Cooking Day Tips

• Wear Good Shoes and Take Breaks!

• Wear a short sleeve shirt so you’re not dragging your sleeves through the food. 

• Clean as you go.

• Put on some fun music.

• Wear an apron and have plenty of kitchen towels available.

• Prepare the most complicated recipes early in the day.

• Make sure to eat lunch and drink plenty of water.

Packaging Hints: 

Depending on how much freezer space you have package your foods in rigid containers, freezer bags, or casserole dishes with foil. Make sure to label the packages very well with the date, item and serving instructions. If cheese is to be added put it in a small baggie and tape it to the dish to add later. A Sharpie Maker works the best. Also, write on the bag before you put food in it. It is much harder to write if the bag is hot or wet. Divide the food into family sized portions. Some foods you should “flash freeze” before bagging. This means that you put the items separately on a cooling rack or cookie sheet and put them into the freezer until they are individually frozen. This way when you put them into a bag they will come apart easily. We do this with meatballs, chicken strips and calzones.

Finally, clean up and evaluate. Talk about what worked and what didn’t. Post a list on your freezer of what you’ve cooked then cross it off when you use it. (This way you won’t lose food and forget about it.)