either, at least the kind I make myself

. I know specifically my Mom is coming to take care of DS and help with the house/cooking just like when DS was born, so she already said she will take care of it. If anything, I may buy a few freezer meals just in case we come home before she gets here and don't have any help.

jmolr · August 2014

I will be doing freezer meals but only because I know I won't be up for cooking, DH won't be cooking and my mom hasn't seen the inside of an oven since the 80's (I'm not kidding, she uses hers for storage). If I don't freeze meals we won't eat anything but take out and I'd rather not go that route. I'm not going out of my way to freeze meals, I'm just making extra of what I make for dinner and freezing the leftovers so it's really no extra work for me. For your situation it sounds like you really don't need freezer meals so don't feel bad about not doing it.

brittneyandadam · August 2014

I really haven't decided. DH is really picky when it comes to food--no soups/chilis, nothing with tomatoes, nothing soggy, no left overs, must be spicy...so it makes it a million times harder to make stuff ahead that will freeze well and that we both can eat. I might make a white lasagna to freeze, but I think I'll be relying on sandwiches, lean cuisines, and my mom for food. I might also gather some crock pot recipes that DH can throw into the crock pot before work and have it be ready when he gets home.

Bella2425 · August 2014

No freezer meals for me. I might make some spaghetti sauce and some muffins, but that's about it. We mostly make quick and easy meals to begin with. I might look into the TJ''s meals though, we've had a few that were good.

mcstrepp · August 2014

I have a small freezer so I can't go overboard. I was just going to have some sauce made, maybe a lasagna or stuffed shells. DH will be home with me for 5 weeks and my mother in law has offered to bring food. I think we will manage.

jg1011 · August 2014

Very few freezer meals here....maybe a lasagna or stuffed shells, some extra sauce. But I do that from time to time anyway so this wouldnt be special for this baby. My MIL lives with us and my mom will be here a couple of days a week initially. DH will have a week or so off and doesn't mind cooking. And on those nights we are all feeling overwhelmed....we'll order in. Don't feel like you have to do it. If it doesn't make sense for you, then you know best. You're not a bad mom bc of that!

amom2four · August 2014

I would like to freeze some meals but I'm in the no room category. I am going to have my grocery shopping plan of attack all ready for the following payday so that I can get it done fast and have a plan of meals. (We have once a month pay days so all grocery shopping gets done in one day for the month and then meats get prepped and frozen and I only need to make quick trips to the store for eggs, milk and fruits/veggies. I also make our bread for sandwiches.)

My fil is going to be here and he usually does a lot of cooking while he's here and we have family around if I need help when dh goes back to work. I also have my 13yo dd to help and she is a huge help with dd2, so we will manage.

HorseLover11 · August 2014

Thanks ladies!! I don't feel like such an oddball anymore

nice to also see how many DHs cook - mine does as well whixh is really handy but only on weekends as he gets home from work when it's time to eat.

purplestarz · August 2014

Definitely not. Like others have said, our freezer is too small, and there's not enough hours in the day to do everything else I need to go right now!

bf43005 · August 2014

I don't think that makes you bad or odd for not making meals even if my plan is to make them. I won't have any family coming to help afterwards so I can't rely on anyone else. DH & I are also particular in what we eat, not picky, but we tend to go the healthier route. So while store bought pre-made food is good we prefer to make our own so we know it's less salt, etc.

If I don't have the meals in the house it would end up being take out which is higher priced and high calories. I will be making freezer meals and canning food in servings that fit our family size and one large batch of ziti because my Grandmother is coming across country three weeks after my due date and will expect to be fed and I worry I won't be up for making something up to her standards.

ashaw512 · August 2014

I'm not, our freezer is too small so we have to put all of our big stuff in the deep freeze which is also small. I know when my mil comes to stay with us she will cook a lot and she insists on making some freezer meals like she did when I had DD. I'll have lots if freezer meals from the box

chardonnay24 · August 2014

I am not. I do have an arsenal of easy recipes pinned and am planning on stocking my cupboards and freezer with some essentials for when I need an easy cooking night. I didn't make freezer meals with my first, either, and I did fine. We used TJs frozen meals or take out when I didn't feel like cooking.

halle83 · August 2014

We're not. Most dishes that freeze well aren't really things we like or eat all that often. We decided to make a list of easy dinners that we know we like, and focus on making those while we're tired and overwhelmed. I also have a hubby who loves to cook and gets home early enough in the afternoon that he won't mind cooking dinner after working all day.

FWIW, I think it's a great idea...it's just not for us.

JD83 · August 2014

IF we manage to pick up a chest freezer in time, I'm definitely making freezer meals, probably a month's worth, but that's only because of my dietary restrictions. DH doesn't cook and I don't trust other people to do it for me, so I feel like it's a necessity. I'm even supplying all of my own food while I'm in the hospital because I know the Army can't make a safe meal for me. However, NO one should feel bad about not stocking up on these meals!! If your situation doesn't require it, you don't have the space for it, or you just just plain don't want to, then there's no reason to take on the project. You're still a good mom/wife!!

bohemianlc · August 2014

I know others have already said this, but don't be silly! You are NOT a bad mom/wife for not going this route. Remember that people make freezer meals to make life easier on themselves once the baby arrives; just worry about what makes the most sense for you and your husband.

As much as I like the idea of prepping meals ahead of time, we live in an apartment with what I am convinced is the world's tiniest freezer. Seriously, we have a couple of bags of mixed fruit, a box of popsicles, and a pizza in there right now, and it's jam-packed full. LOL

As PPs have mentioned, I'm also planning on stocking up on pantry essentials over the next month so I can take advantage of coupons and deals. Then all we will have to run out for is fresh produce, meat, or dairy items when we need them to whip up a meal. We are lucky enough to live less than a mile from several different grocery stores, which makes life easy in that regard.

cozybluebear · August 2014

I didn't do it with my son and don't plan on doing it with this baby. I've tried them before and they just never tasted as fresh to me.

JGuevara64 · August 2014

I don't plan to...my freezer is super small, plus it just isn't something I am interested in either.

nienot · August 2014

@HorseLover11 Trader Joe's frozen meals are the absolute best. It's what I lived on for a while in the first trimester when I was too sick to cook, and I figure it's going to be the route we take once baby is here. Now I'm craving their Kung Pao chicken...mmm so good.

No freezer meals for us...I just hate to think of putting in all that work and then us not using them for some reason or not being in the mood for what we buy, etc.

conradraging · August 2014

Oh girl. Freezer meals are to make your own life easier if you have the space/if your family eats meals that are easily freezable. They have no correlation to good mom/wife vs bad mom/wife. If you can make meals every day without any frozen ones, power to you! I'm not making them because I'm still staying with my parents until H and I move in November. If we were going to be on our own I probably would have because I know myself and I'm lazy and would love to have pre-made pop-in-the-crockpot type things. But its totally a personal preference.

CUBBIESMAMA3 · August 2014

We're not. I was going to, but Hubby convinced me not to. He told me not to worry about it, and that he would cook, and/or get takeout. He works from home, so this isn't a problem for him. :-) He told me not to overextend myself with trying to do this while working and organizing everything else.

CUBBIESMAMA3 · August 2014

I will be doing some crockpot meals though. Those are super easy and most can just be thrown together.

ConversationFear · August 2014

I LOVE to cook, and do all the time, and I am not making freezer meals. We do not currently have the real estate in our freezer to do so to the extent I would feel it was worth it. If we had a deep freezer in the basement or something, that might be a different story. What I am working on is a list of meals for about 8 weeks, and a list of corresponding groceries with the meals so we don't have to sit down and plan meals each week like I do now. it will definitely save me some time to just pull from the list. (Plus it will be easy to budget if the lists are already made, depending on how much we need to spend on food vs. diapers that week.)

Good luck!

amom2four · August 2014

I have also decided to use this last 2ish months to try a lot of new quick and easy recipes. I got a lot of the recipes from the budget bytes blog talked about on the weekly meal planning thread. So far they have been pretty easy and used minimal ingredients that I usually have on hand and they have been pretty darn tasty! I decided to try new stuff out so I could put together my list soon for shipping knowing that we will like what I'm making or dd and dh can take the kitchen if need be with easy directions!

[Deleted User] · August 2014

I won't be making any either, not a big fan of casseroles or crock pot meals. I don't eat meat and DH does, so it's hard to make stuff like that to begin with let alone freeze it for another day.

If I get a chance, I hope to make some breakfast burritos/muffins to freeze and plan to keep lots of snacks, fresh fruits/veggies, and staple pantry items for easy meals. I may stock up on a few store bought ready made meals too.

kristiedh · August 2014

I've been fortunate to have the summer off (yay school year!) so it hasn't been hard for me to prep some food and freeze it. We have a big deep freezer, so I have plenty of room for what I've made. Each thing will last us for a couple days, and I have thrown in some frozen pizzas and meals too. All I can say is I'm glad we don't live in the city where we could order in all the time--so many yummy but unhealthy options at my fingertips would be bad news probably. My husband can and will cook some, but I had no reason to not freeze some stuff with all my free time this summer.

armylove240 · August 2014

I'm making some spaghetti sauce in the crock pot right now. I have a small freezer, so it will be more about buying a few frozen dinners. My mom also lives four miles away, and I have a huge family.

Djcieply · August 2014

I don't think I'm going to do any. I thought I wanted to but I think we would be better off if I just make sure we have a stocked kitchen. I do plan on utilizing my crockpot as much as possible, then whatever leftovers I have from those meals I'll freeze in individual serving sizes.

Ivorytower2 · August 2014

I finally broke down and made some this weekend. First time ever and mannnn was it an undertaking. The only reason I did it is because my Mom is staying with me for a few weeks after LO is born and while I love her more than anything, I am terrified of her cooking.

Don't know if I'd ever do it again after what a PITA it was.

megs2011 · August 2014

Nope, not doing freezer meals. Didn't do them the first time either. I don't have the time.

LaurenWarwick · August 2014

I'm planning to clean out the freezer in case anyone brings frozen meals, but I will also be stocking up on frozen pizzas, Stouffer's lasagna, and other frozen dinners for two. I've done the frozen crock pot meals in the past when I used to teach, but they just never turned out right. I may re-make a couple of the ones we really liked, but probably not.

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