How long have you been once a month cooking? How did you discover OAMM?
I played around with freezing single portions back in my single days, but I got serious about freezer cooking about 7 years ago when I was expecting my first child. That was when I discovered Once a Month Meals (which used to be Once a Month Mom way back then!) I have been freezer cooking off and on since then, but especially since I came on staff 4 years ago.
They are 6 and 4 1/4 now, but they are still the reason I freezer cook!
How has choosing to OAMC benefited you and your family?
My husband and I both work from home, and we are a homeschooling family. You would think that with all of the time spent at home that we would have time to cook, but that isn’t always the case! Freezer cooking helps so much on busy days. But we also like to host family and friends in our home, and it helps me to pull off entertaining without going crazy or spending the whole time in the kitchen.
What is your favorite OAMM resource?
I’m addicted to Mini Menus! I love creating special themed minis for all of you and creating my own with my Membership. Which is why I’m so excited to be able to introduce you to Bos Creek this weekend! Our new partners ship a box of grass fed, locally-sourced meat straight to your door. This is quality stuff. But sometimes it is difficult to incorporate bulk purchases into your everyday meal plan. That is why we have created a special Mini Menu for each of the Bos Creek curated boxes. When it shows up at your door, you can stock the freezer not just with meat, but with ready to eat freezer meals.
This weekend I will be freezer cooking the Bos Creek Modern Family Mixed box – 16 lbs. of grass-fed beef and pastured pork and chicken!
You can see the recipes on my menu here.
If you would like to cook a Bos Creek Mini Menu, you can receive $15 off of your first box with the coupon code “OAMM15”.
Give us a brief introduction to your kitchen.
I have a very average sized kitchen. There are two long counters, so I usually try to set up a staging area on each counter. It is an eat in kitchen, so I typically lay all of my ingredients out on the table to make them easy to find. I love having my Kitchen Aid mixer and my food processor ready to go on cooking days. But other than that, I try to keep my tools pretty basic. The two appliances I use all.the.time. are my rice cooker and my slow cooker. I do however have an entire cabinet filled with just spices!
What is the number one tip that you would give to a first timer?
You know all those pretty menu documents you print out? Make sure you read them all! “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Make sure you do your shopping and chopping before hand, check that you have all of the supplies to you need, and read to the end of the recipe before you get started.
My other tip is to start small. A mini menu can really lighten the load in the kitchen. You can eat it all in two weeks, or you can spread it out over a month. This past summer my husband was traveling overseas for a month, and having a mini menu in the freezer kept me sane!
Do you involve other people when you OAMC?
I love cooking with a buddy. Friends will ask me about my job or see something I have posted on social media and ask, “How do you do that? I want to freezer cook, but I’m not sure how.” So I tell them to come on over and cook with me! The kitchen gets messy, there are usually kiddos everywhere, and it gets a little chaotic, but it is always worth it. This Virtual Freezer Cooking Weekend is the next best thing, because I get to cook with all of you! Welcome to my crazy kitchen.