The Munch Bunch - Dinners & Community

[Palin Wycoff]

Hello Sebastopol Community!

Do you want to eat healthily, but don't have the energy or time to cook every night?
Want to boost your connection to community?

We are a group of friendly adults reaching out to the broader community to expand our membership in our dinner group (called the Munch Bunch).

Here's the scoop:
Each person in the group agrees to cook a dinner for everyone else in the group once per month. If there are10 people in the group, then you cook once, but get to go to 9 meals per month (just think - not cooking 2-3 x/week!). When it is your turn, you host people at your house and clean up after the meal. When it is someone else's turn, you just show up at their house at 7 pm, eat a delicious meal cooked for you, enjoy the company of your (new!) friends, and leave satiated.


We value community. While it is ok to pick up a meal in tupperware every now and then if you can't make it to a scheduled meal, we like to encourage community, connection, and commitment to showing up for each other.

We value health. We aim to make mostly organic, (local/seasonal= bonus points) well-balanced meals - i.e. a grain/root/squash, vegetables/salad, beans/meat/protein, dessert is optional. We stick to poultry and fish as the main meat options, so we'd prefer not to have vegetarians or vegans (as it becomes tricky to make many versions of the same meal). We try to go light on dairy and wheat and processed soy (or make it an option) for members with sensitivities.

What we're looking for: Ideally you live within 5-10 minutes drive from downtown Sebastopol. We'd prefer to keep this an adult-only group (as a few of our members work with children during the day and like adult conversations). We currently range in ages from late 20's through mid 40's. Couples or single folks welcome (though each partner in the couple cooks once per month, not the couple as a unit).

Requests - No indoor cats or really fluffy dogs (aaaah-choo!)

We are currently opening our group up to get 4-6 more members. We'd love to meet you and see if it's a good fit. There is a trial period for both you and us.

If you are interested or have questions, please call/email Palin at: [email protected]

[Sabrina]

I really love this idea, and have thought of something like it, and currently do something like it with a group of women friends who all live in Petaluma. I live in Santa Rosa, and unfortunately do have a fluffy dog + a cat. But I love the food conscious thing, and I too am not a vegetarian or vegan. I would love to get something like this started in Santa Rosa, or if there are any people already doing such a thing. Maybe some families or households of people that get together sharing meals? I live with 3 other adult family members, youngest being 18. Any takers in the Santa Rosa area who are interested in coordinating this with me?


Hello Sebastopol Community!

Do you want to eat healthily, but don't have the energy or time to cook every night?
Want to boost your connection to community?

We are a group of friendly adults reaching out to the broader community to expand our membership in our dinner group (called the Munch Bunch).

Here's the scoop:
Each person in the group agrees to cook a dinner for everyone else in the group once per month. If there are10 people in the group, then you cook once, but get to go to 9 meals per month (just think - not cooking 2-3 x/week!). When it is your turn, you host people at your house and clean up after the meal. When it is someone else's turn, you just show up at their house at 7 pm, eat a delicious meal cooked for you, enjoy the company of your (new!) friends, and leave satiated.


We value community. While it is ok to pick up a meal in tupperware every now and then if you can't make it to a scheduled meal, we like to encourage community, connection, and commitment to showing up for each other.

We value health. We aim to make mostly organic, (local/seasonal= bonus points) well-balanced meals - i.e. a grain/root/squash, vegetables/salad, beans/meat/protein, dessert is optional. We stick to poultry and fish as the main meat options, so we'd prefer not to have vegetarians or vegans (as it becomes tricky to make many versions of the same meal). We try to go light on dairy and wheat and processed soy (or make it an option) for members with sensitivities.

What we're looking for: Ideally you live within 5-10 minutes drive from downtown Sebastopol. We'd prefer to keep this an adult-only group (as a few of our members work with children during the day and like adult conversations). We currently range in ages from late 20's through mid 40's. Couples or single folks welcome (though each partner in the couple cooks once per month, not the couple as a unit).

Requests - No indoor cats or really fluffy dogs (aaaah-choo!)

We are currently opening our group up to get 4-6 more members. We'd love to meet you and see if it's a good fit. There is a trial period for both you and us.

If you are interested or have questions, please call/email Palin at: [email protected]

[jordie]

id possibly be interested in a Santa Rosa Group
Jordie

[350kitty]

I might be interested in a Santa Rosa group.

[The A Team]

We 2 are also may be interested in a Santa Rosa group, let me know if this coalesces...
Andrea
[email protected]


I might be interested in a Santa Rosa group.

[rachanna]

I too am interested in a Santa Rosa munch bunch group! Back in the fall, I organized something with the same intention, here where I live in the Junior College neighborhood. I did it specifically with the strong intention of being able to share food and community without getting into a car to do it. A wonderful group came together twice a month for about 6 months. It was a great experience for everyone, and it facilitated a deepening of connections amongst neighbors.
However, a number of people felt quite hesitant about cooking for a large group, and it was suggested that we start out doing pot lucks, until people felt confident enough to do the rotational cooking. I agreed, though my strong desire was always to have alternating cooking, and therefore having a lot of meals that you don't have to cook at all.
During the course of 6 months, a few people warmed up to the idea of doing the rotational cooking. However, the couple who were organizing this with me, just had a baby and can't help coordinate for the time being(we rotated houses, and thus had to have someone finding the host, alerting people as to where we were eating, and any other relevant deatails.) After surveying the group, I found there weren't enough people enthused about rotating cooking regular meals for me to take on trying to coordinate it on my own, so I've put the whole thing on hold for now.

So I am thrilled about the prospect of a Santa Rosa munch bunch.

Years ago, I lived in an intentional community in Mendocino county, where we did all our dinners in this manner. It was fabulous!

A few details that the group, once formed, may like to consider are:

-proximity to eachother (I don't like to use a car, for obvious reasons, and subsequently organize and participate in activities mostly within a couple of miles from my home in central Santa Rosa. I hope some of you interested are located within that distance. if not, maybe there's enough interest to form a few groups organized by general location)

-food choice committments (while I eat animals, I don't eat anything that comes straight out of your standard factory farms...the conditions and quality are just too awful, in my opinion. But Sonoma County is filled with options for eating animals that have been raised in more humane, and healthier conditions. I think this, among other things, would be a good thing to discuss amongst whatever group, or groups, form)

Wow...I guess I have a lot of opinions on this topic.

If a group forms here in Santa Rosa, I will let my neighbors who have expressed interest in rotational meals know about it too.

Thanks to whoever started this thread.

Hope to see some of you at the dinner table this year!

julie

[350kitty]

This is regarding the Santa Rosa group.



About the rotational cooking, I like the idea but I wonder if there's an easier way to do that. Perhaps instead of *one* person doing the cooking and cleaning, how 'bout TWO people pairing up to cook together for the group? It's easier with two, and you still get to enjoy some meals you don't have to cook at all.

We could also occasionally try an evening out together and go to a restaurant that we'd like to try as a group. I am not a vegetarian or vegan but want to try more vegetarian/vegan entrees at restaurants to inspire me creatively to incorporate more veggies into my diet.

I can start a free mailing list on Yahoo! Groups for people to be able to keep in touch with each other, discuss ideas, and coordinate. I've done this for some of my classes, and it's worked well.

[rachanna]

Yes, 350 Kitty, I agree that having people partner to cook the meals is a great idea. That has worked fantastically well in my experience with this kind of rotational cooking concept. In addition to taking the "load" off of one person, it ends up functioning as a community building thing, especially if you sign up/volunteer to cook with someone you didn't know before.

Also, yes, please set up the yahoo group or whatever type of list serve you'd like, that will facilitate communication for those interested. That's a great idea!
As for vegetarian/vegan meal planning...I think the more of us that can prepare yummy vegan meals, the better for everyone...for so many reasons. Although I eat animals from time to time, I always cooked/prepared vegan for our community meals in the past, because I enjoyed including everyone (meat eaters can eat vegan, whereas vegans can't eat meat).
Anyway, it's good to have a lot of options.

Looking forward to seeing how this concept evolves here in Santa Rosa!

Julie

[Sciguy]

Reading about the munch-bunch rotational eating reminds me of what I was seeking and found in San Francisco in the seventies. I had been living abroad and hearing so much about life in the Bay Area, I couldn't wait to join in.

I joined something called the Harrad group, like the book back then called the Harrad Experiment. Mostly upright middle class members. No, I didn't say uptight. One evening we had a movable feast. Appetizers in San Francisco, Entrees in Mill Valley. Dessert in Oakland. Everybody drove and car pooled from one place to another. Gas was cheap. Friendly folks. Great eats!

Then a real San Francisco down and dirty all the stops blown out sex orgy upstairs. What a time to remember! Everyone participated.

I was so much older then. I'm younger than that now.

In a world of HIV and Hepatitis and who know what else, it seems like a dream now. But maybe everything comes in cycles and it will all start again in Santa Rosa.

As part of the meal, maybe everyone should get a copy of The Harrad Experiment. I recommend it.

Have fun!

Sciguy



I too am interested in a Santa Rosa munch bunch group! Back in the fall, I organized something with the same intention, here where I live in the Junior College neighborhood. I did it specifically with the strong intention of being able to share food and community without getting into a car to do it. A wonderful group came together twice a month for about 6 months. It was a great experience for everyone, and it facilitated a deepening of connections amongst neighbors.


So I am thrilled about the prospect of a Santa Rosa munch bunch.

Years ago, I lived in an intentional community in Mendocino county, where we did all our dinners in this manner. It was fabulous!

If a group forms here in Santa Rosa, I will let my neighbors who have expressed interest in rotational meals know about it too.

Thanks to whoever started this thread.

Hope to see some of you at the dinner table this year!

julie

[Sabrina]

Thanks for all your info Julie. I live in downtown Santa Rosa near Luther Burbank Home and Gardens Neighborhood. My husband and I love cooking and often find ourselves cooking for largish groups of friends. But we find that not everyone is like us, enjoying cooking so much for everyone. We would love to connect with others who like to cook for others too because it's nice to sometimes not be the one who's cooking and enjoy others food. The problem for me with pot lucks is you have to do so much more coordinating to have a balanced meal and find things like everyone brings chips or salad, no main dish, etc. I too enjoy animals to eat, although do NOT subscribe to factory farmed animals that you find in places like albertsons, etc., and prefer pretty much all of my food to be naturally / organically raised be it from the animal or plant kingdoms.

I think the idea of cooking with a partner is fine for some, but for us we are already a group of 4 in our house so we often already cook together and adding another person to cook in our house could be unnecessary. But I understand how that would be good for folks who live alone as single people. That being said, there could be groups who form that are more geared toward a few families or "households" that share, and then other groups that are "singles" oriented? And I understand that too many "households" getting together could become too "huge" to handle in some homes so it could need to be somewhat limited - or maybe some sort of organized rotation of family / household groups who alternate how and who they meet with: Food for thought.

Sabrina


I too am interested in a Santa Rosa munch bunch group! Back in the fall, I organized something with the same intention, here where I live in the Junior College neighborhood. I did it specifically with the strong intention of being able to share food and community without getting into a car to do it. A wonderful group came together twice a month for about 6 months. It was a great experience for everyone, and it facilitated a deepening of connections amongst neighbors.
However, a number of people felt quite hesitant about cooking for a large group, and it was suggested that we start out doing pot lucks, until people felt confident enough to do the rotational cooking. I agreed, though my strong desire was always to have alternating cooking, and therefore having a lot of meals that you don't have to cook at all.
During the course of 6 months, a few people warmed up to the idea of doing the rotational cooking. However, the couple who were organizing this with me, just had a baby and can't help coordinate for the time being(we rotated houses, and thus had to have someone finding the host, alerting people as to where we were eating, and any other relevant deatails.) After surveying the group, I found there weren't enough people enthused about rotating cooking regular meals for me to take on trying to coordinate it on my own, so I've put the whole thing on hold for now.

So I am thrilled about the prospect of a Santa Rosa munch bunch.

Years ago, I lived in an intentional community in Mendocino county, where we did all our dinners in this manner. It was fabulous!

A few details that the group, once formed, may like to consider are:

-proximity to eachother (I don't like to use a car, for obvious reasons, and subsequently organize and participate in activities mostly within a couple of miles from my home in central Santa Rosa. I hope some of you interested are located within that distance. if not, maybe there's enough interest to form a few groups organized by general location)

-food choice committments (while I eat animals, I don't eat anything that comes straight out of your standard factory farms...the conditions and quality are just too awful, in my opinion. But Sonoma County is filled with options for eating animals that have been raised in more humane, and healthier conditions. I think this, among other things, would be a good thing to discuss amongst whatever group, or groups, form)

Wow...I guess I have a lot of opinions on this topic.

If a group forms here in Santa Rosa, I will let my neighbors who have expressed interest in rotational meals know about it too.

Thanks to whoever started this thread.

Hope to see some of you at the dinner table this year!

julie

[350kitty]

About distance, I don't mind traveling farther than 1-2 miles, and may try to carpool. I'm in northwest Santa Rosa near Finley Community Center, about 3 miles from downtown.

I'll go ahead and start an electronic mailing list shortly - email me directly or here on this thread if you wish to be added.




The problem for me with pot lucks is you have to do so much more coordinating to have a balanced meal and find things like everyone brings chips or salad, no main dish, etc. I too enjoy animals to eat, although do NOT subscribe to factory farmed animals that you find in places like albertsons, etc., and prefer pretty much all of my food to be naturally / organically raised be it from the animal or plant kingdoms.
Sabrina

I don't have a problem organizing/coordinating potlucks. I've done that before, it's worked out well, esp. if we can use an electronic mailing list. That way it's also not so dependent on one person coordinating.




I think the idea of cooking with a partner is fine for some, but for us we are already a group of 4 in our house so we often already cook together and adding another person to cook in our house could be unnecessary. But I understand how that would be good for folks who live alone as single people.
Sabrina


I would say cooking with a partner can be quite optional. Some might even want/need two partners to cook with. Some might already have a partner or two to cook with (as in Sabrina's case) - and some may even prefer cooking alone. No problem with that....


I also like the idea of eating sustainably/locally, and buying organic produce, and organic/natural meats.

[Kat]

I live south of Costco but would like to join a dinner group. Please add my to your list.

Thanks,

Kat
[email protected]

[350kitty]

Hi folks,
I created a Yahoo! Groups mailing list called "Santa Rosa Dinner-G." If you got a welcome message for the mailing list, I've added you if I was able to find or if you sent me your email address. If I've added you by mistake and you wish to be removed, just click "unsubscribe" at the bottom of the welcome message I sent to you tonight.

Here's the description I wrote:

About Santa Rosa Dinner-G:

This Santa Rosa dinner group is focused on community, eating well, living well, and local/sustainable foods.

"G" stands for "group." It can also stand for "green."

I like "Dinner-G" because it sounds like "ENERGY." It also sounds like "synergy." Maybe we can come together and also "cook" up some ideas about actions we can take to help the environmental movement.

These are just a few ideas/suggestions for this new group. We have yet to decide what it's about.

We'll see!

[350kitty]

To send an email to the new mailing list, send an email to:

[email protected]

To be added to the mailing list, send me a private email.

[rachanna]

Thanks for doing this! I would like to invite my neighbors who were interested in rotational cooking community meals to join the group, and be part of the discussion of what may evolve. You said in your previous email to send a private email to you to subscribe, but i'm not sure what your private email is. are you referring to the yahoogroups email?
thanks for letting me know.

julie

[350kitty]

I try not to post my email address to WaccoBB, as it could be harvested by spammers.

But there are at least a couple of ways to send or reply to me privately via Wacco:

1) On the WaccoBB, there's a way to reply privately to me (at the bottom of any message I send to Wacco, there's a button that says "Reply Privately."

2) If you receive all your Wacco posts in your email account, there is probably a way (either a link or instructions or a button) to reply privately as well.

Hope that helps

[350kitty]

I've started a new thread called "Santa Rosa Dinner-G" to separate conversations about the Sebastopol-based Munch Bunch and the new Santa Rosa-based Santa Rosa Dinner-G group. If you wish to continue talking about the Santa Rosa dinner group, please reply to the other thread.

Palin, sorry we Santa Rosans have taken over your original thread! Hope you get the members you want!

[Palin Wycoff]

Palin, sorry we Santa Rosans have taken over your original thread! Hope you get the members you want!


No worries, Dinner-G! It's pretty cool to see a group spin-off in Santa Rosa. We've already had one start from ours in Sebastopol that is still going strong. We've discovered over the years the value of getting clear on a few simple values around food and community and a short list of guidelines around logistics and such. If you'd like any help with these, let us know. It looks like you're off to a good start. Blessings and abundance, Palin

[350kitty]

Yes, if you could email us the guidelines you have for your dinner group that would be great. We could talk it over with the new group. Thanks!