A few weeks ago, I decided to get serious about preparing and freezing dinners ahead of time, so that Rob and I won’t be rushing around to the grocery store and feverishly chopping garlic while trying to soothe a crying baby.  I looked in the local library for a good freezer meals cookbook, followed by a reluctant trip to Borders, where I also left empty-handed.  I started looking online and reading reviews of freezer meal cookbooks, where I came upon this one:

I ordered it, and because I’m so budget-conscious, I elected the slow, cheap, shipping option.  That has turned out to be a mistake.  I still don’t have the cookbook, but I decided last night in a moment of desperation to use the “Search Inside” option to gather a few recipes and at least get started on some meal planning.  In only 2 hours, I was able to make 6 lbs. of pork ribs (with homemade sauce), 2.5 lbs of tex-mex flavored chicken fingers, and 3 lbs. of marinated flank steak.  I went through 2.5 bulbs of garlic….yum!  I still want to make a couple of casseroles and a pan of lasagna, but other than that, we should be all set.  We can supplement the dinners with trips to the Farmer’s Market for fresh vegetables until our own are ready for harvesting.  Depending on how well this make-ahead meal preparation goes, I may actually continue to do it once I go back to work.  Seems like it could definitely save time and reduce stress!  I keep hearing about “meal assembly kitchens” and the like, including Let’s Eat, Let’s Dish, and The Busy Chef, the only meal assembly kitchen in the entire state of Vermont.  Here’s a state-by-state directory of meal assembly kitchens.  I’ve always wondered about how efficient and cost-effective those services are.  I do think they tend to be more helpful for people who abhor cooking and don’t want to waste time picking out recipes, shopping for ingredients, doing the initial prep work and chopping, and cleaning up when the prep is done.  I don’t mind all of that stuff, so for me, the freezer thing seemed to be the way to go.  We’ll let you know how it goes!