My New Appreciation For My Freezer

I have these fantasies of being a stay at home mom and preparing perfectly balanced and delicious meals for my family every day. I can just see myself in the kitchen with my apron (channeling June Cleaver) humming as I prepare what is sure to be a meal that my family will savor and appreciate. Nobody would complain that they didn't like the dinner. Nobody would ask for chicken nuggets or macaroni and cheese from a box. Nobody would cry that they want each speck of green food removed from their plate. I would serve these meals on matching china as we all sat together to discuss our days. We would linger at the table savoring the evening and the time we have together.

That is my fantasy; what is my reality? I get off of work at 4:30, rush to the gym for an hour, get home shortly before 6 pm, eat a quick meal (sometimes well planned and executed and sometimes pizza for the third night in a row), play with the kids for a short while, bathe the kids, get the kids to bed, get a bit of housework done, lament that it's now past my bedtime and I haven't sat down once, go to bed, and do it all over again.

I am slowly realizing that I can prepare delicious homemade food for my family to enjoy anytime. I just prepare it when I have time and then put it in single size portions in the FREEZER. I've already shared one recipe with you for make ahead lunch wraps. In the coming days, I'm going to share with you even more recipes for freezer eats.

I really love having these prepared items in single size servings. We use them for lunches and quick easy dinners. I REALLY hate packing my lunch for the next day each evening. It only takes a few minutes, but it is really a pain in the butt!! This has really helped me save money and calories by not eating out as often. The excuse that fast food is more convenient just went out the window!

I can still retain some of my June Cleaver fantasy, but I get to do it on my own schedule. My family is still savoring the fruit of my labor, just not exactly how I pictured us sitting down for a leisurely meal.

So let's start at the very beginning: Breakfast. Since I love to sleep every minute that I can, I have to eat breakfast on the go. Oftentimes it would consist of one or all of the following being eaten in the car: toast, yogurt, banana. Then one day while perusing my favorite recipe website (www.allrecipes.com) I found a recipe for breakfast burritos. What's great about these babies is that you can make them to suit your preferences, freeze them, and then eat them for quick on the go meals.

Breakfast Burritos (adapted from allrecipes)

Ingredients
12 slices bacon, diced
12 eggs, lightly beaten salt and pepper to taste
10 (8 inch) flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

Directions
In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp; remove to paper towels. Drain, reserving 1-2 tablespoons drippings. Add eggs, salt and pepper to drippings; cook and stir over medium heat until the eggs are completely set.
Spoon about 1/4 cup of egg mixture down the center of each tortilla; sprinkle with cheese, onions and bacon. Fold bottom and sides of tortilla over filling. Wrap each in waxed paper and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 1 month.
To use frozen burritos: Remove foil. Place waxed paper-wrapped burritos on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave at 60% power for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 20 seconds.

SUBSTITUTIONS:
Don't like bacon? Are you crazy?!?!?!? You can substitute sausage instead. I typically use turkey breakfast sausage. In keeping with the original recipe, I cook the sausage, remove from pan, then cook eggs in drippings as directed. This recipe would also be a great way to use up leftover ham.

My kids don't like either bacon or sausage. For them I omit the meat and begin the recipe at step 2 making them egg and cheese burritos.

Often times I will add in extra sauteed veggies. I have added onions, peppers, chiles, and mushrooms.

Go crazy with the fillings and cheeses, add some yummy toppings (if you're not eating this in the car on the way to work) and enjoy!