Freezer Friends meal preparation class offered in Marion

Freezer Friends meal preparation class offered in Marion

Time- saving meals for the family on the go

County Extension Agent Is your family always on the go? Can't remember the last time you enjoyed a sitdown meal with your family? Between work, school, and other activities it can be hard to find time to cook and enjoy meals as a family. The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service in Crittenden County is offering a program that will teach participants how to prepare easy, nutritious dishes in advance while promoting more family meal time and money savings. “Freezer Friends” teaches individuals the basics of packaging and freezing dishes, food safety practices, and provides free online resources for participants. The program features four sessions in which participants will make and take homemade dishes that can be frozen. Participants will be provided a shopping list in advance of each session, which they can adapt to include ingredients they choose to fit their family likes and dislikes. If you do the prep ahead of time, all you have to do is thaw your meal and then pop it in the oven, crockpot or on the grill, and it fits in with today's busy schedules that we all face. It's the ultimate make-ahead strategy — all the convenience of quickand- easy meals but with the flavor of your own healthy home cooking. In fact, once you try this strategy, you'll find it difficult to look at weeknight planning any other way. The “Freezer Friends” program will be held on Tuesdays once-amonth at the Marion Church of Christ. Bring your friends or come meet new friends. The cost of the program is $10. To register contact Meredith Wayman at the Crittenden County Cooperative Extension Service 870-739-3239 or mwayman@uaex.edu.

From Meredith Wayman