A Freezer Meal Baby Shower Workshop

Mamas, admit it: if we could have any two super powers they would probably be to magically keep the house clean, and be able to snap our fingers and have dinner appear every night without having to lift a finger.

At least those would be my two genie-in-a-bottle requests…along with an unlimited gift card to Target and Chick-fil-A, for all tantrums to sound like giggling, and for their poop to actually smell like roses, of course. But I’m getting away from myself…

A few weekends ago I helped my friend Elisabeth, who is also a mom-to-be, become a super hero when it comes to dinner. We put together a mini freezer meal baby shower workshop where her friends and family all gathered together and made her 10 freezer meals right then and there.

Amazing, right?

The best part is that she literally didn’t have to lift a single finger; I looked over at her a few times and saw her chatting with her guests, munching on the delicious food, and enjoying herself.

Actually, I’m lying. I had her lift the meals and put them in the freezer…all for the sake of a picture, because before we knew it, there were 10 delicious meals getting stacked in her freezer for later.

She also had each friend who made the meal write their name and a little note on the bag, so when her family eats that meal, she’ll know who made it for her.

But Wait…That’s Not All!

Her shower was awesome. Or, I suppose I should call it a “sprinkle” since it’s for her second baby, but truly, her friends showered her with love.

Love, and delicious treats and sweets.

Having a mini freezer meal baby shower workshop is a pretty genius idea all on its own, but my mama friend got wind of our mini fluted pan and asked if we could have a Mini Bundt Bar, too.

Heck yes, she could!

Baby Got Bundt (Cakes)

Because it was easy to put together, and everyone loves cake, we created a do-it-yourself mini cake bar! So 36 “baby” bundt cakes later (it only took three boxes of cake mix, by the way), we had the makings of a our bar.

Chocolate, lemon, and funfetti “baby” bundt cakes graced the table, and there were nuts, candy, chocolate, and fruit in the Cool and Serve, and of course, lots of frosting.

Throw in some fun toppings, and some treat boxes for the cakes, and each guest got to take home their own DIY baby bundt for later.

How to Have a Freezer Meal Baby Shower

Freezer meals are just the bees knees, and if you’ve never been to a workshop before I highly encourage you to try one out. The beauty of a freezer meal workshop with me is that I take care of all the hard work. I send you an exact grocery list, and the meals are spelled out and ready for you in recipe, so you just get together with your friends, prep everything, toss it in the bag, and you’re good to go. Feel free to join my Facebook group so you can know when I’m having my next Freezer Meal Workshop!

Here’s how a workshop works in a little more detail:

1. Gather Some Friends
Whether you want to sprinkle a new mama with a freezer meal baby shower, or just make freezer meals for your own freezer, it’s best to have at least a total of four people who want in on the awesomeness.

2. Pick a Menu
As the host or mama-to-be, you get to pick what menu you want. I have dozens of menus available, so we can find one that fits your family’s needs. Looking for paleo-friendly or vegetarian meals? I have you covered. Want to take advantage of the lovely summer weather and grill some nights? We can do that, too. I have kid-friendly, classic comfort foods, and everything in between. With the exception of the grilling meals, they’re all made for cooking in a slow cooker, Deep Covered Baker, and some people are using them in their Instant Pots, too.

3. Buy your Pantry Package
Once you have your menu picked out, it’s time to buy your pantry package that comes with all the spices you need for your meals. If you’re thinking, “Jessica: I have a cupboard full of spices. I don’t need any more.” Well, I’m right there with you. Except for the fact that I’m willing to bet most of your spices are expired. And, while they may give you some flavor, I can almost guarantee you they’re not as flavorful as the ones from Pampered Chef. Trust me…they’re really good!

4. Buy Your Ingredients
Once you’re ready for the workshop, I send you your Grocery List. That’s right, I send everyone a customized grocery list so you know exactly what they need to pick up—down to the Tablespoon of flour—for each meal. That also means that you can be as thrifty or organic with your shopping, but typically each meal comes out to around $2 or $3 a serving. Technically our meals serve four people, but you can easily get double that out of one meal.

5. Set the Scene
The day of the baby shower or workshop, make sure you have some clean counter space and/or a table for prepping the meals. It’s best to have tools out and ready to go: cutting mats, vegetable peeler, Food Chopper, knives, measuring spoons, cheese grater, etc.s

It’s also super helpful to have the spices unsealed and ready to go. I get baskets from the dollar store to hold all of the spices (not necessary, but nice to keep things all together), a couple buckets for trash and waste, and then larger bowls/baskets to hold the Ziplock bags while you dump the ingredients inside.

6. Prep Those Meals
If it’s a workshop (and not just a shower), everyone brings a cooler along with their ingredients, you get to work prepping the ingredients (chop, dice, cut, open cans, etc.) for each meal. If you’re local (currently in San Diego), you use my tools and I’m your sous chef—helping you peel, chop, mince, slice, whatever you need; I also do all the cleaning if I’m there with you. Talk about easy, because before you know it (about 2 hours later) you have 10 meals ready for the freezer!

7. Enjoy Dinner Without Lifting A Finger Later
This is the best part. The night before you want to eat, put the freezer meal in the fridge to thaw, and then pop it into a slow cooker the next morning. Didn’t thaw it in time and want it for that night? Place it frozen in a Rockcrok, defrost it in the microwave, then move it over to the Slow Cooker Stand.

Bam. Dinner’s done!

Want More Info?

Feel free to join my Facebook group so you can know when I’m having my next Freezer Meal Workshop, or if you’re not in San Diego and want to have one with your friends, email me and we can chat about setting one up!

Paper “Oh Boy” sign: Paper and Paste Co.
Cactus tags: Paper and Paste Co.
Baby Bundt Sign: calligraphy by Dixie on Dallas
Cookies: NatSweets