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Not Your Mother’s Make Ahead and Freeze Cookbook Review and Giveaway

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 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.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  6. Susie

    Me! Me! Pick me!
    Does that count as a comment?
    🙂
    (i am using your recipes all the time – that caramel chex mix is my go-to gluten free snack!)

  7. Jessica Puckett

    I have 3 young children and totally agree that freezer cooking is GREAT! It helps us out a lot. I belong to freezer cooking co-op and cook for them once every 3 months, but still do some of my own freezer cooking every week. I don’t know how to cook small anymore! 🙂

  9. Lisa Wyant

    I love your website and all of your fantastic recipes! I’m a stay at home mom and an Army wife. I have 3 year old twins and a 2 year old so I’m pretty busy and dinner time is usually hectic. Thanks to your website I’ve found many family friendly recipes that I can make pretty quickly. I also tend to freeze a lot of dinners (or I make big casseroles and freeze half) for when my husband is in the field or what not and I just don’t feel up to cooking but a real dinner sounds good. I would love an opportunity to win a copy of this cookbook! Thank you!

  11. Rachel

    As a homeschooling and part-time working mom, I think this would probably be a huge help. I’m not a fan of frozen casseroles, but this sounds like it would go way beyond that!

  13. Linda Law

    I don’t have little ones at home anymore but we do take care of my 93 year old mother-in-law and 2 days a week, I get to take care of 3 precious granddaughters. Some days scream freezer meals! We are also trying to be much more health conscious in our eating.

  17. Susan H

    Yes please!! My girlfriends and I over at defrumpme.com just had a crockpot freezer party, and we’ve all been enjoying the results this week! I can’t wait to try some new freezer recipes as our family just keeps getting busier and busier! Love following your blog! 🙂

  18. Kristin Celeste

    Thank you for hosting the giveaway!

    I can relate to exactly what you wrote about freezer cooking in relation to health issues. For the past three years, I have been making meals on an as needed basis since I only had a mini fridge. I am packing at this moment in anticipation of moving into a tiny house that has an oven and refrigerator with a small freezer. I cannot wait to have a stock pile of meals in the freezer for those three-four evenings a week when I just do not have the energy or physical ability to cook.

  20. Andrea

    I have wanted to try freezer cooking but haven’t been able to get started. This would be a great way to get going. Thanks for the giveaway.

  22. Deb

    An updated cookbook for freezer meals is awesome. I have battered copies of once a month cooking, dinners in the freezer, and others, and still use some of the recipes. The best part, as you shared, is being able to say
    “I will bring dinner tonight” when someone is in need. Feels like following scripture – “when I was hungry you fed me”

  25. Megan Hawkins

    I would love to win this cookbook, although, I have to say that I do enjoy many of my mother’s make-ahead recipes too! 🙂

  26. Nina

    I love freezer cooking. It tends to take me several days to get it all done but it’s so wonderful to have a freezer full of yummy dinners. This cookbook sounds great!

    • Melody

      Good for her! I have used many of your recipes and this is wonderful that you have a friend who has been able to compile a GOOD freezer recipe cookbook! Can’t wait to get a copy! Thank you for the chance to win one!

  31. Lila

    My favorite recipe from your collection is the chocolate whole wheat zucchini muffins. They are wonderful zapped in the microwave a few seconds. Of course, I always throw in extra chocolate chips!

  32. Jana Caudill

    keep it coming! Love your posts. Excited to see this book of
    Not Your Mother’s Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook

    THANK YOU

  35. Shannon

    This sounds great! I work full time, long hours and have 2 little ones. I love making freezer meals because then I don’t spend so much time cooking every evening. It gives me more time with the family. 🙂

  36. Deanne

    I need to get back into the habit of stocking my freezer with meals! Looking forward to checking this book out!

  39. Katrina

    I’m so sick of looking at freeze ahead meals with awful ingredients in them. This looks like my type of cookbook

  40. Leah

    I would love to have some “modern” recipes that freeze well. I frequently wish I knew how to make healthier freezer meals and all to often just skip the freezer meals for that reason.

  42. Carrie

    I am having my first baby in just a 2 months and I know this would be an incredibly helpful cookbook to have on hand!

  54. Amy Stiner

    I would love this cookbook! I just started doing this recently and would enjoy checking out some new recipes!

  55. Cindy in FL

    To win this would be wonderful! I need to be better at making meals ahead and freezer meals. Thank you for this opportunity.

  60. xochitl

    I just started school and my kidscwould love a change of culanary scene! I’ve enjoyed your bloc as well.

  61. Susan

    Would love to win this. Being single, freezer cooking is great so I don’t to make a big mess of cooking just for myself. And then it saves me a ton of money by already having lunches ready to pull out for the week.

  66. Mona

    There’s nothing like pulling a lovely meal out of the freezer instead of hitting the drive through. I’d love to win this cookbook!

  67. Andrea

    I have been so excited for this cookbook since reading about it on Jessica’s blog! Thanks for the giveaway!

  68. Trish

    I was pleased to read that there are no cream of something soups used in these recipes. Would be very happy to win a free copy!

  70. Gina

    I usually make pancakes or waffles for the freezer but need to branch out to have lunches and dinners ready too. Thanks for the chance to win!

  74. Christine

    You had me at “free of canned cream of whatever soup”! I would love to try this book! Thank you for the opportunity!

  78. Kristy

    I would love to win a copy – my freezer cooking skills need some polishing, or updating, or refreshing, or something.

  80. Susan B.

    Oh, I hope I win. I’m on a budget and have been scouring the internet for inspiration and I’m just getting into make-ahead meals to freeze. With a 4 and 6 year old, and babysitting a 2 year old, I need good meals I can thaw and cook! Thank you for the opportunity.

  85. Amanda Bryan

    I am the mother of 2 boys (ages 4 & 9) who LOVE to eat healthy (their favorite foods are anything with broccoli and/or mushrooms). I work a graveyard shift so that I can keep the 4 year old home with me (and avoid cost of daycare) and be active in my 9 year old’s school (Room mom, PTA Board member, Library assistant, etc). I sleep when my 4 year old takes his mid day nap and then after 5pm when my husband comes home til I have to clock in at 9pm. Would LOVE to have some healthy freezer meals so my wonderful husband doesn’t fall into the trap of tv dinners, Hamburger Helper, and eating out!

  88. Becca

    This would give me the perfect chance to try different freezer recipes! So tired of the “cream of…” ones 🙂

  91. Margo

    I am getting ready for our seventh child and I am trying to cook ahead. This book would be a great resource.

  94. Emily

    I would love to learn more about freezer cooking! With two young children mealtime is always a little unpredictable 🙂

  95. jenny

    I don’t really need to have a super full stocked freezer full of meals- but having 1 or 2 things in there as emergency, no-need-for-takeout, or easy-hubby-cooking is definitely worth it!

  96. Emily Adams

    I love your blog and Jessica’s blog! I have tried a few of her freezer cooking recipes from her site, I would love to win this cookbook!

  97. Angie McGeown

    Would love to win this cookbook. I just started freezer cooking, so this would be the perfect book to learn from.

  98. Bev Benson

    I love your recipes and love do-ahead meals. This cookbook sounds wonderful and I would love to have a copy. My fingers are crossed that I will be the lucky one!