Home Cooked Meals WITHOUT a Meal Plan + Desserts

Today I'm sharing a quick look at how I dig through my freezers and make a meal plan as I go. It's the quickest and CHEAPEST way to make to put together home cooked meals. Do you meal plan like this? Tell me about your planning in the comments below. Honestly, I enjoy meal planning all ways. Month at a time. Seasonal rotations. Weekly. On the fly. I guess I just love being in the kitchen.
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Hi friends! I'm Jennifer, a fifty-something wife and mother of 7 children ages 10 - 26. We are Catholic. We homeschool. We cook from scratch. We farm cranberries. We drink coffee. We advocate for Down syndrome awareness. We are loud. We are chaotic.
Here I'll share vlogs about all these things, what I'm doing that works and what I've tried but didn't work. I hope to encourage you in your journey through motherhood, homeschooling, learning to cook, and growing in your faith through it all.
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Mimi's Minestrone Soup & Crockpot Chicken Country Mom Vlog
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Home Cooked Meals WITHOUT a Meal Plan + Desserts

[@lilshortcake1]

Well if Joe approves im sold that dad meals are great. Thank you for including him in your videos.

[@kayemoore]

Such a dad meal - so great how he helps you just like you help him. REAL PARTNERSHIP spreads to your loving family!

[@bnbtemple5936]

Am loving the background music, Jennifer. So soothing.

[@acountrylife]

I was hoping the music would be enjoyed; I really liked it.

[@deniselakatos5418]

Hi Jennifer. Enjoyed spending this time with the Brockmans. Everything looked delicious. Hugs.

[@acountrylife]

Hello Denise, thanks for stopping by again. Have a great night.

[@gigglesandhugs5690]

I like my meals the best when i just figure it out. Its usually a tried and true meal that i make little adjustments to.

[@kristinamikkelsoncasanova6287]

Wish I could get rhubarb here...just love it

[@roisinpatriciagaffney4087]

Yum yum. God bless the Brockman family. 🎉❤🎉

[@user-kn5vh8st8v]

Hello from Wisconsin Rapids! Enjoying your site.

[@acountrylife]

Welcome! 👋

[@CEL403]

I never meal plan. I always have extra meats cooked in freezer. Always did that when my children were home. If you have meat prepared, meal goes quickly. Now that is just the 2 of us, a meatloaf feeds us 3 meals, even sometimes leftovers from that. Always have gr beef browned and cooked roast that can be served so many ways. Beef tips, boiled chicken..many things.A little time and thought makes meal time go quickly without a day by day meal plan. At least it does for me. 😊

[@theresaegbuniwe5808]

I love every bit of this!! Will be getting your cookbooks.

[@acountrylife]

Thank you. I’ll watch for your order and ship it out quickly.

[@GracieandJacqsAdventures]

Well dayum, now I am hungry for comfort food!!! LOL.. Thanks, Mark!!!

[@debgordon6542]

Hey Jennifer, meal plans stress me out! I'm in the process of writing 30 meals my family likes on index cards then rotating them. Under each meal title, I list ideas for sides, bread or deserts. I'm also leaving a couple blank for when I'm feeling creative :-)

[@acountrylife]

Years ago I made a series of meal plans. 30 meal plans for each season and I rotated through those for a whole season. It was a simple way to meal plan when I had a lot of little kids and no big kids to be helpers.

[@debgordon6542]

Good point, I need to consider the season! I'm glad it was a success for you :-)

[@edwardleecaliforniausa]

Good morning all happy Friday morning and I loved your vlogs and you all amazing Supporter

[@juliewright1895]

Thanks for the video, Jennifer! I’ve been here for a long time and it’s been so fun seeing your videos progress over the years. They have always been so good, but little touches like the music and the voiceover today were just really excellent!! I love cooking out of my freezer also! I’m gonna have to try that marinade, loving your cookbook! Blessings to you and your family. Have a wonderful weekend!

[@acountrylife]

Thanks for noticing. I feel like editing is an art form.

[@cherylmcconnell3167]

I will definitely make your rhubarb bars 😊 ( they look so delicious)….I have memories of my grandmother making strawberry rhubarb pie as a child & I loved it 🌼

[@acountrylife]

Strawberry Rhubarb is such a good combination.

[@beccam507]

Thank you for letting us screenshot your recipes! I know my husband is going to absolutely love that rhubarb dairy bar, so as soon as I can Get my hands on some rhubarb, I'm going to make it! Also, you got me making half potatoes a couple of years ago, and my kids love them. 💕

[@acountrylife]

It's so good! It’ll be rhubarb season soon.

[@denisecole6128]

When I was a young bride and mother we did not have many choices as money dictated our spending. When my boys were little bananas and apples were our main for fruit. I see my boys now being able to buy many different types of fruits etc. later when my sons were in school and I was working we had our regular meals because I didn’t have much energy left to meal plan. I remember coming home one day thinking I had a roast in the crockpot for an easy dinner. To my surprise half the track team were in my kitchen enjoying an afternoon snack of roast beef. Haha. We had tuna sandwiches for dinner that night.

[@thewoodenspoon9679]

Always love being in the kitchen with you Jennifer. I do enjoy using both of your cookbooks on a regular basis.

[@acountrylife]

Thanks 😊

[@KarenReep]

Thanks for always sharing the recipes! 😊

[@samanthashaw8329]

I also can't stand peeling potatoes so I cook them first then the peels slide off very easy.

[@karenchakey]

Everything looks dilish ❤

[@TammyCox-fl5oz]

I always enjoy your videos. I’ve learned a lot and have made several of your recipes for my own family. I love spending time in the kitchen with my own mom while she cooks.. just chatting and sharing. Watching you and Maria reminded me just how much I do enjoy that.. even more now as an adult. ❤

[@acountrylife]

Tammy, those are sweet moment in the kitchen...mother and daughter.

[@gillgallon9631]

It all looked amazing, thank you for sharing

[@thevikmanstorpkitchen.403]

Great video. The desserts looked amazing. My grandmother here in Sweden always mayde appel or billberrie crisp. So mutch memoriea. 😊❤

[@cathydecarles7084]

Jennifer you are and cook and baker I love watching you sweet Friend God bless you all Cathy🙏🏻✝️☮️📿🌺💝🌹💗💐💙❤️🍀💜

[@acountrylife]

Thank you so much! Good morning 🌞

[@angeloverturff7323]

Hi Jennifer! My dad once made me and my 2 brothers fried pork chops and Spaghetti-O's for dinner! We enjoyed it! Have a lovely day! ~Angel

[@acountrylife]

Perfect Dad meal!

[@samanthashaw8329]

I love apple crisp I always use green granny Smith for baking and I use the oats and flour for the crumble topping. Have you ever tried Jewish apple cake ? It's yummy no butter or eggs or milk in the recipe

[@acountrylife]

I’ve never tried the apple cake you mentioned.

[@lanagraham1661]

Yummy meals and desserts as always! Thanks for sharing!❤

[@acountrylife]

Glad you like them!

[@kristenschnese6980]

I love your cookbook 1 this week i picked up enough stuff to make your favorite casserole ambers potato soup for a Wed meal it will probably make two for us and for next weekend I want to try the chicken and wild rice soup

[@kelliconlan8133]

I had to laugh when you said your husband's favorite dessert was a rhubarb dessert and also knowing that he requests to eat chili often. I laughed because my husband refuses to eat any kind of chili or anything with rhubarb in it. And those two things are FAVORITES of mine.

[@journeyofamidwestquilter]

I also thaw frozen meat (depending on what it is) in hot water for a little bit when I need to. I have been cooking for about 35 years now and I have not once had an issue with doing that. So, I can totally relate! Your rhubarb dessert looks so good! I love rhubarb. I never had it growing up because it just wasn't something my mom ever used. So, it took a few tries before I finally came to enjoy it, but now I really enjoy it! 😋

[@acountrylife]

Rhubarb is a nice sour fruit? vegetable? Always tastes good with plenty of butter and sugar.☺

[@toniisaacsen3523]

As someone who wears glasses and also someone who works with kids, does Maria need to have her vision checked? I just noticed how close she was to her computer and notebook. Thanks for yet another great video!

[@acountrylife]

I think she was trying to see all the details of horse sets on Amazon and the pictures were quite small. I'm pretty sure her vision is ok.

[@Dindasayswhynot]

Wellll 🤭 I looked high and low for your cookbook holder. I looked in the description for a holder; I looked in the description for your Amazon store link; I googled cookbook holders; I searched Amazon for cookbook holders ... Nothing worked. In desperation, I backed the video up to get a glimpse of the cookbook holder from step 1. Propped up against a sugar bottle???? LOL. Yay for low tech. It works great.😁

[@acountrylife]

That is too funny 😂

[@reneemorlan1855]

❤

[@elizabethrobinson4390]

Jennifer have you been editing the ones from Christma and new year grocery haul and tracking habits and the crockpot meal and mimi's minestrone soup also just asking not being condensing

[@acountrylife]

All those videos have posted back in January I think.

[@deltorres2100]

I’ve been spring cleaning the all the cabinets and armoire and all that things like that Declutter get rid of some things circulate some antiques that I have put away probably bring them out to decorate but I’m in a slump on cooking. I just don’t know for dessert tomorrow for coffee I went to our local donut shop and I asked for the day old donuts so she gave me some and I’m going to do Donut bread pudding can of cherries and do that early in the morning and then we’ll have it later on midday or something like I’m gonna do it in the crockpot as far as dinner and lunch I just kind of been winging it with certain things but it’s just I don’t know I gotta get out of this Motivation to cook. I’m sure you’ve been there two big old freezers just like you and I have a lot of premade meals as well. I just don’t know I mean you know I I need to do something different I guess something new. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@acountrylife]

We’ve all been there. When it happens to me I put the decision making in my family’s hands and ask them what they’d like me to make and then I make it even if I’m personally not feeling it.

[@TeresaRaab-hb5co]

I'll meal plan that way closer to the end of the month. We have meat in the freezer and home canned fruits and veg.

[@beckymiller2185]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@COWELLGIRL]

I like your fancy freezer food carrier , looks like mine 😂

[@acountrylife]

Any box I can find close by, right?

[@COWELLGIRL]

@@acountrylife exactly

[@VeronicaRonniDorval2638]

😋❤️👍

[@karenwittfoth5380]

Jennifer do you ever use oats on your apple crisp??

[@acountrylife]

Not usually. I grew up with flour, sugar and butter and to be honest, Warren isn't fond of oatmeal crunch on top of desserts.

[@karenwittfoth5380]

@@acountrylife It’s so weird the differences in food from state to state. Especially since Iowa and Wisconsin are connected. 😊

[@WillowsGarden]

Hi Jennifer and sweet family! I had some ground beef and a pork tenderloin thawed in my refrigerator this morning. I also had two green peppers that needed to be used. I made stuffed green peppers and in the morning I will marinate my pork tenderloin and decide what I will do with that. Now I have two stuffed peppers for the freezer for later meals and I will have a few pork freezer meals after tomorrow. I guess I’m always doing freezer meals since it’s just me now. I’ve been cooking since the 70’s, a long time, lol. Good job Warren, my husband would have made egg sandwiches or peanut butter and jelly for the kids…he was not allowed in the kitchen when he was younger. He was one of 18 brothers and sisters. Have a blessed weekend everyone!

[@acountrylife]

Having individual meals in the freezer must be a real help for those days you don’t feel like cooking. 18 kids-that is a huge family.

[@WillowsGarden]

@@acountrylife yes it’s like a family reunion when you have a get together, lol.

[@AndreaRuralMN]

Thawing in hot water: I have had a ServSafe Food service Managers license. Per those (restaurant) regulations you can thaw in a microwave if fully cooked immediately after thawed. I'm bending things by thawing in hot water and fully cook immediately when thawed. BUT rdgulations also go by time in the temperature danger zone which should be less than 2 hours. Because both microwave and hot water take less than 2 hours I'm comfortable using hot water. Also, (not regulation related) your venison is a single kill processing. Not a plant pumping out thousands of animals at a time. There's less chance of cross contamination and unclean facilities 👍💗💗💗

[@acountrylife]

Home kitchens have their own set of rules, right?

[@AndreaRuralMN]

@@acountrylife yes they do, just reassuring that you're making a pretty safe choice based on known info

[@Chickennoodlesoup77]

Do you ever feel like all the desserts hurt you? I’m not being mean but I’m perimenopause and I can’t even have them in the house. I make a batch of cookies for the kids and walk away.

[@cherylbrunner9404]

Meal plans don't work for me.I might do 1 or2 then life happens😊