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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Blogs Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Multimedia Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Road Cams Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Women in Business Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend September 27, 2006 Vicki Confer of Central Point, left, makes Chicken Enchiladas and Sue Schneider, also of Central Point, makes Arroz con Pollo during a recent food preparation session. At right is Dream Dinners franchise co-owner Pam Bilden. (Mail Tribune / Jim Craven) Dream Dinners A company featuring quick meals people prepare themselves for later use has come to the Rogue Valley By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune Chicken breasts, black beans, corn kernels and red peppers neatly arrayed in front of her, it takes Sue Schneider just minutes to assemble a meal of Arroz con Pollo. Cradled in a disposable, aluminum baking pan, the dish is now ready for Schneider's freezer and a dinner debut whenever she chooses. But all the work was accomplished in a commercial kitchen complete with cleaning staff and ingredients that someone else took the time to purchase. That's the selling point of Dream Dinners, a do-it-yourself incarnation of take-and-bake. "We're doing the shopping, the chopping and the cleanup," said co-owner Pam Bilden. A rapidly growing national chain, Dream Dinners will open its first Southern Oregon store Thursday in Medford's South Gateway Center. Owners Pam and Jerry Bilden and Jeanne and Fred Heard plan to offer free samples, raffle off entrees, demonstrate the meal assembly process and sign up future customers with the promise of a complimentary flank steak dinner. The grand-opening event runs 5:30-7:30 p.m. Owners hope the service will appeal to busy families and those who just want a break from the routine of grocery shopping, cooking and doing dishes. Although she's only preparing Dream Dinners for just herself and her husband, Schneider said she welcomes the opportunity to try new recipes without having to purchase specialty food products. Advertisement "You have to buy all these fresh ingredients, and then you never use it again," said the 48-year-old Central Point resident who was recruited as a company "influencer." Each month, Dream Dinners offers 14 main-dish meals that customers sign up to prepare in a two-hour session. Meals serve either three or six and vary in price per serving — around $4.40 for three servings, $3.15 for six. Patrons commit to a package of 12 entrees for a total price of about $150 for three-serving dishes or $225 for six servings. Unlike mainstream frozen meals, Dream Dinners can be customized to suit customers' palates. Recipes include precise measurements for spices, but patrons can feel free to add a little more garlic or omit the salt. For those watching fats or carbohydrates, nutrition information is available for each recipe. "This is the quality of food you would be proud to serve to your guests," Jerry Bilden said. Most of Dream Dinners' ingredients come "fresh-frozen" from SYSCO, North America's major restaurant supplier. Assembly stations equipped with restaurant-grade, reach-in refrigerators and cold tables keep everything at safe temperatures. Sanitary conditions are among Dream Dinners' primary concerns. And Jeanne Heard's background as a U.S. Department of Agriculture inspector gives the Medford store a leg up on fulfilling its health requirements. In her former career, Heard inspected retail food businesses similar to Dream Dinners. "She knows the standards that are so important," Bilden said, adding that all owners are required to obtain food-handler certification from the National Restaurant Association. A conspicuous handwashing station and recipe instructions remind customers to wash up before beginning any meal preparation. Patrons are asked to wash again before starting a new dish, and employees sanitize assembly stations between sessions. Skeptics can test Dream Dinners without forking over any cash during one of the company's "sneak peaks." For this event, up to 20 people can prepare a meal and take it home free of charge. And the ability for groups of friends to reserve meal-preparation sessions could turn Dream Dinners into the new Tupperware party, owners said. If the first taste doesn't keep customers coming back, Dream Dinners plans to continuously offer free samples of the next month's menu items at meal-making sessions. Dream Dinners is located at 1325 Center Drive, Suite No. 102. Call 857-9090 for more information or to make a reservation, or visit the corporate Web site www.dreamdinners.com Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Trunks, Footlocker Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Casinos Canada Cord Blood Banking Discount Hotel Reservations Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Men's Clothing Debt Help New Hampshire Primary