what if all the world were vacuum fresh?

i'm down to about one project per day these days. some days that project is "operation rest a lot". very productive. but i bought a "food saver +" the other day so that i can vacuum seal some meals. i'm pretty excited by that. i've wanted one of these since college but have resisted the impulse to buy for so many years, thinking that i wouldn't really use it after the new kitchen gadget sheen wore off. in fact, i recognize that there were certain infomercials that had an intoxicating effect when one should be studying. that is precisely why i chose my first credit card to be a discover card. it just wasn't accepted that many places at the time so when i felt myself begin to weaken, the relative obscurity of the discover card kept me strong. (i've since dumped them - bunch of crooks). besides the vacuum sealer, i lusted after the food dehydrator because who wouldn't want to make their own candy out of fruit?! and i do love a good jerky. and they took discover card! but i never got one because i felt like although it would be a cost savings to make my own snacks if i had the jerky habit of an interstate truck driver, i might save money by simply not buying it in the first place. i kind of used a similar argument to talk myself out of the food saver (that, and they didn't take discover card). i have always been able make meals big enough for leftovers so why do i need to have this fancy food gadget for that purpose. well i'll tell you why! i have never trusted being able to just throw several bowls of chili into the freezer that's why. so when i make my chili or beef stew or chicken n' dumplings and there's enough for left overs, i put it in some tupperware and we basically eat it for the next four nights in various incarnations (anyone for "stew surprise"?). couldn't we all benefit from a little more variety?

so i was cruisin' the babycenter.com site the other day and they had this article on things women wish they knew or did before labor and delivery. one really stuck out to me. one lady talked about wishing she'd done less puttering around with baby's room and more preparing and freezing meals. (take out can only carry you so far. and since we live in east oakland, not a lot of places deliver). it was as if the heavens opened up and angels sang to me "now is your tiiiime. geeettt the fooood saaaverrr." since it's rude to ignore angels, i happily obliged.

now before you think i was just having some sort of pregnancy delirium moment a la joan of ark, since purchasing the food saver, i have been able to prepare about 6 different meals and put them in the freezer, safe in their vacuum fresh cocoons. there they lay, ready to be rejuvenated by the healing rays of the microwave. therefore, i feel this extravagance is justified now. and can i just tell you, vacuum sealing is fun! once you lock the handle in place and press the button (hands free operation!!!), you can see the power of the vacuum hard at work, exorcising the evil air from the package that would prefer to stick around and render my culinary masterpiece a freezer burned mess worth nothing more than those fake foster farms chickens you see on t.v. but not this time, you evil corrosive air molecules!!! i have foiled your diabolical plans once again!!!!! AH-HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

ok, to be honest, i do fear that vacuum sealing things will become addictive and jon will come home one day to find that i am woman out of control (“uh honey… where are the cats?”). i'm sure there's support groups for that sort of thing. and besides, i can stop anytime i want. but since dr. gentry and i both think that baby girl will be a little late, i have some time vacuum pack some things and explore how much better food can taste when it has been vacuum packed for freshness.