Fix it, Freeze it, Feast it!

I was heating up some left over slow-cooker Beef Stew in the kitchen at the office, when the front page of the LIFE/FOOD section of the Orange County Register caught my eye. I tell you, folks .... I almost did a happy dance, right there in the kitchen!

It was an article about a cook book called "Cook & Freeze: 150 Delicious Dishes To Serve Now AND Later" by Dana Jacobi. It is available both in hard back and paper back in local bookstores AND on Amazon (I already looked).

This book talks about the process of freezing, how to to it properly to avoid things like freezer burn, and how to do it SMARTLY (like freezing in 1-2 serving portions, perfect for easy defrosting, or a quickly heated up lunch!) Not to mention that it has 150 recipes in it. I mean ... with my crazy schedule, I use our Crock Pot a LOT. But sometimes it can be a hassle to do the prep chopping the night before or in the morning while trying to get ready for work. So I am ALL FOR meals that come out of the freezer, into the microwave, but are still HOME MADE (aka no added "stuff" in the ingredients). See why I wanted to do a happy dance???

One word of warning though ... the few recipes that were in the article did NOT specifically request the low fat/lo cal/better-for-you ingredients. But this can EASILY be remedied by substituting the healthier options (such as non fat cheese, whole wheat pasta, etc.) to guarantee that these will taste good but NOT ruin those post-New Years weight loss resolutions.

This book is going on my "must have" list! I'll let you know how things taste!

Buon Appetito!

To purchase "Cook & Freeze" on Amazon, click here!