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5 Minutes for Books – Part 2 – The Great American Supper Swap

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This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

This review is authored by regular contributor Jennifer Donovan, book lover and mother of two of book lovers, who blogs at Snapshot.

The Great American Supper Swap

The Great American Supper Swap by Trish Berg sets out to “solve the busy woman’s family dinnertime dilemma.” We all face different challenges in getting dinner on the table, be it a dislike of cooking, being away from home during the dinner-making hour, little ones underfoot or some combination of these factors.

There are many statistics about why eating dinner as a family is critical. Ms. Berg devotes two chapters to what has happened to the family mealtime of late and why it is important to make it a priority. Since it is difficult to get a good dinner on the table night after night, but the act of eating together as a family is something that most of us value, swapping suppers is one way to accomplish this goal. Ms. Berg explains the hows as well as the whys quite thoroughly in other chapters:

  • The Great Adventure: How Supper Swapping Works
  • From Frazzled to Dazzled: My Supper-Swapping Story
  • How to Start Your Own Supper-Swapping Group
  • How Supper-Swapping Saves You Money
  • What Dads and Kids Say about Supper-Swapping

The final chapters include a general Q&A and proven family-pleasing recipes. Many of these are suitable to make ahead or freeze. Even if you are unsure about the process of supper-swapping, the encouragement about the importance of making an effort to serve your family a home-cooked meal, along with the recipes, is valuable.

The book also has fun sidebars throughout which give a Potluck Activity intended to be used as an icebreaker at your meal-planning session, but it could also be used at any get together. One I liked was the Mommy Must-Do where moms write one must-do chore that they like and one that they dislike and then put it in a bowl. The other moms draw a slip of paper from the bowl and guess who wrote it and if it’s a like or dislike.

Reader Interactions


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46 Comments

  1. I would love to have this! I do menu planning as a business, but I would love to learn more about this!

    Reply

  2. This book sounds awesome!! As a working mommy with four little ones, supper is the biggest mess in our home. 🙂

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  14. So great to hear from so many of you busy moms out there! I just want to encourage you to give supper swapping a try.

    You don’t need a gaggle of girls, you can simply start with 1 grilfriend or neighbor if that’s all you have. You cook one meal times 2-2 days, she does the same, and you have already cut your cooking in half!

    If you can get 2 other friends to swap, you can cut your cooking by 80%!

    I have never spent more than 1-2 hours on meal prep and another 30 min on meal delivery. All in all, a sound investment of time!

    I have been a supper swap mom for over 5 years now, and some girlfriends have come and gone from my group. You have to be flexible about that. But there is always a friend willing to swap.

    One of the most amazing things supper swapping does that suprised me most was add deeper friendships to my life. You talk more, relate more, and feel closer to your girlfriends when you swap meals.

    When you put a jigsaw puzzle together, you start by snapping in the outer edges. That’s what supper swapping does for your friendships. Snaps friendship into your life and makes it simple!

    And as busy moms, we all need more friends!

    Just had to share – and encourage you all-

    If you have any other questions at all, you can come over to the other blog where I am answering questions all week, or contact me via my website and send them to me directly. I’d be happy to answer them for you and help you get started swapping!

    Blessings – Trish Berg, Author, The Great American Supper Swap

    Reply

  18. This would be a GREAT addition to our library and fun thing to try with the Mommy Group I belong to!!!!

    Reply

  31. I have always wanted to try doing some type of meal exchange with other families, but I really haven’t known how to go about it, especially to find recipes that most people will eat. I would love a chance to read this book and learn more about it.

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  39. This idea has interested me for a while…I would love to read more about it! Looks like a great book.

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  40. Sure does sound like a great book. My friends and I have talked about doing this, but never knew how to organize it.

    Reply

  42. Oh, I’d love to read this book. Thanks for the review and another great giveaway!

    Reply