Preschool Meal Exchange

I had already been booked to do a Simply Supper Meal Preparation when I was asked to do this Preschool Meal Exchange.  I am always open to learning and gaining knowledge so I said yes and joined this meal exchange too. 

A group of 5 moms from my second son’s preschool decided to make 10 different meals.  Each mom made 2 different meals 5 times.    One mom was the organizer who decided the 10 meals, made copies of the recipes to distribute, and figure out a delivery schedule.  Once the email with all the choices came out we signed up for which we wanted to make.  I chose two pork meals.  There were also chicken and beef based meals.  

We were given a month’s notice and did the actual exchange in the cold (but really it wasn’t a cold day) at the preschool parking lot.  This worked well as we could pull the prepared frozen meals out of our freezer, run them to school with our kids, and then return home with the new meals for the freezer again.  

I did my meals up the day before.  I shopped in the morning with my regular weekly trip on monday mornings and then spent 2 hours in the afternoon preparing.  2 hours is all that it took to put 13 meals in the freezer and number 14 was what we ate for supper.  We were only required to prepare 10 meals but the portions I purchased allowed for a few extras to go into my freezer. 

In the end the 2 meals ( 5 of each recipe) that I had contributed to the exchange worked out to be $12.00 each.  All the ingredients as well as the ziploc baggies are included in that price.  I should also note that the $12.00 was based on the 10 meals and I did not include the other 4 meals that I got out of the portions I purchased.  With those included the price was even lower at $8.47 each.  That “meal” will feed 3 adults and 4 children with leftovers for the Daddy’s midnight snack.  For a smaller family the recipe would easily last for 2 suppers.

 Others in the exchange had expressed that their meals were more expensive to create.  It was agreed and expressed before doing the exchange that you were in full control of your meals.  It was your choice to shop were you preferred.  

My meats came from Costco and the balance of ingredients were from the Superstore. The meats were the same price from Superstore or Costco however the quality was higher from Costco.  

All of the meals were good.  There were a few that were exceptional!  We loved the sweet and sour meatballs so much that it is the first recipe added to the exchange I am preparing right now.  There is only 1 meal that I would not ever make again.  And that truly isn’t fair to say without adding that it was just the recipe that needs to be tweaked for my family.  We would use much less red wine vinegar.  It had much too much tart for our house.  

If you are hesitant to try a specific retail location for supper preparation but think the idea of it is cool start this way.  It does have more labour involved but the price is much cheaper.  

That’s my 2 cents for the day, 

Danine 

Simply Supper

Well after being told about this fabulous way of preparing suppers I finally put it higher on my priority list and made it happen.  

A few weeks back on a Friday night I took my oldest son with me on a special date.  

We attended Simply Supper in Edmonton, AB.  We made 12 suppers in 1 hour and 15 minutes! 

I chose from a long list of possibilities for the month that were being offered through their website.  They had a great list of meals with an explanation of ingredients listed beside each.  I narrowed my choices down to 6 and decided to double each one.  

I came home with 6 different meals to prepare 2 times.  

They were all transferred to the freezer and on those rushed evenings of activities I am not preparing food all day I simply need to spend 30-45  minutes of cook time without the preparation.  With 4 little boys at my feet, any time not needed in the kitchen is wonderful.  

I am very happy to have made the time to go and discover for myself what I had been told about.  

The meals have been wonderful and there is only one yet to sample.  


The price did scare me a little bit.  My budget is to stay inside of $15.00 for a supper which will feed 3 adults and 4 children.  I even try to go as low as $10.00 per meal.  The price per meal when broke out in the same manner is $25.00.  After, thought and tasting the great meals, the price is not expensive.  I am not spending time to plan what I am going to make, creating the grocery list, shopping, or prep time for the meal each day at home and I can turn the attention to the boys instead. 

The other wonderful thing is that my son had an awesome time being one on one with Mommy.  He even made a little video at a restaurant afterwards to tell me how much he enjoyed being on a date with me and not having to share me. 

More than the time I have saved in the kitchen my children are made the priority and that brings a very large smile to my face.  

Thanks for visiting,

Danine

A Homecooked Meal in a Rush

I love the idea of always having a homecooked meal to feed my family at night.  Even when there is a rush to be at activites and I do not have all day to prepare I am not one to cave and but frozen boxed chicken fingers on the table.  This is not to say that I have never served them that however!  

Last night I had planned on meatloaf but the day got away on me and there was not an hour and a half to wait for it to cook.  Improvise.  I dumped all the ingredients into my new Kitchen Aid mixer, including the grated cheese.  Gave it a mix and spooned portions into the greased muffin tin.  A squirt of ketchup on the top of each protion and into the oven.  The meatloaves were now kid sized portions and were ready in 35 minutes instead 90 minutes.  Huge savings of time and energy on the stove too!  The part that is the trade off comes when cleaning out the muffin tin afterwards.  My advice, don’t leave the tin to wash until the next day. 

Left over protions are perfect to freeze and then send for hot lunch at school.  So easy to pull from the freezer, warm, and dump in a thermos.


Danine