Ahh freezer meals. I was introduced to the freezer-meal-making party by a good friend, Steph, back in Minnesota. She is a rep for Wildtree, and hosted a fun afternoon of prepping, slicing, mixing, bagging and chatting for a bunch of us. It was an adventure from beginning to end for me. I have never purchased so much meat in my life! Gotta love Costco for that. Another girlfriend and I went in together and split the cost of the meat. I picked everything up and then began the task of prepping. Boy, I'm glad I'm not a butcher. It took me a good few hours to divide up everything and prep all the bags. But it was definitely a good introduction to freezer meal prep! I've since found a plethora of freezer meal recipes and links on Pintrest and other blogs. Now, freezer meals might not be for everyone. I really love to cook fresh, live food, but sometimes we are out and about, or I've just not planned well, or I'm just lazy. I think freezer meals are great for:
Some things freeze well and some thing don't. I tend to only freeze meats and sauces. I like to chop my veg and prep it, but leave it in the fridge until I'm ready for it rather than freeze it. Most vegetables will get rather mushy when thawed and that ruins it for me. Also, egg-based sauces can sometimes separate and then curdle when thawed, so be mindful of that. I tend not to make a ton of cream or dairy-sauces, but be forewarned those can sometimes get a bit watery when thawed. I love to use gallon Ziplock bags for my freezer meals. They are super easy to fill (just put them in a large bowl or container), can more flexibly lay flat in the freezer, and are easy to label. Labeling makes life so much easier! I always write what it is, how to cook it, and what I need to add to it fresh, as well as any sides I like to make with it. I also love to use my essential oils in the kitchen, so I tweaked some of the recipes to utilize them. These are the ones I've liked the most thus far. If you don't have essential oils, you can definitely use dried or fresh herbs, you'll just need to tweak the amounts. If you are interested in trying out the essential oils I use, send me a request and I'll pop some in the mail for ya! Coconut Lemongrass Chicken Soup 1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces 1/2 cup yellow onion chopped 1/2 each red, yellow and orange bell pepper chopped 2 cups chicken broth 1 can coconut milk, unsweetened 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice 1-2 Tbsp green curry paste Chopped cilantro - garnish 2 drops Ginger essential oil (or fresh ginger grated) 3 drops Lemongrass essential oil (or fresh lemongrass) 2 drops Cilantro essential oil (or fresh cilantro chopped) 2 drops Lime essential oils (optional) Fresh basil for garnish (optional) Method
You can serve this over rice or simply eat it as a soup with some yummy naan bread. Mediterranean Grilled Pork Chops 4 pork chops, bone in or out 2-3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon minced garlic 4 drops Lemon essential oil 1 drops Oregano essential oil Juice of half a fresh lemon Method
This is great with couscous and some grilled zucchini and yellow squash. Add in some kalamata olives, fresh tomato and feta cheese and you've got yourself a winner! Another great side dish with this is a carrot red pepper puree. Roast two red peppers, then peel. Boil carrots until soft. Add carrots, red pepper, handful of cilantro, glug of balsimc vinegar, salt and pepper and blend until smooth. So delish! Lemongrass Beef and Broccoli 1 1/2 lbs flank steak sliced into bitesize pieces 2-3 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic 3/4 cup soy sauce 2 Tablespoons cornstarch 2 drops Lemongrass essential oil Head of broccoli separated 1 cup grated carrots Sliced green onion Method
Serve over rice, udon noodles, or rice vermicelli! Slow cooker pulled pork sandwiches + Grilled sweet potato wedges 1 pork loin (2-2.5 lbs) 1 sweet onion, sliced 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic One bottle BBQ sauce of choice (We like Annie's Naturals Organic Smokey Maple) 1-2 Large sweet potato Olive oil 1-2 drops Rosemary essential oil Salytand Peppper Sandwich buns Method
Got a favorite slow cooker or Freezer meal recipe? Comment below and add a link if you've got one! I'm always on the lookout for new meals.
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Welcome!I'm Tonia, a Midwesterner transplanted to Colorado. I'm a mom of two lovely littles, a yoga instructor, DIY-er, teacher, stay at home mom, and a doTERRA Wellness Advocate. I blog about a little bit of all of these and everything in between! ![]() Are you looking for natural health options, but don't know where to start? Book a 1-on-1 appointment with me! We'll spend about 30 minutes getting to know your health goals and concerns, learn a bit about doTERRA, and go over the most commonly used oils that meet your needs. You don't have to buy anything, but if you see something you like, of course I can help you!
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