Guest Confession from Jackie Kaufenberg: As a mom who works full-time out of the home and has three kids ages four and younger, I do not have much free time. At times I would find myself getting home from work, instantly having kids asking me for snacks or throwing tantrums on the kitchen floor, all while I had no idea what I would make for dinner that night. I have always been a a bit of a foodie, but with kids, a foodie can suddenly find themselves emerged into the easy world of hamburger helper and macaroni and cheese.

About a year and a half ago, a friend had forwarded me a video that was on a local news station, about a group of mom’s who had started a local cooking club. The idea seemed brilliant: 8 moms, one evening a month, cooking 10 meals for each family, all that can be frozen and cooked as needed during the month. The idea of this really excited me because it seemed like such a time saver. I want to provide healthy meals for my family, but without losing the family time to cooking or eating dinner at 7:30 at night. Luckily, Cindy at Tidy Tightwads who started the cooking club on the news video, was also able to help me start a cooking club.

Now my freezer is stocked with delicious meals, side dishes, and breads. I have started new friendships and reconnected with old friends through cooking club. I have a little more time with my family and less time worrying about what I am going to whip up for dinner. I have made recipes that I would not have made on my own, and have even learned a thing or two about cooking. As a bonus, we have developed a great relationship with our local grocer, who gathers the groceries on our list each month, and gives us a discount off the total, saving us some money too. It is a relief to know that a delicious meal is only a thaw away. So, even though a different mom may have cooked our meal of the evening, we enjoy every bite.