Cooking Day....Organization, 'cuz it's gonna get crazy!

The next item on the handout is organization. Organization is a key component to saving time in the kitchen on cooking day.
First, after you have chosen your recipes and tackled your grocery list(which is a whole other presentation!), you need to get your kitchen ready. So when you come home and unload your groceries, leave as many out as you can! Of course, the refrigerated items need to be put away, but anything that can stay on the counter needs to be left out. Again, this is a time saving strategy. You will be doing multiple recipes at once, so you want to have everything at your fingertips!

You will also want to leave your recipes out, in a place that is easy to read them, and somewhere they will stay clean. I usually put my recipes on my fridge or tape them to my cupboards. The recipes shown below are not what I usually use. The recipes in the picture are not folded in half or laminated yet. My kitchen is small enough that I can read them on the fridge while I'm prepping things at the counter.

Next, you will want to get all of your freezing containers labeled and ready to be filled with your recipes! You don't want to leave a label off of anything! You don't want to have a mystery meal in your freezer!

Lastly, you will creating a lot of garbage! From produce cuttings to cans to cartons, you will be amazed at how much is produced! You need to tape or tie several garbage bags to the counters in your kitchen. You want to be able to toss something in the trash without walking across your kitchen. You will actually get really good at tossing trash without looking! Haha! Dont limit yourself to just one garbage can while you cook. Remember, this is all about saving time while you cook and truthfully, the seconds wasted add up!

Oh, just thought of one more thing that is not on the handout. At this point, get out all your measuring cups, measuring spoons, mixing spoons, spatulas, etc. if possible, having multiples of these items are wonderful. I try to use one set for dry ingredients and one set for wet ingredients. You don't want to have to wash off your spoon or spatula every time you stir one of your many recipes you have cooking! Again, another time saver!

How to get started.....

I figured that my handout on freezer cooking is somewhat of a skeleton outline for the general public, since you missed the details of the presentation. So I decided I would break it down and explain each of the points on the handout. I guess you could call it an online course on freezer cooking, of sorts!
I'm skipping the first point of the handout, Reasons Why You Should do Freezer Cooking; I think that needs no further explanation!
So, lets move on to the next point- How to Get Started!

It's overwhelming to try to figure out how to start without any advise or guidance. For me, I tried to follow what was written in the books I have about the subject. I will share some thoughts of my own about getting started, without the books!

Ask yourself "what recipes do I have that I can freeze?" You might not have recipes that are specific to freezer cooking, but A LOT of the recipes you already use can be frozen without much adapting. Many common, easy things can be frozen- chili, sloppy joe mix, taco meat, shredded chicken, breakfast sandwiches, etc.; all things you can try without a lot time or money invested.

Next, what appliances do you have? Why does this matter? Freezer cooking is all about saving time, and some of those appliances you rarely use might come in handy on your once a month cooking day! I use a food processor, mixer, pressure cooker, slow cooker, bread machine, griddle and more when I am cooking!

Lastly, how much freezer space do you have? This matters! If all you have is the top freezer in your refrigerator, you will need to consider how many recipes you can prepare, and what you are going to freeze them in; freezer bags vs. pans.

Stay tuned for tips on Cooking Day......beginning with getting organized to start your day off right!