Planning Your Group:
- You'll be spending a lot of time together, and sometimes it is stressful. Make sure you have a group of friends who are dependable and fun!
- Commit to be flexible. Cooking in bulk and with other people is...different. Different is good, right?
- It is good to have a consistent core of members, and then you can invite guests if you want. 4-6 people seems to work for us.
- Each person chooses 2 recipes. Be sure to consider how long the recipe takes to make, the ingredients needed, cost, and how well it will freeze.
- Be open minded. Every month someone is going to pick a recipe you wouldn't normally try, and it is awesome. That said, know what is off limits. Stroganoff is never an option (that is an entire post in and of itself). Sometimes we have to limit dairy, simple carbohydrates, etc.
- Be considerate. If something flops, don't take it personally.
- Be patient. The longer you do this, the better the food will turn out. We promise.
- Be flexible with your ingredients. Substitutions always happen and it is OK.
- Pick your recipes early so that you can shop sales.
- Assign one person to do the shopping. We tried having everyone bring the ingredients for their own meals, but you'll end up with duplicate ingredients and it will cost more.
- Shop sales. I love http://www.pinchingyourpennies.com/ to check the ads. Costco is awesome too, because you're cooking in bulk. Try markets, use stuff from your gardens, etc.
- Triple check your shopping list. Seriously.
- Keep the kids occupied...somewhere other than the kitchen. Babies have to be around, we know from experience, but if you can keep your minions happy watching a show or playing with dad, your night will go so much easier!
- Give yourself time. The first time we met, we were cleaning up until midnight. We've gotten more efficient, but we figure about 4 hours for freezer cooking.
- Plan ahead. Make a prep list of what you need to do with each ingredient and then make assignments. Kristi is great at this. We'll post some sample prep lists later.
- OH! Don't forget to have a really great treat to enjoy once you're all done cooking and cleaning!
- Foil, foil, foil, foil, foil,
- Ziploc bags- quart sized, sandwich, and/or snack size
- Aluminum pans
- A sharpie
- Separate cutting boards for meat and veggies
- BIG mixing bowls (like this one full of quiche goop!)
Now you're all set! Start your own chapter and then tell us how it goes! We'd love to hear about your success, failures, and everything in between! Leave comments here or follow us on Facebook.
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