Butternut squash is one vegetable that transfers beautifully from the freezer to the table. About the time my local farmer’s market is winding down for the season, I purchase more squash than I can possibly carry in one load. And when I have a little bit of time at home, I load my oven with split, seeded, unpeeled squash and roast. After cooling, it’s easy to scoop the flesh and purée. I later use the puréed squash as a delicious side (season on the fly with maple syrup and cinnamon, or orange zest and ginger), or as the star ingredient in soup or risotto.   Read More >>

It’s that time of year! The apples are plentiful and begging to be popped into your freezer. One of our favorite frozen stockpiles is apple crisp. Last year, Becki converted an entire bushel of Ida Reds into about 25 4-cup apple crisps. Her husband, Randy, helped by cranking away on an apple-corer-peeler-slicer. She tried to keep up, coating apple slices with sugar and spices, and covering them with a crisp topping. Her stash lasted well into the winter. And she was able to give away a number of them as Thanksgiving gifts for teachers and school bus drivers.

One Cooking Among Friends® devotee hosts an annual apple crisp party. She has everyone bring a pound of butter and six pounds of apples. She provides the dry goods and spices for the topping and filling. Friends peel and slice the apples, someone processes the topping, and everyone goes home with five or six 4-cup tins of apple crisp. Brunch is served before the crisps are made . . . and of course a large one is baked to eat after clean-up!

Whether you plan to fill your freezer on your own, or enjoy doing so among friends, we hope you enjoy our recipe.
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I think one of the best gifts I’m able to give my family is a great mealtime. Frankly, before Cooking Among Friends, things were rather haphazard. Sometimes my frantically-fixing-dinner mood got in the way of a relaxed, enjoyable bonding experience—you know, that June Cleaver kind of mealtime. Thankfully, those days are largely behind me, thanks to a freezer full of fabulous entrées. By and large, the dining room table is the place where we do most of our connecting and bonding with one another as a family.   Read More >>

Sometimes the little things offer the biggest dazzle. Flavored sweet butters (easy to whip up and easier to freeze) take a pancake, muffin, or toast from ho-hum to wow. Savory butters atop steak, fish, or vegetables add drama and flavor. Next food swap consider a flavored butter swap. Your frozen stash will be sure to dazzle.   Read More >>

They’re popping up all over the place! Meal preparation franchises are quite the rage these days. You may recognize names like Dream Dinners®, or Let’s Dish®. The concept isn’t unlike ours—pre-assemble and freeze entrées among a group of friends.

We’ve repeatedly been asked what we thinking of the concept. In a nutshell, we love the results. After hanging out with friends, you’re prepared in advance to launch great family and company mealtimes with minimal on-the-spot effort. If your budget covers the expense, and your food preferences are matched by the menu offerings, you’ll be blessed by the experience.

You know a “but” is coming, and we’re a little hesitant to get going there. If a meal-assembly purveyor is making your life great, celebrate! Too many voices clamor for us to do more when we’re pretty much stretched to the limit as it is. Frankly, we don’t want to sing in that choir. Be free. You’ve made a great choice to be able to consistently provide a mealtime for the ones you love.

Here’s our no-guilt-allowed input. If you’re looking for a more cost-effective way to get great results, consider forming your own freezer meal food swap cooking club. We think it offers some noteworthy advantages—lower cost, better quality, and increased flexibility.
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We think you'll find this to be a genuine crowd-pleaser! Optimize flavor by assembling and freezing fresh chicken breasts, to be defrosted and baked right before serving. If your cooking club prefers minimal reheating times, precook the chicken breasts for quick future reheats!

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CDKitchen recently posted an on-line article about Cooking Among Friends®! Check out the article under A Healthy Bite.

Want to really surprise your cooking club members? Provide a meal that’s sure to stun—a frozen container of cooked rice.

This year I’m intent on widening my world view. And I’m planning to invite my family to join me. According to The ONE Campaign, 12 out of 20 people representing the world’s population sit down to a meal consisting of a small portion of rice. Why not switch things up for a night and experience a mealtime along with the majority of our distant, unmet friends? Make it all the more real by candlelight, on the floor, without cutlery. Or consider lining up to receive rice refugee-style.

You may have heard of the Oxfam Hunger Banquets. This idea is pretty simple. It’s about inviting 20 people to sit down at your table, representing the world's population. Three would get a gourmet meal, five would get rice and beans, and twelve would receive a small portion of rice. If you’d like more information on this practical simulation, check out Oxfam's Fast for a World Harvest.

Consider surprising your exchange group members. Provide them a tin of rice, some information, and some inspiration. Join us as we attempt to expand our world view.

Yum. And did we mention that this wrap kit is a snap to prepare for your cooking club? We also like how this recipe can be switched up to a salad for anyone who would like to nix the wrap!   Read More >>

If you were Santa Claus, what food (and drink) would you want kids to leave for you on Christmas Eve?

Stimulate conversation around your dinner table with some creative questions! My daughters always enjoy it when we pull out a pile of questions to ask and answer. We may draw a single question and each reply, or have someone draw a question and query whomever he or she chooses. This has been particularly meaningful at holiday time as extended family members and friends gather around the table.   Read More >>

Jazz up meal-time conversation with imaginative questions from KidChat! Order copies for gift-giving or your own home.

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One of our favorite holiday exchanges of all time is Christmas candy. Individually preparing a large batch of a single recipe or two streamlines holiday preparations, and exchanging within a cooking club brings the variety you’ll want to have on hand for entertaining and homemade gift giving. Our favorites have included truffles, turtles, peppermint bark, candied nuts, chocolate-dipped pretzels, and the most decadent fudge I have ever tasted. Carol’s Triple Chocolate Marble Fudge recipe has become such a favorite that it’s a regular at our holiday gatherings. This recipe is too good to keep to ourselves. It is nearly foolproof to prepare. Beware that it sets up quickly, and have your containers prepared and ready to fill!   Read More >>

This year’s Super Bowl is just around the corner. And what’s a Super Bowl party without a great bowl of chili? Here’s a Cooking Among Friends® all-time favorite recipe. It’s been lightened up without sabotaging flavor. Pop this in the freezer and your Super Bowl guests will be delighted . . . New Year’s resolutions intact.   Read More >>

Darby recently emailed us about a concept we call Culinary TLC (see Beyond Entrées in Cooking Among Friends). Here’s the scoop in her words.   Read More >>

Looking for a festive holiday exchange item for entertaining and gift-giving? This year we’re nuts about nuts! They disappear quickly at holiday gatherings, and make a delightful gift (package in decorative tins or embellished cello bags). Savory nuts we’ve squirreled away in the freezer will be turning some ho-hum salads into something special in the weeks ahead. Check out three of our favorite recipes—two savory and one sweet.

On a practical note, now is the time to purchase promotional holiday-priced nuts and freeze them for future baking. Transfer nuts to freezer bags and place in the freezer. They will stay fresh for at least several months and perhaps up to one year.
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