Cover Image: Fix, Freeze, Feast, 2nd Edition

Fix, Freeze, Feast, 2nd Edition

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Member Reviews

I would like to thank NetGalley for a free copy of this book I suppose we have moved beyond teaching home economics in school today, but I think this book serves as a new textbook for economizing both time and money in the endless demand of preparing meals on a busy schedule. The recipes are enticing and the photography is very appealing. Each recipe makes two or three servings and specifies how long the meal will stay fresh while frozen. The recipes are nicely varied, some grilled while others are sauted or baked, and there are a good number of vegetarian options. I was worried that a book on freezer meals would make heavy use of preservatives, but most of the sauces are specified in recipes that don't use a lot of sugar. The authors even include label printing templates! I have been cooking from a meal plan service for years and I am anxious to see how setting back some freezer meals can make that easier. I'm also preparing my son for college life, and working on freezer meals together could be a way of stocking his freezer while teaching him some life skills. We also camp in an RV a lot and I love the idea of simply collecting those meals in a cooler before we go!
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I really liked the diversity presented in this book. It can work for families or single people  on the go. Suggestions are given on how things freeze, and how to store them without mess or problem. My mom makes meals like this all  the time, and this book would be a good addition to her bookshelf. As some one who already freezes cheese in a  cramped freezer, I liked the storage suggestions for spacing, and how to expect an item to freeze. Worth checking out@
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I own an earlier version of this cookbook, and I have made several recipes from it. I like it very much. The new version is significantly expanded with some exciting new recipes, and I plan to buy it once published.
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A wonderful tip and recipe book, with a different twist. I have tried a couple of the recipes now, and they make a quick and easy way to have meals ready quickly, especially after a busy day at work. Nice to be able to have a nice and hearty meal within a short time. I have also taken a couple of smaller portions into work, and reheated in the microwave. Easy! The only thing I wish there would have been more of is photos, but overall a well designed and detailed book. Highly recommend for the busy and not so busy, that want to be able to quickly get a good meal on the table.
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I've been wanting to make freezer meals for quite some time, but needed that extra kick and information to make my meal planning and freezer meals into a doable plan.  This book helped me do that!  Everything you want to know about freezer meals and how to do it, is in this book, not to mention some pretty tasty meals!!  I tried the Cherry Skillet Chicken and the Pecan Crusted Chicken Strips with great success!! I will be using and referencing this book quite often and is a staple in my house!  It makes it so much easier to have meals in the freezer on those busy, busy days when cooking isn't an option.  This was a God-send for me!
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I really liked this book. I did feel like there was a ratio problem with the recipes as a there were more chicken ones than any other meat or sweet treats. 
I'd have liked to have more sweet treats in it but it's a good basic for a starter cook.
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This is the second edition of a cookbook originally published almost ten years ago.

The cookbook is well organized.  Entrees are sorted by meat. I love that the authors previously owned meal preparation businesses and that the recipes were designed for the average cook and have been made countless times by a wide variety of folks. 

Now, I don’t think meals that are nothing more than a marinade over a meat have a place in a cookbook like this. I routinely serve marinated meats for dinner and it only takes 5 minutes to throw a marinade together in the morning to serve that evening. Ditto with the Berry Roasted Chicken, which is a great recipe but only takes a few minutes to make. To be fair, these recipes are good. It’s just that I wouldn’t go through the trouble of freezing it and thawing it out.  Just remember to divide the marinade ingredients by the appropriate number if you’re just making one recipe on the day you plan to serve.  

A nice touch is providing sample labels in the appendix to be copied and giving a website for downloading labels that work on Avery stickers (even telling you which stickers the labels work with).  Another nice touch is showing which recipes can be cooked directly from frozen without the need to thaw.   In fact, there are lots of helpful hints, like how to best transfer a sauce to a freezer bag.  

Recipes are well laid out.  They show a section for ingredients, packaging requirements, preparation to freeze and preparation to cook. Some recipes tell you alternative ways to use a prior recipe so that boredom doesn’t set in.  

While some recipes are obviously kid friendly, I appreciated that several were designed more for adult tastes.   Also, these aren’t necessary budget conscious meals.  There are ingredients that might be considered costly (dried mangoes, various liquors and wild rice).  Now, I like that because I’m more concerned with good taste than cost, but it depends on what you want out of this book. There’s also a nice variety of different cuisines, including Indian, Chinese and Tex-Mex.  

The authors also offer some things I would have never thought of freezing, but appreciated, like flavored butters or homemade granola.  Flip side, I was dumbfounded by the idea of freezing snack mix or smoothies.  

Here’s a sample of the recipes I tried and liked: Pepper Jelly Pork Chops, Maple Marinade (the book recommends for vegetables but I tried on turkey tenderloins), Farmers Market Soup and Molasses Rum Chicken.  

My thanks to netgalley and Storey Publishing for an advance copy of this book.
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I was unable to open  this file,  so I can't give a review.  Sadly I was looking forward to this.
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Great cookbook with an easy and interesting assortment of recipes. Just enough pictures to keep it interesting, but not so that you feel overwhelmed. Recipes look and sound amazing. Extra nice is the fact that ways to use the recipes are suggested. For example, using leftover chicken strips chopped up in a salad, and even suggests toppings and dressing to pair it with. 

Will be doing a more thorough review on my website close to release date! Very excited about this book!
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It's my review policy to only review books I enjoyed/found useful, unfortunately this book was not right for me so I will not be reviewing it on my blog. I was hoping to find recipes that would be suitable for reheating in a microwave as I like to batch cook my lunches for work, but most of them required reheating on a stovetop or in an oven with additional ingredients being added. This is one of those situations where if I had seen the book in a store and flicked through it, I would have quickly realised it wasn't what I was looking for, but obviously I could not flick through it before requesting it on NetGalley. As an aside, I must criticise the recommendation to use freezer bags to hold portions - they allow you to fit many portions in your freezer, yes, but they are a lot worse for the environment than reuseable containers and not suitable if you are transporting portions in a bag to work. I would have preferred to see the pros and cons for each option.
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I am not really a person that freezes my food unless it comes that way. I have dreams of being this incredibly organized person that does batch cooking and freezes meals so that she can pick a meal and have it ready in minutes, but I’m not that person yet. In many ways Fix, Freeze, Feast makes me want to be that person even more. You’re offered a wide selection of recipes. Most of the recipes are ones that can be frozen, but on occasion there are a few that can be prepared and made to be eaten immediately. 

Kati Neville and Lindsay Ahrens put together a lot of recipes that sound good. I don’t know how functional the whole freeze and make later part of the recipes are, because I haven’t actually done it. I am just terrible at that sort of thing, but I really am hoping this book will get me into it. Freezing or not, some of the recipes are worth trying.

Fix, Freeze, Feast has some lovely color photos to go with many of the recipes. As I don’t often freeze things, I found myself liking the recipes but not being sure if I would freeze them. There are a lot of soup recipes in here, but I’m not one to want things like that frozen. The same can be said for things like pasta. So, in those specific areas I found a few recipes I’d love to try but it’s doubtful that I will freeze them. 

Still, I think that Fix, Freeze, Feast is worth looking at. You could prep and freeze meals, prep them ahead of time and leave them in the refrigerator, or just make them for the dinner you’re planning that night.
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I was excited to read this new cook book by Kati Neville and Lindsay Ahrens. I belong to a  co-op and shop at a local market, so I am familiar with preparing ahead and freezing. Fix, Freeze, Feast takes this experience to a new level. The dishes are varied with some more complex to fix than others. Some are quick and easily to put together. Once you prepare and freeze the meals, the cooking is easy. When you are having guest over, you can spend your time enjoying your guest, until the meal is ready . At he beginning of the book you will find instructions on getting started. Their are several great tips and ideas through out the book on purchasing in bulk and using the ingredients listed. Some may be new to you.  The photography is excellent. You can picture the dish and know how it will look, especially if it is one you have not made before. If this is a new concept to you, start slow. Don't be overwhelmed and try to prepare for the entire month. Make one recipe a weekend and see how it frees up your time. Start a cooking club with a few friends, as was suggested. I know I will use this cook book often and I highly recommend it.
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I received a free ARC FROM Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This cookbook was organized in an very easy to follow manner: different types of meat, vegetarian/fish, sauces and breakfasts. The recipes looked delicious and preparation was straightforward.  I just wish there was a picture of every item prepared. My only complaint was that the recipes yield way too much food for my husband and I to eat. I would get sick of eating so much of the same meal.
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Excellent recipes and how to's with great pictures. Lots of directions on advance prep/advice that can be applied to other recipes.
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The freezer always seems like a great option for semi-prepared meals that are tasty solutions for busy days. If it seems so good, why do I always feel as if I never use it well?

Probably because, like many others, I don't know enough recipes to make that use this resource well. And I just don't know how to put these things together to make those meals we'll want to eat.

Fix, Freeze, Feast is heaven-sent for people like me. It's full of wonderful recipes that will make multiple meals to come out of your freezer. They make great use of popular meats, such as boneless chicken breasts, marinades, seasonings, and easy cooking methods to produce great food. Every recipe tells you the portions for freezing and many have suggestions for variations. I got so many ideas for great meals!

Also very helpful are the end sections with general instructions for freezer meals, ideas for cooking groups and how freezer meals can help others.

I can't wait for this book to be published!
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Lots of good ideas in this book. I haven't made anything yet, but I've earmarked several that I want to try in the near future. Well written and easy to follow.
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Excellent, love all the recipes.  Could use a few more photos but what's included showcase the recipe attached well.
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I wasn’t sure what to expect from this cookbook. But I was pleasantly surprised to find recipes that I would want to make and have on hand to cook. 

The book blurb adequately describes the contents so I’m not going to repeat that information here. This was well written and informative. I like that you do the prep for multiple meals at once. Definitely a good way to get a delicious and healthy meal on the table easily. You just have to take the time to get the prep work done...and of course have plenty of room in the freezer.
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I bought the first edition of this back in 2010, shortly after my son was born. I consider it the gold standard of freezer cooking. It was a life saver back then, but unfortunately I misplaced it when we moved into a bigger house over the winter. This book will save you time and money, not to mention your sanity. The book is incredibly well organized and it's easy to find the recipes that will suit your family. This new edition is beautifully updated. If I'm remembering correctly, the original version was packed with information but not as visually pleasing as we've come to expect from cookbooks. I'm fine without photos, but the people who require them will be more than happy here. All in all, a perfect gift book for any of the time-starved cooks in your life.
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Great looking recipes and easy to cook and plan. A real winner
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