Recently I was honored to be asked by author Carol J. Alexander to take a peek at her latest book, Homestead Cooking with Carol – Bountiful Make Ahead Meals. With a title like that, how could I say no! Homestead cooking? Yes, please!!! I have to admit, I read it cover to cover and realized, this was a book I would keep and treasure forever. There is a wealth of knowledge in this book that makes it a must have reference for any kitchen.
The core of Carol’s book is preplanning for ease, aka make ahead meals. Let’s face it, some night you just feel blah and really don’t feel like cooking, well thanks to Carol, “You can go into your pantry, pull a few jars off the shelves, mix them together, and call it supper.” I love that idea!! Prep work is what it takes and not only does she provide free meal planning worksheets for you to download, she holds your hand and walks you through the process of preparing your food ahead of time for nights like these.
Freeze or can? Carol knows! And she explains it to her readers in easy to follow instructions. Meats, veggies, fruit, bread, stock, breakfast ideas, even dessert are all topics she covers in this easy to read, understand, and implement book. Yes, she provides recipes…. yummy recipes, but she goes beyond a list of ingredients, she provides tips and tricks to stretch your budget and your meal planning abilities.
I personally loved the fact that on top of everything, she also shares her ideas for tools and supplies you should have on hand in a your kitchen. If your going to do a job right, it helps to be prepared! Weather you grow your own food, belong to a CSA, frequent farm’s market, or heck, buy food in bulk from a store, Carol’s book will teach you how to utilize your food sources to not only eat healthier, but to do it with less stress. And who doesn’t want a stocked freezer and pantry with ready to go meals?!?!
***** Would you love the chance to pick Carol’s brain? Well your in luck!! On Sunday, March 16 at 9:00 p.m. EST, Carol is planning a teleconference on homestead cooking. It will be a time to learn the difference between cooking on the homestead and cooking off the homestead. She will share her thoughts then have a time of questions and answers. She would love for you to join. If you think you might want to, click here to sign up to receive more details. If you’re not sure that day and time will work for you, sign up anyway and then you can get the recording to listen to at your convenience. *****
Mindie, thank you for your kind words. And I'm glad you picked up on the fact that this method can work for folks that don't even grow all their food, but buy in bulk from elsewhere. That makes Homestead Cooking with Carol a great book for everyone! 🙂
Bless you Carol for writing such a needed book and for allowing me a chance to thumb through it!
This book looks amazing! I love the idea of doing all of the prep ahead of time since, when meal time comes, I'm usually just scrambling to feed the starving masses. 😉
I agree, I would rather put in a little work ahead of time for ease of life later!
Sounds like a tome for my wish list! Gee my birthday is coming, I think I need to drop a few hints! ie write a note with all the details and leave it on the table!
Paula it really is a very useful tool!
Thanks for sharing this review.
Thanks for reading!