I just got this book a few weeks ago, and I LOVE it! I live in a household of two, and am not a Costco-type shopper when it comes to meats, so everything I have made from this book, I have just halved the recipes to fit my smaller-packages-of-meat shopping patterns. No biggie. I still have three plus meals out of each type of meat I buy for the two of us.

My husband absolutely raved about the Sticky Ribs recipe…and being a die-hard foodie, he is VERY difficult to impress. He has insisted I make them again for a potluck this weekend. I won’t give the recipe away, but trust me, for just four ingredients, this one can’t be beat. It was worth the price of the book for this one recipe alone.

Overall, this book was a great intro for me on the pleasures of make-ahead cooking. I think I am addicted now! And the fact the recipes in this book do not contain any horrible ingredients like Velveeta cheese, canned “cream of” soups, or refrigerated biscuit dough is great, too! You can feed your family easily, healthfully, and with fewer preservatives and if you purchase this book and make some of the recipes as they are written. I highly recommend it!

I bought this book to aid in dinner prep during the bewitching hour. I made 5 recipes. They go together fairly quickly and quite easily. Once they are thawed (some can be cooked from a frozen state – recipes give specific instructions for re-heating) they are simple to cook, making meal preparation a snap. My 3 kids liked the recipes, as did my husband (who is a culinary professional) and I. (We especially liked the Basil-Balsamic marinade which we used for chicken.) I have cooked in bulk for several years now, but many of the cookbooks I’ve used have recipes that are outdated and unhealthy. This one is different! No gloopy casseroles with canned cream soup. Instead, look for Tequila-Lime Chicken, Peanut Satay,Apple Cranberry Pork Loin, Asparagus and Potato Frittata, Vegetable Lasagna, Black Bean and Vegetable Chili, etc. They also include some classics, such as Chicken a la King, Beef Barley Soup, several recipes for ribs and steak, regular Chili, and regular Lasagna. Fish and seafood lovers won’t be disappointed, as there are several preparations for this genre as well. There is something for everyone here.
The cooking instructions can be copied or printed off their website to attach right to the package before it goes into the freezer. If you’ve ever come across a mystery package in your freezer, you’ll know this is a real plus. It also makes it easier to use these meals as gifts and “love meals” for those who are ill or going through a crisis. There is also a freezer inventory so you can keep track of what you have left in there.
I will definitely try more of the recipes. It may seem like a large output of cash in the beginnig to buy in bulk, but in the long run having meals already prepared actually saves money, as you aren’t tempted to call for a pizza or do the breakfast drive-though (frozen breakfast burritos are in the freezer!). Highly recommend.