Recipe(tried): Freeze Ahead Meals - Another couple of ideas for you, Amy

Firstly, yes! June's ideas are great and you will not go wrong. Especially the slow cooker one! Just the other day, she and I were talking about slow cooker pasta sauce with meatballs and browned Italian sausage. If you load them into the slow cooker and pour in some pasta sauce and tinned diced tomatoes (and even some peppers, if you like), you will come home to a delicious sauce. Then all you do is cook the pasta itself...I even leave the pasta pot full of water, ready to be turned on and come to a boil while I change from my work clothes! Then it's back into the kitchen to get it on the table for my crew, while the kids set the table. They also do the dishes after dinner, and then I go through the kitchen with a white glove. Ok, maybe not! But I do go in and wipe down the counters and check that nothing is left to haunt me at breakfast time.

Another tip I have is, sometimes on a Sunday, I prep up a bunch of veggies I will be using during the week. That way, I can get everything underway as soon as I get home. You can buy things at the grocery store already chopped, but it is a lot more expensive (but I do give them credit for giving me the idea!)

Say you are making a stirfry: chopping the veggies is the biggest part of your task, I'm sure you would agree. Plus we are really, really big on veggies around here, so it's even more vital for us. Anyway, my tip is this: on a Sunday (or anytime on the weekend you have free), I pull out the food processor and slice and chop veggies. Even if you just do onions and garlic for the week, it's worth the cleanup of the machine. Typically, I chop some garlic (peel and add to the running knife blade, and put it into a container in the fridge. Then I quarter some onions, and pulse them to chop (for diced onions), then I use the slicing blade for some more onions. You can also grate carrots or slice/chop/grate whatever you think you might use over the course of the work week. Onions and garlic go into the fridge "as is", carrots and other veggies might need to be stored in some water to keep crisp.

Anyway, I am sure you get the idea. Once I have that food processor out, I really go to town!

I wish you great luck and fulfillment at your new job. They have hired the right woman!

best regards,

Carolyn!