take my advice!

A while ago I told you about a group of friends who got together and cooked a great big meal and brought home a share for each of their families. It was wonderful, we socialised, cooked and minded the children all at the same time but in the end there were just too many cooks in the kitchen and one too many children in the house! So, we discontinued the group get togethers. Soon afterwards, my wonderful friend, Katherine suggested she and I exchange meals once a week. She makes a double-batch of something and I make a double batch of something else and then we exchange meals. 

It's genius! I mean, I love this food sharing scheme! Once a week I don't have to think about what's for dinner but I still have a wholesome, delicious, home-cooked meal to serve to the family. 


Here are a few essential considerations you might want to think about before finding a meal exchange partner:

- find someone who lives close by so that the food exchange doesn't become a hassle
We usually exchange meals on a Thursday when we drop of kids off at preschool together

- find someone who has a similar food philosophy to you 

Ours is something like: lots of organic veggies, free range/organic dairy and proteins, wholegrains, no preservatives/msg etc, minimal sugar

- swap with someone who has a similar sized family to yours 

- make foods that are easy to reheat and keep their consistency and texture for 24 hours. 
We generally stick to casseroles, pasta sauces, soups and stews. 

- share food dislikes (tastes and textures) and allergies beforehand

- be honest about what meals your family has liked and not quite enjoyed
 We've both served the other family a meal that wasn't a hit but we were honest about it and learned from the experience.

I can't tell you how much I love doing this each week- it's such a time saver and it's so exciting to get a delicious and healthy meal you haven't had to think about. 


Take my advice- find a partner and go for it!