Investment Cooking – A Half Day Session

Investment cooking is an allotted amount of time I set aside to prepare meals, condiments, desserts, breads, etc.  This allotment of time can be one full day, a half day or just an hour or two. 

I do a lot of half day sessions.  I love to spend time in the kitchen and I like to have a variety of scratch made items on hand for my family to enjoy. 

This is what I made on my latest half day investment cooking session: 

1. Navy Bean Soup – cook some for supper and freeze some for a future meal
2. Sloppy Joe Filling – cook and freeze in lunch size meal portions
3. Beef & Bean Burritos – freeze for individual lunches
4. Salad dressing – 1 pint buttermilk; 1 pint Italian
5. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough – bake a dozen, freeze the rest in logs
6. Peach cobbler
7. Cornbread

That morning I: 

• set out everything I needed to get the job done
• set out the frozen meats to thaw
• measure out, pick, rinse and put beans on to soak in warm water for about three hours
• if I happen to be hungry, eat breakfast
• do something else – laundry, tickle the kids, water the yard, whatever

That afternoon I: 

• put the beans into the slow cooker on high to begin cooking
• cook up the Sloppy Joe filling, allow to cool, place in freezer containers, label and freeze.
• get one of my kids to grate cheese
• mix up the burrito filling, make burritos, place in zipper freezer bag, label, lay flat in the freezer
• clean up cooking mess
• mix up cookie dough, bake a dozen, wrap the rest in logs with plastic wrap or waxed paper, label, place in zipper freezer bag, label and freeze
• add ham and carrots to beans
• mix up cornbread, bake and set aside for supper
• mix up peach cobbler, bake and set aside for Sunday’s dessert
• make salad dressing
• clean up baking mess
• finish cleaning up kitchen
• season soup to taste, set aside some for supper, place remainder in freezer containers, allow to cool, label and freeze
• make a salad, eat supper, have a cookie, finish cleaning up the kitchen
• pat myself on the back for a job well done.

A huge part of my plan is to make sure I have everything I need on hand, not only food but storage containers and bags too.  Setting everything out before I get started helps me make sure I have all the items I need at my fingertips. 

Cleaning as I go minimizes the workload and final clean up.  I reuse as many bowls, utensils and pots as possible so I don’t end up using everything in my kitchen and having to wash a ton of dishes.