Don't you just love those relaxing days between Christmas and New Years?  

Don't get me wrong, I also love all the festivities of Christmas, especially cooking the traditional food and getting together with my family and friends, but when it's over I love to just relax and read a book or work on a puzzle and play games with the family.  Nothing pressing to do.

But wait!!!  The family still expects to eat.  Don't ask me why, you'd think with all that Christmas deliciousness they'd be satisfied!

Unfortunately, if I have focused all of my planning and cooking on Christmas Eve and Christmas Dinner, once the leftovers are gone, (Boxing Day in our house), there isn't much left to eat.  This is assuming I have hosted and I have leftovers.

If I haven't planned or prepared I am left stressing about what to cook instead of relaxing with my book.   
And if that book is just too good to put down I end up peering in the fridge trying to throw something together at the last minute.  Ordering in or going out to eat has it's place, occassionally, but becomes old very quickly and when it comes to eating healthy it just won't do.

Dang it!  Why am I just thinking about it now?  

With only 3 days left until Christmas, I am already up to my chin with stuff to do.  All too often, in the past, I have found myself in this dilemma, but not this year.  These days I treasure my relaxing time too much to be unprepared.

Don't worry it's not too late.  

Here are a couple of yummy, easy, fast chicken recipes that I make often and can easily have enough for 4 meals put together in 20 minutes. The baked beans will take about 20 minutes for the preliminary prep. Pop them into your freezer. Pull them out when you are ready and go back to your relaxing while they cook in the slow cooker or bake in the oven.
 
Start by buying a couple of packages of chicken big enough to either prepare 4 or 6 separate meals or a couple of larger portions and have leftovers.  Be sure to double the sauce ingredients if you double the chicken.  

You can even pre cook your grains and freeze in portions if you wish.

Large freezer bags work well because you can flatten them to take up less space in your freezer but any freezable container with lid will work.

Recipe #1