New Meal Planning/Buying

[Kathy]

Have you heard about the newest thing in meal planning/buying?

PREPARE – TAKE HOME – FREEZE – COOK

These new businesses for food and menu planning provides you with a full-service commercial kitchen, the menu and all the ingredients. Each dinner station has ingredients ready for use. Simply mix and assemble the ingredients according to the recipes. In about 1 hour, you will prepare 8 or more meals that you take home, freeze and cook on those busy nights.

These companies say these are the benefits:

Save time and hassle of planning meals
Easily fits into your family's food budget
Spend less time shopping for groceries
Reduce the cost of groceries – we buy in bulk
Spend less time in the kitchen cooking and cleaning up
Spend less money by not going out to dinner as often
Meet new people who have busy lives just like you
Eat healthier
Enjoy spending your new found free-time with your family

It sounds like an interesting way to shop/cook/prepare your meals without messing up your pots and pans.

Anyone tried one of these services?

[clogaholic]

Hey, that does sound interesting. I had never heard of it. I wonder if there are any near me. Are they really economical? It sounds like something that I'd enjoy doing at least once to try. Kinda like being back in Home Economics in school ;)

[Kathy]

Here in my town, the place is called "The Dinner Station". Maybe its a franchise?

[clogaholic]

I checked it out - it is a franchise but none near me :(
I live not too far from Houston, maybe soon.

[aquachick]

Check out www.dreamdinners.com- it is franchise that started in the Seattle area. The meals are good, the kitchen where you prepare them is spotless, and in 2 hours you have 12 meals for less than $180.00. They are large meals and I think they now have an option to make smaller meals for small families. What I really like is that they give you suggestions for what to serve with each meal, like salad and other side dishes. At my work, we often will give a gift of dream dinners (one of us will go make them and deliver them to the recipient) for a new baby, when soeone is having surgery or a spouse is ill. They sell the foil containers right there. Sometimes I bring a special dish if I am going to use the meal for company. -Melanie

[jones74]

I have heard of the Dream Dinners and one other Super Suppers. I live in a small rural area so there are not any close to my home.

I think it is a great idea!! I would definitely try it. My one concern is that the portions would not be enough for my family. But then again maybe our portions are too big...lol :)

Carla

[lokerspadokers]

I just saw a TV show on the food network about Super Suppers. It does look interesting. I found a place online that will ship you dinners too, I think it was called Home Bistro or something similar.

[BBShopMom]

I haven't tried this yet, but my women's group at church is thinging about settup in a date for us all to go in together and make a bunch of stuff that we can all share. We talked about doing it between Thanksgiving and Christmas - so we'd have dinners ready and keep the holiday prep season a little less stressful. We have a couple different places here in Columbus, Dream Dinners and something else. Sounds very interesting to me. We all thought it would be a fun activity to do as a group.

[LadyG]

Intresting. I would love it but my hubby who gets spur of the moment ideas for dinner wouldn't. This would be good for my momma and aunt who both live alone.

[crunchies0313]

That would make my life sooo much easier!! I can't wait for one near me!!

[YellowRoseTex]

I have heard of them, but haven't tried it. Sounds very interesting.