New Year - New Resolution!

My January starts with an extremely busy 2 weeks.  Kids go back to school, PTA meetings start up again, a friend in town for a week visiting my college daughter, basketball starting for my boys... busy times!

I have my menu ready and did the shopping today for the next 2 weeks (and I added to my prepared pantry as well) and then I did food prep!

Here are my meals:

• Finnish Meatballs
• Vegetable Soup
• Tacos
• Chicken Roll Ups
• Lasagne
• Tator Tot Casserole
• Mexican Dip
• Mandarin Chicken & Rice
• Pot Roast
• Beef Stew
• Take-out Pizza
• Sweet & Sour Chicken
• Spaghetti
• Leftovers

I spent the last 3 hours getting several things prepped so that I am ready to throw it in the oven on timer if I am not home or the kids can put it in.  I did the following:

• Mixed the meatballs and froze them individually on a cookie sheet.  I will put them in a freezer bag and they will be ready to cook when I want to make them.
• Cut up into small chunks and cooked 2 pounds of chicken breasts in olive oil and seasoned salt in a fry pan.  I then took half the chicken and shredded it for the chicken roll ups and the other half I just put in the freezer for the mandarin chicken.
• I cooked up 1 pound ground beef and made a lasagna in a 10x14 pan.  It is in the freezer.  I will pull the pan out and cook it in the pan.  I don't need the pan this week so it is good to stay in the freezer.
• I cooked up 2 pounds ground beef and made the tator tot casserole.  It is in the freezer.  I put aluminum foil in the bottom of the pan and prepared it on top of the foil.  As soon as it is frozen I can take it out of the 9x13 pan and use the pan for something else.  I will then put it back in the pan when I am ready to cook it.
• Loaded and unloaded the dishwasher 3 times plus hand washed the dishes that can't go into the dishwasher.
• Watched 3 episodes of the Next Food Network Star and dreamed that someday I can be on the show.  I have no idea what my focus would be... maybe casserole cooking?

My goal is to do this twice a month and stay on top of my shopping, coupon clipping, saving money and easy, healthy meals for my family.

Happy New Year to you!