FabuLESS Freezer Cooking: Cooking Day

(Click to see the start of this series with links to all posts in the series!)

Cooking Day

Things to bring:

Check book
Cooler or Laundry Basket Prep Food
Large Bowls
Large Mixing Spoons
Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons
Rolling Pin (If you are making; Pizza, Calzones, Ham and Cheese Brunch Braid, or Taco Braid.)
Bag or box for pantry items

Hostess Check List For Cooking Day:

Hostess has pantry food set out and easy to access. If she is really on the ball she can label and divide out all of the pantry items ahead of time.

Print the recipes for each meal

Have a master list of the menu to cross off meals as they are completed

Have working spaces cleared off and sanitized! (That's for you Jen)

Set out bags, foil, sharpies and so on

Time Frame: We usually order a take and bake pizza to eat part way through the evening. Plan for 3-6 hours. Time will depend on the number of meals, difficulty of meals, and how much prep work was assigned out. Cooking day gets faster the more you do it and the more familiar you get with the recipes.

When assembling meals:

Usually work in groups of two on a recipe until it is done

Meals like Calzones and Pizza are done by the individuals to make sure they include what the person's family likes. We always save these for the end.

Make sure to get all the air out when sealing bags or use a FoodSaver for maximum freshness.

Label the bags with a sharpie

Put bagged meals into each persons cooler

Place any pantry items in each persons bag/box

To split the bill: All of the food expense including the take and bake pizza is added up and divided by 6 or the number of members in the group. Everyone pays equally each time. For 15 meals each person usually pays less than $100.

Fridge list is emailed out to the members by the co-shopper. Click here to see what it looks like.
Below are some definitions that will help you understand the fridge list.

On Hand:Items like butter, eggs, milk and rice. Things that are not provided with the group shopping trip that you will likely already have at home

Pantry items: canned items or noodles that are added on dinner
night, but are provided by the group. Things that store well on the shelf or in the fridge. We try to include most everything needed so that you are ready to make a meal at anytime, with out having to do any additional shopping.



Next week we will start giving you some of our Fabuless Recipes. So that you can make these meals and more!

BBQ Chicken Pizza
Ham and Cheese Braid
Salmon Cakes
Sausage Hash



ps - Cathy here. May I just say that we have sooo much fun when we get together and do our freezer cooking? I LOVE it! Here are a few pix from my very first freezer cooking experience. Do we look like we're having fun?