Our winner this month is Jori Maguire. Below is the email she sent me. It just reminds me again how thankful I need to be that no one in my family has allergies that I have to work with when I cook!

I have been freezer cooking for about 4 years now and have always loved the ease in which dinner gets on the table every night. Okay, most nights! But where it has really proved to be the most rewarding is in feeding my 6 year old son, Riley. He has asthma and life-threatening food allergies to eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes, seeds and shellfish. We are currently shopping with a list of approximately 120 ingredients that he may not consume in any form. I have had to learn a new way of cooking with his multiple diagnoses of allergies and freezer cooking has been right there beside me.

My previous knowledge of the "freezability" of most baked goods has allowed me to have a "safe" treat at a moments notice when my son is invited to a friend's house or the teacher calls to say that they will be having a party at school. Using the worksheets from the 30DG manual has helped me create some of our own recipes in larger size batches without making mistakes with costly ingredients. Having a full freezer means that I can be with him in the hospital (as I had to twice this winter) and know that my husband and daughter were well-fed. It also means that I can enjoy the privilege of "escaping" with my kids for an afternoon and not be worrying about getting back in time to make dinner. We always have at least a few meals that only require heating and a quick salad or vegetable and we are set. I am able to bless my husband by being frugal with his salary so that I am able to continue being a stay at home mom to my children.

I find that my eyes have filled with tears of joy as I write this. It sounds silly, but freezer cooking, as I have learned it through 30 Day Gourmet, has become a ministry by which I can serve my family.
 

So, how do you make 30 Day Gourmet work for you? How do you use it to help you deal with a challenge in your life? How do you use it to help others? Email me at tammy@30daygourmet.com to be entered in our contest. Congratulation, Jori!