(I batch cook so there's more time to spend with these handsome little dudes.)


Welcome back to my series on batch cooking! You can find lesson one here: Batch Cooking 101 - What You'll Need, and lesson two here: Batch Cooking 101 - What's Your Style. Today we're going to cover some basic rules on freezing. My caveat is that I am not an expert, I am self-taught and just passing along the things I've learned through trial and error. Some folks may disagree with me, and that's okay!

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5 Simple Steps to Freezing Your Food:

1. Turn the refrigerator down to its coldest level about 24 hours before batch cooking. This way the food will cool faster AND it will keep the refrigerator from heating up to unsafe levels and spoiling the food that is already contained. But why do I need my fridge, you ask? Keep on reading and you'll understand soon enough! (You can return the unit to its normal temperature about 24 hours after you've put the batch items into the freezer.) 2. Turn the freezer down to to its coldest level about 24 hours before batch cooking. Same theory here. You want your food to reach a freezing temperature quickly enough that it won't grow bacteria and you want to make sure not to raise the other food above freezing when you add all that batch cooked goodness. You can return the unit to its normal temperature about 24 hours after you've added the new food. 3. Fill your freezer containers with as much food as possible. The less air, the better. This will keep your food from getting freezer burn and will help it retain moistness. If you're freezing meats, it's best if you can freeze it with a little juice, gravy or broth and then push as much air out of the container as possible. 4. Allow your food to cool before freezing. First on the counter top, then in the refrigerator, and finally to the freezer. This will help keep your freezer from raising to unsafe temperatures, and it will allow your food to cool and freeze more evenly, which is important for maintaining flavor and texture. 5. Try freezing in different types of containers to see what fits best (literally and figuratively!) in your life. We most often use plastic freezer containers because they stack nicely in the deep freeze. But if I'm using the upright freezer, I tend to prefer freezer bags laid flat because they fit nicely (and thaw quickly!).

SO TELL ME! DO YOU USE A CHEST FREEZER OR AN UPRIGHT?
WHAT'S YOUR FREEZER FANCY?

Hello, Hello! Please Come In!

Welcome to our second installment of Batch Cooking 101, the 'What's Your Style' edition. My first lesson can be found here:Batch Cooking 101- What You'll Need. Haven't read it yet? Go ahead, I'll wait.

Okay, we're back!

Now, when I tell people about my batch cooking obsession I often get one of these responses:

"Ohhhh, so you basically have homemade t.v. meals for dinner every night? Huh..." OR "Gosh, I tried that once, but I kept forgetting to thaw the giant casserole in time for dinner. It was finally ready to reheat at 9pm when we were full of delivery pizza because we got tired of waiting."

And my answer is... well, there are several ways to batch cook! Not every cook will take to every style, and in my case I find that different styles lend themselves to different occasions. So, let's take a quick look at what I consider to be the three basic batch cooking styles: Family Style, T.V. Dinner and Protein Ready.

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Family Style:

I think Family Style batch cooking is what most people conjure up in their minds when I first tell them I make dinner ahead and then freeze it. Family style is when you make a complete one-dish meal, enough for the whole family, and freeze it as-is without portioning. A large casserole, for example. Family Style batch cooking is challenging for several reasons: it takes up a lot of space in your freezer, it takes a long time to defrost, it takes a significant amount of time to reheat and it doesn't allow much flexibility with the final meal. We don't do a lot of this type of batch cooking in our house, and I absolutely understand why if you try this style first you may never want to batch cook again. That being said, there is a time and a place for this style!

If you're great at remembering to defrost in the fridge in advance, and have the forty-five or so minutes to cook, then this may be perfect for you. In my case, not so much. But I do find it wonderful for large get-togethers. Baby showers, poker night, family reunions; Family Style is my very good friend for this type of occasion. I like to cook up a big batch of soup, along with a hearty casserole and serve it buffet style. The only thing I need to make the day-of is a great big salad and some warm bread. Easy-peasy and everyone is happy.

T.V. Dinner:

This is my husband's favorite incarnation of batch cooking. It's exactly how it sounds. You cook a full meal and then portion it out into individual servings. Freeze, then thaw a single-size complete meal at a time. It's perfect for families with picky eaters or staggered meal times. It's also great for taking healthy, delicious meals to work.

Protein Ready:

Now we've reached my favorite type of batch cooking. This is where you prepare your proteins in advance, so you can put together a mostly fresh meal but without the hassle of cooking meat. This allows for incredible flexibility in your meals, while cutting out the majority of your cooking time. At any given point, I generally have shredded pork, pork loin, cooked ground beef, shredded chicken and shredded turkey ready in the freezer. I portion them so I'll have enough for one finished meal that will serve my family of five and when I'm ready to cook, we thaw and then incorporate into nearly anything! Some of our favorite meals to make with precooked meat are stir fry, tacos, spaghetti with meat sauce and lettuce wraps. SO TELL ME! What type of batch cooker are you? I'm a Protein Ready gal, but my husband is a T.V. Dinner kind of guy and, since we have frequent guests, Family Style is familiar territory around here too!

With six people to feed, shopping for the whole clan can easily get out of hand, and with food prices constantly on the rise, it's important that we manage our budget and try to keep things under control so that we're not eating away our money every week.

Over the years, we've found that there are a few things that help us stay on track and not get lost when we're walking through the aisles at the store or browsing fresh produce at the farmers' market. Here are our tips and tricks.

Those are our ways to save money at the store. I've heard some people plan and prepare meals a month in advance or only shop every other week to make sure they are wasting less, as well. What are your tricks and strategies for heading to the supermarket? Does your region have any great ways to save money, and how do you make sure you're using what you buy every week?

So it turns out, you folks are pretty interested in hearing more about my batch cooking extravaganzas. I don't blame you! When I first found out about batch cooking, I wanted to learn absolutely everything I could. I'm not a professional chef or an expert on the subject, but I've been doing it for a while now, so here are my getting started tips.

What You'll Need for Batch Cooking:

TIME.

I usually set aside three or four days for dedicated cooking and assembling. I try to schedule it for when I will have help with the kids, because this is not the right moment to have extra little helpers underfoot.

PLAN.

Sit down and plan out your attack on paper. Don't try to cook recipes one after the other, because this will just waste time. Take a look at the common ingredients and see what you can combine. If three of your recipes call for chicken, cook the chicken all at once. If you can make several components in one pot or roaster, do!

INGREDIENTS.

Have all your ingredients purchased and ready to go before you begin. Running to the market in the middle of an otherwise beautifully orchestrated batch cook can be disaster. I like to set everything out on my kitchen table before beginning to be sure it's all in order.

SUPPLIES.

Pots, pans, dishes, utensils, labels, food storage containers. Make sure you have enough of everything!

SPACE.

Refrigerator space, freezer space, counter space, oven space, stove top space. You will need a lot of this. Think about it carefully when you're making your plan because what you do or do not have space-wise can have an impact on the recipes you choose.

RECIPES.

Do not use a previously unknown recipe for batch cooking. I repeat, do not use a previously unknown recipe in batch cooking! Please, trust me on this, if the family doesn't like it you're going to end up with a heap of wasted time, food and money. Take it from someone who's been down that road. Test your recipes first! So tell me! Do you batch cook? What's your favorite batch cooking recipe? If you don't batch cook, are you going to try?

The older I get, the more I appreciate the beauty of a homemade gift. They really are wonderfully meaningful, and can be as personal or practical as you want! (Plus, handmade can be a great way to spotlight your own talents and skills.) Do-it-yourself gifts are super trendy this Christmas, so don't miss out on all the fun.

You don't have to be a master at the sewing machine to make a gift these days, there are lots of easy ideas that can be just as sweet. A simple sugar scrub or some scented bath salts would be a luxury for anyone's "powder room." And really there's no way you can go wrong with a homemade treat from your own kitchen. Pick something that is your specialty- a recipe that you are proud to pass on, or one that could make you famous. Maybe it's dark chocolate truffles, homemade caramel, your grandma's pfeffernussen, salted toffee bars, or squares of peppermint fudge. Mixes are another great way to package up a sweet gift- you can dress up a homemade hot cocoa mix or spice rub, some yummy granola or the dry ingredients of your favorite cookie recipe in a vintage milk bottle or quart jar. Simply create a cute label and tie on a recipe card with a pretty ribbon. But my favorite homemade gift idea for this year has to be a handmade cake pedestal.

Once you have your supplies rounded up (the important part!), this craft only takes 5 minutes! A cake plate is both practical and pretty, not to mention hugely popular these days. Make yours even more memorable by using a plate that you've inherited or holds special meaning for the receiver. Stop by an antique store or secondhand shop to get ideas or find inexpensive, pretty supplies. Here's what you'll need to make your gift:

• a pretty plate for the top (i prefer vintage)
• a small vase, candlestick holder, or goblet for a base (easily found in any craft aisle)
• a strong glue, made for use on glass or metal

How to make your pedestal:

1. Turn your plate upside down.
2. Squeeze a ring of glue onto the rim of your base, and place in the center of your plate.
3. Let dry. Don't turn over or move your stand until the base is completely secured to the plate.

So simple! I made a couple for my own house earlier in the season and have already put them to good use as a fancy centerpiece for my table. Make as many as you wish and wrap them up for all your favorite girls this Christmas!