Curb your food budget at Sayrelyn's
By Sharon Simpson

Do you know how much your family spends dining out? Most of us are not anxious to look at our monthly restaurant tab, as feeding a family of four at a mediocre establishment easily pushes the bill to $50, even without alcohol and gratuity.

In 2004 the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released a report on consumer spending and determined that households in which the adults fall into the age category of 35 to 54 years were spending roughly $3,000 a year on dining out. All too often what contributes to that tab is not a healthy, well-balanced, nutritious meal but instead a burger grabbed on the run.

Parents struggle with balancing work, home responsibilities, kid's events and cooking a nutritious meal that everyone will enjoy. It's no wonder so many parents are hitting the drive-throughs on the way home from a 12-hour day. In the backs of parents' minds, however, is the knowledge that the grease, fat and lack of fruits and veggies, combined with eating on the run, will take its toll on the entire family.

As a local mom and trained chef, I was so adamant about feeding my family well and at the dinner table that I teamed up with my parents and founded Sayrelyn's Culinary Classics. It is the first food preparation/meal assembly store in Ventura County, with kitchens in Oak Park and Camarillo. Sayrelyn's gives hours of precious time back to families to do things that are fun and rewarding.

Here's how it works: Sayrelyn's publishes a monthly menu filled with satisfying main courses and even sides and desserts. We do the shopping and the chopping and set up "prep" stations in the stores. You book a 60to 90-minute session that fits with your schedule.

When you arrive at our kitchens you are handed an apron and labels for your menu items. You follow the recipes posted at each station, tailoring them to your family's tastes, and package them into disposable containers provided by Sayrelyn's. You leave with six or 12 meals with cooking instructions right on the container, and a smile on your face. All of the mess is left behind and you leave with a variety of nutritious meals for your family.

A Sayrelyn's entrée that feeds four to six people ranges from $20 to $35- that's an average of approximate $4.50 per serving.

The cooking instructions are so easy that you can call ahead and have your teenager get dinner started before you arrive home.The menus change monthly so your family will never get bored.

It is possible for families to return to the table without causing more stress.

A family of four eating out can easily spend $75 for dinner. That is for only four servings. Sayrelyn's gives you more the same restaurant quality or better for under $20 for up to six servings.

Sharon Simpson is chef and owner of Sayrelyn's Culinary classics. For more information or to book a session at either the Oak Park or Camarillo location, log on to www.youprep.com.