Cooking Among Friends: Eat Better With Less Work

About author / Victoria Wesseler

Healthy eating advocate; master gardener; local food expert. Even veggie haters love her recipes.

How would you like to be able to serve your family a hot, healthy, delicious evening meal and save money and time in the process? Too good to be true? Not according to Mary Tennant and Becki Visser, founders and owners of Cooking Among Friends. As working moms, they were desperate to find a way to avoid the convenient fast food evening meal and replace it with a home cooked, nutritious, and tasty meal. But busy schedules left little time for meal planning, grocery shopping, and preparation.

As she tried to find solutions to her family dinner time dilemma, Mary decided to experiment with a concept called “once a month cooking” where multiple meals are prepared in large batches, packaged in family friendly sized servings, and frozen for later use. In a move to capitalize on the basic idea, but streamline the process, Mary contacted five friends and suggested they each make a single serving entrée in multiple packages, freeze it in meal-sized portions, and then get together to exchange the items.

The idea was nothing short of pure genius. It was such a hit that Mary and Becki started a business called Cooking Among Friends (www.cookingamongfriends.com ) to help others successfully develop and manage their own cooking groups.

Does it work? According to Julie, a mother of four, who is a member of a group in Michigan, the system is a lifesaver. “I don’t have to think about preparing dinner. I know I have good, healthy meals in the freezer that can be ready in no time. And I figure I save anywhere from 10-15 hours a month with this process.” She also enjoys the social aspect of her group, which meets once a month to exchange meals and discuss new menu items.

While the Cooking Among Friends cookbook and guide offers lots of delicious recipes, her group also experiments with other recipes from cookbooks and websites. That’s where honest and open communication is a must, she cautions. Most of the recipes have been a great success, but every once in the while, they’ll experiment with something that may not be a favorite among the families. Perhaps the spices are too strong or several people in the group dislike the texture of the dish. Their motto is “It isn’t the cook, it’s the recipe.” And there are no bad recipes, just those that are not preferred unanimously by the group. That kind of open communication has kept her group going for nearly 5 years.

The culinary focus of these cooking groups can be modified to meet many needs. Some members prepare entrees that are restricted dairy, low fat, or low sodium. Others require the use of organic vegetables. Whatever the goal of the members, it can be accomplished. And it’s not only families that gravitate toward this concept. Groups of singles have used this method to fill their freezers with delicious, healthy meals and avoid the challenges of cooking for one on a nightly basis.

So, if the answer to the question “What did you make for dinner?” is “reservations,” take a look at this unique solution which has helped thousands of people get supper on the table each evening. You’ll get tasty, healthy meals for you and you family, save time and money, and have an opportunity to get together with your friends in the process.

Mary has provided us with the following recipe from their book, Cooking Among Friends. I made the gyros this weekend for me and my husband. We both thought they were delicious. And the best part is that I have 22 “kits” in my freezer. They’ll make great quick lunches or dinners for us over the next several months.

Serves/Makes: 24

***Marinade***

• 1 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup garlic, pressed or minced
• 2 tablespoons dried mint
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons black pepper
• 1 tablespoon salt

***Chicken Gryos***

• 10 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 24 pitas
• 12 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

***Yogurt-Dill Sauce***

• 1 1/2 pound cream cheese, softened (can use low fat cream cheese)
• 4 cups natural plain yogurt (can use low or non fat yogurt)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons garlic, pressed or minced
• 1 tablespoon dried dill
• 2 teaspoons salt