WOW, we’ve been kinda busy around here. (Isn’t that always the case?) So I haven’t done a good job with previewing the Everything Food Prep {BLOG HOP} this month, but yes, we’re back again with another Mom-Tested, Family-Approved BLOG HOP and we sure hope you’ll join us by linking up one, or two, or more of your great posts about all things food prep, canning and preserving, bulk buying and cooking, freezer cooking and other stuff that I’m totally trying to learn from all you organized and kitchen-savvy ladies!

Here at The Lowe Farm, we tend to using freezing as our first line of preserving the harvest because, well, it’s easy! {smile} And I’ll be the first to admit that my momma didn’t do any canning and I never learned any “food prep” or “preserving the harvest” type lessons at home, other than double batch cooking and freezing–which is definitely one I still use! My momma was just not overly domestic.

Then here I am on a farm–processing my own farm-fresh chickens no less!–and I had never even cooked a whole chicken until I was married 4 years! Here we are blessed with this amazing bounty of food and I’ve practically had to start from scratch to learn how to use it–in between learning from scratch how to grow it, learning from scratch how to run a household and be a mother, and working a full-time job.

All I can say is “real food” is a journey–so don’t you dare be discouraged if you feel like you have keep a few boxes of Stove Top and potato flakes around!

I’m just a baby on the organized buying and storing and food-prep continuum (if there is such a thing!) but here’s a few simple tips I have for any super-busy mommas out there (aren’t we all!) that don’t even know where to start and occasionally want to cry if we spend too much time on Pinterest…

• Don’t spend too much time on Pinterest!

You’re laughing, I know it! But truly, it can be both discouraging and simply a time-sucker. Yes, Pin great stuff, but then go do it!

• Cook double.

This has to be the easiest food prep method to get started with! You can do it two ways–and I do both.

1. Double the recipe.  This means exactly what it says, double a casserole recipe, put two casseroles together, and freeze one when you put the other one in the oven.
2. Double the individual ingredients. This means you cook twice as much of some main ingredients, since you’re standing there anyway, and use the extra to put together another dish (or save for a second dish later in the week). For example, when we cook spaghetti, we cook twice as much as one meal. Then I assemble the extra into a baked spaghetti casserole, while I’m already in the kitchen, and stick it in the freezer for later. Another thing we do is any time we put chicken on the grill we try to cook twice as much as we need and save the leftovers to be chopped up for grilled chicken salads or chicken stir-fry on a busy night later in the week. Or you can chop it and throw it in the freezer for a few weeks for the same reason.

• Freeze cooked meat.

This goes hand-in-had with the cook double technique and the frozen food aisle at the grocery store is full  of products that do this. Did you know you can brown hamburger and then freeze it–already cooked!–for a few weeks? Don’t feel like you’ve got time to put together extra casseroles right now? That’s ok, you can still cook double and stick it in the freezer–then pull it out next week and throw it into spaghetti sauce, chili, or a tater-tot casserole in seconds. Same with chicken–don’t think you’ll eat it this week? Throw it into the freeze for a few weeks and then pull it out to make stir-fry or chicken tetrazzini. This is a busy momma life saver here!

A couple great resources I use all the time…

• The Prairie Homestead {Jill is a busy homesteader that shares some great tutorials for real, whole food prep and cooking. I can’t wait to use her applesauce canning tutorial this year–my Speedracer will be thrilled! She also hosts the Homestead Barn Hop every Monday with 150+ links to more great home and food posts!}
• Holy Spirit-Led Homeschooling {Jamerrill is a busy, homeschooling momma of many and she’s got this monthly meal planning, shopping, and cooking thing down to a science!}
• Thy Hand Hath Provided {She’s got a great list of canning and preserving posts–all mom-tested in her own kitchen!}
• Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving {A classic from the experts–your grandma probably got her recipes from here!}
• The Homemade Pantry {The kids and I are having a blast with this book! We can’t wait to try our own pop-tarts this fall for busy school mornings!}

Do you have some great food-prep tips? Are you one of those super-awesome monthly grocery shoppers? Do you buy in bulk, or cook in bulk? I’d love to know your tips and tricks! This is one area I’m definitely still learning in and I can’t wait to see what you share!

And be sure to visit last months Everything Summer {BLOG HOP} featured posts!

Frugal Summer Boredom Busters for Teens — Mama Kautz

4 Simple Ideas for Summer — Elisa Pulliam

15 Great Father’s Day Gift Ideas — A Proverbs 31 Wife