Meat Markdowns and Making the Most of Nap Times

The Munchkin took a three-hour nap today and as much as my pregnant self just wanted to take it easy, I decided to be a whirling dervish in the kitchen instead!

I recently snagged two large packs of fresh ground turkey at Food Lion. Six pounds of meat for a whopping total of $11.18. If you continue to do the math, you can see that comes down to just $1.86/pound. I don't know about where you come from, but here that is CHEAP. We eat ground turkey in EVERYTHING. Tacos, chili, spaghetti sauce, soups, etc. So when it goes on sale, I stock up!

Now, meat markdowns are only a great deal if you will actually use or freeze the meat before the 'use by' date. And as long as you have a few minutes, some freezer bags, and a Sharpie, you're all set! I like to divvy the meat up into one-pound portions since most recipes call for one pound of ground meat. These are three pound containers, so I eyeball it and stick the meat into pre-labelled bags. Then I smoosh all the air out, flatten them into nice little rectangles, and pop them in the freezer (making sure to rotate any older packs to the top of the pile to be used first). 

Want to know a neat trick about freezer bags? You can store AND defrost the meat in the same bag. When you need the meat, just open the bag a teeny bit and microwave it in short intervals until it is thawed and ready to go. How easy is that!? (Make sure, though, to check the directions on the box, because you don't want any melted plastic in your food!)

After just 10 minutes, I've managed to: 

1. Shave time off of dinner prep later on.
2. Save MONEY!!
3. Feel super organized and prepared. 

It doesn't get any better than that! 

**Tangential Note: Do not be fooled into thinking that Walmart has the lowest prices. If you shop at smaller chain stores, you can get a great deal if you shop smart. Some people like to price-match at Walmart, but I'd rather give my money to another store if I can. Stick to sales, and keep an eye out for markdowns. Our Walmart does not have a large variety of fresh meats to begin with, so they never EVER have markdowns on ground turkey. And rarely on chicken. So when an item you use a lot of goes on sale, make sure to stock up and save some $$ in the long run. Things like meat, cheeses, butter, and veggies are great staples to have on hand and freeze well.