Cooking Club

When I was a new Mommy, waaaaaaaay back when, I went to a 30 day cooking seminar. I loved it. I really didn't come home to keep house and cook, I came home to be with my kids. I find the laundry, kitchen, and cooking just need to be done again tomorrow. There isn't that paycheck, or a "job well done", or even a "I finished it" moment. This can sink me into the blues, especially come January, that only spring can fix. So cooking ahead and having it done really appeals. While I don't do it all the time, I do use several adaptations that work for me.

One involves food and friends: Cooking Club. I kept hoping we would come up with a better name, but the folks and food sure are good. Once a month 4 friends come over hauling their coolers with them. We go through a rotation with 2 of us making a chicken dish, 2 of us making a beef dish and one of us making a breakfast or pork dish. We let each other know, gently, how our broods liked the meals from last month, chat like there is no chance tomorrow to finish a sentence, and swap meals in ziplock bags ready for the freezer. We simply label the front with the name and any cooking or heating instructions, attach any toppings in a seperate bag taped to it and stack these up like cord wood in our freezers. An assortment of children accompany the moms and enjoy the play time too. My big boys, Buck and Half Buck clear out while this is going on. But when the door closes on the last guest, they want to know what meals are being tucked into the freezer. Once a week I have something new and ready to go. They get to try something new. If I like the recipe, I shoot of an email or phone a friend with a compliment and request for the recipe.

Do you have one of those bread makers gathering dust somewhere. I know there are some of you with allergies or on a health kick that are using it regularly. But mine was just taking up needed grocery staples space before Tina taught me this trick. When I make a loaf of bread, I make 10 to 20 or so. I simply measure the dry ingredients of my favorite recipe into a bunch of 1 quart bags. They sit in a basket in my pantry waiting for a crockpot kinda day. When I start up the crock, I take 2 extra minutes and load up the bread machine too. I don't have to mess up the kitchen or see if I have wheat flour on hand. The house sure smells yummy when we return. After trying cooking for a month, I wonder, did I ever make lasagna one pan at a time. If I'm making one, why not make 3 or 4. I have found,over time, that I usually have something for that family that needs a meal due to illness with little extra effort on my part. I don't have to say "I can't this week, I'm too busy." Meals ahead in the freezer are something I can share.

I would love to hear from you what helps you get ahead on the meal game. Let me know and I can add it to my blog.