Gotta Share

In January my mom invited me to a seminar by the local author of the cookbook Fix, Freeze, Feast. I'd seen the cookbook mentioned on a couple of blogs and, to be honest, was a little skeptical of it. I doubted that the book would include recipes similar to what I cook daily for my family. It's very important to me that I use fresh ingredients, that our meals are well-balanced and that I cook from scratch as much as I can. I also enjoy cooking ethnic food and really like to eat a variety of different kinds of foods. In my experience, these types of cookbooks - the usual "make-your-life-easier-and-meal-times-faster" cookbooks - tend to include things like cream of mushroom soup and pre-prepared (is that a word?) ingredients.

To my delight I have been very pleasantly surprised by this book and it has indeed made life a little easier and preparing meals a little faster. The recipes I've tried so far have been great. It's the kind of food I would normally make AND it uses fresh ingredients and includes a variety of yummy and unique recipes.

It's also a great way to save money. It's based on buying tray packs of meat. ie. large quantities from Costco or the family packs at your local grocery store. You then bring the meat home, choose a recipe and make (usually) three of the same meal out of the one tray pack. Generally, you then put them in a freezer bag or a foil pan uncooked, stick them in the freezer and take them out to cook them when you want them.

And here's the coolest thing I have done with them..... my mom and I have each been making two or three different recipes and then SHARING them. It works out even better because then we have a bigger variety to choose from. Super cool.

One more thing that is a neat aspect - the author shared that it has allowed her to show more hospitality and generosity to those around her. If she wants to have people over for lunch after church she can just take a meal out the day before and stick it in the crock pot or oven. If she wants to bring a meal to a family with a new baby or a family dealing with illness - she can take over a frozen meal with instructions taped to it and feel good that she is providing them with a healthy, yummy, easy dinner. Awesome.

I've been meaning to write about it for a while. So there you go. Click on the book on their web site and buy it. You'll like it.


PS. I need to apologize to several of you that have e-mailed me in the last month that I have not responded to yet. I have no excuse except that sometimes my brain can only focus on a couple things at a time and when that happens, like now, it's hard for me to find the brain space to sit down and type out a worthy e-mail like the ones I want to write to you.

So thank you for your friendship, your room decorating suggestions, your baby name suggestions and your updates. Please know that I love you all and appreciate your care for me. I am totally aware of how lame it is of me to apologize to you on my blog - I'll write soon. I promise.