Ways To Fill Your Freezer With Easy Meals

There are some nights when I just don't feel like cooking. Rather than going out or calling in for a Pizza it is great to have a few meals stashed in the freezer.
I for one do not want to spend a whole week end cooking. Over at The Happy Housewife for 5 Simple Ways to Fill Your Freezer she has given great ways to do some freezer cooking with out spending days in a row over the stove.

Hope that you enjoy.. Watch for Stage 2 of my Freezer Meal Cookoffs.. Coming soon

Thanks for stopping by...Lets keep saving together.. and remember Never Under Estimate The Value Of A Small Amount Of Money... Grace

Freezer Cooking Stage 1 .. Our Spicy Chili Is On The Stove

With winter closing on us here in Northern Minnesota I am in the mood to cook and get some freezer meals ready for cold nights and easy cooking.

I do not want to spend hours at one time cooking enough food for a month or more. So I am doing it in stages. Our freezer is really only the top of a refrigerator so could not get that much in any way.

There is only 2 of us so what I am cooking this afternoon is Our homemade Spicy ( to me ) Chili and I am dividing it in to 3 containers for 3 different nights.

We can add a salad or cottage cheese and fruit plus crackers or bread for a fast tasty dinner.

My recipe is for 6 servings so would be a nice amount for 4 to 6 people.

1 1/2 pounds of ground beef 85 percent fat free $3.00

small amount of onion chopped up $.25

2 tsp of garlic

4 tsp of Chili

2 tsp of basil

1/2 tsp of salt

1 tsp of pepper

2 tsp of cumin

2 tsp of oregano

2 16oz cans of Chili or Kidney beans $1.58

2 16 oz cans of diced tomatoes $1.38

1 32 oz cans of Tomato Sauce $1.19

1 can of water

Brown ground beef,


drain off the grease
add onion to meat


then add your spices and stir

add your tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and chili beans

Simmer for about 45 minutes . It is now ready to eat or cool and freeze for future meals.

This pot has been divided into 3 containers for dinner and there was enough for us to each have a small bowl for lunch some time.

Total cost is $7.40 for us to have 3 good size freezer meals. I added the beans to my chili. Later was reading an old Betty Crocer cook book on " Do Ahead Cookbook " and with their chili recipe ( which is nothing like mine spice wise) said to not add the beans and to add them when ready to reheat and cook. I will see how the beans are when I thaw out and cook to see if this is necessary.

Stage 2 of Cooking will be coming up soon..

Thanks for stopping by .. Lets keep saving together .. Grace

Week's Grocery Shopping Round Up

It has been a quiet week for shopping at the grocery store this week. We had quite a bit of left over food to eat, freezer meal and pantry items.
Trip to Super One for a deal on 2 Skippy Peanut butters at $1.50 each that netted me a free loaf of bread along with some diet soda. Total out of pocket was $5.15. Savings of $4.66 or 48 percent.
Trip to Cub Foods

where we picked up 80 percent Ground Beef on sale 3 pound package for $5.97
½ of a Deli Barbecue chicken for $1.99
Deli potato salad for $4.87 (really need to make my own)
1 can of Bush Baked Beans $1.99
4 bottles of Diet Coke for $5.00

(I found a tear pad that offered $1.00 off my coke with a purchase at the Deli of $4.00 or more.
Total spent $19.21 with a saving of only 5 percent at Cub.
Trip to Walgreen’s for soup. Walgreen’s has Campbell’s Tomato soup on sale at 50 cents each so I picked up 4 cans. I also had a rain check from last week for mushroom and cream of chicken soup at 79 cents each limit 3 and one bag of candy for Halloween for $5.99. Total spent $11.30
Trip for Bread $2.39
Total spent for the week of $ 38.04

Thanks for stopping by.. Lets keep saving together .. Grace

Menu Plan For The Week .. Saving Money Eating At Home

Another week and I have to say I do not have much of an idea of what to make. Last week was so great. Tried for first time Cream Cheese Potato soup http://couponloversunite.blogspot.com/2009/11/whats-for-dinner-home-made-potato-soup.html and Easiest Mac and Cheese Casserole http://couponloversunite.blogspot.com/2009/11/whats-for-dinner-home-made-potato-soup.html . The week early we made Mexican Layered Casserole http://couponloversunite.blogspot.com/2010/10/whats-for-dinner-tonight-mexican.html . We had not made it in months.

So I have been looking at recipes and old favorites and this is what we will have the following meals during the week

Spaghetti and Meatballs is a tasty easy dinner ( frozen meat balls we bought on sale awhile back with Pasta sauce. Not home made but still pretty good.

Meat Loaf, http://couponloversunite.blogspot.com/2009/10/whats-for-dinner-how-about-some-meat.html boiled potatoes and veggie

Deli Rotisserie Chicken, Potato Salad and Baked Beans

Home made Meat Loaf Hash http://couponloversunite.blogspot.com/2009/10/whats-for-dinner-home-made-meat-loaf.html with eggs and toast

Ground Beef Stew over Mashed Potatoes http://couponloversunite.blogspot.com/2009/11/whats-for-dinner-easy-hamburger-stew.html

Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas ( this is my sister's recipe, she made for us once and it was really good, so will give it a try

Pot Luck of Left overs from week

Thanks for stopping by.. Grace