First time dinner group members and those contemplating joining a dinner group usually have the same complaint: “I don’t know how to cook by the bulk!” or “I always end up cooking too little or too much!” This is understandable of course. Cooking by the bulk is a lot different from cooking for your family of four. And waste equals supposed to be avoidable expenses. It is understandable to make mistakes at first of course and cooking for many people is a daunting task but if you are armed and prepared, you can readily take on the challenge and reap the benefits of having a dinner group. Here are some tips we have for those who want to lessen their mistakes as much as possible:

1. Ask around. This one is a no-brainer. No one who asks for directions (from the right people of course) gets lost. Ask experienced dinner group members in your area for advices on the quantity of food you should cook. If you have friends who are in the catering business, you can also ask them too.

2. Take note of the number of people you will be cooking for. You can make estimates of proportion based on this.

3. Check the web. Another no brainer. Join forums of dinner groups. Make friends with them. Find recipes for bulk cooking. Watch videos of bulk cooking.

4. Check spoilage date for different fruits and vegetables. If you plan to stock in advance or take advantage of a sale, you should really be aware of this.

5. Try to buy a day or two before your scheduled time to cook. This will lessen the chance that you will have spoilage. (If you do this you can ignore tip # 3.)

6. Ask supermarkets if they have quantity discounts. This can lessen costs for you and your group.

7. Invest in equipment for bulk cooking. This might entail added costs but you’ll actually end up saving in the long run. Your meals would taste better and your cooking time will become shorter.

8. Learn from your mistakes. Mistakes are inevitable especially for first time cooks. But that doesn’t mean you should stop because you had a setback but it also doesn’t mean that you will do the same mistake all over again.

We call this a no brainer guide because it is. And it doesn’t require much effort either. So don’t hesitate starting that dinner group you’ve always wanted to have.

I always smile when I remember my friend Fannie. She was my dorm mate in college. When we were working already, the two of us with a couple of our friends started our dinner group. Even with both of us married, our friendship and dinner group continued. The day she was assigned to cook was always a delight for us because she would sometimes include thoughtful notes, or a bunch of flowers or a gift for one of our kids who may be having a tough time or about to face something such as the results of the audition in the drama club. I have somehow adapted her ways even though we don’t belong to the same dinner group anymore. Here are some of my tips on how you can make your dinner group members feel extra special:

1. Talk about the kids. One of the primary reasons parents join dinner groups is because of their kids. Getting to know what’s happening in their kids’ lives can give you ideas on what to give on a special day just like what Fannie did for my kids.

2. Cook extra intentionally for them. It’s not good to give leftovers of course. So the next time you bake those mouth watering cookies, make sure to bake an extra batch. It’s not about the quantity you give, so don’t worry about the extra expenses. It’s about the creative touch you put in.

3. Serve soup. Invite your dinner group members to join in the soup kitchen every 3 months or so depending on your agreement. It would be a good time for you to bond plus you also get to help a lot of people.

4. Include a note in your dish. It could be a trivia about the recipe or it could be something encouraging or a compliment to what they cooked for you during their turn.

What makes these things extra special is that you do it randomly and not always. Don’t expect rewards for what you do of course because you would already feel rewarded in doing these. More often than not, your dinner group mates end up doing the same for you anyway. Most importantly, make sure that you love what you’re doing and enjoy doing it!

“My friend always cooks meatloaf. I have nothing against her but it’s just that my kids don’t like it! What should I do?” a frustrated dinner group member emailed us. Everyone is unique. And so are the members of your dinner group. Some may have multi-racial members or members coming from different states. And since everyone has different personalities and preferences, you should expect that something that works well with the family of one might not be the same for another. That doesn’t mean that your dinner group is not a success; its reality. It just means that you have differences in taste. Here are some tips to help you face this problem effectively.

1. Be up front in the planning meeting. Remember that ignoring a problem won’t make it go away. If someone says they want to do meatloaf, and you know your family won’t eat it, speak up. ”I tried meatloaf before, and none of my kids would eat it. Do you have anything else you’d like to do?” It’s better to be upfront about something so that the cook doesn’t waste their time making something no one is going to eat.

2. Let people know how things went the month before. Pointing out your favorite dishes from other members will let them know which recipes to do again.

3. Make suggestions. “My husband doesn’t like that, but he really loved the chicken dish you did last month. Can you do that again or do you have something similar?” In addition, you should also be open to suggestions.

4. Strive for improvement and innovation. As the group progresses make some changes if necessary and do not stick to the conventional way if you have a better, cheaper or more delicious alternative that you think your dinner group’s family would enjoy.

5. Make a calendar. If you don’t have a planned calendar, it would be better if you made one just like the calendar in this site. If you already have one, stick to it to avoid repetition of the same meal every week.

George is single. George has a kid. George is a typical guy. I am George.

Being a single dad is no picnic as everybody knows. Even though I am very busy working I had to find time for my son which was quite difficult because I had to work on graveyard shifts sometimes. For meals, I would stack on microwave foods on the fridge every week so it wouldn’t be too hard for both of us. Then my kid got really sick and the doctor cautioned me that it maybe because of something he ate and that I should watch what he eats. I felt guilty of course because I knew that the doctor was right. I tried my hand in cooking but the results left nothing to be desired because I was always in a hurry. Life took a turn for the better when a concerned friend of mine introduced me to the idea of a dinner group and invited me to join them because one of their members moved to another state. I was very hesitant at first because I was the only guy in the group of five but thankfully, they didn’t make a fuss about it. Even though I was a bit of a cheapskate  I bought some new stuff so I can actually learn how to cook edible food. It was a worthwhile investment though, I enjoyed cooking just once on weekdays plus my son was getting nutritious home cooked food. The latter, for me, is the greatest benefit in having a dinner group. Dinners were special since joining a group because we had time to talk and catch up on each others’ lives. My advice goes out to all the guys out there who like me are struggling with being a single parent: learning how to cook doesn’t make us less macho. If it’s for the good of your kid, go for it. I did and the rewards were just awesome.

Dinner swap story from Jane

My sister and I didn’t know how to cook. Our parents were great cooks though. They would usually be the ones cooking for big gatherings in our church. When both my sister and I moved to another state, we realized a little too late that we should have asked mom and pop to teach us how to cook since we missed home cooked meals sorely. She missed my mom’s tuna casserole and I really missed my dad’s superb stir fried vegetables with peanut sauce. For us, fast food and even gourmet restaurants just couldn’t replace our parents cooking. And we didn’t try cooking because as yuppies, “I don’t have time” was reason enough not to. One day, on a visit to my friend’s house I noticed how she had a lot of stuff in her fridge, in her cabinet and a calendar with names and dishes tacked on it. When she was about to explain why, the doorbell rang and someone gave her a Tupperware. She put it in the microwave and told me that she was a part of a dinner group. I didn’t refuse when she invited me for dinner and I tasted one of the best alfredo that night! My sister wasn’t too excited at first because she knew that we weren’t cooks at all. But armed with a cookbook and our trusty phone (to call our parents of course), we were motivated to learn how to cook. It was only a matter of time before we were able to replicate our parent’s dishes. When we went home, we were the ones doing the cooking already, to our family’s delight. Some folks even told us to enter into catering business! Its just great how having a dinner group made us appreciate the art of cooking. My sister and I have also become a lot closer because we spent a lot of time cooking together. And we’ve also realized that maybe, good cooks do run in the family.

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.