I think it was close to a month ago I made a chicken parmesan and froze
leftover single serving size packages in foodsaver bags. I took one out
today and heated it up for dinner along with some broccoli. It was just
as good, if not better, as a leftover.

On Fri, 07 Jan 2011 23:19:19 -0500, Cheryl >
wrote:

>I think it was close to a month ago I made a chicken parmesan and froze
>leftover single serving size packages in foodsaver bags. I took one out
>today and heated it up for dinner along with some broccoli. It was just
>as good, if not better, as a leftover.

LOs are always better if only just because all the work is done... I
never cook food just for one meal... and the more elaborate and time
consuming the more portions I prepare. I'll make a ham n' cheese
sandwich for one but I wouldn't consider preparing chicken parmesan
for less than feeding six, twice. And I think folks who fill their
freezer with lots of raw ingredients are foolish, it's far less
wasteful to fill ones freezer with prepared foods... I'd guess that
90% who have a stand alone freezer are wasting it by freezing mostly
what will be pared down to less than half its volume from cooking.
Even retail stores have learned to use as much of their freezer space
as possible for fully prepared foods, that's far more profitable
utility-wise. And you rarely see cylindrical containers in store
freezers, and even fridges, anymore, more and more they're rectangular
to conserve space... even yogurt containers are now rectangular. Next
you bring home those family-size packages of meat think about cooking
it right away, don't freeze them raw... eventually you'll have to cook
it anyway, by freezing it already cooked it'll take half as much
freezer space, all your clean-up will have been done, you won't need
to futz with stoopid vacuum wrapping (designed especially to seperate
the dollars from the population with the lowest IQ), and with a quick
thaw and heat it'll be all ready to eat.

Brooklyn1 wrote:
> On Fri, 07 Jan 2011 23:19:19 -0500, Cheryl >
> wrote:
>
>> I think it was close to a month ago I made a chicken parmesan and froze
>> leftover single serving size packages in foodsaver bags. I took one out
>> today and heated it up for dinner along with some broccoli. It was just
>> as good, if not better, as a leftover.
>
> LOs are always better if only just because all the work is done... I
> never cook food just for one meal... and the more elaborate and time
> consuming the more portions I prepare. I'll make a ham n' cheese
> sandwich for one but I wouldn't consider preparing chicken parmesan
> for less than feeding six, twice. And I think folks who fill their
> freezer with lots of raw ingredients are foolish, it's far less
> wasteful to fill ones freezer with prepared foods... I'd guess that
> 90% who have a stand alone freezer are wasting it by freezing mostly
> what will be pared down to less than half its volume from cooking.
> Even retail stores have learned to use as much of their freezer space
> as possible for fully prepared foods, that's far more profitable
> utility-wise. And you rarely see cylindrical containers in store
> freezers, and even fridges, anymore, more and more they're rectangular
> to conserve space... even yogurt containers are now rectangular. Next
> you bring home those family-size packages of meat think about cooking
> it right away, don't freeze them raw... eventually you'll have to cook
> it anyway, by freezing it already cooked it'll take half as much
> freezer space, all your clean-up will have been done, you won't need
> to futz with stoopid vacuum wrapping (designed especially to seperate
> the dollars from the population with the lowest IQ), and with a quick
> thaw and heat it'll be all ready to eat.

I love leftovers! Might as well get several meals out of all the
time and effort.

--
Jean B.

"Jean B." > wrote in message
...
> Brooklyn1 wrote:
>> On Fri, 07 Jan 2011 23:19:19 -0500, Cheryl >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> I think it was close to a month ago I made a chicken parmesan and froze
>>> leftover single serving size packages in foodsaver bags. I took one out
>>> today and heated it up for dinner along with some broccoli. It was just
>>> as good, if not better, as a leftover.
>>
>> LOs are always better if only just because all the work is done... I
>> never cook food just for one meal... and the more elaborate and time
>> consuming the more portions I prepare. I'll make a ham n' cheese
>> sandwich for one but I wouldn't consider preparing chicken parmesan
>> for less than feeding six, twice. And I think folks who fill their
>> freezer with lots of raw ingredients are foolish, it's far less
>> wasteful to fill ones freezer with prepared foods... I'd guess that
>> 90% who have a stand alone freezer are wasting it by freezing mostly
>> what will be pared down to less than half its volume from cooking.
(snippage)
>
> I love leftovers! Might as well get several meals out of all the time and
> effort.
>
> --
> Jean B.
--------------------
I love leftovers, too. Even when I'm feeding two people I always cook for
at least 4-6. Pop the leftovers in the freezer in individual serving sizes
and voila! you have a ready cooked meal that isn't out of a supermarket
carton containing who knows what preservatives.

Jill

"Jean B." > wrote:
> Brooklyn1 wrote:
>> On Fri, 07 Jan 2011 23:19:19 -0500, Cheryl >
>> wrote:
>>>> I think it was close to a month ago I made a chicken parmesan and
>>>> froze >> leftover single serving size packages in foodsaver bags. I
>>>> took one out >> today and heated it up for dinner along with some
>>>> broccoli. It was just >> as good, if not better, as a leftover.
>>> LOs are always better if only just because all the work is done... I
>> never cook food just for one meal... and the more elaborate and time
>> consuming the more portions I prepare. I'll make a ham n' cheese
>> sandwich for one but I wouldn't consider preparing chicken parmesan
>> for less than feeding six, twice. And I think folks who fill their
>> freezer with lots of raw ingredients are foolish, it's far less
>> wasteful to fill ones freezer with prepared foods... I'd guess that
>> 90% who have a stand alone freezer are wasting it by freezing mostly
>> what will be pared down to less than half its volume from cooking.
>> Even retail stores have learned to use as much of their freezer space
>> as possible for fully prepared foods, that's far more profitable
>> utility-wise. And you rarely see cylindrical containers in store
>> freezers, and even fridges, anymore, more and more they're rectangular
>> to conserve space... even yogurt containers are now rectangular. Next
>> you bring home those family-size packages of meat think about cooking
>> it right away, don't freeze them raw... eventually you'll have to cook
>> it anyway, by freezing it already cooked it'll take half as much
>> freezer space, all your clean-up will have been done, you won't need
>> to futz with stoopid vacuum wrapping (designed especially to seperate
>> the dollars from the population with the lowest IQ), and with a quick
>> thaw and heat it'll be all ready to eat.
>
> I love leftovers! Might as well get several meals out of all the time and effort.

I disagree on one point. Those vacuum wrapping machines do work. Food does
taste better after a period of time over not vacuum packing. I think it is
worth the extra tiny expense for the bags. Even without the vacuum machine
you still have wrap the food in something that cost money. I find hard
plastic containers just have to much space for those crummy ice crystals to
form... Yuck!

For extended food preservation of prepared foods, I prefer the pressure
canner.
As a gardener, do you preserve your bountiful vegetables in your freezer
without vacuum packing? Those wonderful freezer burns!

--
Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan)

On Jan 8, 6:49*am, Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:
> On Fri, 07 Jan 2011 23:19:19 -0500, Cheryl >
> wrote:
>
> >I think it was close to a month ago I made a chicken parmesan and froze
> >leftover single serving size packages in foodsaver bags. *I took one out
> >today and heated it up for dinner along with some broccoli. *It was just
> >as good, if not better, as a leftover.
> you bring home those family-size packages of meat think about cooking
> it right away, don't freeze them raw... eventually you'll have to cook
> it anyway, by freezing it already cooked it'll take half as much
> freezer space, all your clean-up will have been done, you won't need
> to futz with stoopid vacuum wrapping (designed especially to seperate
> the dollars from the population with the lowest IQ), and with a quick
> thaw and heat it'll be all ready to eat.
Sheldon, what great advice. I hadn't thought about conserving freezer
space in that way before. I too often buy a good amount of fresh
ingredients for something I want to make, but not right away. Near as
often I've frozen the "get around to" ingredient and forget what I
wanted it for in the first place. I do cook like you, in bulk for
freezing into later meals, but you've given me a good New Year
Resolution: Buy as you care to for cooking, but only on the same days
with time to cook it all.
Thanks, Picky

On Sat, 8 Jan 2011 15:42:51 +0000 (UTC), Nad R
> wrote:

>"Jean B." > wrote:
>> Brooklyn1 wrote:
>>> On Fri, 07 Jan 2011 23:19:19 -0500, Cheryl >
>>> wrote:
>>>>> I think it was close to a month ago I made a chicken parmesan and
>>>>> froze >> leftover single serving size packages in foodsaver bags. I
>>>>> took one out >> today and heated it up for dinner along with some
>>>>> broccoli. It was just >> as good, if not better, as a leftover.
>>>> LOs are always better if only just because all the work is done... I
>>> never cook food just for one meal... and the more elaborate and time
>>> consuming the more portions I prepare. I'll make a ham n' cheese
>>> sandwich for one but I wouldn't consider preparing chicken parmesan
>>> for less than feeding six, twice. And I think folks who fill their
>>> freezer with lots of raw ingredients are foolish, it's far less
>>> wasteful to fill ones freezer with prepared foods... I'd guess that
>>> 90% who have a stand alone freezer are wasting it by freezing mostly
>>> what will be pared down to less than half its volume from cooking.
>>> Even retail stores have learned to use as much of their freezer space
>>> as possible for fully prepared foods, that's far more profitable
>>> utility-wise. And you rarely see cylindrical containers in store
>>> freezers, and even fridges, anymore, more and more they're rectangular
>>> to conserve space... even yogurt containers are now rectangular. Next
>>> you bring home those family-size packages of meat think about cooking
>>> it right away, don't freeze them raw... eventually you'll have to cook
>>> it anyway, by freezing it already cooked it'll take half as much
>>> freezer space, all your clean-up will have been done, you won't need
>>> to futz with stoopid vacuum wrapping (designed especially to seperate
>>> the dollars from the population with the lowest IQ), and with a quick
>>> thaw and heat it'll be all ready to eat.
>>
>> I love leftovers! Might as well get several meals out of all the time and effort.
>
>I disagree on one point. Those vacuum wrapping machines do work. Food does
>taste better after a period of time over not vacuum packing. I think it is
>worth the extra tiny expense for the bags. Even without the vacuum machine
>you still have wrap the food in something that cost money. I find hard
>plastic containers just have to much space for those crummy ice crystals to
>form... Yuck!

Um, yer supposed to fill those containers to the fill line and burp
the lid, there'd be no space for ice crystals or freezer burn, besides
ice crystals cause no harm and one can always cut away a sliver of
freezer burn... and there are several sizes... even those with the
lowest IQs should be able to figure out how much volume fills a one
quart container. DUH

Practically all prepared foods can very easily be made to fill a hard
container leaving no air space; soups and stews are easy, as are all
dishes with a sauce/gravy (meat balls, sausage, sliced meats),
rice/pasta and meat dishes are easy to fill too, as are meat and
mashed potatoes. And anyone who can't completely fill a hard
container with mac n' cheese falls into the pointy headed imbecile
catagory (that's you, no Nads), they have no IQ whatsoever.

The hard containers available nowadays are for all intents and
purposes free, even though catagorized as disposable they can be used
many, many times and survive the dishwasher well, and many common
foods are actually packaged for sale in those disposable containers so
in effect they are free if you buy those products anyway... in fact
one can easily accumulate so many that they run out of space to store
them... I have hundreds, far more than I will ever use. But they are
a wonderfully designed product, I like how after a minute of defrost
cycle in the nuker the food slides out cleanly into cookware for
heating, I prefer not heating in those containers whereas because
being filled to the top they can get sloppy/dangerous... it's very
easy to heat one qt of frozen soup in a two qt pot... just add a few
ounces of water, slap on the lid and heat on low. I purposely make
all my soups extra thick, practically condensed, so they need water
anyway... I do this to conserve even more freezer space. And I don't
storeage food for so long it needs to be vacuum packed, anyone who
lives in the US can always buy any food on sale... in the US what to
eat is never a problem, the problem is what not to eat. In the US at
any stupidmarket there is always steak on sale, if not t-bone then
strip, or porterhouse, always something... it's really dumb to place a
high grade fresh slab of beefsteak into a freezer, you wouldn't want
to be served previously frozen rib steak at a restaurant. I'd much
rather permit my local stupidmarkets to keep the bulk of my perishable
food frozen in their freezers, we all pay for that privilege anyway so
why store so much in a home freezer and pay that utility bill twice
and thrice. When I want to save money I place my cash into an
interest bearing account, not fill a huge freezer like some pointy
headed imbecile... with how some horde cheapo chicken parts in a
freezer they had to buy and pay to run the chicken has a far larger
brain. And don't even get me started on the brain dead who freeze
expensive tender beef cuts, you freeze stew meat and hamburger, not
rib roast and porterhouse... among other shortcomings they're
afflicted with TIAD, let's leave it at that.