Meal Time Easier.....

I know this is REAALLYY Late, but I just read this thread and wanted to throw in another suggestion. Has anyone heard of Once a Month Cooking?
I can explain it if anyone is interested.

Hi S.,

I have never heard of Dream Dinners. I can tell you that the best investment I ever made was my 6qt. Crock Pot. I love it. Although I'm a SAHM, time is very important to me. Using the crock pot I can make healthy meals without actually doing any work. I turn it on in the morning and it's done by dinner time. I find a lot of recipes on cookingcache.com and they do sell cook books for them that you can find in any book store.

Highly recommend it! The food is very good - lot of variety. We go to the Dream Dinners in Colmar, PA, which is a very nice place. It's fast and easy. You don't have to think about what to make for dinner. It was great when we just had our baby - all those meals in our freezer!

It actually ends up being cheaper for us because we used to waste a lot of food. Buy a whole bunch of stuff, never make it, it'd go bad in the frig, we'd throw it out and order out instead.

It's been a great help to us.

I haven't done it myself because there isn't one in my area. I saw a special on Food Network about this company. It sounded like a great answer for dinners. My husband and I even talked about buying a franchise and opening one in our area.

You should try it out even for a week. What do you have to lose?!? It may make your dinner life a lot more pleasant!!

Dream Dinners is a just wonderful!! I have been going for over a year now and only have found two or three recipes that I dont care for but, my husband loves. There are even meals that my pickest eater LOVES!! The diversity is great. We seem to eat a lot healthier and a lot more well rounded now.

It may seem expensive but in all honesty the time you save at the grocery store, the lack of frustration of bringing the kids to the store, as well as just throwing it in the oven or stove top is AWESOME!! DInnertime is so less stressful in this household.

If you have specific questions on the meals or in general let me know. I can answer them to the best of my ability.

Just to add to my post after I read some of the others comments... I too do love the crock pot. However, I get into a rut with it. Dream dinners offers variety and I dont have to think. Yes you do have to by the veggies... they do provide noodles, rice, wraps and rolls if it is part of the meal. As far as portions.... We are a family of four.. 2 adults and with my two small boys together we get another portion... so 3 portions.... I do the larger meals which they calculate to feed 4-5 adults. On average the meals feed us for dinner and lunch for the entire famlily the next day if not two. Most meals are VERY generous.. the best part is you taylor the meal to your liking... you like more garlic you add it .. you dont like bay leaves... you leave it out. And generally I do about 14 meals... costs me around 200.00 and it feeds us just about the entire month. (usually we are gone a weekend a month and we get take out about 2 times a month)

Hi S.,

My Mothers group did a Dream Dinners event in North Andover. I did the six meals/six servings. The food was delicious! And it was so convenient to take the meal right out of the freezer and prepare! We loved it so much we had numerous requests to do it again. This time we are trying Let's Dish in Burlington. But it is well worth it! If you figure it out moneywise. Hope this helps!

Jen M, Assistant Organizer
Mothers, Inc. (North of Boston Moms Group)
http://moms.meetup.com/1069/about/

About me: I am a SAHM, work part time from home, I have a 13 month old and 21 weeks pregnant expecting a girl in early January. We live in Wilmington and I love to get together with other moms to share experiences and trade secrets! :)

Hi S.

I haven't heard of dream dinners? maybe you can tell me more about it. I would highly recommend, however, Super Suppers. Like you, I am guilty working Mom and despise having to spend my time at home cooking or cleaning! So, I hired a cleaning lady and found super suppers. The food is great and so easy to heat up! Check them out at supersuppers.com. My husband and 3 year old have loved almost everything I have made from there and I love how easy it is. I go once a month and fill up my freezer. Good luck!

I haven't been there but I was curious so I went on the site. As it turns out they are about to open one right around the corner from me. So, I will be curious to know how it turns out. Anyway, the only concerns I have are these:
1) In most cases they don't provide side dishes so you still have to go shopping for that and prepare those seperate.
2)it's about $110 for a weeks worth of food if you buy the large portion a little less for the smaller portions (I think it was around $70) but that doesn't completely eliminate your grocery bill. because you still have 2 other meals during the day although I suppose if you got the large portions you could have leftovers for lunch the next day. But you still need drinks munchies and other household things.
3) At least grocery shopping you could bring the kids. Here you have to get a sitter or wait until hubby is home.

But let me know how it turns out. I'm very curious.

ELlo!!
I havent heard of "Dream Dinners" But I know of "Super Suppers". My friends family owns the place, and its incredible. Its in the Lincoln Mall Plaza next to DEB. Since I know the family very well, I can honestly say that the place is clean, delicious and not obscenely expensive :) And being a new mom myself ... it helps out when I have my hands tied. Much love then! byebyes

I went once for a trial and got 2 dinners. It was really clean and easy to do. I liked it a lot. The food tasted great. I recommend it but it was a little expensive for me (single mom.) I say any way you can make your life easier is worth it!

I haven't but I know people who have and they love it.