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SMART Ideas!
by Alice Osborne
Once-A-Month Cooking (OAMC)
 The habit of cooking once a month can really make life easier, especially in the summer, when life can get extra busy. So plan, shop, prepare, assemble and then stock the freezer!
Here are some general tips to keep in mind that Christy of Durango, CO shared with us...
Clean out refrigerator BEFORE shopping.
Cool things quickly. The faster food freezes, the fresher it tastes when thawed. Putting warm things in the freezer takes longer to freeze and diminishes food quality—large ice crystals form. (Warm food placed in the freezer also raises the temperature of foods already there.)
Save freezer space: store foods in plastic zipper bags, pressed as flat as possible, and remove as much air as possible. (Where there’s air, there’s freezer burn.)
Thaw for use in the refrigerator overnight. Thicker dishes may take longer to thaw. You can safely move food from freezer to refrigerator two days ahead of time.
For a new recipe: freeze a single-serving or single-sized recipe to for family testing.
“Flash freezing” describes the process of freezing things quickly and individually. For example, if you’re freezing whole strawberries, lay them out individually in a single layer on a cookie sheet, freeze just until solid, and then pack tightly together in a zip-top freezer bag.
NEVER freeze macaroni or rice in a cooked soup or sauce. They will continue to absorb moisture even after placed in the freezer. Add the pasta or rice on serving day instead.
Consider cooking a LARGE brisket overnight on low. In the morning cool it, shred and package amounts according to various recipes.
Don’t have enough casserole dishes? Line your one or two dishes with heavy-duty foil and freeze. Once frozen, remove and transfer to 2-gallon freezer bags.
Make a notebook for OAMC recipes and experiences; put recipes inside vinyl page protectors. Save shopping lists and work plans; note any changes you needed to make.
Here’s what doesn’t freeze well: greasy and fried foods, cram fillings and soft frostings, custard or cream pies, soft and creamed cheeses, mayonnaise, sour cream, potatoes cooked in soups and stews, cake icings made with egg whites.
(If YOU have a smart idea, won't you share it? Life is so much easier and we accomplish so much more when we pool our resources. And after all, we're all in this together. So email patty@dvo.com or alice@dvo.com with YOUR Smart Ideas!)
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