"I don't understand the french door thing. Why have to open two doors? It has an application in kitchens with small aisles, I guess, but I dunno - I'd rather have the aisle spaced correctly. The ones with the big trays across the bottom are the worst to me." LOL - side by side fridges are basically French Door fridges - it's just the freezer is one side and the fridge is another - get an old school fridge with the freezer on top or bottom with one door the entire width of the fridge and I don't care how big your kitchen is, you will be desiring side by side or french door for the half-width doors. Also, if you prefer a side by side, why would you have to open both doors on a french door fridge? Your already used to accessing the fridge through a narrow door anyway :o) The side by side fridge I have came with my house - otherwise I would never own one. You can't put in odd-ball sized stuff, and normal stuff doesn't even fit well. It has allot less drawer space than the Samsung freezer on the bottom I had in my town house, and my Samsung was the smaller 18 cubic foot and my side by side is 25.5! To me, a side by side is like a 1500 square foot two story house vs. a 1500 square foot ranch. Theoretically they are the same square footage, but in the two story you loose space to stairs and hallways - not nearly as much actual usual space. I too have an extra chest freezer, but as others stated I would have one anyway. I have a foodsaver and I'm not afraid to use it. I buy things in bulk, on sale, and freeze them routinely. I wish I could find a fridge with a single height freezer drawer for quick access to the stuff I use regularly and the rest dedicated to fridge space. That would be ideal. Indeed, if I ever remodel my kitchen I'm seriously considering putting a fridge only in where my side by side is and a single freezer drawer (if they make such a thing? Surely someone does) in my island. I'd gladly sacrifice a little cabinet space for some more fridge space. I guess if you don't cook at home often, or eat that many fresh fruits or vegetables it's less important, but I never seem to have enough fridge space.

I make my sons "Mom's Meals" for part of their Christmas present. Usually I do a batch of enchiladas then put 2 or 3 enchiladas and sauce in each freezer container. You can make chicken enchiladas or ground beef with black beans, finely diced onion, and cheese. Another thing I make is a chicken and stuffing casserole: 1 (3 pound) whole chicken (cooked in water, meat removed) 8 ounces dry bread stuffing mix 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup 1 1/4 cups chicken broth (from boiling the chicken) 1 cup evaporated milk Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Layer the deboned chicken meat in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle stuffing mix over the chicken layer. In a large bowl mix together the soups, broth and evaporated milk. Stir well. Pour this mixture over the stuffing mix, making sure it gets to the bottom of the baking dish (poke around with a fork to let it saturate into the bottom layer). Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes, until it starts to bubble in the center. Can be frozen before baking as everything is already cooked. I served this at an office lunch yesterday and it is very tasty - I think it will freeze just fine. Chicken Crunch Casserole 1 cup chopped celery 1 tablespoon butter or margarine 3 cups cubed cooked chicken breasts 1 1/2 cups cooked rice 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted 3/4 cup mayonnaise (NOT Miracle Whip) 1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained (Cut each water chestnut slice into quarters if you prefer them in smaller pieces) 1/2 cup sliced almonds 2 tablespoons chopped onions salt & pepper TOPPING 1 tablespoon melted butter or margarine 1/2 cup crushed corn flakes Directions 1In a skillet, saute' the celery in butter until tender. 2Remove from heat and add the next 8 ingredients. 3Spoon into an ungreased 2 1/2 quart baking dish. 4Combine melted butter& cornflakes. 5Sprinkle on top. 6Bake 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Wow, they look so much better filled with food! Mine would never look like that - I would open up that big clunky freezer drawer and it would be - EMPTY!!! (Probably everything I store in the freezer would fit in the two auxiliary drawers inside.) Which is why I ended up going for the Frigidaire top freezer after all. I was in PC Richard this afternoon placing my appliance order (great sale this weekend!). The salesman had already written up the GE Profile bottom freezer model, but while he went off to talk to the manager for a minute, I checked out the refrigerators again. That drawer is so massive. I have so little frozen food. Plus the GE Profile was *literally* twice the price of the Frigidaire. I've had a top freezer all my life, I'm comfortable with it, I wouldn't know what I was missing by not having a bottom freezer. And what if I ended up *hating* the bottom freezer?? After spending $1400 on a refrigerator!! I switched the order to the top freezer. And got to feel virtuous that *something* in this renovation actually came out on budget. :-) Thanks, everyone, for your comments!! They were absolutely helpful. I'm just a wimp. :-)

I would go back and re-visit granddaddy's first response. 'copycat' means recipes on-line through a search....people creating a homemade recipe from a favorite store purchased frozen processed food item. If you know the exact name of your favorite, Like Kasha lemongrass chicken with snow peas...(not sure the exact name, but the only frozen dinner i have had), .... *working out of town years ago in a hotel with only a microwave. Someone out there has a homemade version. I make one but i've never written a recipe, i wing it. A very simple 'TV' dinner at home. In a small saucepan with lid, add 1 tbsp oil, i use coconut, on med-low heat, place two skinless chicken breast, in a pan that fits them tight but in a single layer...top with very small diced...one celery rib, one carrot, one medium onion, two roma tomatoes chopped, half a sweet potato or one small reg potato and a minced/chopped garlic clove. Lower the heat to a simmer, your lowest setting. (all stoves are different) you want this to simmer/steam, not sizzle and brown. Once simmering, add 1/4 cup water, white wine or stock. Let simmer/steam for 1/2 hour. No need to stir, let it be. After the 1/2 hour remove the chicken breast to an oven sheet pan/cookie sheet. Top with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar or sesame oil/soy sauce blend. Just a tbsp will do. Pepper and any herbs or herb blend you like. Place in your pre-heated 350 oven. At the same time turn up your 'sauce' veggies to med heat and reduce a bit if it needs it. Until the potatoes are soft. I take half of this and put in the blender with a tbsp of non-fat greek yogurt...instant sauce. And back into the sauce pan, stir. Turn heat back down to low, Take out your chicken breasts from the oven...at this point they should be tender cooked after in the oven 15 min. Slice as you like it and back in the sauce. This is where you can customize your meal. Lay on top sliced asparagus, snow peas, chopped spinach, just about any veggie to stream for 5-10 min. The veggie topping choice will be crisp and fresh. I like to put heartier veggies like cauliflower, broccoli, baby artichokes, etc. on the sheet pan in the oven with the chicken to give it the extra needed cooking time. *note, i prefer a stick blender in the saucepan instead of a blender, easier cleaning... *we prefer skinless bone-in chicken thighs over breast. Bone-in skinless breast would be better, adding its own stock to the cooking process. *fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley, added at the end, a fresh squeeze of lemon or lime, 1/4 cup of low-fat coconut milk instead of yogurt... Lots of personalizing, using what you have or what is fresh in your market and seasonal. This makes 4-6 servings depending on the size of your chicken. Can be portioned and frozen. I have 9 chicken thighs marinating in ginger, soy, toasted sesame oil i prepped last night...these are huge. We will have leftovers for a chicken salad. I'll do a greek style with olives capers, chopped apple, grapes, celery, cashews, a bit of feta...lots of lemon. etc. over a bed of fresh, not cooked spinach. (need to use up) I only salt at the end. If it even needs salt. Sometimes a bit of sriracha and richer spice blend in the oven topper sauce. Tonights meal may be on the grill as the weather is lovely. I'll still start a similar 'sauce' but it will be more of a bbq style...and probably over a mixed grain, not pasta. Skewer a row of asparagus on the grill...three avocados are very ripe, hmmm.