It’s been about a month since I tested the Slow Cooker Freezer Menu (get a sneak peek at it near the bottom of this post). I’ve been using those meals slowly, only reaching into the freezer when I know the day is going to be too busy for cooking.
But even though I’m trying not to use them all at once, after this week I only have 1 left!
I may be testing some new slow cooker freezer meals soon. Those meals have made dinner time so simple and having them stashed away in the freezer is like a bit of insurance against the “crazy days”.
Sunday
Last Sunday, we ate leftovers after church. There were several different things that needed to be eaten and I decided I didn’t want to cook. It worked out well, at least for me!
Jim and I also went out on Sunday evening. There was a free jazz concert at a local historic home that we decided to go to. Before that though, we stopped by Lowe’s. I’m wanting to give our kitchen a facelift with new countertops and possibly painted cabinets.
I snapped this picture so I could remember the prices for laminate. We also priced quartz and granite and decided it would be more than we want to spend. And to be honest, I like laminate.
We currently have something called Butternut Granite, I think. It’s not my favorite. I like it better than I thought I would (the builder chose it before we bought the house), but I’d like to change it to something different. If you’ve got a laminate you love, leave me a comment!
Monday
Labor Day meant a day off work for Jim and no school for the rest of us. We went disc golfing with the boys. They’ve been playing all summer, but I’d never been. I’m terrible at throwing the frisbee, but it was fun to watch them.
Friends had given us a bunch of tomatoes from their garden the night before. I decided they needed to be part of a pasta dish. So I made a quick meal with angel hair pasta, bacon, basil, tomatoes and white wine. I’ll share the recipe soon!
Tuesday
Our son had a soccer game, so we went to watch. I used one of the slow cooker freezer meals – Honey Hoisin Chicken. I shredded the cooked meat and we put it on sandwiches with quick cole slaw and sweet potato fries on the side. Yum!
Wednesday
I used a bottle of Kung Pao sauce with some chicken tenders, onions and bell peppers. We ate it over rice. The bottle of sauce had enough kick that all of our mouths were tingly and burning afterward, but it was good.
Thursday
I made another of our slow cooker freezer meals. This time it was Maple Apple Pot Roast. It turned out great! I served parmesan potatoes too – from a box – and they were delicious! I hardly ever buy boxed au gratin style potatoes, but they just looked so good. Everyone loved them. We also had broccoli. And I made Peach Pie Squares for dessert. Recipe coming to the blog soon!
And I repurposed our leftover roast for Friday’s lunch. I shredded the beef, added a can of black beans and some salsa. Heated it in the microwave and filled taco shells. It worked great and would have made a good dinner for a small family.
We had some tiny company on Thursday night. This little guy and two of his brothers were hanging out in our garden. They were only about the size of the palm of my hand. Cute!
Friday
It’s Friday as I write this post and I’m planning to make French toast and ham for dinner. Fancy, I know. *Update: When I went into the kitchen to make dinner, I realized we were out of milk. So I turned the French bread into French bread pizzas, using the ham for a topping and gathering up anything else I could find. They turned out great! But I really do need to hit the grocery!
Simple Weekly Meal Plans
Here’s a sneak peek at this week’s meal plans. When you join the Weekly Meal Plan list, you get the grocery list and printable recipes with side dishes included. You can find out more about how to get them for yourself by clicking here. Now, you get access to a whole month at a time! And September is our focus on stocking the freezer, including the week where you cook 7+ Slow Cooker Freezer Meals in just 1 hour!
Slow Cooker Plan – this is the freezer meals plan!
1. Taco Soup
2. Mediterranean Chicken in the Slow Cooker (as round steak)
3. Whole Chicken in the Slow Cooker
4. Honey Hoisin Chicken in the Slow Cooker
5. Easy Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
6. Maple Apple Chicken in the Slow Cooker (as pot roast)
7. blueberry orange bread
Traditional Plan
Raspberry Chicken*
Mel’s Diner Chili *
Stromboli
Spaghetti and Meatballs
BBQ Chicken Fajitas* (prepare chicken like this)
Beef Stew
Peanut Butter Fluff Pie
Just and FYI if you are going to paint your cabinets check out Rustoleum Cabinet Transformations kit. I did this to mine & it was easy (no sanding) & they look amazing. Upside it doesn’t cost a lot either.
Cindi, Thanks for the info. No sanding sounds good to me 🙂
We had a “high definition” laminate called Bella Noche that I loved. It looked like granite, but it was so easy to take care of. People always would come in and run their hands over the counters because it looked so much like granite with its shine and luster, but it was so much cheaper. We were also able to have it cut for an under mount sink which was great!
Thanks for telling me about that. I’m going to get myself a sample of it!
I work for a company that makes laminate counter tops. The “high definition” (referred to as HD) a previous poster mentioned is a Wilson-Art product. I have it in my bath as well as kitchen with an under mount sink and I love, love, love it. It is more durable than a standard laminate and it really does give you an elegant look without the high price. We have Crystalline Dune in the kitchen and people really do think it’s granite. It’s more expensive than a standard matte laminate, but in my opinion, well worth the extra cost.
Cheryl, thanks for the info!
I have laminate counter tops and hate it. They chip, warp and just look horrible.
Hey Tiffany, just a quick tip–you don’t need milk to make French toast. I cook for a friend who is allergic to milk, and I make French toast for her quite often. I throw in an extra egg and a quick splash of water to make sure I have enough liquid, but that’s the only change, and I can’t even taste the difference!
Cindy, Thanks! That is a great tip!
I stumbled onto your site from Pinterest and it’s very interesting! I love the idea of making crock pot freezer meals, but I’m struggling to find what you do when you want to make the meal in the crock pot. Do you defrost the freezer meal in the fridge or just out straight into the crock pot in the morning frozen? If the latter, how are cooking times adjusted?
Tammy, you can defrost in the fridge over night. I usually just pop it in the microwave and thaw it enough to get it out of the bag. Use the longer cooking time if it’s still partially frozen.