Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms Giveaway

Good Morning. It is Saturday morning and here I am sitting bleary eyed at my kitchen table sipping my tea. This time along with the time before bed, when I lay reading are my two most important solitude times for me during the day. I like these times to be without interruptions. Shame on the person who feels the need to call me at 9:30 at night. Do not even dare call me before 7 a.m. unless it is an emergency. Yes I am thinking of one particular friend who violates both these holy hours.

On week days my early morning solitude hour is often shared with the thought of what are we having for dinner. What needs to be marinated or defrosted for tonight's meal. The preparation for dinner is much easier when I have thought about this hours earlier in the day. You cannot really come home from work and expect to defrost and roast a pork loin in the same evening.

Some mornings or evenings I open the freezer and just stare at it. I see the meat staring back at me, but it just does not resemble anything. Cold, frozen wrapped meat is all I see. To help me and YOU with this dilemna Jane Dorion has written Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms. Just released Jane was kind enough to give me a copy for my bookshelf and a copy for me to share with you. I must confess I have yet to cook from this book.

Yes, after returning from vacation I cheated one night and we had take-out. I made that meal last a few nights. It seems that I went through the shock of returning from vacation back to work. And a busy week is what I had. While I have not tried out any of the recipes I have read through them.

The book is a collections of appetizer, breakfast and brunch, dessert, main dishes, side dishes and soup recipes. Yes she has them in this order. One has to love that dessert comes before a main dish. There are times I look at the dessert menu first at a recipe and order my meal based on making sure there is space for dessert.

The recipes are easy to follow, with clear directions. For those of you, who oftentimes do not read a recipe in its entirety before making it (we have all done this-to find out part way through the recipe that an essential step should have been done hours ago), she has these instructions in BOLD. If a dish can be frozen she gives you instructions. Best of all for those that are still trying to master the metric system she has a conversion system.

Funny aside on the metric system, my dad worked for the metric commission in Canada and our kitchen had all sorts of handy conversion aids that he had as promotions. Metric degrees conversion table tea towels, magnets, measuring spoons. Thanks to growing up around it and the fact that Canada went metric, this is not always Greek to me.

This book is a great collection to anyone's kitchen, whether you are a novice cook or have mastered the art, but somedays just need a little help in making a quick healthy meal. The only thing missing are photos. I love seeing what I am about to pop into the oven. Oftentimes I would not choose a recipe but for the photo enticing me. That aside this seems like a great book.

I have one copy to giveaway. To make this fun, and meet some people from around the world, I will make this giveaway international and attach one condition, the winner of the book has to make one recipe and post a link back to Chocolate & Croissants of what you made. Visit here should you wish to purchase the book.

For your main entry: tell me the name of a cookbook you use-can be any type of recipe book _if you do not have one the name of one you would have. PLEASE LEAVE ME YOUR E-MAIL AND PUT DOWN ALL ENTRIES SEPARATELY. The giveaway will run through October 2, 2009. Winners will have 48 hours to contact me with their information.

For extra entries:
1. Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link.
2. Post a blog link about this giveaway.
3. Follow me on my blog
4. Follow me on twitter @cococroissants
5. Visit Jane's site and tell me something you found out.
6. Leave me the name of a recipe you make often.

Sheila at Book Journey is also giving away a copy of this book.