I told my BF, via email, that I was turning into Beast Jeana. Growling and grunting all over the kitchen...it was not pretty. Thankfully, my friend shot a quick email back with a prayer that turned my heart and put Beast Jeana back in her cage. The rest of the day was much better.
If you're interested in what we thought of last month's meals you can check out the update I made to last month's post HERE.
Now I have in my freezer:
- Spinach & Tomato Quiche with Potato Crust (3)
- Chicken, Kale & Pepper Wrap Filling (1)
- Quinoa Cakes (2)
- Chicken Vegetable Nuggets (1)
- Moonlight Beef Fajitas (2)
- Mediterranean Stuffed (Turkey) Burgers (2)
- Barbecue Glazed Chicken (2)
- Mediterranean-Style Steak (2)
- Chicken, Bacon & Veggie Shish Kabobs (2)
- Fajita
TurkeyBurgers (2) - Spicy-Sweet Pork Grilled Tacos (2)
- Coconut Fried Chicken with Spicy Peach Sauce (2)
Here's what I learned/will do differently/better next time.
- Once again I found that some of the numbers on the recipe cards/shopping list/chopping list were really off. One list said I needed 3 carrots, another said 12. One list called for 4 cups of kale, another list said 72 bunches (!!!) and the original recipe called for 16 leaves. I know it is a tremendous undertaking for the OAMM team to create the menus and lists and that sometimes formulas and spreadsheets have glitches. I want to be gracious about the mistakes because I'm so thankful that they do so much of the work for me. But next time I think I'll make my own shopping and chopping lists just to be certain that I'm not buying extra food and wasting it or not having enough for the recipes.
- Speaking of lists, when I make my own I'm going to include which recipe each ingredient is for (BF's idea--she's a list-making maestro). That way when I have to decide between whole, sliced, and chopped olives I'll know what it's going to be in and might be able to save myself some work.
- I forgot to prep and pack and the "no cook" meals first. I still think it's the way to go, especially since this time I was more than halfway through the day and only had two meals in the freezer. Thankfully, things picked up once I was done with actual "cooking" on the stove.
So, has anyone else given this a go? I'd love to hear about your experience with it. Even though today was not my favorite day, I'm still a big fan of this system. It's totally working for my family.
I made this same meal plan at the beginning of the month. It was a first for me doing OAM cooking. I learned we don't do freezer lunches well. I will probably not make many of the lunches next time, unless they look like a recipe that I just have to try. We like our hummus, or salad or quesadillas around here.
ReplyDeleteI bagged the no cook recipes while the muffins baked, and that went pretty well. Though, next time I won't be making as many muffins of each type and instead will add some recipes from other sources. 48 was too many if we are trying not to be sick of something by the end of the month.
I also learned that I need a partner. I made enough for 8 servings (since we eat at home more than most people and have 6 people, plus a house guest, plus a good friend that eats over at least once a week). All that work was too much for me alone. I got it done, but it took a full weekend and another half of a day to finish the meals. I also decided that quinoa cakes are too much of a hassle and will not be made again by these hands :-)
A few years ago, some friends and I partnered to do OAM cooking. We each posted our recipes to a blog, & everyone made their orders. Then everyone made their recipes at home, & we got together to trade them. We figured out pricing, and then paid each other accordingly. I admire those who can do OAM cooking. The thought of it is too overwhelming to me, so I do mine as I go. I do usually make extra of everything, so I can freeze it. I guess I do a similar concept, I just do it in smaller doses, so I don't feel overwhelmed all at once.
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