There are times in every family’s life that are busier than others. For my friend Karen (as well as for many of us), the holiday season from Thanksgiving to Christmas is absolutely chaotic. Karen and her husband Michael are pet photographers, which at first glance you might not associate with a busy season.
The thing is they have hundreds of customers, many of whom order pet portraits as holiday gifts. Orders start coming in during the fall, and even as late as the week before Christmas. Karen and Michael try to accommodate all requests so…they are usually slammed and working 20+ hour days. (If you read about them you’ll see that they do more than simply snap a photo, print it out and mail it. They frame, add special effects, and in general customize the portraits to create works of art.)
Anyway, she and I used to joke about how nice it would be to have either a personal chef or meals prepared for us that all we had to do was pop in the oven and eat. Especially during those times when even picking up a phone to order take out takes up too much time.
In the last year or so I’ve noticed food prep businesses popping up here in Nashville. And then Brenda, another friend back in Jacksonville, also told me about a meals to go place that opened by her.
Well, because Christmas is coming and I’m trying to think of creative yet practical gifts to give friends, I decided to check into them. The three meal assembly stores here in Nashville are Super Supper, Supper Thyme USA, and a Dinner A’Fare. Parts of Florida also have all three, but only Super Supper is located near Jacksonville. (In Julington Creek specifically if you’re in that area.)
The concept is intriguing. They provide all the fresh ingredients and tools, you set aside two hours and go in to assemble your dishes. Then you freeze the meals to eat throughout the month.
But say you don’t have two hours to even do this. Most of the stores offer a “stand-in chef” who will prepare whatever meals you select for you. Then all you have to do is pick them up.
Wow! This is just the ticket Karen was looking for. However, my grand ideas of getting a Christmas gift I know she would appreciate and use went out the window when I saw the prices: Most run from $115-$200. Which isn’t really all that bad when you consider it’s for a whole month worth of dinners.
Still, that’s a bit out of my Christmas gift budget price range. However, if we move back before Christmas, maybe I’ll make her dinners myself. Fellow blogger Nicole Humphrey has a slew of articles about freezer cooking. (From the comfort of home.)
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