Back to Swell Challenge #5: create bonus hours for yourself

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Challenge #1
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Challenge #4

Back to Swell Challenge #5 is to make at least one recipe this weekend that will freeze beautifully, and be at the ready for busy nights ahead.

Part of the reason I am able to spend time taking care of myself this month is because I've gotten a jump start on family dinners. Family dinners are something that is really important to me, but I don't have the time-- or interest-- to cook dinner every night. So, what I do is spend a little time here and there cooking in bulk, and then I stock our freezer with homemade meals that I can pull out on busy days.

Not sure what freezes well? Here are a few fabulous, freezer-friendly Fall and Winter recipes:

• Make-Ahead Meals
• Kale-Walnut Pesto
• Beef Barbacoa
• Three Bean Pumpkin Chili
• Farro Chickpea Chorizo Stew
• Curried Lentil Soup
• Chicken Enchiladas

To simplify cooking ahead, I also put together two instantly downloadable ebooks for those who really want to create a stash of homemade goodness. In order to make these as accessible as can be,
as a special treat to all of you doing the Back to Swell Challenge, I am offering a bundle of both ebooks, two for the price of one! Please note that you must purchase the bundle through the red button below in order to get this limited-time Back to Swell Challenge discount:

The Original Stock Your Freezer in a Snap ebook included shopping lists, recipes, packaging recommendations and reheating instructions for Zucchini-Carrot Fritters, Baked Taquitos, Creamy Pot Pies, Easy Lasagna, an Enchilada Casserole, Mediterranean Beef Stew, my Go-To Turkey Chili, Oven-Baked Meatballs, Power Pesto, Sloppy Joe's, Posole Stew, and Tahini-Flax Chicken Parm. More info on this ebook can be found here. (Or purchase it above to get the Challenge discount.)

The Second Batch of Stock Your Freezer in a Snap focuses on some of my family's favorite gluten-free and vegetarian recipes, and more info on that ebook can be found here. The shopping lists, recipes, reheating instructions, packaging recs, and step by step photos include: Mediterranean Stuffed Shells, Lentil-Sweet Potato Stew, Stratas, Roasted Carrot-Cashew Pesto, a Polenta Casserole, Loaded Veggie Enchiladas, Calzones, Broccoli-Arugula-Parmesan Pesto, Cheese and Chard Twice Baked Potatoes, Greek Stuffed Peppers, Black Bean Fiesta Soup, and a Red Coconut Curry.

Once you've selected the recipe(s) you're going to make this weekend, leave a comment below to be entered in this week's drawing for a little "birthday" present. Two more options for bonus entries: take a pic of your freezer-friendly recipe and tag @swellmom, using the hashtag #backtoswell on Instagram, and/or leave a comment on the daily challenge post over on the FB page.