Sunday, September 16, 2007

I Only Have to Cook Once a Week?!

OK, I'm taking a break from posting tonight. I was going to write, but my baby girl has been screaming her head for three hours straight and it's taken me that long to type out these two sentences because she's on my lap squirming and screaming. Instead I'm going to host a book tour, or is it called a blog tour? Hmmm, how about a blook tour? I'm hosting a blook tour because I already have this typed up and ready to go. I'm hosting a blook tour for a very sweet and funny girl, Trish Berg who has written a book on supper swapping, which, I think, is a really cool idea. The tour will run from the time I post it Sunday, the 16th until Friday, the 21st at midnight Eastern time.

Trish started emailing me during my Ebay auction. She thought I might be a bit overwhelmed (can't imagine what gave her that idea), so she jumped right in and offered up her wise advise and prayers. I can't thank her enough for helping me to navigate the waters. The reason Trish was so very knowledgeable and helpful to me is that she is a published author and national speaker who is working on another book due out in January 2008. She knows what she's talking about.

I'm hosting this tour for Trish, not only because she's an amazing person with a really kind, good heart, but because her book is awesome! I really didn't know what "supper swapping" was until I read her book, but what a terrific idea it is! I can't wait to get a group of friends together and give it a try. Hey, anything to shave off a few minutes in the kitchen and save a few dollars is worth a try if you ask me! Trish shares her expertise on supper swapping or co-op cooking, as it is also known, and includes examples from her own supper swapping experiences. She includes helpful hints to get you started, fellowship ideas, and (my favorite part) some of her tried and true recipes.

And (here's the really cool part!) anyone who leaves a comment on this posting will be entered into a drawing for a FREE copy of Trish's book The Great American Supper Swap! Trish will be giving away, not one, but TWO free books this week to the readers of my blog who leave a comment on this posting during the tour which will run from Sunday night, September 16 when I post it until Friday night, September 21 at midnight Eastern time. Also, feel free to write to Trish with any questions you might have about supper swapping. Here's a little interview with Trish...

The Great American Supper Swap
Solving the Busy Woman’s Family Dinnertime Dilemma
By Trish Berg


Many moms struggle with their endless to-do list, and dinner is just one more thing that usually doesn’t get done. Author and speaker Trish Berg has a great way to solve your dinnertime dilemma and shares all her secrets in her new book, The Great American Supper Swap.

Thanks for being here, today, Trish.


Thanks for having me.

I wanted to begin by asking you what IS supper swapping?


Supper swapping is really a simple solution to that ever present “What’s for dinner,” question that hits most moms at 4:30 every afternoon.

Its moms helping moms by sharing the cooking responsibility for their families by cooking in bulk then swapping meals during the workweek.

And how did you become a supper swap mom?


First of all, I’m a wife and mother of 4 kids all under 12, and so life at our house is pretty chaotic most days. I’m just like all the moms out there struggling with my daily to-do list, and dinner was just one more thing stressing me out.

So, four years ago when one of my girlfriends asked if I wanted to try swapping suppers with her and two other gals to simplify dinner, I gave it a try. I had no idea how much supper swapping would bless my life, or that God would lead me to write this book and help other families as well.

That sounds great. But how exactly does supper swapping work?


One great thing about supper swapping is that it can be adapted to meet the needs of the families in the group. No two supper swapping groups have to look alike.

Basically, women join with 1-4 other women to form a supper swapping group. Each mom chooses one weekday to do the cooking for everyone in the group. The rest of the week, dinner is delivered to their door, hot fresh, and ready to enjoy with their family.

You only have to cook ONE night a week and the other nights, you essentially get free meals catered to your door? Wow! With so many other dinner options out there, why do you think supper swapping is becoming a hot trend?

Basically because moms need help. Today families run at a fast pace unheard of 30 years ago. Usually, dinner is a fast food, on the go grab bag, or relegated to pizza, take out or frozen quick fix meals. These meals are unhealthy and expensive.

Studies have shown that women today still do most of the cooking. Just looking at the workweek, that’s 5 dinners a week, 260 dinners a year. Whew! No wonder we’re all tired of cooking and settling for grilled cheese, pizza or take out.

Supper swapping cuts a moms cooking by up to 80% since she only cooks one day a week.

For about 1-2 hours of meal preparation and 15-30 minutes or less of meal delivery one day a week, you get a week’s worth of hot, fresh, homemade dinners.

Eating dinner together as a family has got to be a better way than going through drive-thrus for fast food on the run. Speaking for myself, I know I could probably make an entire Happy Meal out of the food on the floor of my van.


Eating dinner together as a family opens communication, helps children to eat healthier, feel more connected to their parents, feel loved and cherished. These benefits have a lifelong impact on our children.

According to research from Columbia University, children who eat dinner with their family on a regular basis are 60% less likely to smoke cigarettes, 50% less likely to use drugs, and 66% less likely to drink alcohol.

If a mom wants to start supper swapping, where can she get more information?

There is a ton of how to information, delicious recipes, encouragement and support in my book The Great American Supper Swap, available at bookstores and online at amazon.com and christinabooks.com, or contact me via my website for a signed copy.


What do you hope families gain from supper swapping?


Supper swapping can save families $4000 a year or more, reduces a moms cooking by 80%, adds deeper faith and friendships, and helps families eat healthier food.

BUT MOST OF ALL – I want families to gather back around their dinner table each and every day. That is my passion. A return to the family meal.

Though I’m an avid supper swap mom, each family must find what works for them and re-claim their family dinner however they can. Supper swapping is just one simple tool to help moms make that happen.

But if you’re stuck in a rut singing the dinnertime blues, ask a couple girlfriends to give supper swapping a try.
When it comes to dinner - DON’T GIVE UP. DON’T GIVE IN. JUST GET SWAPPING!

The family meal has a lifelong impact on our kids!
For more information on The Great American Supper Swap or Trish Berg, go to http://www.trishberg.com/.

Remember, when you leave a comment, be sure to include your name and email address so we can notify the winners!

872 comments:

1 – 200 of 872   Newer›   Newest»
Anonymous said...

Great idea! I've used meal-prep places like The Family Feast or Super Suppers to prepare meals to freeze and stock, but I can't wait to try this! A great, fresh meal delivered to my door!!! Thanks!

Anonymous said...

GREAT idea! WOW! :) I would love this...maybe some friends will want to join me in this! Thanks for sharing it with me!

Anonymous said...

I just wanted to give you kudos on your blog!! Reading it is one of the things I do on my daily list of things to do!! Good luck with everything!!

Alice
freebiejunkie_07@yahoo.com

Joanna said...

I love this idea of "supper swapping"! My husband and I have been married for 10 years and he has always been the cook. Recently, though, he started a Master's Degree and, along with working full-time and being a fabulous dad and husband, is feeling strapped for time and energy. Naturally, I felt like it was my turn to step up and take over the cooking. This is a huge step for me, considering I have 4 kids to take care of as well as all the other mom duties that must be done. Please help me with this cooking thing! I'm clueless, but I really WANT to learn and be good at it!

Becky said...

Hi, Dawn! First of all, I am so blessed by hearing your misadventures in your journey of motherhood. I have 2 children & they already keep me a little bit nutty much of the time! Hearing about your 6 kids reminds me that God's grace is always sufficient, no matter what our needs are. So thank you for your sharing! Also, thank you for the chance to win this intriguing book - it sounds very interesting!

Andrea said...

Oh wow, I never even thought of that!! How much easier this would have been when my husband was deployed. I too, have 4 kids (all under 12) & this would be a life saver most days! Thanks for the idea!!

Andrea
italampwife@yahoo.com

Cecily R said...

I love what she says about families gathering around the dinner table every day. Very cool.

http://www.mychaosmybliss.blogspot.com

Memory said...

This is exactly what I need!! Please enter me in the drawing. Thank you.

April said...

Oooo, oooo, me. Choose me. I hate dinner time. My husband doesn't get home until dinner is ready. By then the four year old is watching nonsense on the tv because I wanted him to shut up and the baby has finally crashed out because he's exhausted from screaming and crying the whole time I'm trying to make dinner. We begin to eat dinner while I pretend not to be irriated that I had no help. The baby wakes up crying. I get to nurse him and when I'm done I get to eat a cold dinner by myself at the dinner table. I could certainly use some dinner time help!

Cherbear said...

I really look forward to reading your blogs every day. It is such a joy to be able to relate to another mom who is going through similar things. Though I only have four kids our stories are quite similar. It's good to know I'm not the only one finding raunchy hot dogs under the beds or who has yogurt throughout my house . You make me laugh and are really quite a blessing. I look forward to reading Supper Swapping, it's just what my family could use and I'm sure my friends will love the idea as well. Take care and God bless :D

taylorcamel said...

Cool, I think I am the first to leave a comment. Hi Dawn! Love reading your posts. Trish's book sounds great. I am sure it will be very successful. Anything that helps Moms get it all done faster and easier is a great idea in my book.
Jennifer A.
snoopy143@gmail.com
http://specialsigningkids.blogspot.com/

Joann Loos said...

What a good idea! I'm thinking this could work for anyone, if you're willing to go with frozen food. Get with 1-4 of your friends, agree to cook extra food and freeze it, and then swap it. I live alone, and hate cooking for myself, since there's only so many times I can eat a recipe
before I go nuts!

Trish said...

I would love to win a copy of her book! I have been involved in a freezer meal group in the past, and have loved it. While I am currently not in a group now, i am on the hunt to start a group, and Trish's book would be so helpful. I do have a few "tried and true" recipes of my own, but new ones are always a blessing.
Dawn, thanks for the daily laughs! You are amazing.

Jenn's finding life funny! said...

How do I swap if most of my friends only have 2 to 3 kids and I have 5? (4 of them are boys that can eat a whole cow in one sitting)

Jennifer
kellermajkr@gmail.com

Are some of you still asking what is LDS? Come visit my blog
www.mom2my5.com I love to hear about how are different religions bless our lives. Life is good!

Anonymous said...

I've been reading your blog for a few weeks now, finding it during the eBay fury that was pokemon ;) I think it's great and often find myself popping over to read the exploits in your house when things have gotten hairy around here and I need a good chuckle to remind me that I'm not the only one who lives in organized chaos. that said...I was absolutely beside myself when I saw you would be MIA for a week!!! then, I kept reading and the supper swap sounds like just the thing moms like us need--and the break you'll have this week is well deserved, so..turn on the telletubbies, make sure your fridge is stocked with yogurt ;) , mix some daquaris up and lock yourself in the bathroom closet (it's the only place you'll get peace and this way the kids still have access to the toilet for recreational use--anything to keep them busy really, right?) for a night--you've earned it!! I'm going to check out that book and hopefully you will rest up and come back to post next week, all refreshed and with more tales from the frontlines..have a good semi-vacation. Amy amieelynne@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

Oooooh, pick me! My friends cook WAY better than I do. :)

Sylvia Miller
smiller_gcu@yahoo.com

Evelyn said...

hey thats pretty cool and i love the idea! btw I love reading your site i'm sure you get that a lot. I cant wait till you get your book out good luck!!
thanks evelyn

Jodi Dolbel said...

Grat idea with the supper swapping!! Can it be dinner or tea swapping too? Im an aussie - be dont do supper!!! LOL

Enjoy reading your blod as often as i can and have read your interviews and listen to your radio reviews!!

Cant wait for your book!!!

Hope you keep surviving your hectic life to bring us more funny commentry!!!

Regards
Jodi Dolbel
j_dolbel@bigpond.net.au

Jessica said...

My mom works as an anesthesiologist and is out of the house a lot. Even though I'm a college student, I still live at home, and so often I'm cooking for my dad and my high school aged brother. We've found a place where Mom and I can go for one afternoon and make up enough meals for a month, then just throw them in the freezer. I love these sorts of ideas; they make life so much easier, and cooking becomes almost fun!

Anonymous said...

Wow, I'm the first! I LOVE the concept! Not only sounds like a time saver, but it seems like it could also expand the experiences of the tastebuds!
Y.Ramirez
twocans1@hotmail.com

Mrs. O said...

My sister does this with her friends, but I have a large family (7 of us). Will it work for us?

Anonymous said...

OH my gosh, this sounds right up my alley. I will be definitely looking into seeing how we can start one of these groups in my part of the country! Yeahoo, I hate spending any more time in the kitchen than I have and with FOUR kids, I have way too much other stuff to get done. Thanks for providing the information.
Rhonda

Kris said...

Sounds interesting and I am interested in "Supper Swapping"

Kris
krissiesmail@cableone.net

Kristen said...

What a great idea! I'm a SAHM, and I feel like I run out of ideas for dinner. Swapping is a great way to try new recipes.
Kristen
knick23@gmail.com

Jen said...

I had never heard of this before. What a simple conecpt that could help so much! I can't wait to see if my friends want to give it a try!

-- Jen Garnett
j2garnett@gmail.com

Katrina said...

Thanks for sharing. I hadn't heard of this kind of meal swapping before. Only having to cook once a week? Sounds like a lifesaver! Can't wait to read the book!

Katrina
takahashifamily@sbcglobal.net

Anonymous said...

Wow, what a great idea! I can't believe i've never heard of this before.

Julia Ashley McNeal
i_heart_my_mp@yahoo.com

Sarah said...

This sounds right up my alley, as I cook in bulk every night! (I would have made a terrific stereotypical Italian mother) There are only 2 adults and a baby here, but I seem to make enough to feed an army! I enjoy reading your blog, and I wish you all the best!

Sarah from the land Down Under.

Anonymous said...

My sister and I have an idea like this that we implemented a while ago. We get together for one night a month and cook up a storm! We store everything in family portion sizes (she has a family of 4 and I have 2) and then freeze them. All we have to do is pop it in the microwave or put it on the stove and we have hot, tasty, healthy food in minutes. Because we each have different recipes, we have many dishes to choose from that everyone enjoys. Besides making dinners that are easy to cook, we get to spend a whole night together. It has worked great for us!

~Sandi

Anonymous said...

I totally love the concept, especially thinking about the many leftovers I usually have since cooking for only a 2 adult / 1 kid family.

My problem is only that I do not really know anyone I could swap with (our curse in life, we move around a lot and live abroad)

Have fun on the blooktour :)

co•lin fam•i•ly said...

I love this idea! Hopefully, I can find some other's to try this with..

I also love reading your blog. You are a very creative writer. You take simple and daily happenings and make it enjoyable and easy to handle! I once attended a seminar in which a speaker explained how folding laundry for your family is actually service! (She wrote the book "take two chocolates and call me in the morning").

Also, not every LDS person wants or has TONS of kids :)! I don't have or want many. I just have to convince my husband of this ;)! I want 2 he wants 10 so I say 2 will be coming out of my body, then will adopt until we can compromise that we are done. He is crazy and I think he'll decide long before 10 that we have enough :)!

Keep up the writing and readings for all of us...well tell your kids to keep it up so you have something to write about!

~Leslie

Anonymous said...

What a great idea, how exciting would that be to have food delivered to your door!

mini

Lisa-Anne said...

Wow, what a neat idea! Thanks for posting the interview!
Lisa-Anne
openheaven@gmail.com

Sharon G said...

This is the greatest idea I've ever heard. I wonder if I could some Aussie mum's into it. Imagine all that extra time. I'll have to work out how to get my hands on one of those books.

Dawn your awesome. Thank you

Sharon G
sharongblog@optusnet.com.au

Anonymous said...

This is an interesting concept, but I would worry about getting the canned or frozen green beans and spaghetti with Ragu from a jar, and a side of store-bought packaged salad more often than I'd care to. Although my friends would LOVE for me to cook for their families I do not really care for the fare they usually serve. Yuck.

Anonymous said...

Hi!
I'm writting from Hungary, a tiny country from Europe. This "swapping" idea is really great! I love it!
But I guess there may be later some problems to solve: if a family has special needs (e.g.: vegetarian ??), or the amount of the food: if someone has 8 children but the other family just 2, or if a child doesn't like what someone's Mum is coooking etc.
But I think that mothers can solve everything, so its maybe not a real problem. I'm sure we will try it with my friends!!!
Thanks very much for the idea!

Anonymous said...

Dawn- I love your blog... I am an avid reader and have shared it with many of my friends... Love your stories and it helps me to put my life into perspective when I am feeling overwhelmed... Thanks for the laughs... and the tears... and the need to run to the bathroom with a giggle... I wish you and your family all the best in your future...

Trish- I love the idea of supper swapping.. However in our area there are very few people whom have as many kids as we have (6)... Most of our friends are older or at most have 3 children... What are some of the suggestions to help with these types of differences?? ~Laura (Skylar560 at yahoo dot com)

Alexandra McNicol said...

Oh my god, what a fab idea!!!

Ok I need to find friends in my area now to do this!!!! lol

Raene said...

Wow what a fantastically great idea! As a kindergarten teacher, I hear many moms talk about the "oh no, what do I fix for dinner tonight?" dilemma.

Noel
nrspears AT gmail DOT com

Anonymous said...

Kami McManus
wkbm2001@yahoo.com

What an amazing idea! I think I will definitely look more into this.

Anonymous said...

What a great idea!!

JoAnne in CT

luvmygumbo@aol.com

Katie said...

I'm the first one! Katie-kwarsinske @ hotmail . com

Unknown said...

My triplet group does a batch cooking night every once in a while to stock up our freezers (and drink lots of wine). The swapping sounds really interesting - we might have to try it!
Laura
gottriplets@gmail.com

Kristin said...

This is a great idea. I don't have 6 kids, just 3 1/2 year old twins, but I certainly understand the chaos kids bring. I'd love to cook just once a week. I've tried (mostly without success) to streamline dinnertime by making weekly menus to follow, but something usually gets in the way. Great idea, I hope it is a great success!

Anonymous said...

This is an awesome idea. Tho I am not sure my family would appreciate the idea. My husband and middle son are so darn picky it isnt funny. My dear husband thinks if it doesnt have beef in it it isnt edible. and my son well lets ust say if it isnt cereal or spaghetti o's it wont pass his lips. Most night I make at least 2 different meals. Most nights I make one thing for me and my 2 oldest then something for my husband then there is the nights that my 2 youngest only want chicken noodle soup. Heres what really upsets me. When I ask my dear hubby what do you want for supper. His reply is typically Food or something to eat. Most nights I am frazzled and when I make him something he picks at it. My hubby works 2nd shift so he doesnt get home till 11 PM. We will get in bed and he will look at me after NOT eating what I have made him and he will say to me I am hungry. So I have to go down and make him a bowl of cereal or ice cream or something....... One time when I asked him before he left for work what he wanted for supper and he did his typical answer food I had food waiting for him a bowl of dog food, a bowl of cat food one of fish food and bird food. He didnt find it funny wonder why?

So altho I think supper swapping or whatever you call it. Sory I had to stop typing to find missing shoes books and get my son a towel. My train of thought left me behind.

Have a great day and Oh I think all homes ought to come with a soundproof room to put screaming kids. Who scream for no apparent reason. My 4 year old throws fits so often over the dumbest things. The other day I found him in his room with scoth tape. He had taped socks pants underwear shoes and a variety of other things to his wall. When I asked Noah why did you do this he said because mom this is my store. Ok cool now go tell your dad why we are outta tape. I need a vacation, Elisabeth

Rachel said...

ROFL Dawn- Are you so sure you want to make the rule that you must leave a comment to be eligible- I've been reading your blog for about a month or so now- And gathered you are such a sweet and generous person who READS everything!! I have purposefully not left a comment before now because of soo many people commenting- most already saying what I would say. That you are a wonderful person with a great sense of humor! And thank you for brightening up my day and making the normal fun. Making me feel like these crazy things in everyday life is normal.

Be well,
Rachel

e-mail- jachiebell@suddenlink.net
name- Rachel

Anonymous said...

Oh My Gosh!!! What a great idea!! I have 4 kids all with different tastes and dislikes. Thinking of ideas for meals is a constant struggle. I grew up on a farm myself so it was meat and potatoes with very little variety. I love this idea of getting families back to the supper table together. We usually do manage that at our house. My husband and I have been helping out my husbands brother who has terminal cancer and I've starting to add him to my list of family members in need of a meal...so we deliver to them...he lives with his younger brother so of course we take plenty of food for both of them. I have been doing this off and on for quite some time and quite honestly it feels extremely great to cook for others. The idea of somebody bringing me homemade meals that I don't have to cook while my 3 kids, that are just getting home from school, are all trying to tell me about their day all at one time while my littlest feels so neglected because she's had my attention all day and doesn't like the competition she gets after 4 p.m....gosh, i lost my train of thought here..I feel stressed just typing that. LOL Anyway, I ask my husband and kids almost daily what they'd like for supper, they respond with the same thing every single day. My husband says "food", oldest daughter wants to live on chicken and mashed potatoes, which is wonderful but not every stinking day! 12 son rarely responds, 7 year old son wants pizza...every single day..and 4 year old girl wants "hot dog and french fries" which she pronounces ha dog and hi hi..
Thanks so much for the laughs and great ideas!
Nancy

Whitney said...

That is a GREAT idea!! WOW! I only wish I had 4 friends....

No seriously...AWESOME. Maybe I can find people to give it a try...

THANKS DAWN!

lcwhitlock said...

I think the supper swapping is a great idea. I've heard about this years ago, but didn't know anybody at the time (had just moved to GA). The only problem is now, my dearest friend lives nearly an hour away from me (need her to move closer - lol). However, we do this sorta thing when we're out camping together. We put together menus then either share in the cooking, or take turns. It's a lot of fun.

Me & Madi's life said...

I cannot believe I am your 1st comment, of course you probably haven't been online to approve any, LOL! Supper Swap sounds wonderful!!!

OGD Critic said...

What a great concept, wish we did something like this when my kids were little.

I'm forwarding this on to my daughter. What a great way for her to share with her friends.

Nina Donnell
nadonnell@comcast.net

Anonymous said...

What a fantastic idea. I am a mum of 7 and i do know of a couple of other mum in my area with large families, this could be a god send.

Anonymous said...

is is such a great idea!why did nobody else ever think of this? i am a mother of four boys under the age of four,with a husband that is often out of town.all too often supper ends up being raw carrots and celery in an attempt to keep supper quick, easy, and healthy.i love your blog,read it daily.keep up the great work i look forward to reading both of these books(you can do it dawn:) as i read everthing i get my hands on.(well not so much since the kiddos)thanks for giving me the inspiration to go on dawn.if you can do it with 6 surley i can do my four! xoxo sherri

Benjie said...

Hey, two great ideas! My wife will be interested in Trish's book and ideas. Also, having a blook tour seems like a great way to bring more good authors to light.

Unknown said...

What a great idea! I'm thinking of my friends who live by me and what requests I can put it! ;)

I hope the baby has calmed for you a bit! Isn't that the worst? Well, maybe not the WORST but it can be pretty bad when you're in the moment of it all!

Alison
www.mommountain.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

I've done this with some friends before. Put cardboard between your freezer bags when you stack them or they might stick together...the voice of experience. Don't you just LOVE typing with a squirming, crying toddler on your lap that is trying to type too. My favorite is when there is a 3 year old BEHIND me in the chair as well:)

Christina, mom to 4
chistinadunn1@yahoo.com

Maureen said...

I'm in!! I just visited Trish's website and love it!

By the way, I love reading your blog every morning! I have 3 children and everything you write rings so true! xoxo Maureen

Anonymous said...

I've heard of this before but haven't tried it. I'd be interested in seeing some of the recipes for this. I guess my apprehension lies in that I'm the only one I know with this many kids, and I wouldn't want to swap meals with someone who has just one or 2 kids.

I have to admit I don't mind the cooking at all; I enjoy the cooking and getting the family together for mealtimes, and we manage to do it every day. My husband loves sitting at the table with all the kids and asking how their day was, and it is one of our kids' favorite parts of the day.

But Trish is right in that the family meal is a rarity now. My stress happens when this one has piano, that one has cross-country, another one hasn't finished his nap yet, and I have kids to take places when I really need to be in the kitchen putting something together.

Anyway I would really love to check out some recipes! I'm always looking for something new to try! Seems like we get stuck on the same dozen or so meals and it would be great to get out of that rut.

Cindy D. said...

Oh I love the idea of Supper Swap! Anything to make things a little easier...

Dawn, I don't know how in the world you're keeping up, but I wish you the best.

Suburban Correspondent said...

Um...your family dinner table must look very different from mine. Our dinner hour is anything but an enriching, family-strengthening experience. What with all the whining and faces and complaints about siblings, my husband and I were thinking of instituting a new dinner table rule - Shut up and eat. That's it - forget the talks on abstinence and drugs and family values. Just shut up and eat.

And Trish says she has 4 kids....if she swaps with moms who also have, on average, 3 kids, how does one cook in that sort of quantity? The most I can manage at one time is a meal for 2 6-8 person families. And how did she get people to commit? The area I live in is so fast-paced, trying to coordinate this sort of thing would be very hard. I guess those questions should be directed to Trish, though.

In short, I'm intrigued by the idea, but I sure can't figure out the logistics.

Anonymous said...

What a great idea! As a new mom of two (I have no idea how ya'll do it with more kids than that) I would love having help with getting dinner on the table at a decent time. I will definitely be checking out her book.

LaDonna
donna2782@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

I've heard about this before but have struggled with getting it started because I live about five minutes from our downtown and seem to be one of the few stay at home moms around - the other ones I hang out with all live at least 15-20 minutes to either side of the city out in the "burbs". It seems that people just aren't willing to drive that far to swap dinners.... can't wait to hear how yours turns out!

Anonymous said...

No way am I the first commenter! Must be a glitch.

This supper swapping is such a neat idea. Makes me wish I knew some of my neighbors. I've done mega-cooking type things for the freezer before, and they really do help, but actually delivering the meals to each other--wow!! That would be sweet. Sounds like a neat book.

Sorry aobut your little chick! hope she gets to feeling better soon!

Now it says to leave my name and e-mail address, but I wasn't sure whether that was here or on Trish's site. I guess I'll do it here. I'm Ronda and the addy is blest1ATverizon.net

JEM said...

I started reading your blog when someone sent me the ebay thing. I love it! I am a mother of one but I want more. Your stories remind me of my mom's from growing up. She was number 4 of 5 and the first girl. Her mother said she wasn't coming home if she had another boy!

Keep it up!

Anonymous said...

This sounds like a wonderful idea. I never heard of it before reading this blog. Thanks for sharing. I am going to call a few of my friends and see if they are interested. I work a second shift job, do dinner is always very short. I only get a 30 minute break. I look forward to reading more.

Anonymous said...

My stepson's mom and I do this. A day or two a week we cook for everyone except we eat together instead of delivering it. It is so much easier... :)

Nichole
MrsDank2003"at"yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Sounds great, but how do you handle vegatarian/vegan friends or people with food alleriges? Or religious exceptions? I hope she addresses those issues or the moms doing this address them theirselves?

Anonymous said...

Dawn - I have three kids, but can relate to practically everything you write. I've been praying this "fame" doesn't overwhelm you & your family too much because you make me laugh every day, and that's something I definitely need. Sometimes I even re-read to get a 2nd or 3rd laugh for the day. Trish - awesome concept. 3 friends and I were driving home from a girls' night out just last week and decided some type of cooking and swapping event is definitely something we ALL need to do right now. I can't wait to read your book and get started! Good luck to you both!

Karen said...

ONE NIGHT A WEEK? Wow, do you think I could find some families willing to feed my family of 9 each week? I would love to read the book!

mama.lily.field@gmail.com

Lori_N said...

What a great idea!! I already have my list of Moms I want in my group! Very interested in the book!!

Lori
neuberger@neo.rr.com

Anonymous said...

A friend in California sent me a link to your ebay listing and blog site. The laughs you have given me tonight are wonderful, thank you so much. I dont think anyone in Australia has heard of Supper Swapping, its a brilliant idea. I know a few people who would benefit from it and will give them your blog so they can learn about it. I have no idea when you get to sleep, one 3yr old and one 18yr are enough to keep me busy, different levels of the chimpanzee tricks out of each of them. Actually there is remarkably little difference between the sneakiness of the 3yr old or the 18yr old and they still both blame each other. Actually the 3yr old is the boss, she doesnt put up with teenage angst, seems to have no tolerance for the foibles of a big hairy brother. To her life is simple 'do what I tell you" and he responds to it, doesnt work for me though. Anyway, thank you for providing my hubby and I with many laughs, I hope you find time to write your book and that you make enough money from it for hubby to work less and you to hire a maid. Keep up the great writing,cheers

Helen Ashby
Buffalo River
Australia

Anonymous said...

Sounds neat!
lmb122@aol.com

Anonymous said...

Boy, could I use this right now. I woke up to the dreaded puking 4 year old. What a great way to start a Monday. Anyway, thanks for posting. I am so looking forward to getting this book. It's a brilliant idea.

Amanda said...

Oh WOW!! What a great idea, Trish! Thank you both for posting this here, I am off to do some more research! And Dawn, I'm sure your toilet looks awesome, sparkling, and wonderful;) Keep up the good work:D

My Graduate Journey said...

I love this idea! I have wanted to do this for awhile, but never found any friends, I mean followed through with it. It seems that my 4 yr old son will always eat food from someone else, but when I make something our dinnertime consists of gross, ewwww, are there peas in here, and why can't I just have PB and J? Wow a hot meal almost every night!!! I am too excited! Thanks for your awesome blog...in my head I think that I am just as witty and funny...too bad it doesn't come out like that. Erin Carey escirish@yahoo.com

Julesmcg said...

This sounds AWESOME! I can't wait to enlist some of my friends to try it.
Julie 3jules@gmail.com

Unknown said...

Great!! Sign me up please.
Connie
madhouse5and2@gmail.com

It's all about Sam said...

Excellent idea! I'm going to try to find people in my condo that want to do this....

Alicia said...

WOw. 4 grand? That has me sold. Now, if I can get my friends to have some kids....hmm. Can you write a book about convincing your friends to start families?

Dana said...

Okay this sounds like a great idea but I am not sure that it would work with most of our families and friends have big families. All with at least 6 kids in the family. That is a lot to have to do with 4 woman and all of their families. Maybe it would work and I just don't understand. I would love to learn more.

Anonymous said...

What an awesome idea! I belong to a local MOMS Club (support group for full-time Moms ... Moms Offering Moms Support) and we've tried getting together to make multiple meals that you freeze and then defrost/cook when you need them, but this "hot to the door" method sounds even better!

I'm glad the Trish found you. I'm glad that I found you. And I'm glad there are others out there searching for more hours in a day with their families. Thanks for all of your inspiration!

Sincerely,
Aly Morrison
alyalyaly@comcast.net

Anonymous said...

Supper swapping.......sounds like something I'd be so gung ho into planning and then never follow through.......kinda like putting the photos in the albums......kwim? Keep me nodding in agreement and laughing Dawn.

Anonymous said...

I have waited to post because there are normally so many (what better time to start than when I can get entered in a drawing for something FREE!)

Your blog has touched my life and that of my family in ways I can never express. It has made wuch a difference to know I am not the only one with a Happy Meal's amount of food in my van floor, or pudding on the t.v. Thanks you so much for sharing yourself.

Anonymous said...

What are the rules for if someone in your group of swappers turns out to be a lousy cook? The most feared night of the week is not 'leftover parfait night', it's 'Melanie's turn to cook night.'

Can you imagine?

(Oh god, what if I was "Melanie"?!)

Sonya said...

I've heard of this idea before, but I can't figure out how to do it with the families I know! Most of the families have only 3 or 4 people, and I have 6 people in mine....2 of whom are teenaged boys! How is that fair for everyone else???

Debi said...

I love this idea! I belonged to a church in WA state that did something similar. Only we would have groups of no more than 10 and once-a-month, we would all meet with each of us bringing 9 identical meals, frozen, and we'd swap. So each of us got 9 frozen dinners to take home (plus our own at home of course). It was a great idea!!

Trish, you've hit on a wonderful idea and I wish you much success with your book. As moms we are very busy and if I can eliminate or reduce an area to help me spend more time with my precious family I am on it!!

And Dawn, thank you for introducing her to us.

Anonymous said...

This is a great idea that I had heard about before--but know I think that I am going to talk with the girls and see if we can give it a try. Thanks for the thoughts!!!

Paul Mastin said...

Kay
mastinhome@yahoo.com

I've heard of the Supper Swap before. Sounds so awesome! I'm thinking of my 3 friends already . . . .

Brea in Texas said...

I love love love this idea!! With three kids (all under 6), I'm one of the 'small' families in my group of friends/church. (Dawn, you wouldn't get any funny looks or LDS questions in this group; you'd get a hug and a question of when you're planning more, lol!!) We all homeschool and have crazy schedules, so how wonderful would it be to do something like this!! All of us living out in the country may make it a little more challenging, but I think it wold be do-able.

Also, here's a thought: if you get involved in something like this, it can be expanded to help others that aren't part of the group. Maybe a family that just had a baby could be included for two weeks, or if an illness or death in the family came up. We have a sweet older (88) man in our church that can't really cook for himself anymore, and it would literally cost nothing to take him a single serving of the night's supper.

Ooooohhh!! I'm getting so many good ideas just writing this ... I have to go order the book and start emailing my friends!! Thank you, Dawn and Trish!!

Anonymous said...

I read your blog daily or try to. I have two children that play sports and they keep me real busy....I couldn't imagine 6. You go girl! Anyway, I felt you needed to know how many children I have, I guess it is probably a thing that everyone tells you, like it is a contest or something.LOL I love the idea of dinner swapping but I guess you need to pick your clean friends. I am a bit funny about who cooks for me and my family. Maybe, paronoid is the word I should have used. I love your blog and I have no idea how you find time to write all of this. I am, however; glad you do. Thanks for shareing your craziness as well as your experiences. I am happy to know that I am not the only one that is going in one hundred directions each day. Example: Wake the kids, get them ready...an hour later...I drive a school bus, clean the house, back on the bus for a mid-day run, run erons, eat lunch and back on the bus.....someone has baseball or fieldhockey or scocer tonight(daily) and then in our spare time,,,dinner, homework, showers and bed....Just to start over tomorrow. I truely love my life and kids, but (feeling guilty about the but) it is quite exhausting. I don't need to tell you that though.
Well my name is Allidon Phelps from Chesapeake, VA
my e-mail is stampinalli@msn.com
I wish you luck with all of your adventures with the little ones and with your book and new found success.
Allison

Tami of BrooksGroth said...

Whoa, you're going to get a lot of comments on this one.

I've only heard of this idea briefly once before ... I'll be thinking about who/how I could start supper swapping with (co-workers? church groups?)

Here's my email in case I win! tami.groth@gmail.com

Bekah said...

Yay for Supper Swapping! I had some girlfriends who did this with me about 8 years ago. It was great! We all had the same size families and made up a rule that all meals had to include, a meat, a side, and a vegetable. I'm thinking we may have done a dessert every once in a while too but I don't remember. Supper swapping is so great especially when you have toddlers and young children that seem to have that "meltdown" every day around the time you should be cooking dinner! Anyway, Kudos to you Dawn for posting this in your blog and making more people aware of this great dinner option!

Curt, Charlene, Luke, Ty, Jake and Chase said...

I can't wait to try this with my friends! Thanks so much for all the great info.

**Charlene

Kristy said...

WOW what a great idea! Only to cook one night a week with 4 kids and homework...sounds neat!! Thanks for the post.
Kristy (La)
kmotheroffour@yahoo.com

Tanya said...

Awesome concept :) That would be a wonderful idea, even for us Canadian's eh? LOL!

btw, I still love your blog, and read it every day :)

Marcea said...

Thats a neat idea about the supper swap! I hope it works out for you and for others getting involved. I wish I could do it but I dont have any friends close by that would be interested.
But it is a neat idea!

Marcea
Working mom to Three kids under age 4.
marcea.blogspot.com

Kim said...

Woohoo! First to comment!

As a mother of 3 kids 3 and under, supper swapping sounds GREAT! I'm going to try to arrange that with some other ladies from my church. Would love love love to win the book!

Kim - foster_sk at yahoo dot com

Love your blog, too. My brood isn't all that big, but 3 kids in 3 years? I definitely have my hands full and can relate to a lot of what you write. ;)

Anonymous said...

Thats cool! I've heard of that before, but I just dont have a close enough group of friends to do this with. Maybe I need to start looking! lol!

Jennifer Smith
jjsmith61@sbcglobal.net

ateche said...

WOW! That would be nice! I would not have to cook everyday. Then maybe my kids would eat. They don't like anything I make but if someone else makes it then it is the best thing ever!

April

techeapril@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

This is a great idea! It is so much cheaper than those places that you go and make the meal/freeze it! I'll be hoping to win the book, but if not, I'll definitely be checking it out!

Monica
mikeandmonica@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

What a cool idea! Thanks for sharing.

Cassandra Hill said...

This sounds like something worth trying! I would love to read this book!

Anonymous said...

I'm in!
I HATE cooking every day. OK, I never cook, but I'll give it a shot after I win the book.

http://awholelotofnothing.net

Unrecognized Princess said...

This is such a wonderful idea! I often times find myself wondering what to feed my family after a long day and end up opting for a frozen pizza or even PB&J. I am going to look into this more and talk with my friends about this. I am so excited!

Devonee Labriola
dnlabriola@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

I already forwarded this to some friends. I am a stay at home mom who is expecting my second child in March. I have a hard enough time coming up with meals for one week for three of us. Bless those of you who do it for more than that!
Marissa Rice

Unknown said...

This is such an AWESOME idea. I had heard of it but I have never done it. I think that I am going to have to give it a try with some other moms in my neighborhood. We live about 15 miles outside of town. The majority of us are military and our husbands are gone a lot. This will definitely help us out. Thank you for sharing this with us.

Anonymous said...

I've heard of this. I actually tried to get a group of women together to do this very thing... but one of the ladies has 8 kids and that kinda freaked everyone out (that's a WHOLE LOT of food for one family). Oh well, maybe I should try this again.

BRAE said...

Cool! I am the first comment. I saw your Ebay auction from an email that was going around and found your blog through there. I am only outnumbered 2 to 1. But having an 11 year old daughter and a 6 year old son all on my own is enough for me to at least relate a little. Good reading so far. Thanks for keeping me entertained at work!

Anonymous said...

Oo!Oo! Pick me! This sounds like a great book/idea. I have five under 13 and love this idea.
Janet in NJ

Anonymous said...

This sounds exactly like what I've been looking for! Thanks for hosting this "blook tour." I look forward to checking out her website and book. (And, of course, I'll continue to read your blog and watch for YOUR book--you're great!)

Unknown said...

That is amazing. I only have 3 kids but sometimes after work, before church meetings, its such a hassle. This sounds realy great, and easy. I am anxious to start this up with my girlfriends...

Dana

cruisinflatout said...

I would like to be entered into the contest ;)

Anonymous said...

Woo Hoo! I was just telling my dh yesterday that I wanted to get some info on getting a supper swapping group started. What great timing! I'll be checking out the website for sure.

Danielle Adams
dkadams73@hotmail.com

Unknown said...

Thats amazing. I only have 3 kids and sometimes it can be hectic just trying to get dinner on the table after work and before church meetings. I do plan on getting my girlfriends together on this one

Anonymous said...

Hi, I really love this idea. It really brings people together and fills the gap for some who may not have alot of family support.
bcboucher@dcsi.net.au

FunnyGal KAT said...

What a neat idea! I had never heard of the concept, but I like it. It's too bad I don't eat red meat or I think I'd have plenty of friends who would do this with me (it's bad enough when they have us over and half their recipes are unusable). I may try it anyway...

Anonymous said...

This is what I have been looking for and would love to give it a try!
Name: Marilyn Martin
E-mail address Fmartin816@comcast.net

Crissybug said...

What a cool idea! I would love to have a chance at winning a book!

Rhonda said...

What a great idea! I would love to try this with some friends.

Unknown said...

Dawn and Trish! I can't wait to get more info on the supper swapping! That sounds like the thing I have been waiting for all my life! I will contact a few friends and see if they would be interested about starting our own supper swapper group! Thanks for the laughs everyday Dawn! And thanks for the 'super supper idea' Trish!!

Cyndy said...

LOVE this idea! Thanks for sharing!....now if I could find some friends not on restrictive diets, this could be fun!

Juliana said...

Looks interesting! Thanks for posting this.
Juliana - davelovesjulie@hotmail.com

Lisa said...

Sounds like my kind of book!!!!! I love reading your blog!

Carrie and Troy Keiser said...

Hey I'm up for any dinner-time help... pretty sure my husband is as tired of me calling him every day at 4:30 for suggestions as I am of making the same ole thing! Sign me up ... Carrie Keiser birdlulu@midrivers.com
and thanks again Dawn for putting the stay-at-home mom on the internet map!

Mrs. Randall said...

Wow! I'm the first comment?? Woowee!!
This sounds like a great idea! I hope I can find 3 or 4 other willing parties!!
Thank you for your blog, Dawn! I tried to read it everytime I get an update. My daughter has only had 1 ear infection since 8/2005 when she had her tonsils and adenoids removed at 3 years old and after two tubal surgeries and years of antibiotics.
I know you have tons to read and do, but here is my blog:
http://teachr4life.blogspot.com

Happy Blogging!!
~Angela in Manahawkin, NJ
Mom of Laura(5)and Michael(22 months)

maggiebsmocks said...

Sounds like a fun adventure to share meals.
I agree, family meal time IS important. If you can't get together for dinner, try weekend breakfasts.

There were many a meal that the steering wheel was the centerpiece of our table. We were still eating together, albeit fries and a burger, strapped to our seats, but we were sharing, conversing, laughing, planning.

Dawn, does that baby have an ear infection?
maggieb!

Anonymous said...

Well, this is just too cool! I am so ready to start. Maybe, this will encourage Jude, my 4 year old, to eat something other then rice. He seems to try more things if someone else is cooking. It's not that he doesn't like other food...before he had his tonsils and adenoids removed everything made him choke/gag/vomit. (as you know Dawn) Now...he can't remember that hitting his sister is unacceptable behavior...BUT he can remember every single food item that caused him to C/G/V and won't eat any of them. There are times when just thinking about eating something will cause him to gag.
I can't even open a jar of peanut butter with him near. My husband once tried the just take one bite thing and this is how it went...
Husband: Just try one bite. You might like it.
Jude: No, I'll throw up.
Husband: You won't throw up. Just try it.
Jude: I'll throw up.
Husband: No you won't! Please try it.
Jude: Okaaayyy. (takes a bite...throws up on dining room table) See, I told you.
Husband: Okay, you win.
Any ideas...anyone?
No matter if Jude eats the Supper Swap food or not...I will LOVE it! Food is always much tastier prepared by someone else. YEAH!
Dawn, how I love reading your blog every morning! God bless you and your family!
Now I off to check out Trish's website.
Take care,
Jami
JamiDFox@aol.com

Anonymous said...

What a cool idea! Thanks!
Prairie Lady
prairiefamiy@yahoo.com

Dianne said...

LOVE your blog by the way. I think this is a great idea. I'm single my self and did institutional cooking for 25 yrs. Its just as easy to cook for 20 as it is for 4.
Just use more ingredients.
I also cooked for noprofit orginizations so cheap cooking was my thing, lets say I had to be very
creative on a low buget..
Good luck on this adventure all you ladies out there. Its a brilliant idea..

Anonymous said...

Supper swapping sounds so amazing. I can't wait to get started. I am a mother of two, and I am always asking myself the question, "What's for dinner?" With only having a handful of things I know how to make, going out to eat always seems better. Supper swapping would be a great way to share new food ideas with your friends without the hassle of deciding what's for dinner every night. Thank you so much!!

Jenn said...

What a fun idea! I'd sure love a copy of the book and would LOVE to make an attempt at a group over here in Germany (military member stationed overseas).

Jenn

Jenn_White75@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

6 friends of mine do something similar . . . we call it Dine In Divas. Once a quarter we get together and swap meals . . . each of us makes a freezable something for all the others and we get together and talk and snack and trade our meals. When we get home, we have 6 meals waiting in our freezer for those days we just don't feel like cooking. And what a great way to try new recipes without doing the cooking!

I'd really like to win this book . . . please enter me in the drawing :-)

Melissa said...

Supper swapping sounds like a great idea. Moms of many kids always seem to come up with the best, most creative ideas - probably out of necessity! Please enter me in the draw. mel.kroeker@gmail.com. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

"Supper swapping" sounds great - but I need to learn how to cook IN BULK. *teehee*

Anonymous said...

Love the idea! Thanks for sharing...
Sheri
sheria@new.rr.com

ck said...

I am so interested in this...now if only I had actual friends. 4 boys tends to scare off most of the other mother nearby. lol!

Anonymous said...

Pick me! I have attempted to start a group like this, but I always get side tracked. I'll have to see if I can get everyone together again.

Anonymous said...

Wow I might be the first to post. I just wanted to say that I love your blog and that supper swappin is a good idea it kinda reminds me of once a month cooking. Natalie email address jlbabyiris@yahoo.com

Ashley said...

so I'm all about the cooking once a week. sign me up, and just so you know, not all mormons have lots of kids, I only have two
Ashley Rowser
sweetchik2001@yahoo.com

kerrichris said...

This is cool. I wish I had enough friends where I live to do this. I work outside the home and have 3 kids and never feel like cooking. But I still have to cause my husband had 5 way heat by bass last December and we have to eat healthy and it so hard sometimes.

Kerri Scott
chriskerri@comcast.net

Anonymous said...

I get to be the first?! WOW! I read your blog every single day but have never posted because there are normally like 150 posts already. I'm so proud for you. It does my soul good to watch this trip you have made since your eBay auction.

I love the idea of SuperSwap. Me and a couple of girlfriends do something kind of like that during ball season. We all live in the same neighborhood and us moms grew up together and graduated high school together. One mom will leave her kids with the rest of the moms and go home early to fix dinner. Someone will call and let her know when practice/game is wrapping up and dinner will be ready when everyone gets there. Everyone eats whatever she cooked - burgers, meatloaf, fried chicken, or everyone's favorite... breakfast for dinner - and then goes on home and only one mom is left with dishes to clean up. Doing it even 2 nights a week really helps.

Anonymous said...

Supper sharing sounds great! I'ld love to win a copy of her book. But wouldn't we have to find similar families to share with? I cook for a family of 8 everyday. It wouldn't be fair for a friend with a "normal" familiy of 4 or 5 to be cooking double for my family when it would be less expensive for me to feed hers.

Diane Meyer said...

I am an empty nester, but sis-in-law has four young ones and she starts getting tense around 4:30 every afternoon, poor thing. I feel her pain. This sounds like a great solution.
Diane

~pam said...

I admit, I am really intrigued by this concept and have recently read a couple articles where it was suggested. As Publicity Leader for my local MOPS group, it is a topic I plan to explore a little further in our next newsletter. I'd like to know what seem to be the most common challenges in supper swapping and how they are overcome. Any tips for families with fussy eaters?

Davis' said...

I absolutely love this idea. I have been in such a rut with cooking, and pleasing with what I cook. I don't think that is even possible with 7 kids, but I try. Thanks for the inspiration. I will definitely be checking out this new book.
andi davis
andidavis7@msn.com

Portia said...

great idea + fabulous blog!

Kristie said...

Sounds great! Enter me in the drawing, please!!
Kristie Metler
kmetler@sbcglobal.net

Katherine said...

This sounds like a great idea! I don't need any more since my kids are grown and gone.

I used a book called Once-a-Month Cooking back then. It was great when I could manage the 1-day marathon of cooking, but I usually modified it and just cooked up smaller batchs of related stuff at once instead. It really does help to simply cook double and freeze the extra, also.

You do have to put the extra away before you serve the meal, though, or it will all get eaten once you have a couple of teens in the house!

Anonymous said...

Sounds great!

Kathy

krazzy4stampin@surfsouth.com

Cindi Dickey said...

This is the BEST idea I have ever heard. My girlfriends and I have the "Whats for dinner" conversation all of the time. I am so excited to see is I can get this started in my small, rural community. Thanks, as always, for the great tips and uplifting fellowship!

Pickel said...

This has been an issue in our house lately because I hate to cook! But, one day a week? I can handle that!

12-arrows said...

Hey this sounds awesome to me. I am a mom of 12, with 9 still at home. Anything to help me with supper duty! UGH! My three most dreaded words of the entire day are, "WHATS FOR SUPPER?".

Anonymous said...

What a great idea!! Since I'm now a grandmother and live alone, I think that this would be super for seniors as well. I never know what to fix and those frozen meals from the grocery aren't always the healthest.
a2zgrandsons@comcast.net

Tammy B said...

what a neat concept.
here's hoping i win a copy, i sure could use it! so now i'm off to brain storm and figure out who i could swap with!
good week to all, tammy b

wencanscrap said...

This is the best idea I've heard of in a long time! I think it's something that I may have to try with some other busy moms of toddlers (and husbands too!) Thanks for bringing it to my attention!

Unknown said...

I've wanted to do this with my friends too. In fact, this summer I contacted a few friends to get this going but they all wanted to wait until the summer rush was over. Now that school's back in place and life has gotten somewhat more settled I think I'll call them again to see if they're still interested. Thanks for reminding me!

Ali A said...

This sounds awesome. I know with work and everything else it seems like there is never enough time to cook.

Anonymous said...

Please enter me.....sounds awesome!
theraulersons @ msn.com (remove spaces) Thanks!
Alicia

Fiona said...

I love this idea!...and I love free stuff. ;o) Enter me! vibrant_echo@hotmail.com

johnsonfamilyof6 said...

As a Mom with 4 under the age of 10 and the youngest being 2 months old, this is one awesome idea!
Thanks for sharing it!
Tanya
prolifemommy03@yahoo.com

12-arrows said...

Hey this sounds wonderful! Anything to help me with dinner duty! We have 12 children, 9 still at home and the three dreaded words of my day are, "What's for dinner?"

Jo Jo Fat Stuff said...

So do you make meals that are frozen or do you deliver them HOT? How about dishes/aluminum pans etc?

jbrenny@yahoo.com
Joe'l

Mirth said...

This is yet another great idea brought to you by great women (and aren't we all?) getting together to solve a common problem. I love this blog and even though I only have one child, I can really relate to your experiences. Thanks for the daily dose of humor.

tonya5015 said...

this is a really great idea. I only have 2 kids (3 if you coun't my husband) working full time getting caught in rush hour traffice coming home, having to pick the kids up from aftercare program at their school, them taking them to tutoring 2 nights a week, plus home work EVERY NIGHT SINCE THE 1ST DAY OF SCHOOL (even on Fridays) for my 5th grader, cooking a healthly meal is always a challenge and having it on the table at a descent time! I spend most of my time running from the kitchen to the dinning room helping my son with his homework, while yelling at my 1st grader. hubby is a truck driver so only God knows when he will get home most nights.

Unknown said...

This sounds great - how do families who eat at different times work it out? And how about moms who work outside the home? I'd love to hear more -- maybe I'll get a copy of the book to find out!

Anonymous said...

What a fabulous idea! I HATE cooking dinner, so I'd love having it brought to my door! Now if I could just get my kids' coaches to stop scheduling practice at dinner time, and one of those coaches is Dad! LOL! I know of a few Mom's that would love to do this!

Susan
croppinsuz@sbcglobal.net

P.S. I love your blog! And kudos to you for making my day better as well as taking care of your family! I only have 4 kiddos, so to me you are SuperMom! Keep up the great work!

elaine@bloginmyeye said...

Oh, I love this idea. Count me in. Elaine@bloginmyeye

PJ said...

Interesting concept. I'd love to give it a try.

Anonymous said...

I think it's a great idea, if you know your neighbors well. Unfortunately, I live next door to smallish apartment buildings (on both sides, no less!), so my neighbors are constantly changing. My solution to the "witching hour", when I'm doing five gagillion things aside from figuring out what to have for dinner, is using my crockpot. I've been collecting lots and lots of crockpot recipes, and I love it because it can save you tons of time in the kitchen (just fix it all in the morning, and forget about it!), I don't have to worry about rushing back home from anywhere to get dinner started, and I can go out and not have to "mind" a cooking meal on the stove. And, when the weather's 95 degrees with 100% humidity, I'm not turning my kitchen into a furnace by using my stove (or even worse... the dreaded oven!).

I commend you and Trish for figuring out smart alternatives for those hungry munchkins. and I wish everyone entered in the drawing the best of luck! :)

xox C.

Anonymous said...

Sounds good to me!!

x98kosmalski@yahoo.com

Jill

Hillary said...

I'm In! I've wanted to do this before. Being a Mormon, we always bring meals to new moms for a week or so. But I can't keep having babies so I can get hot meals delivered to my door!
Thanks for who you are!

Hillary
beamishfamily@mac.com

Rachel said...

What an interesting concept. I wonder if I could get some of my friends involved in something like this...

Hoffman Family said...

Supper swapping is a great idea. I am always searching for something 'new' for supper.

Donna Hoffman
mhoffman@charter.net

Tarasview said...

Wow what a great idea!
It reminds me a bit of the "once a month" cooking.
Anything to make the days go a bit easier!

Unknown said...

hello im Ellie been following your new found fame! :D mainly enjoying the fact that my life is like others I only have the two children and trying for our third at the moment our youngest will be 2 in november, I use to wonder before he was born how i would cope with two children but you just do dont you you just adapt now i wonder about the idea of a third but again (as i reasure my husband) you just get on with it! My children are my life my reason for living and I can see your the same :D. Loving this book put all the links to my favs thank you for sharing knowing what it is us moms need! Ellie from UK eleanorsedgwick@blueyonder.co.uk

AMom said...

so, am i the first comment? :) surely i am not the only one who stops by yourblog each day for a dose of laughter?

sweet. so how does the blook tour part work? i mean, do we get more of a sneak peek at your book and discuss things about your blog? hahaha
well, in any case, i want to be in the drawing, so put me in!
-August G. - agdance75@comcast.net

Bree said...

Oh my gosh! I am IN LOVE with this idea!

Bree D.
breeze80@gmail.com

Kimberly said...

YIPPY ! The answer to my dinner problems !I have 5 children, well if you dont count dh actually 6 .I cook twice daily 7 days aweek.I spend my life cooking and doing dishes.(sigh)
I actually tried a recipe from the kraft site last week that went over fairly well.Im out of ideas, and it makes it more difficult with picky eaters and it seems my children never like the same things!Yeah ,im including dh in that to hes as bad as the kids.


Kim


http://adventurepalace.blogspot.com

Andie said...

Two friends and I have talked about doing this, except doing all the cooking on Saturdays (or whenever) and exchanging meals ready to be frozen. I would love to see the book and get more ideas!!!
Blessings-Andie

Garth and Becky said...

I absolutely love this idea. My problem is that we just moved to a new area and I don't know anybody!! It would be great to win a copy of this book...I'm sure there are lots of ideas to get us all started!

Becky
becky.henson@gmail.com

Emily said...

I've done once a month cooking before and it was ok, but I love the idea of getting hot, fresh meals delivered. I'm definitely getting my girlfriends together to try this.

Emily
delaneyATharbornetDOTcom

kory and tina family said...

I've been involved with something like this for almost a year now. Due to everyones busy schedules like after school activities, sports, church mettings and everyones husbands getting home at a different times, having a meal brought to our door step every night wasn't going to work.

So what we do is have a group of 6-8 moms. About every 10-14 days we get together and exchange a frozen meal. A lot of meals that are exchanged is a casserole dish which does require using an oven, which does heat up the house. During winter this isn't so much of a problem. Other meals however don't necesarily have to be heated by oven. Chili and soups can often be dumped into a crock pot for the day. This past summer we tried bringing more things like marinated meats that are frozen in the marinate and then can be thrown on the grill outside. It worked very well.

During the last part of the summer everyone was going on vacations so we put a hold on it. Now that everyones back into the swing of things we are about ready to start again. Word has gotten out and there's a lot of people who are interested in joining. The only problem with a group more than 6-8 in the past has been storage. Especially for those without a deep freeze. Last winter we had 3 seperate groups going all had 6-8 people in each group.

Over all swapping any type of meals is a huge relief. I wish you luck.

Shandra said...

Pick ME!! Pick ME!!!
shandra_landrum@yahoo.com

Love your blog!!

Anonymous said...

Hhhmmmm interesting. It sounds almost dirty, which is a little provocative... kind of seems like polygamy, but only involving meals and at different houses....


The one thing I wonder about is the whole saving $4000 a year. I'm recalling the old "Conservation of Matter" law, and I;m thinking that you shouldn't really be spending less unless you're cooking cheaper food for the meals you swap that the ones you make for yourselfe. Unless, oc course, it hinges on eating more at home than eating out, which it probably does so that does make sense - mystery solved.

I've heard of doing this with "take to work lunches." That you pair up with somebody and one person brings lunches every other day, or on alternate weeks. Therefore, you take lunches rather than eating out, you actually do it, because there's somebody else counting on you to bring it (cuts down, on the "oh, I'll just pick something up" factor) and you don't have to do the work sometime, and hoepfully your lunches don't get as boring as thought you're just falling back to old stand-bys.

Lissagerl said...

I hate to cook!! That being said, I am always looking for a way not to. I've done the bulk meals at a couple local business where you make them all and then freeze. We've also done that with my church. But I've never heard it done this way. It's sounds awesome!!

Anonymous said...

What a great idea, even though I have no children yet, it would be wonderful to start this before they get home!

Anonymous said...

It sounds neat but I don't know if it would work for my family of 9. Most people I know have small families.And I do hate the Question "whats for dinner?" my response to my kids is"why your going to eat weather or not you like it so it doesn't matter"

T. Baker said...

Sounds great - any ideas on how to make it work for rural moms who live in the same community but are all 5-10 miles apart? Thanks! Tammy baker28@hughes.net

Bonni said...

Great interview. Holy comments, though!

JC said...

This is a fantastic Blog! My husband and I have read it since the Ebay post. Very funny and so true to life! My neighbors and I have been doing something similar, just didn't know it had a name. We took it one step farther. On the day it is your turn to make dinner, it is at your house as well. We are a very tight group and no-one cares if your house is a "mess" or not.
It has worked very well for us over the past year. Especially when 3 of our 5 husbands were deployed to Korea or Afghanistan for many months at a time. It gave the kids good food and time to play with male role models.
We are going to have to try to do the switching though now that sports are making it hard to attend the dinners. A dinner in a basket to take to football or soccer would be fantastic!
Thank you for all of your wonderful posts and humor! God Bless!

Amber said...

My mom & I have often talked about doing this together, but HOW COOL to do it with a group of other women! And only have to cook once a week?? AMAZING!

Thanks for the chance at getting a free book!

Jessica said...

This sounds fabulous and I would love to try it. I have two friends, one is has a one year old and works full-time in an accounting firm and also deals with epilepsy. She has to be careful about stress levels as added stress can trigger seizures. My other friend will become a mom in December. She, too, must work and works odd schedules so it's tough to make dinner happen all the time. This would be great for the three of us to try. I'm not a mom nor am I married but I work 60-70 hours a week so making time to cook every night is tough. I like to cook and have homemade meals as I don't believe in eating fast foods regularly because it is so unhealthy.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that this is great! I hope to be able to invest in this book and try it. Thanks so much for helping all of us who are so busy!

Jessica

Kimberly said...

This is such a wonderful idea! I would loved to be entered in the drawing along with hearing more about supper swapping! With three boys at home and tons of stuff going on this would be a great idea to start! Thanks!

Unknown said...

Wow! This sounds like a great and fun idea!

I would love to try this with some friends! Thanks for the book review Dawn!!

Michelle Johnson
michelleranae@msn.com

Pam said...

Awesome idea! I would love a copy of the book!

Pam

Kim said...

What a great idea !!! And I love Andie's idea above too!
Does it have a chapter on teaching the hubbies to cook too??? Or is that just wishful thinking??? A girl can dream right???

Kim
you can email through my blog :)

Unknown said...

Becky
beckison76@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Well, I think a supper swap is a great idea! Especially if you know friends that eat the same tihngs your family does. Having a family of picky eaters, it is really hard to find food that is easy to cook and satisfies everyone. Yes I would buy the book and I am looking forward to YOUR book when it comes out!
Tina Jordan,SC

Anonymous said...

15-30 minutes delivery time? Maybe in a small town, but it takes me 15 minutes at least to just get to my friends' houses. And they're all in different directions! So this would just not be feasible. It would really only work if your friends all live in the same area.

Also, I like to cook, and we enjoy having the leftovers for lunches, etc. If there's a lot of leftovers, we just freeze them for another night. I think having to deliver would actually make *more* work for me!

1boy4girls said...

Thank you so much for you humorous view on being a "stay at home" mom.
As a mom of 5 with my oldest being 9 and my youngest 1, I so relate to your adventures! Thanks for the smile a day and the great information!

Becki

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