Bring Your Family Back to the Dinner Table

Better than the time and money I save, the greatest thing that has come out of doing a Dinner Group is that I know that four nights every week we are going to sit down together and enjoy dinner as a family. Before Dinner Group I would fix something quick and easy for the boys, put Mickey Mouse on TV, while I grabbed something quick to eat as I finished up work in front of the computer. At other times we would be running errands and grab something fast to eat in the car. Far too often we would both be burned out from work and just go out to eat.

Now we sit down together, enjoy some amazing food, and talk about our day. I find myself looking forward to dinner, instead of that constant wonder of, “What are we going to do tonight?” I wanted to do a dinner group to save time and money, but didn’t realize just how wonderful it would be to have that time set aside each night to be together.

Cook and Click

Photography is an art. Its also a practical way of storing vital information such as dinner trade recipes. In an age where everyone has virtual storage, pictures can greatly help dinner groups. Here are tips on how to use this tool:

1. If recipe books are used, try to take a picture of the preparation of your take on the recipe.

2.In the process of cooking, make sure you include photos or insert words that can graphically describe how you want it to look (or the way it SHOULD look).

3.Lastly, include a picture of the finish product. Pictures of your family enjoying the recipe is optional.

You might wonder why not just send a clip of the recipe. Putting a recipe into practice is perhaps the most difficult thing in cooking. The pictures of you actually trying a new recipe can be a motivation to your dinner group to try an especially delicious looking recipe knowing that you have tried it yourself. And since dinner groups are gaining popularity around the world, a long distance dinner trade partner can happily try your recipe and likewise you can try out her recipes as well. Variations of your recipe should be welcomed of course.