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3 Steps for Freezing Meals Before Baby Arrives
By Heidi Johnson

I had more than 50 meals in the freezer when my third daughter was born! This happened without any conscious planning on my part and with very little extra effort. I just cooked a quadruple meal once a week for the last few months of the pregnancy. This was after 12 weeks of bedrest during the middle of my pregnancy. Imagine my surprise when I counted the meals in my freezer one day and found such a quantity of meals available.

The beauty of this system is that you can do it as little or as much as you want. Duplicate MealYou can cook two or three quadruple meals a week for a while and not cook at all during a time when you are not feeling well. You can also go without cooking any quadruple meals for several months if you so choose. This system is so adaptable to your needs.

Step One
The first item on the list is: During your pregnancy, use your regular meal preparation time to cook a quadruple meal once a week or less. Focus on one meal you're already cooking. Eat one meal that night and put up to three more in the freezer to eat after your baby is born.

Do this three times a month for four or five months and you could have 36 to 45 meals in your freezer! Do this three times a month for four or five months and you could have 36-45 meals in your freezer! Wouldn't it be great to not have to worry about what to fix for dinner for three or four months after your baby is born?

Step Two
The second step is to recognize inefficient cooking and cleaning up when you see it. Always double (preferably Pizzaquadruple) a freezeable meal. Look at how you cook. Next time you fix a meal, see if any of the steps you are taking in preparing your meal can be done in larger quantities. Are you browning only 1 pound of ground beef? Are you chopping only one onion? How much harder is it to put a tablespoon of oregano in a pot as opposed to a teaspoon? I know many people double meals, but I really believe in quadrupling because the meals multiply so much faster.

If you have ever doubled a meal you know how good it feels to have a meal in the freezer. On the day that you use a freezer meal, all you will have to do is put the meal in a dish and either bake it or heat it on the stove. Then when it is time to do dishes all you have to wash is the plate, silverware and serving dish. All the pots were washed at the time when you made the meal several months ago.

Step Three
The last thing you need to do is prepare. Take five to 10 minutes twice a month to plan eight to 12 meals that can be fixed during the course of the next two weeks. You can use this simple step now to ease some of your stress during pregnancy and also all through your child's life. When you plan menus you save 30 percent more money than the person who doesn't plan. Always go to the grocery store with a list and buy what is on that list.

Take half of a sheet of paper and divide it into two columns: "Eight to 12 meals I can fix" and "Ingredients I need for those meals." You can take this list with you when you go grocery shopping. This way you know exactly what you will need to prepare meals for the next two weeks. You don't need to assign a day to each meal. It is very refreshing to know that you can look at your list each morning, and depending on the mood you are in, you can choose from your list of meals and know that you have the ingredients needed to prepare that meal.

This system has revolutionized my view of cooking and I love to share it with others. That's why I wrote my book, Deliciously Simple and give it as a gift at all bridal and baby showers I attend.

Want to see more?

About the Author: Heidi Johnson is the author of Deliciously Simple: The Smart Way to Cook.

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