Columbus Cook's Make 'n Take Dinners

I was in Charleston, S.C., where my sister Dorothy lives, and I saw this place near a Publix grocery store. I forget what it was called, and when I asked her what it was, she said it was a place where busy people can go and put together meals for their families.

Since I don't have a family, things like that intrigue me, but I really don't think about it.

Becky Catrett on the other hand, does think about things like that. Becky, who owns Columbus Cooks, has had hundreds of people ask her about such a service.

So she started the Make 'n Take Dinner sessions last month. Not a lot of people know about it yet.

You can read my story in today's Life & Taste section.

The next sessions are 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, May 22 and 1-2 p.m. Wednesday, May 23.

Everyone can choose six entrees from a list of 10:

1. Spaghetti and meatballs
2. Cheese tortellini with veggies and cream sauce
3. Barbecue pork chops
4. Hamburger steak with mushroom sauce
5. Buffalo chicken tenders with blue cheese
6. Chicken fajitas with tortillas
7. Chicken Parmesan with pasta
8. Beefy taco pasta bake
9. Sesame orange chicken stir-fry with rice
10. Pepperoni pizza on homemade pizza dough

Each entree serves 4-6 people and it costs $159.

You can go online and pick your six entrees now by going to www.columbuscooks.com

Each entree comes with cooking, freezing and preparing instructions. All you have to do is add a salad or side dish.

It's really a bargain if you think about it. You don't have to go grocery shopping, make a list of entrees for dinner or chop and prepare the food. The only thing you have to do is go to Columbus Cooks, spend about an hour putting the six entrees together, take everything home and put it in the freezer. When you're ready, all you have to do is take one of the entrees out, thaw it and follow the directions to bake it.

Easy. And really economical.

But for this work, Becky says she needs at least eight people per session. She says it's a labor-intensive thing for chef Dennis Neuhring, who does all the preparation.

So don't forget to go online or give her a call if you have any questions at 706-653-4700 or e-mail info@columbuscooks.com

Columbus Cooks is at 1658 Rollins Way, Suite 300 near the Hollywood Connection.

If you do take part in this new venture, please let me know how it goes for you. Was it easy to put together? Were the cooking instructions easy to follow? And, of course, how does it taste?

I'm sure Becky and Dennis want to know, too.