I could begin this entry the same as last....but I won't.  October!  Wow!  The leaves have changed and the wind outside today is blowing them off the trees.  People are burning their wood stoves and fire places which is giving the air a decidedly fall fragrance.  The guys at work keep talking about hunting and football.  YEP, summer is over and fall has arrived.  Here in Montana the fall season is very short, but it has to be my favorite time of the year.

The cool weather is a blessing in many ways.  It helps put out the wildfires, it makes my hot tub more inviting, and it cools the kitchen so I can actually cook!  Now many of you know I don't spend alot of time in the kitchen.  I think there are many other ways to enjoy the early evening.  But we have to eat, so I do what must be done.  I do what any like minded busy mom does:  I cook for one weekend and make enough dishes to eat for over a month.  There are cook books and web pages geared at this type of thing!  Its really easy to do, and the full freezer is impressive.  For example, I buy a fair amount of hamburger when it is on sale.  On cooking weekend, I defrost all the meat I will be using...like said burger...then brown a few pounds of it with garlic and onions, in another pan I brown some more for taco meat,  and while they are browning, I mix a few pounds up with meatloaf season and other meatloaf ingredients,  and another pound or two I season up to make meatballs.  When the cooking meat is done, I add the taco seasoning mixes and cook to specfications on the package...and pull the other pan (the one  with garlic & onions) off the heat to cool a little.  While those are cooking/cooling  I split up the meatloaf mixture into individual serving loaf pans (look like toy dishes, but handy as hell!) and cover with foil.  I put 2 or3 into a gallon zip-loc bag and freeze.  Taco meat is done by now, so I pull it off the heat to cool also.  I roll up the meatballs placing them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet.  Then I "flash Freeze" them (freeze quickly) before removing them from the sheet and storing in another zip-loc bag or two.  Since they are frozen before packing, they don't stick together and can be used as needed for one serving or an entire clan.  While the meat balls are freezing, I package up the now cooled taco meat into quart size freezer bags...approx 1 cup each.  I double bag them to prevent freezer burn, then into the freezer they go.  Only thing left is the burger/garlic/onion mixture.  I have recipies for freezable casserols that go together quickly.  I finish those up, and pop them into the freezer, too.  If I choose to keep some of the mixture available for other things during the month, I freeze that now into approx. two cup portions.  The meatballs are frozen enough by now, so I double bag them in gallon size bags and put them back in their place.   And that is all there is to it!  This saves me alot of money cooking this way, too.  Since many times Krystle or I am eating alone, I package things for single or double servings.  Its easier to pull out two bags of taco meat for a meal together, then to try to use up an entire pound before it grows hair in the fridge!  In about two hours, I'd have 8 mini-meatloaves; meatballs for spaghetti or alfredo pasta;  taco meat for nachos, tacos, burritios, etc;  Green Chili Enchiladas, a lasagna, a croc pot of chili, a cassrole called Biscuit Beef Bake, and another calledTaco Pie.  (I even put the cassroles into smaller dishes...a recipie that serves 6 can easily become two different meals). 

That was just an example of how easy it can be.  Usually on a cool Friday night I will cook up 6-8 pounds of chicken (or more), cool and debone if needed, and cut it into cubes.  I will make sure I have everything I need to prepare all my dishes and set it all out on the counter.  I will cut/chop all veggies, and have any other prep work done before I go to bed.  Then the next morning everything is ready to go.  The cook book I have, Once A Month Cooking even tells you what order to prepare everything.  Start a spaghetti sauce and anything using a crock pot first...then anything that has to be pre cooked in the oven...then stove work.  Usually all meals with the same meat are all prepared together, then onto another (all chicken, then beef, then pork/ham...).  It is also easy to skip a recipie of something you don't like, too.  The one month meal plans are for larger families so when I cook most of the dishes, I have two months of dinner in my freezer!!  That means no real cooking or time spent in the kitchen for 60 days!  Just thaw in the fridge overnight, or in the microwave...throw it in the oven or reheat in a sauce pan...cook any sides like noodles, rice, or veggies...and you are at the table in no time, with almost no prep dishes.  Can I hear a Hurray!?