Freezer cooking and I go way back. My sister first introduced it to me when my kids were very young and I was dealing with some health problems. In many ways freezing cooking saved me during those years, or at least they helped me survive and still feed my family well.
When I felt well I would cook, and when I had bad days and was not up to cooking, I would have plenty of food in the freezer. This allowed me to serve my family healthy, home cooked meals on days I would not have been able to.
Having meals in the freezer, made up ahead, also allowed me to help others in ways I would not have been able to. I almost always had a meal in the freezer that I could give to someone in need of one.
There were many days that I was too sick, I was actually the one probably needing a meal, but pulling one out of the freeze took no work at all and gave me the ability to help others when I otherwise would not have been able to.
I can easily say I love freezer cooking and still keep some meals in the freezer for those crazy days.
I will say though that my freezer cooking days were 1990’s style. They were good and my family enjoyed them, but some of the recipes scream 1996, just keeping it real.
My friend Jessica from Life As Mom though has written a cookbook full of make ahead and freezer friendly meals that fit life in 2012. If you have never tried freezer cooking, or are looking for new freezer cooking inspiration, Not Your Mother’s Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook
is the book for you.
These recipes are free of canned cream of whatever soup. They include a lot of fresh ingredients and ideas for add ons at serving time.
There is even a gluten free list and a meatless chapter. As the title says, these are not your mother’s freezer recipes. This is freezer food updated for our busy schedules, but keeping with the theme of healthy type food.
And I love the cooking plans that Jessica shares in the book. The plans allow you to focus on the time you have. Freezer cooking does not have to take all day. Jessica shows you how to do it with just a few hours here and there.
There are about 200 recipes in this cookbook, so there are plenty of recipes and ideas that your family will love. Jessica has six kids ranging from young kids to teenagers, so she knows about feeding and pleasing everyone in the family. This book has recipes your whole family will enjoy.
And the good news is that I have one copy of Not Your Mother’s Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook to giveaway to one of you.
To enter all you have to do is leave me a comment.
- Giveaway ends Tuesday September 18, 2012 at 6 pm.
- One entry per person
- For more information about my giveaways please see my giveaway policy.
- If you are reading this by email you must click through to this post to leave a comment. Replying to this email does not count as an entry.
Giveaway ended. Dineen won: I would love to have a freezer cooking resource that doesn’t fall back on canned soups and has gluten free options.
I would love this – thanks for your review!
I have never tried freezer cooking. This would be so helpful for me.
This book looks amazing! I could sooo put it to good use!
My hubby is self employed, and there are many times we have had to ‘shop from the freezer’. The cook book sounds like just what I need. If I don’t win it, I think I’ll buy it.
I like Jessica’s blogs and would love to win her cookbook.
Sounds like a very interesting cookbook! Would really enjoy having it!
This is such a terrific idea! Can’t wait to see the recipes.
What agree idea! I love the idea that there’s no processed ie. store bought creamed soup recipes!
I would love this cookbook!! I am new to freezer cooking and could use some recipes and guidance on how to start.
This sounds wonderful! I’m still trying to figure out the whole freezer meal thing while eating healthy foods. This cookbook is such a great idea!
I mean ” what a great idea!”
What a great give-away!! I enjoy reading both Lynn’s and Jessica’s blogs so much and have learned from both of you. I would love to have this book!! Thanks for offering it.
Looks like a great cookbook!
Oh me me me! I need this in my life. With 6 kids having dinner ready is sometimes the end of my line after a long day of schooling. Best of luck to all!
I’ve been wanting to start freezer cooking, and this would be just the incentive I need. Thanks, Lynn.
Cookbook sounds awesome! Can’t wait to maybe try some dishes out!
This sounds like a wonderful book. It’s always a great help to have some meals tucked away in the freezer for busy days.
I would love this book!
This cookbook would be a Godsend. I’m a newbie to freezer cooking and I would like learn all that I can. My main goal is to help my elderly mom who lives by herself eat better meals than Banquet Frozen Dinners. Thanks for the giveaway.
I have just recently started freezer cooking…I am HOOKED! I love it. Not sure how I did it before!
Thanks for a chance to win!
I would love to try this cookbook 🙂
I volunteer at the hospital and having a meal ready to go would be a godsend. thanks for the news about the book.
Rita
I would love to have this book to try out. I have one freeze ahead meal and that’s about all I know how to do. I’ve got to have instructions! I’m also pretty bad about not making meal plans and at 5:30 I wonder what I’ll have for supper. A nice frozen meal could save me. Thanks!
I’ve always wanted to try freezer cooking but I’ve never had the space to put all the food. I just got a deep freezer and I’d love to learn to freezer cook. This cookbook sounds like a great way to start.
I would LOVE to win this! Thank you!
OMG I just love being prepared for dinner, etc…Make a head meals work great for me as i never know who is going to be home for dinner ….this book would be so helpful!
thanks for an opportunity to win.
Melissa from WA
How great that she has gluten free recipes also! Thanks for the chance to win a copy.
Sounds like a great cookbook! Nothing better than being able to pull something out of the freezer on the days you are not feeling well.
This would be a life saver for me! It sounds great
Looking for healthy ways to cook ahead. We too have drastically cut back on recipes relying in canned soups and boxed mixes.
Timing is everything, right? A good friend of mine and I are just looking into this whole freeze ahead meal idea. Ordered some older books, but would love to have one w/updated recipes using fresh ingredients versus all the pre-packed stuff! So excited this is what you posted on today!
This would be great for me when I have my bad days with my back & just get something out of the freezer would be a great help!!!!!!!!! Thanks, Joyce
I cook almost completely from scratch and I almost always double recipes and put half in the freezer. I pretty much came up with my own techniques so this cookbook sounds great. My family would LOVE some new recipes.
I so need this cookbook. Seems like life just gets crazier and crazier!
This looks great!
This cookbook sounds fabulous! I have just started getting into freezer meals and this would be a great boost to the limited knowledge on the subject I currently have!
Love freezer cooking and would love this cookbook!!!!
Please enter me! Thank you!
This looks fabulous! Thank you! would love to win.
I’ve been trying to transition to more healthy recipes. This book sounds like a perfect tool.
As a mama to 6 still at home (8 children total) Im always looking for *good* make-ahead meals to have on hand, especially for those really crazy days (which are more often than not) lol I would love to win this book!!
I’ve tried freezer cooking after surgery and my family packed on the pounds… We’ll at least I did. I am excited to see this new book and all its recipes! Thanks for the giveaway!
I would love to win this cookbook. I need the “helping hand” to get started on freezer cooking. Thanks for the opportunity.
Ha, I read this post as I was procrastinating about writing up my dinner schedule/grocery list for the week! Perfect timing. If I could make a few meals this weekend and know that they could be my back up later in the week, that would relieve a lot of the stress! Thanks for sharing, Lynn.
I’ve never tried my hand at freezer cooking. I would love to have this cookbook and try it out!
I have started experimenting recently with freezer cooking. I would love to receive this book! Keeping my fingers crossed.
This would be a wonderful prize to win. I’m a cookbook fanatic, these look like great menu ideas and I’m trying to eat healthier to continue my WW loss journey of 50 pounds so far. This would help me have something in the freezer to prepare for dinner on those days (oh, so many days) when my willpower isn’t up to snuff. Thank you!
The pictures look wonderful, can’t wait to see the recipes!
With a new baby on the way, I need some freezer meal inspiration!
This would be great for busy school nights!
did i see swedish meatballs which are one of my childhood favorites…yum!cannot wait to see all the recipes.
I love freezer/make ahead recipes!
This looks wonderful. I am trying to be better about utilizing the freezer.
I would love to win a copy of this cookbook.
I would love to in,thanks for the chance!
This cookbook sounds great. Can’t wait to try some new recipes.
So excited for this cookbook. It looks great!
With my busy schedule, I would truly benefit from cooking and freezing meals ahead. Sounds like an awesome book!
Would love to win it cause I am new to freezeing dinner’s and the book sounds wonderful 🙂
I would love to try some new recipes. Thanks for thinging of us!
Thinking,,,,OOPs
I’ve heard a lot of good things about freezer meals, but I’ve been a bit gun shy about trying it myself. I would love to have a cookbook to guide me through it.
just getting back into freezer cooking… would so love to win this book..
thanks.
Cookbook looks great ~ thank you for the chance to win!
I really could use this!
This could come in very handy.
I’d love a closer look at this!
We’re just about to have our 2nd baby and I’ve been trying my hand at freezer cooking to have meals available after baby is born. I would LOVE this cookbook!
I would love this cookbook & you caught me on a day of doing cooking/ freezing (chicken day). I’m getting into a rut & need fresh ideas! I also have been ill for many years & started freezing when I knew I was going to have surgery again. Mostly soups because of my diet restrictions. I have moved on & make meatballs, meatloaves, shephards pies etc. But after all the surgeries I don’t have the energy/strength needed to cook for the family. The crockpot is used but I really like having meals prepared/prepped ahead of time for bad days. So a book like this sounds perfect! Thanks all the great tips and recipes
I use to do a lot of cooking both indoor and at a camp site, but since the stroke a freezer meal would be so very helpful, it would take a lot of pressure off those who take care of me. i could just take it out of the freezer and put it in the oven.
How exciting! I’ve been looking for a cookbook like this, just getting into gluten free meals and have dabbled in freezer meals over the past couple of years.
This is a cookbook for today! Working women could certainly use it to cook on the weekends and life becomes a little less hectic during the week. Stay at home moms could sneak in a recipe here and there between little guys naps or school demands. Sounds like a cookbook for everyone!
I’ve just started to freezer cook and love Jessica’s book. I read her blog every day.
Would love to have this book! Would definitely use it!
This cookbook sounds wonderful!! I have been looking for one just like this!!
I would love to win! Thanks for the giveaway!
would love to win 🙂
This is a great cookbook. I love your recipes and would really like to add this one too. Thanks for the giveaway.
Looks yummy!
Though always on the look out for great recipes, you completely won me over with your “no cans of cream of whatever soups” description, so sign me up!! Thanks for sharing!
I would love to have this, thanks for the chance to win
I like that I see green, whole asparagus in a picture on this freeze-ahead post!
I would love to have this.I could share with my daughter and daughter-in-law.This would be so wonderful.
I love making meals and freezing them. We help keep our 1 year old grandson, and make ahead frozen meals are a lifesaver for this sometimes tired grandma!!!
I would love to give this a try! It looks like just the thing for my busy life!
I have never freezer cooked before so this book would be a great start for me.
I would love some new ideas for freezer cooking. I hope I’m chosen to receive the free copy.
Thanks so much for all your ideas.
I would love to win the cookbook it looks like it has some great recipes in it
This cookbook sounds great, and there are definitely days when we all could use a healthy meal waiting for us with not too much effort 🙂
As someone who now has 4 children in her life, after having 0, I can only imagine how helpful this cookbook could be in making dinner less stressful, more enjoyable and giving us more time to talk and share with one another.
I would love to dive in and give freezing cooking a try. Its nice to see its not just soups and more soups
I have been eating to get into freezer meals for a while! This would be awesome
With baby #3 on the way, this book would be a lifesaver.
Thanks so much for this opportunity….this is exactly what I need!
Would LOVE to try this out!
This sounds like a great cookbook to have when I get a new chest freezer!!
Thank you for the chance to win this cookbook. My family could use some new supper ideas. We homeschool our four youngest children so having a freezer full of all ready made suppers would be a huge blessing. Even if I don’t win, definately will be buying this book!!
Sounds like a great cookbook. Thanks for chance to win.
I’d love to see this cookbook!
This would be perfect timing. I just started to plan my meals around freezer cooking 🙂
I would really love to try out freezer cooking. I appreciate that this cookbook doesn’t use processed ingredients like canned soup! I’ve been wanting to try out freezer cooking, and this would be a big help to getting started. Thanks for the opportunity!