I went to the garage the other day to retrieve an item from an extra side by side refrigerator/freezer I keep there. When I opened the door, I grabbed a lukewarm carton of milk. My heart sank. I checked the thermometer - 50 degrees! That’s well above the safety zone of 34-40 degrees Farenheit. The freezer was the same story…filled with a dripping, warm mess of thawed food.

Too late for me. I couldn’t rescue any of the food. I was thankful to have a thermometer in the refrigerator, as it made it simple to verify that the food was in too warm an environment to consider salvaging anything. What can you do if your freezer breaks down or the power goes out?

If the freezer is full, it will hold for about two days without power. The trick is to avoid opening the door to keep checking on it. If the freezer is half full, it will hold for one day. This is a rough guideline, of course.

If the food still has ice crystals and is below 40 degrees, you can refreeze it. If there are no ice crystals but the food temperature is still below 40 degrees, cook and serve it, or refreeze the cooked food.

If you are like me, you will find it a very difficult thing to throw away food. In this case I lost a fridge full of extra groceries and a freezer stocked with make-ahead meals. But please err on the side of caution. If you are ever unsure if something is worth saving, throw it away. It is not worth the health risk to save spoiled food. It is also a good idea to check with your local health department or a reputable website to confim the proper procedure.

As a helpful reference, consider putting thermometers in the fridge and freezer. They are inexpensive and are marked with the refrigerator and freezer ’safety zones’ so you can see at a glance if your appliances are maintaining appropriate temperatures.

I am not one to make New Year’s resolutions. I like to reflect upon the previous year and think about some goals for the new one. So if you have reflected on the year past and the year to come and find you are ready to try a new approach to meal time, we will be happy to coach you along and answer your questions.

A friend of mine called last night needing some help. She is pregnant with her third child and trying to get a jump on meal planning in the busier life she sees in her future. She is having a hard time concentrating on details these days, so she is feeling a bit unsure about her ability to prepare make-ahead meals. She had several questions after she did her planning and shopping: “I thought I had enough basil but I need more than I thought…I bought dried pinto beans instead of canned…I didn’t get quite enough chicken…the store was all out of foil pans….” She was certain she made too many errors to have a smooth session!

I reassured her that none of these things would adversely affect the session. We went through her recipes one by one and determined that everything could be done with a few modifications and she wouldn’t have to make an extra trip to the grocery store right away. I haven’t heard from her yet today so I am assuming it is going well!

We have all made a few mistakes on our way to becoming proficient at make-ahead meals, and still make mistakes from time to time. But in all my experience I have only had one mistake that couldn’t be fixed, so don’t lose heart! In my friend’s case, she realized that she really does need to put the measurements of each ingredient on her shopping list. When she double checks to see if she has the ingredient on hand, she will know exactly how much she is checking for.

We are always happy to answer your emails so let us know what we can do to help!

Blessings for a great year!

Costco’s coupon passport book was sent to Costco members recently. Included is an offer good for $5 off a package of boneless pork loin chops. Take advantage of this savings and use with any of our pork chop marinades - An’s, Basil Balsamic, Honey Cider, Margarita, Mustard Oregano or Pepper Jelly.

At my local Costco, I was able to find a set of 3 plastic liquid measures for only $14.99. I use my 32 ounce glass measure for mixing up marinades. In several Warehouse Gourmet recipes, the directions suggest that you mix the liquid marinade ingredients in a bowl and then divide it among the freezer bags of meat.

These directions work great if you are confident you can “eyeball it” and are satisfied even if every entree doesn’t get exactly the same amount of marinade. However, if you want to be more specific and make sure the marinades are even, then the 32 ounce clear measure works well. It’s easy to use the outside marks to see the total amount. If the recipe makes 2 or 3 entrees, the outer marks can help you divide the liquid marinade among the entrees.

Again, make sure you have a 32 ounce (4 cup) liquid measure before trying this method. Smaller versions won’t work as well. After you have the large measure, simply use it where the recipe method calls for a bowl and continue on as directed.

I will admit that it is difficult for me to pay $5.00 for each measure. I remember picking up my big glass liquid measure at an estate sale for a couple of quarters. Both are dishwasher and microwave safe. The new measure’s gripped handle is a big improvement over my old glass one. And, I won’t miss having to check my glass measure regularly for chips or cracks.

If it’s time to update your old glass measures, I recommend checking your local Costco or other kitchenwares store for replacements.