Freezer Cooking

I haven't really looked into the "do-it-yourself" freezer cooking method, but one of the books that I looked at in the lunch section made me think about this. The book was from the 30 Meals in One Day system. This sounds very interesting, but I'm having trouble turning up specific information or reviews of these products. Particularly, I'd like to read people's thoughts about the software component of the system.

I found "A Beginner's Guide to Once a Month Cooking" which looks pretty informative, but I'm a little intimidated by the whole idea. I made all Trajan's food from the time he started eating to 9 months because of his food sensitivities and I did this in very large bulk sessions with freezing, but somehow I don't think that could have prepared me for this endeavor.

From what I've seen so far, these books seem to contain recipes as stand-alone items. I think I'd feel better if I'd find one that belongs more to the "planning school of thought" that specifies what recipes I'm making, a master shopping list and a moment-by-moment guide to what I should be doing in terms of prep and cooking to move through the recipes. I know some people might have problems with being told what to eat, and that's probably why I can't find a set version, but we eat anything and I really think a step-by-step guide would be so much easier for an initial try.

What's the cost difference of preparing meals this way versus through something like Dream Dinners? There's obviously more flexibility as to the size of the recipe you make and what recipes you cook, but does Dream Dinners use their bulk purchasing to get a cost advantage?

What's a good option as a resource for someone approaching this once-a-month cook and freeze approach? Any that should particularly be shied away from? Any of them provide planning assistance in terms of recommending side dishes?