"Don't Panic!..."

Good morning, all! It's not quite 11:00 a.m. on the west coast and so far this morning I've made/processed the following:

~ 2 quarts of homemade turkey soup
~ 8 phyllo wrapped chicken breasts
~ 10 pounds of sesame chicken strips (can be used for stir-frys, salads, sandwiches)
~ 2 meatloaves

YAHOOOOOOOO!!

I've still yet to make:

~ 6 pounds of peanut chicken
~ 3 pounds of rojo steak strips (can use in soft tacos, burritos, fajitas)
~ 3 pounds of sirloin strips in a wine/teriyaki sauce (can be used in stir-frys or by iteself over rice)
~ 3 pounds of steak dionne

As you can tell, it's 'stock the freezer day'. I am inspired because I bought a new 'Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer!' book this past week. I have the first book, this is a new one -- with GREAT recipes! If you haven't read it/tried it, I highly recommend you do. When I've taken the time to make a few of these dishes and freeze them, I can't tell you how much easier it makes my life. While I enjoy cooking, I don't necessarily enjoy cooking a full on meal when I get home from work. These nice little 'head starts' really help me out and ease the meal-time burden.

Kevin and I used Dream Dinners exactly three times before we decided their prices were so outrageous, we simply could not justify the cost. Plus, so many of the things are just "marinate & freeze". That's okay, but it's not that great of a help at dinner time. That's something I can do on my own. After our three sessions, I decided to search out another alternative. I was thrilled when I found the first 'Don't Panic...' book. Debbie and I got together and did a big cooking session and it worked out well! I've done a few sessions on my own since then and am always amazed at how nice it is to just go to the freezer and pull out something delicious for dinner. Such a time saver! So, of course, when I heard there was a new book, I had to buy that to. I'm so glad I did! Even more wonderful recipes to test out. In addition to the regular beef, chicken, soup recipes, there are also lots of delicious brunch items, appetizers and desserts. I'm planning another session for Spring Break (week after next), and that session will include some brunch items and baked goods.

I feel so accomplished!