As an assistant principal at a local elementary school, full-time wife and mom, Mandy Lacy discovered that her time is a valuable commodity. Three years ago, she and three of her closest friends, who combined have 14 children and full-time jobs, began a family meal program called Food Swap. Mandy, one of the originators, explains:
“Once a week, each of us selects a meal to cook for the four families–22 people total. We make one type of dish, but we prepare four of them. We gather together in an empty school parking lot each Sunday evening to briefly catch up and swap meals. When we leave each other, we have four different meals to feed our families for that week.”
Food Swap provides each of the women freedom to devote more time to their families in the evenings and to depend less, if at all, on fast food since many evenings are consumed with extra-curricular activities. Mandy says, “It has been a relief to know the dreaded, ‘What’s for dinner?’ question has already been answered for us!”
Food swap also saves money and time as the women aren’t shopping for a variety of different meals. They pick one recipe and multiply it by four. “It’s not always easy to find recipes that each family will approve of, given one child has a peanut allergy and a husband doesn’t eat anything green,” Maggie admits. “We have all learned to adjust to checking labels and providing alternate veggies.”
Mandy says the four husbands really enjoy the fact that their wives aren’t in the kitchen all night cooking and cleaning, thus sharing more family time.
“I can speak for all of us when I say Food Swap has been a life saver for us as young, working moms.”
For more information:
Mandy Lacy
228-669-5229
mandylacy10@gmail.com