http://www.cookingamongfriends.com/index.php/weblog/index/ Cooking Among Friends Weblog en becki@cookingamongfriends.com Copyright 2008 2008-05-01T13:00:00+00:00 http://www.cookingamongfriends.com/index.php/weblog/more-than-a-mealsoul-food/ I think one of the best gifts I’m able to give my family is a great mealtime. Frankly, before Cooking Among Friends, things were rather haphazard. Sometimes my frantically-fixing-dinner mood got in the way of a relaxed, enjoyable bonding experience—you know, that June Cleaver kind of mealtime. Thankfully, those days are largely behind me, thanks to a freezer full of fabulous entrées. By and large, the dining room table is the place where we do most of our connecting and bonding with one another as a family. 2008-05-01T13:00:00+00:00 http://www.cookingamongfriends.com/index.php/weblog/meal-preparation-franchises/ They’re popping up all over the place! Meal preparation franchises are quite the rage these days. You may recognize names like Dream Dinners®, or Let’s Dish®. The concept isn’t unlike ours—pre-assemble and freeze entrées among a group of friends. We’ve repeatedly been asked what we thinking of the concept. In a nutshell, we love the results. After hanging out with friends, you’re prepared in advance to launch great family and company mealtimes with minimal on-the-spot effort. If your budget covers the expense, and your food preferences are matched by the menu offerings, you’ll be blessed by the experience. You know a “but” is coming, and we’re a little hesitant to get going there. If a meal-assembly purveyor is making your life great, celebrate! Too many voices clamor for us to do more when we’re pretty much stretched to the limit as it is. Frankly, we don’t want to sing in that choir. Be free. You’ve made a great choice to be able to consistently provide a mealtime for the ones you love. Here’s our no-guilt-allowed input. If you’re looking for a more cost-effective way to get great results, consider forming your own freezer meal food swap cooking club. We think it offers some noteworthy advantages—lower cost, better quality, and increased flexibility. 2007-02-07T21:01:00+00:00 http://www.cookingamongfriends.com/index.php/weblog/cdkitchen-elaborates-on-cooking-among-friends/ CDKitchen recently posted an on-line article about Cooking Among Friends®! Check out the article under A Healthy Bite. 2007-02-05T21:12:00+00:00 http://www.cookingamongfriends.com/index.php/weblog/more-than-a-meal-an-eye-opener/ Want to really surprise your cooking club members? Provide a meal that’s sure to stun—a frozen container of cooked rice. This year I’m intent on widening my world view. And I’m planning to invite my family to join me. According to The ONE Campaign, 12 out of 20 people representing the world’s population sit down to a meal consisting of a small portion of rice. Why not switch things up for a night and experience a mealtime along with the majority of our distant, unmet friends? Make it all the more real by candlelight, on the floor, without cutlery. Or consider lining up to receive rice refugee-style. You may have heard of the Oxfam Hunger Banquets. This idea is pretty simple. It’s about inviting 20 people to sit down at your table, representing the world's population. Three would get a gourmet meal, five would get rice and beans, and twelve would receive a small portion of rice. If you’d like more information on this practical simulation, check out Oxfam's Fast for a World Harvest. Consider surprising your exchange group members. Provide them a tin of rice, some information, and some inspiration. Join us as we attempt to expand our world view. 2007-01-02T18:26:00+00:00 http://www.cookingamongfriends.com/index.php/weblog/more-than-a-mealtable-talk/ If you were Santa Claus, what food (and drink) would you want kids to leave for you on Christmas Eve? Stimulate conversation around your dinner table with some creative questions! My daughters always enjoy it when we pull out a pile of questions to ask and answer. We may draw a single question and each reply, or have someone draw a question and query whomever he or she chooses. This has been particularly meaningful at holiday time as extended family members and friends gather around the table. 2006-12-07T15:47:00+00:00 http://www.cookingamongfriends.com/index.php/weblog/stirring-conversation-imagination-with-kidchat/ Jazz up meal-time conversation with imaginative questions from KidChat! Order copies for gift-giving or your own home.]]> 2006-12-06T09:40:00+00:00 http://www.cookingamongfriends.com/index.php/weblog/cooking-clubs-reaching-out/ Darby recently emailed us about a concept we call Culinary TLC (see Beyond Entrées in Cooking Among Friends). Here’s the scoop in her words. 2006-03-24T15:47:00+00:00 http://www.cookingamongfriends.com/index.php/weblog/fundraising-with-cooking-among-friends/ Here’s an idea that had not occurred to us! A savvy group of gals in Fremont, Michigan parlayed their cooking club entrées into some serious revenue for a local school. Ruth Wyn shares the story of what can happen when a few terrific entrées meet up with a spirit of generosity toward a great cause. 2005-11-12T20:41:43+00:00 http://www.cookingamongfriends.com/index.php/weblog/debt-proof-living-cooking-among-friends/ The current issue of Mary Hunt’s Cheapskate Monthly newsletter features an article about the cost-saving advantage of Cooking Among Friends®. Debt-Proof Living® is dedicated to helping those who are struggling to live within their means find practical and realistic solutions for their financial problems. 2005-11-01T13:54:08+00:00