In my other, non-lime [0]-blogger life, I'm in the process of becoming a personal chef. In case you didn't know, a personal chef is someone you can hire to shop for, cook, and freeze a batch of meals for you and your family. Sure, it costs a little more than if you were to cook the meals yourself, but it can be an incredible time-saver for a busy family, and for someone who is not an accomplished cook, it's a way to enjoy healthier and tastier meals in the comfort of your own home.

I'm quickly discovering that one of the keys to being a good personal chef is the ability to package and freeze food so that when you heat it up for dinner a few weeks later, it's just as tasty as if you made it that evening. And this is knowledge that just about anyone can benefit from — what's more convenient than having a freezer-full of meals that you can heat up for dinner when you're kept late at work or you didn't have time to run to the supermarket?

My advice: Once a week or so, plan on making a freezer-friendly meal (read on for my tips on what types of dishes freeze best), and make a double portion: half to eat for dinner that night, and half to freeze. If you're a household of two, this is easy enough since many recipes serve four; otherwise, you can just double the recipe.

My favorite chili recipe (try it for yourself here [0]) is the perfect freezer meal — it's enough for my husband and myself to have generous portions for dinner, and then refrigerate or freeze the leftovers for another meal or two.

Here's what to know about being your own personal chef by stockpiling meals in your freezer for later:

Choose Dishes that Freeze Well: I've always felt that the most freezer-friendly foods are ones that have some moisture to them, like stews, pot pies, braised meats, pastas and risottos. Dishes that do not freeze well include some sauces made with milk or cheese (they tend to separate), or dishes that are supposed to have a crisp texture, like fried chicken.

Package Properly: How you package your food depends on how you want to reheat it — in the microwave or the oven. Some containers can even be used in either appliance. I like to use reusable containers to cut down on waste. Avoid contact with air by covering the food's surface with a layer of plastic wrap, even if it's in a container with a lid.

Make sure food is cool (around body temperature) before you package it and put it in the freezer — this cuts down on condensation and freezer burn, and also saves your freezer from having to work harder to maintain the right temperature. Be sure to label the package with the name of the dish and the date.

Vacuum Sealing: I never thought I'd use the FoodSaver [1] we got as a wedding gift, but boy, was I wrong. It's great for freezing saucy, creamy and stewlike dishes, like chili, polenta, mashed potatoes, stews and braised meats, and is best heated in simmering water. Best of all, vacuum sealed packages seem to take up less space in the freezer than plastic containers.

When You're Ready to Eat: If you're able to plan in advance, it's best to move the frozen meal to the refrigerator the night before you plan to eat it so that it has a chance to start thawing.

To heat food in a microwave oven, keep the lid on (cracking it open a little to let steam escape). Soups take between 2 and 5 minutes to heat, stirring halfway through heating. Poultry cutlets will take 3 to 4 minutes, while stews, red meat dishes and casseroles will take 4 to 6 minutes.

To heat food in a conventional oven, use a temperature of between 325˚F to 375˚F. A toaster oven can also be used; decrease the temperature by 25˚ since the heat is more intense. Poultry cutlets will take between 15 to 20 minutes to cook, while stews, red meat and casseroles (anything with more water content) will take between 30 to 40 minutes at a slightly higher temperature.

Foods in vacuum sealed pouches can be reheated in a large pot of simmering water. I like to put the pouch right in the water as it's coming up to a boil so that it can heat up gradually. A dish like polenta or chili will take about 12-15 minutes of simmering; something with bones in it will take up to 20 minutes. Remove the pouch carefully from the simmering water with a pair of tongs or a silicone oven mitt.

Got any other tips on favorite freezer-friendly meals? Feel free to share them here!