Once a month cooking, anyone?

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I have a large stand-up freezer in my garage that I only just now managed to get completely re-filled. The bottom quarter, where I keep meat (for my husband, who eats meat) had become almost empty for probably 2 months. The top shelf, where I keep bread, had also become almost empty. A couple of days ago I bought enough to fill it back up again. Freezers are more efficient when they are full than when they are mostly empty, so I like to keep the freezer full whenever possible.

I used to do a lot of cooking ahead and freezing so my husband could just take something out of the freezer and heat it up when I went away on trips. For awhile that seemed to work very well, but one time he didn't even touch any of the prepared meals in the freezer. He had decided to go on a healthier diet while I was away that time, so I got out of the habit. Since he now eats a lot more salads and fresh fruits, frozen meals don't appeal to him anymore. Sometimes I'll put 4 frozen pizzas in the freezer and come back after a month or two to find them all still there. So I no longer even buy frozen pizzas.

I still freeze soup stock when I make a huge amount of it after the Holidays, but frozen pre-made meals doesn't seem to be a solution for my husband and I anymore. I prefer to make fresh soup most days, but I only make it in a smaller crockpot and we rarely have any leftover at the end of the day.

What I freeze now that requires any re-packaging tends to be medium/small plastic containers of diced tomatoes or tomato sauce after I open a new #10 can of them (cost savings over buying small cans) or bread after slicing. And soap making liquids to use in lye solution at a later date. Some chopped fruits to add to smoothies. Nuts to keep them fresh longer. Most of my breadmaking flours and gluten for making seitan fill the door of the freezer.

I suppose the most likely pre-cooked meal I would freeze now in order to utilize time saving methods would be enchiladas. I love them with Mrs. Renfro's sauce. But now my freezer is full and I no longer have room! :think:
 
Even though both of us enjoy cooking, we also both have full time jobs. There are plenty of times neither of us feels like cooking. A few weeks ago, I took the opportunity to make three meals... lasagna, beef enchiladas, and Shepherd's Pie. I bought foil baking pans, just enough for one meal for the two of us, and froze everything. I ended up with four containers each of the enchiladas and the Shepherd's Pie, and six of the lasagna, which was pre-cooked (just reheat and eat). It has made dinners SO much easier.

Last week, my husband's boss spent the week here and we didn't need to do any extra cooking, just ate out of the freezer; it was a much more pleasurable visit because no one had to worry about the cooking, and clean up was a breeze. I'll be doing that again.

As a matter of fact, right now I'm in the process of making a batch of pastitio for the freezer.
 
I think everyone who does this, has their own style, whether it be whole meals or even diced tomatoes or tomato sauce. I'd never be able to keep it up month after month, nor would I want to, but once in a while, it sure is nice to take a break from the cooking and pot and pan washing. I don't remember feeling this way in my twenties, but at almost sixty seven, that's a lot of meals cooked and pots and pans scrubbed, so the occasional break is most welcome, especially in spring when I want to get outside! :)
 

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