How I prepare my Lazy Man Meals (also Minute Meals) 

Hi Ken. Thanks for the feedback on my videos. Yes, the water won't get hot enough to melt the plastic. Some people are concerned about the heat releasing trace amounts of chemical, like PCB, while heating. The company I buy the poly tubing from says it is approved for the commercial food services. So I think it would be safe. -Dennis

Thanks.

I have done lamb, pork, and beef. They need to be reheated more carefully because it is easy to overcook them and make the meat touch and chewy. I ususally start the vegetables first, then add the meat a minute later so that it cooks less. I hope that helps.-Dennis

I buy the poly tubing from Uline.com. Their item number is S-1115. It's expensive, more than $100 with tax and shipping, but it lasts for years. Each pouch is about a penny. The catalog says: "All-virgin film meets FDA and USDA specifications." I trust it. Amazon sells a similar product. I do have a FoodSaver, but I rarely use it. The poly tubing works for me. I don't see freezer burn if I re-package frozen vegetables (already blanched and sold in regular plastic bags) of if I freeze raw fish properly (with some water in the pouch). The cooked chicken and lamb do well too. Thanks for the feedback on the aprons. Someone said I needed more color in the background. It was one of those criticisms I found helpful; so I added the aprons for color. They work well. (And if you watch enough videos you'll see I choose my aprons carefully.) Thanks again.-Dennis

Dennis, guess what? I found the answer to my question all by myself just by exploring your website. Gosh, I almost did to you what I fussed about on that other video site...lol. Amazing what one can glean just by doing a bit of exploring. You had the answer I needed all along, I just hadn't stumbled upon it yet. For those of you who were also interested in the monster roll of bagging material Dennis uses, go to his webpage, look under the banner titled Minute Meals (I think) and you will see where he gives the name of his supplier and their webpage address. Check this out. For those of us that use FoodSaver FS) sucker machines and their bags...a single FS roll that measures 11 in x 16 ft, if purchased online from their website, costs $12 (technically $11.99 but who's gonna quibble over a penny?). To get the 11 in wide roll from Dennis's off-brand supplier, we would have to get the 2 mil, 11 inch width and they only offer that width in a 3K ft roll that costs $159. That would equal 187.5 rolls of FS rolls and would cost us...are you ready for this? $2,250 dollars!!! At the dimensions mentioned here, the mil value is less than FS's but even at 2 mil it is still approved by the FDA and USDA. The concern, however, is whether or not the lesser mil would seal properly. Probably not. I suspect that our FS sucker machine would burn right through the 2 mil so the seal would not be good at all. The closest we can come with the off-brand as far as quality is the 4 mil. It is offered by the off-brand in either 10 or 12 inch width and 1500 ft. The cost for a single roll of off-brand is $146 for the 10 inch or $167 for the 12 inch. At FS prices, for 1500 ft (width size doesn't matter) that would be $1,125! I don't know about ya'll, but I plan on getting the 4 mil 10 in x 1500 ft roll just as soon as I use up the FS rolls I currently have. Given my age (61 & a 1/2 yrs), the fact that we are a family of 3 {2 old farts and 1 middle-aged fart), I will wind up leaving a majority of that 1500 ft roll to somebody in my Will!! But it will STILL be worth my while to get the off-brand rather than piddle around with FS's puny 16 footer. I'll just start sucker bagging EVERYTHING! Remember how your Grandma used to cover her couch in plastic to protect it from dirt and grimy little kids? That could happen in my house. Not even the cats will be safe. When they croak, into a sucker bag they go! We won't have to bury them, we can just go to the freezer, pull 'em out, cuddle with 'em for a bit, then back in the freezer they go. Can you tell I was a bit bored tonight? lol But Dennis, at least you didn't have to answer another unnecessary question. I found the answer myself and then some. I hope ya'll found my post not only informative but entertaining as well. Since the Insomnia Fairy is visiting me tonight, I guess I'll turn on the tube and do some yarn work and give ya'll a break. Night night all. Good night Dennis!!

Just a quick response: The 2 mil poly tubing seals fine on a FoodSaver, but it doesn't vacuum out the air. The FoodSaver rolls have channels that allow air to be removed. Some foods don't require vacuum sealing before freezing. Look at the bags of frozen vegetables in the store. The air isn't removed. Vacuum sealing some foods, like raw meat, is important for preventing freezer burn (oxidation), but isn't necessary for all foods. Hopefully that is helpful.