Comments/feedback re: frozen meal swaps

[km13g08]

I'm thinking of setting up some frozen meal swaps around my area.

Would you be willing to trade meals with a group of strangers in your area? If not, what would it take to convince you?

Just curious hear to people opinions, experience or advice, as it seems like the concept has a lot of potential benefits on health/cost/convenience.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I wouldn't swap meals with strangers, maybe coworkers, friends, family. I wouldn't really be crazy about that!

I like to know what is going on in a person's kitchen/home before I share food that they have prepared.

I might get involved if a group of friends got together for a major cooking session where we all cooked together, chipped in with the cost and portioned out the meals for each person to take home. In an afternoon you could probably cook a weeks worth of food and empty several bottles of wine!

 

[Kayelle]

I wouldn't swap meals with strangers, maybe coworkers, friends, family. I wouldn't really be crazy about that!

I like to know what is going on in a person's kitchen/home before I share food that they have prepared.

I might get involved if a group of friends got together for a major cooking session where we all cooked together, chipped in with the cost and portioned out the meals for each person to take home. In an afternoon you could probably cook a weeks worth of food and empty several bottles of wine!

I couldn't have said it better Bea! I won't even participate in potluck parties if I have never been in their kitchen. Yuck.

 

[km13g08]

Thanks for quick response!

Yes I thought that might be the typical reaction! Makes sense

Would it work better if you had a way of inviting people you trust (colleagues/friends/family as you say) into your 'secret circle'? Then maybe you could organise swaps within this community that you trust?

 

[Addie]

Set up a cooking club if possible in the basement of a church or some other facility that has a kitchen. It is a starting point. Start it with friends first. They are more likely to be receptive to the idea since they already know you.

 

[Kayelle]

km, where I live there's a business where people join together to cook a weekly menu for everyone to take home, but for the life of me I can't remember the name or find a link for it.
I think something like that might work in your area, if you're up to doing that.

 

[Aunt Bea]

Thanks for quick response!

Yes I thought that might be the typical reaction! Makes sense

Would it work better if you had a way of inviting people you trust (colleagues/friends/family as you say) into your 'secret circle'? Then maybe you could organise swaps within this community that you trust?

That is certainly a possibility.

These types of things are always tough to set up and keep going. Some people in the group will be better cooks than others, some will be more generous with ingredients, some won't like Chinese or Italian food, etc... For me these things usually become more of a chore than a benefit.

When I was young and broke a small group of friends tried having a supper club where each person cooked one night a month so we all got a free meal once every week or so. It was fun at first and then it became tedious, sort of like joining a bowling league!

I would rather keep it informal between a couple of friends and share leftovers or an impromptu meal from time to time.

Please don't be discouraged by my response. I think it is a good idea, just not for me.

 

[Cheryl J]

Hi km, and welcome!

My daughter and her good friends and family organized a freezer meal swap a year or so ago, and for a while it worked out great for them. Several of her friends and cousins had just had babies, and the new mothers were especially appreciative of a night or so off from cooking every week.

I think it kind of fizzled out though, for several of the reasons Aunt Bea mentioned. They had fun with it while it lasted, though. It takes a lot of organization and commitment on everyone's part.

Edited to add...I too would not take part in this unless I knew all of the participants well.