Recipes:
1. Southwestern Spice Blend
2. Zesty Chicken Marinade
3. Mediterranean Rub
4. Italian Marinade
5. Classic Steakhouse Blend
6. Classic Lasagna
7. Moroccan Hamburgers
Sharon Gray needed to change the way she prepared family meals. Cooking had always been a hobby
and creative outlet for her. But now with two children, a husband, and a growing business (she's a
senior director for The Pampered Chef in Mount Juliet, Tennessee), she needed ways to make home
cooking easier.
Unwilling to pay extra for the new generation of convenience products, such as marinated or
seasoned frozen meats, Sharon created her own method of "investment cooking," a strategy taught by
many Pampered Chef consultants. She takes advantage of grocery meat specials and invests time
cooking in large quantities and freezing food in various stages of preparation. With her freezer
stocked, Sharon and her family can quickly and easily prepare their nightly meals.
Understanding the Method
Investment cooking revolves around cooking and freezing one
type of meat at a time. Here's how it works.
Buy large quantities of meat on special. Most of Sharon's favorite family recipes are
built around ground beef, chicken, and sometimes sausage. Her first step is to buy those items on
sale. Her husband, Ricky, works in the supermarket industry, so Sharon knows when to look for items
on special. To determine what cycle of weekly specials your favorite supermarket follows, talk to
the meat manager. He or she will usually be more than willing to share how specials are planned and
give tips on shopping. You can also check the newspapers to find the best bargains.
After determining what's on special, make your grocery list for all the recipes you'll be
preparing. In addition to meat, purchase any other ingredients needed, such as spices for rubs or
marinades. Be sure to check the pantry and spice rack to avoid duplicating items you already have.
Shop one day; then prepare food for the freezer the next. This will make your to-do list
for each day manageable. Chop any vegetables you'll need for your recipes, such as onions,
mushrooms, and peppers, and line them up on your counter for easy assembly. (Sharon is partial to
The Pampered Chef's food chopper, but you can also use a sharp chef's knife.) Then move on to the
meat preparation.
