M E A L SWAP

Five WL moms started a dinnertime rotation to save money and time

By Nicole DeCosta

The West Linn Tidings, Nov 27, 2009, Updated Nov 27, 2009

VERN UYETAKE / West Linn Tidings

From left, Heather Boyer, Sue Miller and Jen McDonald chat while Miller delivers her meal for the night. Five West Linn neighbors trade off cooking dinner on weekdays, but today’s Thanksgiving meal is on their own.

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On this Thanksgiving Day five West Linn wives are thankful for their neighbors.

Dinnertime was always a bit of a scramble, with each married woman working jobs and having between one and three young children each, an afterthought between school, lessons, soccer practice and homework.

Now the meal is something to be savored – and delivered.

Starting at the beginning of this school year, Lisa Nielsen, Sue Miller, Heather Boyer, Jen McDonald and Wendy Gunter – all neighbors near Cedaroak Park Primary School – began taking turns cooking dinner for one another.

Five women.

Five families.

Five nights a week.

Twenty mouths to feed.

One less hassle.

Each woman is assigned a weekday, prepares a meal to feed her family and four others and delivers the food at dinnertime. Then, because of the rotation, dinner is delivered to her doorstep for the remainder of the week.

“There’s only been one meal repeated this whole time,” Miller said of their three-month cooking streak.

“And I’ve been eating so much better,” McDonald said, “and trying new recipes.”

McDonald said she spends about $75 when it’s her turn to cook a meal.

Each meal consists of a main dish, side vegetable, bread and sometimes dessert. And if you’re not home when the food is delivered, it’s either left at a neighbor’s house or placed in your fridge.

“The worse thing you’d have to do is heat it up,” McDonald said.

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