Welcome Moms!

Welcome to our freezer meal group. We are excited to get this up and running. Hopefully this will be a great experience for everyone and make life a little bit easier.
To get started, there are a few guidelines we should go over so that we are all on the same page.

• This blog will be our way of communicating between the ten of us. Everyone will have administrative access so that we can add to the lists and polls. Feel free to post ideas, thoughts or even concerns and complaints on the blog. We will have lists on either sides of the blog that list what our Food Allergies and Food Dislikes are so that everyone is aware. Also we will have polls on different recipes, whether we liked them or not, and also good times to get together and have our food exchanges.

• You will be required to make and freeze 10 meals to exchange with our group. This is the same recipe just increased to make 10 meals.

• Try to spend around or below $75 for all costs.

• Your meal should feed 6 adults. (If item is in a disposible tin pan, please use a 9x13 pan.)

• You will need to package your meal either in freezer bags (heavy duty/double zip ziplock bags)or disposable aluminum pans covered with heavy duty (made for freezer) tin foil.

• Write on your packaging with permanent marker what the meal is, the basic instructions, and the date (example: Chicken Casserole, Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, 9/12/2010). You will probably have to pull the meal out of the freezer ahead of time so that it can thaw. Write the cook time that should be used once the meal is thawed.

• Please only make meals that you and your family have tried and enjoyed. Don’t experiment on the group!

• If you are stumped about what to cook and what freezes well, there are great books that have all the tips and recipes that you’ll need. Some examples are: Girlfriends on the Go by Suzie Roberts and Dinner is Ready by Deanna Buxton.

• Type up each of your recipes as well as suggestions for what vegetables or side dishes to serve with the meal. Make a copy for each member of the group so that we can put together a binder specifically for Make Ahead Meal recipes. Include your name on the recipe as well as from where you got the recipe. (Fun information to add to the recipe would be how much it cost you to make it.)

• Bring the recipe you plan on making for next month and a back up recipe with you to the exchange. Then we can discuss what everyone is making for next month so we don’t all make the same recipe.

• We want everyone to have fun. Obviously your family is not going to love every meal, but hopefully they will enjoy the majority and that will make it all worthwhile. If there is a particular meal that your family absolutely does NOT like then you can either trade with another member of the group or use that meal to take to someone in need. The most important thing is to take some stress out of your day so that you can spend more time with your family doing fun things, not cooking and cleaning.

• Please bring your meals already frozen. Plan ahead! If you cannot make it to the exchange, please drop off the meals in an ice cooler (with ice) prior to the exchange. If you are not prepared, each person will keep their meal until you deliver your meal and pick up theirs from each group member. Obviously situations can arise that are beyond our control that could cause problems, however you need to either make arrangements to find your own substitute for the month or let Savanna Sorensen know with plenty of time to make other arrangements.

We will meet every second Friday of the month at Savanna Sorensen’s house (unless notified otherwise)to exchange and tell about our dish. It shouldn’t take more than 45 minutes.