Make It A Cooking Co-Op New Year

Two thoughts here at the end of the year. For my Christmas Day meal, I used new recipes from 2 of my fellow co-opper's and made full throttle lasagna and vegetarian lasagna. It took time to assemble all the pieces but it was so worth it. The real joy was sitting around a candlelit dining room table enjoying my family with conversation and laughs. Desert was special as we also celebrated my 2nd daughter's 21st birthday! Keep the joy of celebration, candlelight, and conversation going throughout the year with family meals- cooking co-op can help get those meals on the table. At church yesterday, a single mom shared how excited she was to at age 27 have made her first pie- so proud she put a picture of her pie on her face book. As we begin a new year, my resolve is to continue to encourage and help unlock the how to's of planning and cooking meals. Many in our midst have not learned the joys of cooking. So let's band together, teach cooking classes in our neighborhood, offices, churches to create a better community. And cooking co-op is one way to put spurs on a New Year's Resolution to have less stress and save money by eating dinner in your own home. Write down this goal- make it happen!

A Christmas Story

Right here in Mechanicsville, VA read about this Christmas miracle: richmondtimesdispatch/news/columist/Dec.18 written by Bill Lohmann whom I got to know as he came to my home to do the article in February on my years in a cooking co-op. Read the entire story of 300-400 people all coming together in 1 week for a grass-roots extreme makeover while 10-year-old Alyssa Doane(who has cystic fibrosis) and her family were sent to Disney World in Florida by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This is a must read! As we drove home last night at 1 am from Dulles airport bringing back our daughter who has been studying in Scotland for almost 4 months, she shared with us how people in a" socialist "country are not very giving- they don't give tips and don't seem concerned for the welfare of others. This Christmas story highlights a family saddled with large medical bills and yet the community cares enough to give this family a "new" home and a block party upon their return with police directing traffic of the 100's of well-wishers and the local band playing in their driveway. This is how our country is different- we are a giving people. Several years ago missionaries to Scotland shared how few families there eat meals together. Perhaps if parents can't selflessly give of their time for meals together, the children learn also not to give. As you enjoy your Christmas dinner, remember the importance and joy of giving special meals every week to your family. Christmas blessings to you and those you love!

The Costs of Not Cooking are Escalating

A friend was shocked- one small, healthier dinner to go= $8.00( this from a "semi-fast-food" restaurant). Count on it- food costs will continue to rise! Why? People in the emerging nations are building roads, bridges and are getting money to buy more food than just 2 bowls of rice a day- more demand- higher costs. Then I read that Richmond may revive the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Center for Community of Caring to curb the costs associated with teen pregnancies. In the 1980's this program helped reduce teen pregnancies at one high school from 12 to 0. What do they help teach? Here's the list: citizenship education, parenting, ethical instruction, moral development, quality of life, and social values. Recent comments from teachers: "Ginny, high school kids today eat sandwiches- I don't think anybody knows how to plan and cook a balanced, hot meal anymore." "My worst students do not eat any meals together with their family- one does not eat and one orders pizza(this from 5th grade teacher)." What about "The Blind Side" wave? Get involved - help our families and schools understand the need and way to reduce financial and social costs now by reviving the family meal!

Remember Pearl Harbor

In our paper today is an article about a WW2 veteran who survived those events. The great thing about having time set aside for dinner is the opportunity to discuss events in history that shaped

our country. The Richmond vet describes 354 planes flying over Pearl Harbor shooting at the men below and dropping bombs. See if everybody at the table knows where Pearl Harbor is and what would they do to seek safety. If parents are interested in history, their children will be interested also. Susan Dosier and Julua Rutland in their Discover Dinnertime cook book discuss how good conversation shapes the future of out country: "It's happended to more than one president. The Kennedy children were expected by their parents to come to the table every night and report on one current event. Teddy Roosevelt grew up listening to lively dinner discussions at his family's mealtime. Those conversations reportedly developed his passions for public affairs." I keep this quote on my wall at work: " I know of no way to know the future but by the past." - Patrick Henry. Give your family a crystal ball to the future by knowing the past.

"Cocooning"

At least one money manager is looking to invest in companies benefiting from "cocooning"- families spending more time in their homes. That was what was so special about Thanksgiving vacation. My daughter working in NYC made it home Tuesday night - so we sit around the table as she eats her bowl of Brunswick stew and catch up. Then Thursday, stoking up the hearth of the home- the kitchen- as we all pitched in to get our Thanksgiving meal and table setting ready. Afterwards, sitting around the gas fireplace and talking, laughing, then talking long distance to our daughter studying in Scotland. Friday night all of huddled around our 1 working TV(other TV went on the blink Weds. night) watching Bolt- all of us laughing out loud at Rhino- the hampster. Saturday puttering around putting up Christmas decorations then coming back from the Hanover High School football district win to have another bowl of Brunswick stew. Keep Thanksgiving going throughout the year with special dinners created by you or your cooking co-op. Theirs no place like home- enjoy it with family and food!

Stress Light

WSJ in an article "Are We Too Stressed To Reduce Our Stress" bring out the fact that overall stress levels in America are high and we are not doing enough about it due to a lack of time. I am a senior VP at a national brokerage firm, my husband works, I have 1 daughter working in NYC, 1 daughter at UVA and a 14 yr. old son who just finished football and today starts practice for basketball. My husband is a minister and we are very involved in church activities. Plus I am a die-hard USTA tennis player. We have a lot of balls up in the air, but we find time for a family dinner time on a regular basis. If you can cook every night and still enjoy that special time to celebrate the day with your family- perfect! But I need help cooking, planning, recipe searching etc. so for 22 years I have and still am a cooking co-op(supper swap) evangelist. If it's Tuesday, it's my night to cook, but if it's Wednesday, it's my night for a tennis clinic. Cooking co-op saves approx. 2 hours/week- read this web site. The best way to reduce stress is to get going and think of others- your family and cook extra for a family in need. As you sit at your Thanksgiving dinner, become determined to stress less, cook more and enjoy life more!

Cooking Co-Op and Courage

Last week I read this: "Commit to acts of compassion that will alleviate distress and inspire courage, spirit, and hope." I zeroed in on the word courage and that word kept coming up. I saw part of "The Wizard of Oz". I always loved the cowardly lion singing "If I were King of the Forest." It turned out that all the lion really needed was a medal of honor. Then this morning I read in Becky Tirabassi's newsletter about "...courage to change the areas of our lives that are stagnant...the need for something to excite us...start doing something that is healthy." So here is the definition for courage: That quality of mind or spirit enabling one to meet danger or opposition with fearlessness, calmness, and firmness." There is a great deal of distress and stagnation centered around the dinner hour. And it takes COURAGE to try cooking co-op and face the internal fears of cooking in quantity, the fear of putting your cooking to the taste test, facing the opposition of ads saying let us cook for you, and the calmness and firmness to deal with the inevitable mishaps(firetruck arrives at my home after trying a new recipe). Joy is the medal you receive for cooking dinner-an outstanding act of service for your family!

Discover Dinnertime

I had the opportunity last week to go to Charlotte, NC and meet Susan Dosier, a former Southern Living Executive Food Editor. I came away with a gem of a cook book she and Julia Dowling Rutland(currently the Food and Entertaining Editor, Coastal Living) created as a guide to building family time around the table. Included with some unbelievably good-looking recipes are 8 good reasons to eat dinner with your family. 1) Your child will read better. 2) Good conversation shapes the future of our country. 3) Shared mealtimes give your family a unique identity. 4)Eating together may reduce children's behavioral problems. 5) Table time gives your children a regular time to talk to you-and you to them. 6) You're likely to eat more nutritious meals when you eat with someone else. 7) Preparing meals together teaches your kids to cook...and clean up. 8) There's no better time or place to teach good manners. At selective stores, I am packaging this cook book and my DVD with a green ribbon around it for Christmas gifts. Recipes Susan highlighted I can not wait to try with my co-op- Creamy Pecan Chicken and Slow Cooker Picante Pot Roast served with Quick Cheese Grits.

A Word About Kitchens

This month 13 years ago, we moved into our home. And I still love my kitchen. You can see it in my DVD and in pictures on this web site especially if you look at the slide show on the helpful resources tab. This week as I was cooking my meal which had a lot of "moving" parts, I was thankful for it's modest size- any bigger and it would be too many steps from sink to stove top to refrig. And unlike many magazine kitchen photos- I do not have an island in the middle of my kitchen and I do not have a big hood over the cook top. I have a microwave with a fan over my gas cook top. An island can crowd and/or block your path to the needed item. When I recently asked a homeowner where she had her microwave(she instead had a beautiful wood vent over her cook top), she confessed it was in the utility room. It is so convenient to have the microwave right over the cook top and it is so perfect to have shelving above the microwave as that is where I keep my non-stick sprays, soy sauce, vinegar, worchester sauce etc. My countertops are white formica- not the expensive variety but they sure "pop" in pictures, slide show and my DVD. Small and affordable kitchens cook many a good meal. Easy does it!

Peak Fall Foliage= Brunswick Stew Time

I delivered my Brunswick Stew to my new cooking co-op along with ham rolls and some home-made chocolate cake(my daughter came home from NYC and so while making her a surprise, I made an extra cake to share with my co-op). Brunswick stew is one of my easiest meals to make. But once again, I found it to be everyone's favorite- one husband said it was his favorite meal and the male gourmet cook in our co-op loved it. One mom was surprised how much her children enjoyed it. See the menu on the recipe tab and in my DVD "If It's Tuesday, It's My Night To Cook" I demonstrate the making of this recipe. It also helped that it was a cool, rainy day that I delivered my meal. Read the tab About Ginny and click the memorable moment in which I first received the best Brunswick Stew of my life from a soon to be cooking co-opper. Her recipe was wonderful but time-consuming so I simplified it. It's best to have 2 slow cookers and make 2 batches because you can give some away to someone with the flu and freeze the rest. It's easy to shop for as most of the ingredients come from the freezer section. So ladies and gents- start your engines..um..slow-cookers!

Resolution: Resolve to Perform What You Ought

This week I read a fascinating article on US Airways Capt. "Sully" Sullenberger http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703790404574469160016077646.

.html. And I also read a statement: " Character" and "Virtue" have been replaced by "Values". So what's the difference? Values implies a benefit but character and virtue implies something right and true. The title above is one of Benjamin Franklin's 13 virtues which he wrote at age 20 as a plan for how he would live his life. Often I try to share the benefits of preparing and having dinner together as a family. Samuel Johnson talks of "private duties" leading to happiness. What if having regular mealtimes with your family-even if just husband and wife- is a duty? Jeffrey Zaslow in the above article said:"...it wasn't only his skills...that carried him in those tense moments over Manhattan. It was also his upbringing, his family bonds, his sense of integrity...Sulley's entire life led him safely to that river." The name of the book on Sully's journey-"Highest Duty:My Search for What Really Matters." Duty calls!

Resolution: Resolve to perform

Resolution: Resolve to perform

Resolution: Resolve to perform

10th Cooking Co-Op in 22 Years

Once you are hooked on the benefits of cooking co-op, just realize your first group will not last forever. A move to a new city interupted my first incredible co-op. My last group, which are featured in my DVD, changed as Rick's co-worker heard about the wonders of banding together to make dinnertime special and wanted in. I had wanted to see co-op formations at work as a way to get to know my co-workers better and to help more families answer the question: "What's for dinner?" When one group ends, do not look at it mournfully. Look at it as an opportunity for new recipes. My new co-op works like this: Kim and I cook every week. Then the gourmet cooks, Craig and Cynthia cook every other week and we brought in Maryanne and Kim to cook on the alternate week. We literally go home with the "bacon". After Kim's first week, she shared with me the benefits: Grocery bill was cut in half, children ate what the "friends" at work prepared, adults enjoyed more variety, less stress, and they found free time on the nights she was not cooking. After receiving 3 co-op dinners, Kim's very young daughter made the "friends" at work a gift- home-made chocolate cookies-better than bacon!

U-2, You Too Can Have Dinner With All The Elements

What an incredible concert! As I was waiting for the concert to begin, I first was amazed by the staging and the creativity of the set - it had color, moving parts- impossible to describe. Then came Bono. Why do I think his incredible talent and presence on stage is one of the greatest of all time? He has substance- he cares about the crowd, he cares about those in Iran and throughout the world whose governments deny people freedom. The songs he sings have substance- look up the lyrics to Pride-One Man in the Name of Love, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. Bono also sang Amazing Grace. These same elements make for incredible dinners! Be creative with your set- the table. Use color. Have a centerpiece. Light candles- have your own light show. Cooking co-op can help bring all the moving parts onto your table. Cooking co-op can also help your dinner to have substance- substantial quality. When you are cooking one night a week, you put extra effort into that meal vs. throwing something together at the last minute. Now multiply that by 4(4 is the perfect # for co-op cooking) and you have 4 dinners of substance. Play the music on low- it's a "Beautiful Day ".

There's No Place Like Home

I had 2 sets of plans that were going to keep me away from home all day but both were cancelled due to rain. Instead I spent most of the day at home decluttering my home and watching football with my son and husband. As we were heating up our cooking co-op left overs for dinner, my husband said how the commercials have it wrong- the best celebrations are not done away from home but at home. Exactly! Instead of spending Saturday driving here and there, I spent the day " cocooning" at home and loved it. Some money managers today are investing in companies that benefit from"cocooning"- spending more time a home due to the economy. General Mills has had great earnings as we eat at home more and I would suspect the sale of slow cookers are jumping. So how much money did we save by eating our left over tuna cakes and pasta with shrimp instead of orderring pizza? $20-30? Here's what the first week of our new cooking co-op at work included( one out on vacation): Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon, shrimp and pasta, and my tuna cakes all with delicious sides. Let your home be that protective covering where you get your batteries recharged-enjoy dinner at home!

The Power of Making a Commitment

So 22 years ago, I made a commitment in Charlotte, NC to be a part of my first cooking co-op.  I was not wild about the idea, but I liked the group and reluctantly said yes.  I was hooked after the first week. Then 6 months ago I made a commitment to blog once a week about the cooking co-op or the importance of dinnertime in your own home.  Hopefully, you are being encouraged but I have been amazed at how much I have enjoyed and learned from this commitment.  Just last week, I took my own advise and ASKED 3 potential co-oppers to be a part of our new group at work- 1 no, 2 yes.  So tonight I will receive a coq au vin dinner from a Senior Vice President, also mother of 3, and Thursday night, a male financial adviser, another Vice President, father of 1,  will bring a shrimp pasta dinner.  Both are tremendous cooks!  I now realize I need to ASK more.  My husband, son and I have been coming up with 3 things we are thankful for-can't repeat.  My husband discovered our son was thankful for Dad taking him to the UVA football games despite a 0-3 record.  Priceless!  What would happen if we became a nation of people making commitments?  Try it and be energized.

You Just Need to ASK

What an incredible Saturday I had!  The 14th president, Janet Morgan Riggs, of Gettysburg College was from my class- how often does that happen.  But I had not thought about going until I got a personal postcard from Karen Peters saying why don't you think about coming.  I checked my schedule, figured out I could do it, made plans.  What a blast seeing Karen, Dale, Karen K., Jayne,Kathy, Susan, Patti, Janet and all.  There was the inauguration ceremony, general reception, special reception for our class, dinner at the Dobbins House(great restaurant in G-Burg) with our class, get together at a B&B on the battlefield, then get together at the president's home for our class.  The memories of freshman and sophomore years made me feel young and of course we all have aged beautifully.  I would have missed all of this had it not been, someone asked me to come.  Ask(A) and it shall be given.  Seek(S) and you will find.  Knock(K) and the door will be open.  ASK.  Just ASK some special friends, neighbors, co-workers to try a new twist on putting dinner on the table.  Give cooking co-op 30 days to change your life!  You will be hooked after the first time saving week!

My First U.S.Open

Went to NYC to celebrate Lisa's milestone birthday(fellow cooking co-op devotee)- also in attendance was Debbie(still trying to convert)- both ladies in my cooking DVD.  My daughter, Parker, who lives in NYC, also enjoyed our amazing 2 days of tennis.  In our first match,  we watched 17 yr. old Melanie Oudin upset #4 seed Dementieva and we literally bumped into Rafa Nadal at midnight as he was laughing and cutting up with his friends in front of his hotel.  I did not realize that the entire complex in Flushing Meadows, is named the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.  This takes me back to her book, PRESSURE IS A PRIVILEGE.  One of her rules for life from lessons at the dinner table, is to show gratitude.  Definition for gratitude:  appreciation or thankfulness for having received any favor, kindness, or good fortune.  How do you feel when you are grateful?  Calm, centered, joyful?   As we enter the fall, let every dinner begin with 3 things each person at the dinner table is thankful for- circumstances, relationships, abilities, talents.  My goal with my DVD and web site is to encourage you to keep the dinner hour.  Cooking co-op has helped me.  Dinner is a time to count our blessings!

One Day Late, One Good Habit

Yesterday, our family ran errands and drove to Washington, DC to board our 2nd daughter, Anne, on a plane bound for Paris.  We will not see her till Dec. as she will be studying abroad this fall.  Please read, under the tab About Ginny on this web site, the memorable moment about cooking co-op's influence on Anne's love of languages.  So with lump in my throat, I read her text message Sept. 1, 1:28 am- Got here safely.  Love you all!  Recently, our family went to Kiawah, SC.   While there I took a number of fantastic tennis clinics and one of the instructors, David Boyd said:  "One bad habit can really hold you back."  So for 22 years, I have been involved in cooking co-op which has given me the structure needed for one good habit.  Anne this morning is in France, speaking french which she began learning in 5th grade every Thursday night when Ivy came to our home for dinner and then spent 30 minutes tutoring Anne and sharing her wonderful stories of her time studying abroad.  One more quote from Kiawah tennis, in honor of the U.S. Open, "To be successful in tennis, as in life, you must be focused and pay attention to the details."  Roy Barth  Get focused with cooking co-op this fall!  

Samuel Johnson's Thoughts on Happiness and Choice

Next month marks the 300th birthday of this great moralist, lexicographer and writer.  You will see one of his quotes on my home page of this web site which hit me right between the eyes when I read over 10 years ago his advise on happiness.  He wrote a book, Rasselas, about this subject and it was published in America 9 years before our Declaration of Independence defined the pursuit of happiness.  But duties, not rights, were at the core of Johnson's ethics.  As you prepare to start your cooking duties in September be inspired by Johnson's wisdom from this book- "perseverance and persistent self-persuasion" are key to a quest for happiness and " the pursuit may derive more meaning from the activity than from it's prospects of reaching fruition."(from Thomas Keymer's article on Johnson)  Translation:  The weekly duties I have taken on by choosing to commit to prepare and deliver dinner for my family and 3 others for these past 22 years, has required perseverance and lots of self-persuasion, but the joys of being in my own kitchen, creating one special meal a week for my family and friends has brought me much happiness which I wish for you.  Choose today what you will serve!

Come September- Be fruitful, Not Just Busy

Schools here in Virginia don't start till after Labor Day- your schools might already be underway. In any case, have a goal to start a cooking co-op in September- revolutionize your schedule to be fruitful and get dinner on the table in an affordable manner. Now is the time to show my DVD to your friends and propose the idea of banning together to get dinner on the table. Battles are fought by banding together to fight the enemy. The enemy is your schedule of busyness. I maintain that the joy of sitting down with your family at mealtime on a reular basis will help your week fall into place. So to get started, you need 3 other people to help with the cooking(remember 4 is the perfect #). Also go shopping now to get the equipment you need. You will need a slow-cooker(I think every family should have 2), a food processor, 2 large cooking pots, a large skillet, and a very large bowl(to mix dishes like home-made mac and cheese for 20 servings). Also get pyrex casserole dishes- some to use for baking and some 4 smaller pyrex dishes to deliver your meal. One friend found fabulous pots and pans on E Bay and I have found great skillets and large cooking items at Tuesday Morning stores. Map your way to the vineyard in these last weeks of summer.

9 Cash-Saving Strategies That Pay Big Bucks

This article was posted last week on yahoo:customsites.yahoo.com/financiallyfit/finance/index.  And #1 is: Form a Cooking Co-Op!  It references this web site and my DVD, "If It's Tuesday... it's my night to cook."  Review my April 27th blog- Economy means Management of a Household.  Just last night, a young lady who works at a fast food restaurant, said the average cost per person was in the $10 range.  My home-made taco salad and fresh fruit cost $3.60 per person plus I had left overs.  Also I saved on fuel costs because I had to go to the grocery store anyway.  Food costs are going up and one economist I spoke with believes food costs will continue to escalate- actually for a happy reason.  People in third world nations are earning more money and are adding meat and other foods to their 1 or 2 meals of rice/day.  Perhaps people in China and India will go as crazy for ketchup as we do in my family.  So what is your plan to deal with rising food costs?  Once again, let a bad economy get you into a good habit- starting in September- cook for a night, eat for a week!

Good Morning Richmond! Time for Cardiovision2020

I am in the financial industry and I love reading the Wall Street Journal. This week the headline read," Cost of Obesity Soars"- stating "the medical costs of treating obesity-related diseases may have soared as high as $147 billion in 2008... Reversing obesity is not going to be done successfully with individual effort."  As I have been clipping articles which back up the need for cooking co-op, I found a WSJ front page article 1/14/03 titled: "Community Chest- Finns Find A Fix For Heart Disease:Vast Group Effort- Doctors Cajole Whole Towns To Change Their Habits, From Bad Diet to Smoking- Praise From The Mayo Clinic."  The approach was to get the whole community involved- to change the lifestyle of the entire community- exercise, cooking courses, exhortations by the local grocer to eat more fruits and vegetables, cook with less fat,  yellow cards which documented patients lower blood pressures just to name a few creative ways a community in Finland dramatically decreased cardiovascular and cancer diseases.  Google CardioVision2020 and Pekka Puska to hear their call to business leaders and communities to come together and  to live better.  Richmond- let's lead this fight.

Summer and my Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker

What a great invention... slow cookers.  This Tuesday night I will be fixing homemade apple sauce and homemade mac and cheese.  All I do is core and peel the apples with my Pampered Chef apple peeler, add brown sugar and pumpkin spice and let my slow cooker do the rest.  It is so so good.   For the homemade mac and cheese,  it's best to buy the blocks of Kraft cheddar cheese and then use my Cuisinart (purchased 22 years ago when starting my first cooking co-op) to grate the cheese - very moist.  The ingredients include mac, cheese, butter,egg, salt, dry mustard and milk.  With cooking co-op,  I can spend more on good quality ingredients since I am saving money by cooking in quantity, planning ahead so I am not buying  fast food instead- fast, yes but 2-3 times more expensive.  So what equipment is needed to start your cooking co-op?  This week I will use my slow cooker, apple core and peeler, a food processor with different blades, a large pot to boil the macaroni, and a very large bowl to mix the cheese, mac etc.  I will divide the applesauce in Glad-type containers and the mac and cheese will be in pyrex containers- ready to go straight in the oven.  Excite your taste buds this week!

McDonald's workers learn cooking,financial skills

That's the headlines in the business section of my paper this week.  This is the nation's largest employer-provided financial education program with McDonald's teaming up with Visa to teach money-management skills to it's 500,000 restaurant employees.  McDonald's sees this as a quality-of-life and productivity issue.  Job performance is affected by good and bad choices made in the home.  (See www.practicalmoneyskills.com)  Then see my June 15th chat- the need for cookery schools in America.  This past week I made a small step by starting a new cooking co-op at work including my manager ( I knew his wife was a great cook).  We are an experiment to show others in our office the benefits of cooking in quantity one night then going home with dinner in hand the other 3 nights- benefits such as cost and time savings plus greater camaraderie in the office.  I have posted our menus in our break room and there's a little buzz going on.  Hopefully, more companies will take McDonald's lead and teach cooking and financial classes.  It might be considered a small step to sit down to 4 family meals/week at home but its "one small step for man... one giant leap for mankind."

Julia, Julia, and Julia

Here comes a new movie about Julia Child starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. Julia Child wrote MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING. Time magazine in 1966 called her "Our Lady of the Ladle." She believed in "the importance of a meal, it's place in a day, in life, the at-table meeting of body and soul, and the pleasure of sharing that...I fell in love with French food- the tastes, the processes, the history, the endless variations, the rigorous discipline, the creativity, the wonderful people, the equipment, the rituals." Did she have a natural talent for cooking? No. The first meal she made for her husband was "messy to look at and not very good to eat." Yet she went on to inspire Americans to get in their kitchens and cook- not to just settle for inceasingly popular frozen dinners. Go watch the movie and get inspired to start your own cooking co-op. Get into a routine of cooking like Julia Child one night a week to enjoy the variety, creativity, and rituals of cooking in your own kitchen. To quote my longtime friend, another Julia, "If I am out of my routine, I'm not good for anyone or anything."

The Declaration of Independence

The 2nd paragraph begins: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.  And the document ends:... with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.  Abraham Lincoln held the Declaration in high esteem.  He said it was " the father of all moral principle."  Let's piece this together: Creator, Divine Providence and moral principle.  John Calvin, a humble revolutionary in the 1500's believed we are no better than animals if we do not give thanks to the Lord for His provision while partaking of food.  By blessing our meal before we eat, we show gratitude.  We have so much to be thankful for- our food, our freedoms and moral principles which define justice.  Did you know 3 of our first 5 presidents died on July 4th?  John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe.  Must be something very special about the 4th of July.  Read the Declaration at your next meal for yourself and give thanks.

A Lesson from John Adams for the 4th

David McCullough in his book JOHN ADAMS describes this: It's George Washington's 2nd term, John Adams is vice-president- a time of turmoil in which Adams shares with Abigail, "this Constitution can not stand... I see nothing but a dissolution of government and immediate war."  During a rare one-on-one dinner with the President, Adams wrote, " he detained me there 'til nine o'clock and was never more frank and open about politics.  I find his opinions and sentiments more like my own than I ever knew..."  I laughed out loud as I read this.  These two founding fathers had know each other 20 years, but only while dining alone did Adams discover George Washington's inner thoughts.  Dinner is a time to discuss and reaffirm what we believe.  The act of sitting down to the dinner table documents who and what is important to us.  This Saturday the fireworks here start at 9 p.m.  Post your set time for dinner hour and see what opinions you discover.

 

Apple, iPhone- Dinner, Cooking Co-Op

Front page, Richmond Times Dispatch June 20th reads,"The smartphone revolution... For Many, iPhone is a life-changer."  If you buy my DVD "If It's Tuesday...It's My Night To Cook" you will understand... for many, cooking co-op/supper swap is a life-changer.  Just like people are enjoying the benefits of the newest version  of Apple's smartphone, Betsy R. is enjoying the "apps" of cooking co-op.  After reading the article-see helpful resources tab- she started a cooking co-op of her own.  For her this new food-delivery revolution is a life-changer.  Since she no longer tries to plan, shop, cook or eat out 7 days /week, she is saving "money hand over fists", coming home from work and actually sitting down to talk with her husband, and laughing as her 7 year old son, who does not talk to girls, shares with a co-op sibling, "Your mommy made my dinner last night."  Technology is meant to enhance our life, not to take it over.  So while buying a new iPhone, buy a new DVD and down-load the GPS app to send you home for a cooking co-op dinner.  The people in your lives matter most and food is the WD-40 that builds and maintains relationships.  How appetizing would a dinner be- just apples?

The Need for Cookery Schools in America

In her article "My Moveable Feast: Gastro-tourism in Paris", Sara Lodge describes a variety of cooking schools in Paris ranging from one hour lunch breaks for office workers to six hour classes where you first shop then go to a sleek apartment to cook a three-course lunch.  One manager explained: "Even in France, people have forgotten how to cook.  We wanted to remind them."  WOW!  If the French have forgotten how to cook,  there must be a need in this country, during these financially difficult times, to teach want-to-be cooks how and where to begin.  And even if you are a competent home cook, there is much to learn from cooking demonstrations.  My tuna cakes recipe idea( see helpful resources) was a by-product from a cooking demo.  Sara Lodge found from these cookery schools, "When you teach someone to cook, you communicate your philosophy of life."  There is more to cooking than the need to refuel... it is a "habit of the soul."

Pressure is a Privilege--Part 2

The second chapter of this book by Billie Jean King is "Lessons at the Dinner Table."  She and her brother were seriously involved in sports- tennis and baseball.  (Her brother went on to play 10 years in the major leagues.)  Her father, a firefighter had a difficult schedule.  "It was hard to find us all in one place at the same time --except for dinner... Dinner was a time for us to just sit down and talk, to connect,check in and find out what we were up to, air grievances, laugh, and tell stories.  My parents would talk to us about school, sports, our problems, even things like philosophy.  And they were very big on instilling good values in us from a very early age. The lessons were not earth- shattering, but were- and still are- absolutely essential."  Ms. King ends her chapter with 5 Rules for Life:  From My Dinner Table to Yours.  Be polite.  Show respect to yourself and others.  Listen to and engage your elders.  Give to those less fortunate than yourself.  Show gratitude.  Consider these  lessons from a pro--time spent at the dinner table brings victory to many aspects of our lives.  

McDonalds...Tiger woods...Cooking Co-Op

McDonalds has expanded all over the world by having a systematic, consistent formula for making hamburgers and french fries.  Tiger Woods has perfected his stance, grip, and swing.  He doesn't use one grip one day and use another grip another day.  That is the power of cooking co-op.  If it's Tuesday,  I know it's my night to cook.  I have talked to some of you that do cooking co-op one week out of the month.  You love the ease and simplicity of that one week.  Cooking co-op gives you repeatable consistent success to celebrate your day with family mealtime.  Put cooking co-op's systematic, consistent formula into every week...become a world champion and like Nike says...just DO IT!

Wisdom Prevails

Every Wednesday morning, a group of us tennis players get in 1 1/2 hours of play before work.  I called a 70 year old, fantastic player to sub for me this Weds. a.m. as I had a USTA tennis match to play later in the day.  His response, "Ginny I'm already playing Weds. a.m. and I too have a match to play later in the day.  Go ahead and play- it will be a good warm-up."  So I'm thinking this will be tough- extra effort, energy and planning but if he can do it, maybe I can too.  Wednesday turned out to be one of my most memorable days of tennis.  The early morning play was a blast- great points, fun opponents.  The match proved to be one of my most challenging and most rewarding wins.  Once again, the extra effort, energy and planning gave me big rewards.  The question has never been,"Does family dinnertime belong in our daily routine," but "How can I get myself organized to put it on the table?" If I can do it, you can too.  Let wisdom prevail- try cooking co-op.

Keep it Simple- Learn from Apollo 13

Plastic bags, cardboard and duct tape were simple elements used to solve the large and complex problem of getting the crippled Apollo 13 back to earth.  Dinnertime is the simple element which could and should be used in everyone's day to solve many of our country's complex problems.  As NASA Flight Director Eugene Kranz said: "Okay,people!  Listen up!... From this moment on we are improvising a new mission..."  Start a cooking co-op ASAP as your new mission to ensure 4 or more mealtimes with family/ friends every week, every season, seated at your table, at home, TV off.  The magic of the dinner table has worked throughout history.  Start this summer by exchanging a main meal such as chicken pot pie, chicken caesar salad, hamburgers with all the fixings etc.  Remember 4 families work best.  Order my video and you will see how it all works.   Then in the fall, fill in the main dish with 2 sides.  Work your own ingenuity and dinnertime engineering to solve life's problems.

To contact me: ginny.bowie@mynight2cook.com

Ordinary Happiness

In his new book "Seven Pleasures" Willard Spiegelman writes: "Happiness has received less respect and less serious attention than melancholy, its traditional opposite."  One theme of his book is that ordinariness can bring about more pleasure than we realize.  The striving for happiness in our society can cause us to overlook the riches of the familiar and ordinary.  C.S. Lewis in grieving the death of his wife Joy describes his desire for "the tiny heartbreaking commonplace."  Yesterday was Mother's Day and my favorite part was the traditional brunch my family assembles - all were there.  My daughter working in NYC came home and daughter #2 just finished her college exams.  Just to hear all the commotion in the kitchen with my husband directing 2 young women and a teenage son to get the meal prepared and on the table was priceless!  Then we sat around our formal dining table with family and 2 roommates from UVA talking and laughing.  Perhaps the secret to happiness is slowing down enough to find that the most common, ordinary events, like sitting at the dinner table, is surprisingly rich... for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.

Bill Gates Learns Life Lessons at the Dinner Table

FRONT  PAGE of the Wall Street Journal April 25-26 is an interview with Bill Gates Sr., Bill Gates and their family who share for the first time many details of " what it took to turn an unruly 12-year-old into Microsoft's billionaire founder."  FIRST STORY and family crisis which helped shape the entrepreneur's character happened at  the dinner table.  Bill Gates who at 12 had "appeared to gain the intellect of an adult almost overnight" shouted rude and sarcastic remarks at his mother at the dinner table.  Mr. Gates Sr., in a rare blast of temper, threw the glass of water in his son's face."  "Thanks for the shower," replied the young Bill Gates.  As a result of the argument, the parents more carefully crafted discipline and freedom into Bill Gates early teenage years, which partially lead to his early interest in computers.  Even once Bill Gates started Microsoft, he attended weekly Sunday dinners at his parent's home.  Bill Gates Sr. wrote the FIRST  foundation check from the kitchen(dinner) table. Yes, there can be quality discussions between family members in the car, but not very safe to throw water in the face of an out-of-control youth.  The dynamics of the dinner table are enduring!

Economy Means Management of a Household

Economy comes from the Greek word(my daughter at UVA is taking a Greek exam today) oikonomia meaning management of a household: task, work, responsibility.  The health of an economy starts with each household so perhaps the problem of our current economy is we have not been managing our household spending well.  In this economy, why not try a new way of managing to get dinner on the table and start pocketing tremendous savings in more needed areas? Pay yourself instead of paying cooks in restaurants and fast food lines.  This week,  I served taco salad and fresh fruit for my co-op group.  I did not buy the cheapest meat- I bought better quality lean ground beef, named brands for my cheese, chips, cans of corn, kidney beans, taco sauce.  The cost-$3.60 per person- half the cost of fast food yet I had fresh fruits and lettuce in my meal and I had left overs!  I saved $$$ on driving- one trip to the grocery store.  I had to go anyway to get milk etc.  How about the convenience and time savings of dinner sitting in MY refrigerator.  Be sure to check out the helpful resources tab - click to see and hear tuna cakes sizzle.  Let a bad economy get you into a good habit-cook for a night, eat for a week!

Columbine- 10 Years Later

Since I began cooking co-op in 1986,  I have kept my eyes and ears open to any media coverage on the importance of family meals.  After the Columbine shooting,  I heard a radio interview of one of the survivors.  Asked if she or her family were doing anything differently in the wake of the tragedy, she said "... we had gotten away from having family dinners together and we are now going back to it."  How we appreciate the ordinary everyday pleasures when we almost lose them.  A 5th grade teacher shared that only 5 out of his 18 students sat down at the table on a regular basis for dinner.  The magic # is FOUR- FOUR or more family meals lead to better students with less risky behavior.  See helpful resources on my web page and read the benefits of eating together.  Click on contact me at the bottom of the page and let me know about your "home improvements."  President Obama and his wife Michelle, make a concerted effort to have family meals with their beautiful girls.  What if we could raise the % of students having FOUR or more family meals a week form 30% to 50%?  Would grades improve?  Would it lower the drop-out rate and obesity rate?  Let the table talk begin this week.

Victory Week!

What an incredible 7 days this has been!  #1) Yesterday we celebrated Easter.  Here are some of the words from the hymns:...the victory of life is won...the song of triumph has begun.  #2) The North Carolina Tarheels Monday night won a 5th NCAA Basketball Championship.  I watched the title game in Chapel Hill and saw the team return to the Dean Dome- one shining moment.  #3) The idea of winning rubbed off and I won 2 important tennis matches this week in tie-breakers i.e. nail-biters.  The difference between winning and losing is focus on one or two aspects of a game.  In tennis,  I have to remind myself to keep my eye on the ball.  Sounds simple but it's easy to be distracted by movement, noise, clouds, sun etc going on all around you.  So here's my coaching tip:  I have found in the last 21 years that cooking co-op has helped me focus and keep my eye on the ball by getting a home-cooked meal on the table for my family.  When I'm focusing on that one activity,  I'm more on the top of my game in all aspects of my life.  Try it one month and you will see many shining moments!

Pressure is a Privilege

This is the title of Billie Jean King's new book.  I'm reading this after watching the North Carolina Tarheels defeat Villanova in the semi-finals of the Final Four.  How about the pressure Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson- players and coaches- had to handle in front of 72,000 screaming fans.  Yes, on Tuesday nights, the pressure is on with cooking co-op- I have to deliver my meal Wednesday morning.  As in sports,  I have to focus and get the job done.  It takes preparation(menu planning,grocery list, grocery shopping), it takes committment( my desire to celebrate the day with my family at mealtime), it takes instincts(finding the right recipe-tastes good, not too time consuming), it's about team work(getting help from family, friends, aquaintances), and it's about finances(saving money by planning-taking advantage of specials, less eating out, fewer trips to the grocery store, less waste).  Billy Jean says,"...we are fortunate to have this opportunity and the pressure that goes along with it.  Nothing great ever comes easy.  Great accomplishments often require struggle..."  The joy of victory the Carolina Tarheels are experiencing right now is huge.  When I deliver my prepared special dinner on Wednesday morning,  that's my victory lap.

My Qualifications as a Cooking Co-op Coach

I graduated from high school and college in the 1970's- a time when more and more women were shifting to jobs outside the home.  I was the first female financial advisor hired in my office.  I am a Senior Vice President with a major financial securities firm in which I have worked 31 years.  I was the first female to referee high school football in Virginia.  But I still had to orchestrate getting dinner on the table for a growing family.  And for 21 cooking co-op years,  I've been scrambling more than eggs- scrambling to get it all done with the help of 1 husband(married 28 years), 3 children, and 8 different cooking co-op groups.  I'm the experiment- the results are in- the benefits of regular family mealtimes are huge.  Cooking co-op has helped me plan and create interesting, varied, home-made dinners- a background to the sharing of family values, ideas, and conversations while enjoying every phase and stage of mine and my children's lives.  My oldest daughter is a graduate of the University of North-Chapel Hill.  She is now an assistant market editor for Elle Decor in NY City.  My second daughter attends the University of Virginia and my son is an honor roll student in middle school.  Breaking bread together gives a sense of belonging so bring back the family meal.  Food nourishes the body as well as the soul.  It's time to start a food revolution now by fighting traffic, schedules, and a reluctance to cook and get home, sit down, and celebrate the day with family mealtime.  You can do it.  It's important to all aspects of your life.  My website and DVD will show you how.  The revolution starts now, one new cooking co-op group at a time.