Preparation is in full swing as we get closer to the due date for baby #2. We are getting the new room set up, pulling out all the baby stuff from the basement, and trying to mentally prepare as best we can. One person that always needs an extra shout out is my amazing wife, Ashley, who doesn’t get a moment off since she is the one physically carrying our child. She gets the kicks in the middle of the night that wake her up, not me (just to name one of the hundreds of examples available). In preparation for the new addition to the house we of course have to make sure excellent food is ample and readily available.
We are starting to prep a few meals in advance for the freezer. You can guess a few of them (some Italian classics), but some may be a surprise.
We first focus on making sure Ashley can eat the meals she hasn’t had in the past 9 or so months. Her words, not mine, but she is calling this her version of ‘death row inmate’ set of meals. It will start with Sushi from one of our favorite places in the city, followed by some version of a deli sandwich (to be determined), and an ample tray of non-pasteurized cheese and prosciutto from Formaggio in the South End. Now that is just day 1! We are working on a spreadsheet with links for certain delivery options and pre-cooked meals that will be in the freezer. If you have any ideas, we are all ears!
If you do not know, we moved into our current house in July 2020 after a remodel in the midst of the start of COVID. It was an interesting time to be completing a renovation and COVID didn’t help. One of the few things we kept from the old house was that classic basement/garage fridge. And we kept it for two reasons: #1, party overflows; and #2, the extra freezer space when we need it. We are starting to prep a few meals in advance for the freezer. You can guess a few of them (some Italian classics), but some may be a surprise.
On the surprise side, we have the egg sandwiches. We love a good egg sandwich in the morning at our house. But to make a good one takes some time – which we will be a little short on for the first few weeks. With the power of Google (and we did this when Natalie arrived in our lives), we found a wonderful way to prep these delicious little breakfast sandwiches that could be put in the freezer and warmed up at a later date. We mainly work off of an English muffin base – they are just more forgiving for whatever reason. We partially toast them, put on the cooked eggs (and if you wanted veggies, mix it in that), a slice of cheese, and a little uncooked spinach. Then you wrap it in a lightly moist paper towel before you bag and freeze. When we are hungry, pull it out, just throw it in the microwave first and then finish in the toaster oven. A few minutes later (without thinking) you have some great food. Usually it is just what the doctor ordered.
If you have any suggestions for meal prep, we’d love to hear them! I will only be able to have so much lasagna, pasta, and pizza… I will need to mix it up just a bit. Has anyone figured out how to freeze a salad?!
Until next time…
