Become a Once A Month Mom Test Kitchen!
It has taken me 1.5 years but I have FINALLY gotten in a rhythm of creating menus that allows me to work ahead! Well, a lot of that would be do to the assistance of Jessie in editing and helping to get them to press!
What this means for you is a better menu! And an opportunity to be a part of the process. Last month I solicited OAMM Facebook Fans to see if anyone was interested in doing a test run of the September menu. I was blown away by the number of responses I got from interested readers. It was awesome! Two different sets of people cooked the menus and gave me feedback hopefully resulting in a better quality menu with less mistakes for you.
I want to be a Once A Month Mom TEST Kitchen!
Since it worked so well I thought that I would put a call out to ALL my readers to find out if you are interested in being a Once A Month Mom Test Kitchen. If you are you will need to be able to do the following:
- Be able to keep the menu TOP SECRET until the 1st of the month when it is revealed.
- Be able to cook the previous month sometime between the 1st and the 15th. (For example: If you want to be a tester for the October menu you would need to be able to cook between September 1st and September 15th.)
- You can decide to not make a few of the items if you would like, however, I ask that you stay as close to the menu as possible – you can change ingredients if it is a family preference or allergy. I prefer you not sub in any recipes – I want to get a feel for the doable nature of the menu and any glitches I made. (I sometimes gift meals to others that our family won’t eat).
- Take notes as you go on amounts that were wrong or instructions that needed clarifying. Get notes to me within 48 hours of finishing.
- Call in an emergency or if you don’t know how to improvise – you will get my cell phone numbers for life lines! :)
- Acknowledge that there WILL be mistakes.
- Keep it top secret. (Did I mention that already?)
- Feel free to send me any questions before hand.
If you think that you are up for the challenge, I would LOVE to have you on board! I am would like everyone that is interested to fill out a brief survey. I will then choose at least two cooks for testing each of the menus for the next 6 months. There are also some specialty menus being worked on so you can sign up to be considered as a test kitchen for those as well.
The survey allows you to indicate which months you are most interested in testing so if there is a month that is no good for you, you can indicate that and I won’t choose you for that month. I will choose a test pool for each month and will also have a back-up pool in case something happens and a tester has to back out at the last minute.
I would love to say that I have compensation for you, but I don’t. If you have a blog you are welcome to write about your experience AFTER the 1st of the month that you are testing, you know, after the menu has posted. If along the way I am able to provide some level of compensation or a “thank you” I will most definitely do so. The “compensation” for you is the chance to have a sneak peak and have your cooking done but also to be a helping hand to fellow readers.
I want to be a Once A Month Mom TEST Kitchen!
I hope you will consider the opportunity! I look forward to working with many of you!
(Yes if you cook in a partner pair you can BOTH apply – double your chances!)
I would LOVE to be a test kitchen. I cook 98% of the time as we try to save money and we want our kids to eat healthy. I’m always trying out new recipes and coming up with our own. A favorite in our house is Bruscheta steak (or chicken or porkchops, whatever we have on hand).
This is such a neat idea!
I would love to do this so very badly! But I don’t think I can this year. If you keep doing this maybe in the future I can help out!
What a fun idea! I can’t participate myself right now due to other time constraints but I am happy to spread the word on my blog too. Will do so in the next day or so I hope!
Filled out the survey. Would love to be a test cook. My friends at work can’t wait to hear what is in the freezer each month (the #1 question at lunch is always – was that a freezer meal?).
That is awesome! I love that game!
Are they ever surprised about that something was a freezer meal?
Yes!!! Usually on fridays now I take the Black Bean & Mango Salad (they know it’s in the freezer) for all of us.
[...] Each month we have some wonderful volunteers who “test” out the menu prior to publication. Unfortunately, this last month we didn’t have any test cooks for the diet menu. If you are interested in being a test cook for the diet menu (or any menu for that matter) please let us know here. [...]
i would love to be atest cook for the diet menu! both my fiance and myself work crazy hours and are never hungry at the same time, because of this we both have gained 50lbs each (yikes), this would be a great way to live a healthy life when its not always an option.
thank you for this great site i cant wait to try these menus out!
I would love to be considered for a tester of the diet menus or any other menus you might be in need of.
I am a mothet if three and also have 3 stepkids we will be getting for the summer. So if I can have things planned that would save me alot of time and frustration.Thank you for your consideration.
Please fill out the survey that is linked in the post as well please! ;)
[...] a year ago we started asking you, the readers, to be our test kitchens for our monthly menus. Our test kitchens help us work out the kinks, missing ingredients, and poor directions on our monthly menus. It is a [...]
Such a great idea! I would LOVE to participate! We are always trying to find new ideas to stock our freezer, most of our current menus include your recipes (which are always fabulous!).
Off to fill out the survey now! :)
I posted a survey and would love to be your gluten free tester-outer-family.
Great, thanks Amanda!
I just posted a survey and Just wanted to add since I am due to have my baby in Sept I would love to try out some recipes so while I’m resting afterwards my husband and others helping will have one less thing to worry about.
I would love to do this and I hope the opportunity will be available next year. This year is really tight financially so it would be hard to spend the $$ to cook something that my family wouldn’t even eat. We like most of your dishes, bur we usually stick with the Mexican dishes.
Pretty sure I got the survey filled out correctly :) I need a push to do this. I’ve done the monthly planning in the past, but have fallen away from it.
I would love to be a test cook for you :) I cook almost every day, and recently started weight watchers so I would love to test the diet recipes. Also, I am a photographer and would be happy to take some photos of the recipes I test, if you want :) Thank you!
[...] October 1st (the same day that the October menus went live), the November test cooks received their documents to “test” the menu. Test cooks usually provide feedback on [...]
[...] that helps make great menus free to everyone. If you are interested in finding out more about the details of being a test cook you can read more here. If you have signed up in the past you MUST sign up AGAIN for this session. [...]
This was made for me. We have six kids, and I’m all ways looking for something new!! I love to cook! Most of our family time is spent in our kitchen! I think we have raised at least two cooks!
Fun! Just did my survey :) Thought you should know – on the choosing a month question, the 2nd choice (March) says “cooking between Feb 15 and July 15″
I’m interested in doing the test kitchen but don’t see the survey or where to sign up? all the links on this page seem to point to more info but no signup area.
I’m glad you mentioned that, apparently I linked up the wrong page. {Blush} The links are fixed now. We would love to have you.
I would love to be a diet test cook!!! :)
Did you fill out the survey? We pick our test cooks from that pool of people.
I’m wondering if you’re still accepting survey responses? The months of interest indicated on the survey are starting in July but there is no year indicated. Knowing this post was originally made in 2010, I was confused as to which July it’s talking about…
Thanks!
We’re always accepting!