I am a homeschooling mom of four children under 9 who insanely adds two blogs,freelance writing,a piano student here and there and occasional ministries at church to my already crazy schedule. When someone mentions the concept of once-a-month-cooking to me,my eyes glaze over really fast. A full day in the kitchen easily stretches into 3 for me by the time I add in the typical interruptions. While I love the concept,I have decided it is not for me.

However,Crystal of Money Saving Mom has made the idea of smaller batch cooking popular. I have recently tried to keep a step ahead of my family’s voracious appetites by doubling a meal,cooking one and saving one for the freezer.

Does this work for real food? Absolutely!

Right now,I have an extra pan of baked oatmeal in the freezer,a cheeseburger meatloaf without the cheese on top and a batch of waffles. All of this required no extra time on my part this week since I simply doubled up what I was making and put the extra in the freezer. I do this with breads,too. I just make two loaves of cornbread,banana bread or whole wheat bread instead of one.

If we have leftover pasta or rice after a meal,I throw it into a gallon plastic bag and save it. Both of these heat up for a quick lunch. We added spices,butter,shredded cheese and chopped sundried tomatoes to leftover spaghetti  this week,and it was delicious!

When you brown ground beef for a meal,brown an extra pound or two and put a bag of it in the freezer for a quick meal later. When I make chicken stock,I freeze it in two cup portions in sandwich bags. These thaw quickly for a quick soup or chicken enchiladas.

One thing that doesn’t seem to work is soup. I make a double batch every time,and we almost always seem to finish or nearly finish the extra portion. I guess we are just eating more!

What are your favorite real food freezer meals?

“DearJesusThankyouforourfoodAmen”,prays my 3-year-old while simultaneously digging into his plate. We grin,then sigh and patiently try to tell him to stop and really be thankful instead of praying as a religious exercise. He just grins at us around a mouthful of potatoes.

It’s hard for me to get too upset with him. After all,how often do I really stop and thank God for what is on the plate before me? Yes,we stop to “say grace”before every meal. I even quietly drop my head when dining alone. All too often,however,it seems to be just another religious habit instead of heart-felt thanks.

It didn’t used to be that way. Back when everyone farmed their own food and many sold food to others as a livelihood,thanksgiving was in order. The family knew all too well Who was responsible for the bounty on its table. They had lived through lean times when their best efforts were rewarded with heavy rains,drought or pests.

The Pilgrims knew it. As they gathered with their Native American friends that first Thanksgiving,they still keenly felt the frigid air of the previous winter with inadequate shelter and the pangs of hunger when there was little sustenance to be had. They were truly thankful for the new friends that taught them how to survive in this new,wild land. I’m sure thanksgiving poured freely from their lips,welling from their hearts,as they celebrated.

Our family will eat a bountiful meal today:turkey that none of us raised or slaughtered but came neatly packaged in the case at the store,pumpkin pies made from cans of pumpkin,and cranberries that none of us harvested.

The further away we get from the creation,it seems the less we think of thanking our Creator. Just one more reason to eat God’s food,God’s way. Let’s not forget to truly thank Him today and every day!

Just as we’ve discussed adding healthy,nutritious fruits and vegetables with lots of color to our diets;God wants us to add some things to our spiritual diets that will add color to our lives. Partaking of these five “foods”daily will keep us strong and healthy as Christians.

1. Study of His Word. The essence of our spiritual food is the living,breathing Word of God. As we read the Bible and seek to understand its meaning,we receive a more abundant life through comprehending God’s message to us.

2. Communion with Him in Prayer. Just as a great dinner is aided by the fellowship of others around a table,so is the nutrition of God’s Word by prayer fellowship with Him. He applies His Words directly to our hearts,and we build sweet fellowship as we praise Him.

3. Victory in Temptation. I did not say we have victory over temptation. Every Christian will be tempted to sin. However,as we spend more time with the real food of God,the temptation to lesser foods becomes less appealing. Even when we are tempted to ditch the sweet fruits of the Spirit for a bag of Satan’s “potato chips’,we can be victorious and say,“No!”

4. Joyful Living. If you’ve ever seen a child fully enjoying an apple,you know how important joy is to the Christian life. They chomp and slurp,juice running down their chin,and don’t care what anyone thinks. They are just loving that delicious fruit! When we have the joy of Christ within us,it must come out in our actions and attitudes. Not in a pretentious way. If we have the real thing,our joy will naturally flow out so others can see how much we love our salvation.

5. Being Others-Focused. Keeping a delicious meal to oneself is never as enjoyable as a shared meal. When we feed others by showing them love,kindness,forgiveness and mercy;our lives are in line with how Christ lived His own life.

So,go ahead. Have all the spiritual fruits and vegetables you can hold. But these five are absolutely essential to maintain a healthy relationship with God!