AKA Preparing for BabyGeddon

We’re entering that uncertain period of pregnancy where the baby could arrive ANY DAY.
If I look back at my 2 previous pregnancies, I have a familiar behavioural pattern.
At about 35 weeks, I’m possessed by this insane nesting instinct to COOK ALL THE THINGS and stock up on freezer-friendly family meals. To the point where I may go slightly overboard- last night my husband watched me package and place another home-cooked meal in the freezer and stated, “You do know that I can actually cook, don’t you?”
But what did the Boy Scouts say about always being prepared?
So here are some of the things currently filling my freezer, ready to feed a (picky) preschooler, (always ravenous) toddler, husband man and newborn mumma.

Breakfast

Book: I Want Spaghetti! By Stephanie Blake

Babs is frequently blowing my mind with her brand of awesome, but she just completely exploded it by letting me know that I CAN FREEZE FRENCH TOAST!

Simone is my Food Yoda*. She always has amazing advice about eating well with kids. If she says I can have ice cream for breakfast then I’m totally having ice cream for brekkie- possibly with my French toast from Babs.

We’re big fans of oats soaked overnight here. (Not strictly a freezer meal, but make-ahead meals are also a winner!)  These peach and ginger overnight pots from Shari look delish. Sometimes I stew up rhubarb to add to my oats. (Simone taught me that rhubarb is a veggie- hooray to upping the veggie quota at breakfast time!)

Lunch

Definitely my most neglected meal of the day. Honey toast, anyone?

I’ve just made a batch of Lauren’s delicious cauliflower, cheese and bacon fritters and frozen some lunch-sized portions. Lauren has recently welcomed her third boy into the world so she’s an expert at this freezer-friendly family meal stuff!

You may sense a trend here- I’m trying to inject as many veggies into our diet as possible. Sometimes without the picky preschooler’s knowledge. #mumbeingunethical
These “veggie smuggling” savoury muffins look good! As does this no green stuff veggie slice.

I think sometimes I should just pretend that I’m at school and pack my own lunchbox each day. I’d fill it with some of these 20 best freezer friendly lunchbox items from Kylie at Kidgredients.

Or Fat Mum Slim has 40 deliciously awesome lunch box ideas.

I’ve always wanted to be the kind of person who is so organised that they have salads ready in mason jars. Perhaps this is my year?

Dinner

Book: I Want Spaghetti! By Stephanie Blake

Meatballs are generally always a hit here. So definitely want to give these parmesan chicken basil baked meatballs a whirl!

Bron has compiled a fabulous list of 25 go-to family dinner ideas. Via this link, I discovered this sausage apple tray bake.  I made it, it was a huge success and I shall be making it again and again. (I substituted apple juice in for apple cider.)

Bron also has this recipe for a hearty chicken and barley soup which has me looking forward to Winter.

I’ve also made batches of this mac and cheese lasagne and some pulled pork.

Snacks

I’m predicting that I won’t be straying far from home in the weeks after bub arrives. This means that I need to be well-stocked on snacks. Because, well, snacks.

These date and coconut chia cookies look like a winner.

As do these ABCD (Apple, Banana, Coconut and Dates) muffins.

I’m partial to pear, so these pear flapjacks* are definitely going to get a run.

I’ve also been freezing portions of this egg-free banana bread as I’ve been making it (we make it at least once a week.) It freezes and defrosts nicely.

And because crumble screams COMFORT FOOD to me, I’ll be freezing up some apple, rhubarb and strawberry crumble.

Anything else to add to the cooking list, Wise Ones?

*I am an affilliate with Simone and Play With Food. I totally stand by my Fan-Girling of Simone!