Does the mere sight of your fall calendar fill you with dread?
Between getting the kids back into the school routine AND a full roster of work projects, conferences and meeting, chances are you wondering how you are going to survive this busy season with your sanity intact much less come up with meal ideas for your family 7 nights a week.
Don’t let family meals be another source of stress! With a little bit of planning and a few kitchen doo-dads, you too can have a well-stocked freezer for those days (you know they are coming) when you just don’t have it in you to cook.
Top 10 Kitchen Doo-Dads for Fast from the Freezer Favorites
Our favorite kitchen doo-dads for making meal planning a cinch!
#1 Pyrex Storage Containers – Our favorite from the freezer to the table glass storage containers with plastic lids. Available in a wide variety of sizes, the Pyrex Storage containers are perfect for freezing individual lunches or family-sized casseroles. Meal planning for when you have no plan!
#2 FoodSaver – If you want your frozen goodies to last a lot longer, invest in a FoodSaver vacuum packing system. It’s handy for storing pre-marinated meats, baked treats and dry goods.
#3 Ziplock Twist ‘n Loc – Ideal for storing soups and sauces because the twist on lids mean an unfortunate bump in the freezer doesn’t lead to disaster. Perfect for quick lunches!
#4 LOOK Oven Bags – Want delicious juicy chicken and roasts? Try cooking with a LOOK Oven Bag. Designed for use up to 200 degrees C, LOOK Oven Bags are a handy way to pre-season and store meat. Just add your favorite marinade and freeze!
#5 iExpiry – Want your iPhone to tell you EXACTLY when you need to use up that frozen casserole you stashed in the freezer for a rainy day? You are in luck! The iExpiry date does that and much more with reminders for all your fridge items too!
#6 Wide Mouth Funnel – Pouring soups and sauces into storage containers is a messy, spilly job. Use a wide mouth funnel (typically sold with canning jars and lids) for no-mess filling of your freezer containers.
#7 Wire Cooling Racks – If you are inclined to go on a baking spree, get yourself a set of wire cooling racks. It ensures your baked goods cool evenly without getting gooey on the bottom (which makes them stick together when frozen).
#8 Mabel’s Labels Date Mates – Stop playing the “Is this chili or is it spaghetti sauce?” guessing game and grab a bunch of these handy (and super sticky) writeable labels. Bonus points if you organize your freezer by meal category.
#9 Crockpot – Wondering what to do with that stewing beef you got on sale and tossed in the freezer for later? Pull out your crockpot in the morning and do the dump and switch on for a healthy, hearty dinner by 6 o’clock.
#10 Marinades – Keep a stash of your favorite dry rub or spice blends for making up quick marinades for using either before freezing or while thawing your favorite meat.
Want more Fast from the Freezer ideas? Tune in to our new MOMeo Kitchen feature column Dinner Dash for weekly recipes and meal planning ideas!
1 Comment
I would add Oxo bowls with the non-slip base. They are especially useful when the kids are helping to cook.