A Peek at My Kitchen Marathon / Big Batch Cooking Day

Do you do batch cooking or once-a-month cooking very often?  Every now and then I'll have a kitchen marathon where I just go nuts and do a whole bunch of cooking all at once.  I'll usually flip on the TV and watch something that I never get to see and just motor through there.  The picture above shows the mess that can result from one of these big batch cooking days.  (Click the pic to zoom in and see it better.)

I've labeled everything you see there in the picture, and you'll find the corresponding links to each food listed below:

• Homemade cinnamon rolls – a once in a while treat
• Beef broth – a superfood!
• Beef tallow cooling on the counter – after using it the evening prior for guilt-free deep frying!   (If you don't want to render it yourself, find it online here.)
• Spelt sprouting – so I can dry and then grind for sprouted spelt flour to have on hand.  (Here's the grain grinder I love.  Or skip all that and buy sprouted flour here.)
• Crispy pecans – just out of the oven
• What's left of the kids' lunch – read more here about plastics dangers and why we use the stainless steel water bottles that you see there.
• Homemade ice cream sandwiches in the Bosch – also called “Whoopie Pies” (to take to a party we were going to).
• Barbecued beef for dinner on Homemade buns
• Foliage spray for the garden (it just happened to be on my bar that day)
• Napa cabbage for Napa salad – I know most cabbage should be slightly cooked, I wonder if the same is true about Napa cabbage?
• Parsley for Tabouli salad – I love this salad, it's light and refreshing

That day I was sort of helter skelter all over my kitchen, as you can see by looking, but I know that many of you do “monthly cooking marathons” or something similar quite a lot.  I'd love your tips for doing this in a more organized fashion, or for getting the most done in a day as possible.

Here's a newer photo of another big bulk cooking day:

And here's some info and links to go along with that photo…

Some recipes are PERFECT for big bulk cooking days, because there are a lot of people out there who probably need your nourishing food! It's a great way to show love to friends when they're sick or when their loved one has passed away, or maybe life just is just too busy for them at the moment. It's also a good way to love on yourself a little too, by throwing extra food into the freezer for your crazy days ahead!

So on this day I turned on a Hallmark movie and got to work making 5 batches of my Mom's homemade rolls and 5 batches of Shepherds Pie. (Although nowadays I only watch the Great American Family Channel or PureFlix instead.)

Links you might want are here:

• Here's the Bosch mixer I love so I can make big batches!  (I got that in 2004 and it's still going strong!)
• This homemade rolls recipe has a video showing you how I make these in under 12 minutes! It's so easy and everyone goes crazy over them — perfect for Christmas dinner or for everyday. (Did you know I have a Youtube channel?!)
• Everyone loves this Shepherd's Pie too, I use grass-fed (AND grass-finished) ground beef.
• Redeeming your morning coffee (no guilt necessary!)

***Here's a whole post with lists of meals that are perfect for sharing with others!

More posts you may have missed:

• Read about how the BOSCH KITCHEN MIXER makes my life SO much easier! It makes 6 loaves of bread at once, huge batches of cookies to freeze for later, and so much more
• Our version of FAST FOOD these days (beat the temptation to hit the drive-thru!) + More fast food ideas using homemade tortillas
• Keep your pantry & freezer stocked – it’s not difficult to do!
• Make a family favorite meals list – read how this can be a big help to you.
• Share your meal planning tips!
• My favorite kitchen gadgets to make cooking much easier
• Tips on making extra when you’re cooking and baking – some ideas you may not have heard about before.  One more on batch cooking and how easy it can be
• Freezer inventory sheet – read why I love having this to refer to
• A tip from Jeanne about vegetable scraps for stock.
• How often do you REPEAT MEALS?
• Complete list of RECIPES

• Healthy Breakfast Options – hopefully there are some ideas here that are new to you.
• Healthy school lunch alternatives – it’s not easy pleasing kids, trust me, I know
• Snack Ideas
• Eating healthy on a budget
• How to feed a healthy meal to a big group
• Your best time-saving kitchen tips or nutrition tips
• Healthy Lunch On-the-Go