Wendi Langstaff cooks sausage at her new business, Prep.Freeze.Cook, in Washington. The mother of five plans, shops and does the prep work for parties at which guests put together freezer bag meals that can go right into a Crock-Pot.  Photo by Elisa Zwicky.

What started out for Wendi Langstaff as a fun night cooking with friends has turned into a unique business that’s helping other Central Illinois families keep their freezers stocked, too.

Langstaff started Prep.Freeze.Cook as a home-based business last May and opened a storefront in Washington in January. She does the meal planning, shopping and prep work, while people sign up to host or attend a party at which they put 10 meals together in freezer bags for $120. People can also skip the party and pick up the ready-made freezer meals later for $150.

“The funny thing is we never started out meaning for this to be a business,” Langstaff said. “I started out just organizing a night of cooking with about six friends. Everyone liked it so much that it started to grow into something I wasn’t even aware of.”

Langstaff worked in corporate sales for 13 years before quitting last year to devote time to her new business. She generates interest on Facebook and by word-of-mouth and hopes to launch a website soon.

Estimating she’s done 300 parties in people’s homes and in her new store, she travels within a 90-minute radius of Washington.

 “We’re just starting to make a profit,” said Langstaff, who runs the business with her husband, Sonny.

She enjoys the social aspect of the parties the most. “I feel like I get to go on a girl’s night out every night,” Langstaff said. “I also love when people say how much the meals help their families.”

A mother of five, Langstaff doesn’t even mind prepping the ingredients. “I think there’s something very therapeutic about cutting 100 peppers in a row,” she said.

Hostesses choose 10 meals from a master list of more than 100 recipes. She offers kid-friendly, gluten-free and dairy-free menus. Among her most popular meals are salsa chicken and Parmesan honey pork roast. The meals go right from the freezer into a Crock-Pot.

Corrie Salmon, a mother of four, has hosted and attended several parties. “I love that I don’t even really have to think about what I’m going to cook,” she said. “I just pull a freezer bag out and whatever it is, that’s what we’re having. During our crazy travel hockey season, these meals are total blessings. They are much cheaper and healthier than take-out or fast food.”

Hostesses can receive their meals for free if they have at least 20 people at their party. Recently, Langstaff hosted a weekend of parties at her storefront and set aside 10 meals for every 20 she sold, which added up to more than 70 meals, to benefit area tornado victims.

“I’d be open to doing more charitable events,” she said.

The public is invited to a grand opening from 5 to 8 p.m. April 11 at the store at 126 Walnut St. in Washington. Afterward, Langstaff plans to have regular weekday hours for people to shop for meals at the store.

For more information, visit her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/PrepFreezeCook/info or call Langstaff at 309-657-9990.