You've Got Supper – a great cooking co-op resource

Click here to see the Slideshow and hear the Tuna Cakes Sizzle!

Tuesday night is when Ginny Bowie really cooks. Take last Tuesday, for example.

She sautéed 32 golden-brown tuna cakes, prepared four casseroles of shoepeg corn and diced tomatoes, and tossed a Caesar salad in a bowl the size of a small washtub.

It was a lot of work, but there was a payoff:

She was done for the week.

"I'm basically cooking one night for the whole week," she said.

Bowie, a senior vice president for a major financial securities firm and Hanover County mother of three, has participated for more than two decades in cooking co-ops, in which members share meals with one another. She's currently in a co-op with three other Hanover families. Each provides dinners one night a week, typically cooking the night before, refrigerating the meal and delivering it the next day.
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The Benefits of Eating Together –
“The Family Who Eats Together Stays Together”
Published in SparkPeople.com
By Becky Hand, Licensed & Registered Dietician

“Come and get it!” It may be dinnertime, but when was the last time your family sat down and enjoyed dinner together? With music lessons, ball practice, play rehearsal, and work schedules, it can be tough. Rounding up the troop for an evening meal can be almost impossible! However, research is beginning to show that eating as a family has great benefits for your children and teenagers. Here are 8 more reasons why you should try to sit down together 5-6 times a week, whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Reason #1: Communication and Well-Being
Conversations during the meal provide opportunities for the family to bond, plan, connect, and learn from one another. It’s a chance to share information and news of the day, as well as give extra attention to your children and teens. Family meals foster warmth, security and love, as well as feelings of belonging. It can be a unifying experience for all.

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Will Shop for Food:  A Grocery Battle Plan
Wall Street Journal
November 20, 2008
Written by Neal Templin

I don’t have many qualifications for the presidency, but I can tell you the price of a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread.  Bill Clinton was grilled about them when he rattled off the correct prices and wowed some voters.  I might give Bill a run for his money when it comes to grocery-store prices.  That’s because I do the shopping in our family.  This week’s column is a cheapskate’s guide to grocery shopping.  Consider it an early Christmas present.  (Notice how it’s not costing me anything.)

First, the bad news.  Food prices have soared and aren’t likely to get cheaper anytime soon. Click here to read more of this article.