"make and take" news and stories

When I was a kid, there was little I hated more than when my mom would make a peanut butter sandwich for my lunch using the heel of the bread. She didn't do it all that frequently, mostly when she hadn't been able to get to the store and there was no reserve loaf of bread in the freezer (on occasion she'd also use a whole wheat hot dog bun).

Marie at Make and Take doesn't force her children to suffer through sandwiches on the heels of bread. She saves them in her freezer and, when she's accumulated a good stash, processes them into homemade bread crumbs. She included step-by-step pictures in her post, along with a collection of recipe links that all use toasted bread crumbs. These days, when we're all trying to find ways to save a few pennies here and there, repurposing undesirable bread into crumbs seems like a good way to go.

Source

Make and take meal assembly stores are on the up-rise with dozens of chains, franchises, and stand alone stores around the country. These are basically commercial kitchens with changing monthly menus where you pay a fee and they supply the food and recipes.You assemble the dish and they cook it for you, and/or chill or freeze it so you can take them home. During the next week or two you can heat them up for your families dinner as a fast, healthy, and tasty alternative to having to cook from scratch every night of the week.

I interviewed last week to work at one local place, Let's Dish, so I could find out if I wanted to open a franchise myself. The photo is of their Chicken with Cranberry Chutney, one of their menu items. Another store nearby, Sip and Supper announced their opening a few days ago with their unique idea of pairing wines and premium beer to go with their meals. Then, in the past few days several articles hit the papers.

For the next few years make and take meals are going to be big stuff. The prices vary but they tend to be cheaper than ordering out, but not as inexpensive as shopping yourself. If time is short, but you can spare a half a day every week or so, they can be good options for putting real meals on your family's table. They may not be for everyone, but I say why not check them out, whether to use as a time-saver, or even to open your own franchise. If anyone has tried them please let me know what you think.

Source