FOOD SWAPS AND CREATIVE COOKING AS A GROUP

Are you getting tired of the same meals week after week? Do you hear your friends talk about the wonderful meal they had for dinner last night and find yourself jealous? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then consider starting a food swap with your friends. It is a great way to learn new recipes and spend quality time with friends in this busy world we live in.

I did my first food swap with some friends because they wanted to learn how to make my chicken enchiladas. So, we got together and made a huge batch of them to share between families.

While food swaps are designed to give you quality time with friends while learning new recipes, here are a few tips and things to consider before you get started.

Planning a Food Swap

Once you decide to try a food swap, it is a good idea to sit down with your friends and plan what you are going to do. Will this be a regular thing or a one-time deal? How many people are going to participate? Who has kitchens big enough to accommodate? Once you have all of these questions answered, it is time to make the first big decision! What are you going to make?

Ingredients for Cooking Day

If you decide to make these food swaps a weekly event, start by having the first person pick the recipe for the first week and then rotate each member on a weekly basis. Once that friend decides on the recipe, they need to get an ingredient list out to everyone and let them know how many the recipe will feed. Each member should plan to buy ingredients to make enough for their family. On the day of the swap, you arrive at your friend's house or whatever kitchen you decide to cook in with all the ingredients you need in hand.

Pots and Pans and Necessary Equipment

On the day of the swap, make sure everyone knows what pots, pans, cooking, and storage containers they will need. Make this list up in advance so everyone shows up prepared and ready to go. Don't forget things like measuring cups and spoons, bowls, knives, stirring spoons, or whatever you think you might need. Better to come with more than with not enough.

It's Time to Get Your Cooking On!!

So, you have your friends, your ingredients, your supplies and you are ready to go. Now is the time to start cooking. Make sure that everyone is involved and learning what it is you do to make the recipe. Share any special techniques and tips you have learned while creating this dish. Cooking as a group allows everyone to learn how the dish is made, create a wonderful new dish for their family, and have a fun evening with friends!

Take it to the Next Level

Another option is to create multiple meals at one time. This works great if you have a small group of friends or if it is just you and another friend. Each of you brings the ingredients and supplies necessary to make your meal for both families. Together you cook the meals and package them up. This multiple meal cooking is great for busy families because you can get together with a friend and make up a few meals each week. They are then packaged to heat up later in the week and can assure you have a full meal on a busy day.

Food swaps and cooking groups are a great way to get friends together and learn great new recipes and cooking techniques. You can choose to make this a weekly thing or more often if it goes well. You can also choose to make it a bigger project and spend an entire day making up meals and packing them up for the week. This is great for busy families that are always on the go. A few hours on a Saturday afternoon can give you and your friends and family fun new meals for the week, all ready to serve!