Dinner Cooperative, A New Trend?

I was never a big fan of pot luck parties. One of my great joys is throwing dinner parties. I enjoy pouring the love I have for my friends and family into a home cooked meal accompanied by good conversation and lots of hugs afterward. I want them to visit my home without worrying about a dish to bring. Since joining a lunch cooperative at my new job the idea of a potluck is starting to grow on me. Basically, a lunch cooperative is similar to a potluck. Basically, you form a group, decide on recipes that everyone will enjoy that are nutritious, and choose the day of the week that you will cook for the group. Depending on the group size you will bring lunch approximately once a week or with a large group once every other week.

Being eager to participate and put my best foot forward at my new job, when asked if I wanted to sign up I jumped at the opportunity. I have to admit at first it was a bit intimidating cooking for a group of five people, and I started to fret about the time commitment. Then I realized that there were some benefits to this program. First, four out of five days I do not have to bring my lunch which means I actually save some money and time. Second, with everyone preparing different recipes it brings variety to lunchtime. Third, it is nice to have a group that has the same goal, to eat healthy and support good habits. It got me thinking that this could be a good idea to implement at home.

A dinner cooperative would work the same way. Most likely it would not be every night of the week, but maybe once a week or once every other week. How nice would it be to provide dinner for friends or have dinner provided for your family? Once you find a family that wants to participate, trade recipes, find out any food allergies, and set the cooking schedule and decide whose home dinner will be served.

You may want to try the dinner cooperative on a trial basis. It may not be for everyone, but it is an alternative way to help cuts costs, especially if you have a larger group of people participating. Dinner can be made in advanced and dropped off or you can spend the evening together. With the economy on the decline, families are open to trying a number of different ideas to cut costs. After a long day at work knowing you are coming home to a precooked meal definitely makes room for more family time and a relaxed evening.

Copyright © Chere Williams, Moms of Faith, All Rights Reserved