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better living | food
DIY dinners
TRENDY & SENSIBLE
Enjoy delicious meals without the fuss
BY DIANA SHOLLEY
WHEN Sandie Deon tried out a trendy new do-it-yourself dinner place, she loved it so much she decided to, well, do it herself.
"I thought it was awesome," said Deon, who promptly called her sister-in-law, Cheri Spolsdoff, with a business proposition.
Spolsdoff liked the idea. The women became partners and about 18 months ago they opened My Girlfriend's Kitchen in Rancho Cucamonga.
"We wanted to help everyone solve that age-old problem of what to have for dinner," Spolsdoff said.
My Girlfriend's Kitchen is a franchise, similar to other ready-to-assemble meal franchises including Dinner My Way and Dream Dinners. Each month, My Girlfriend's Kitchen offers 14 chef-tested meal choices featuring beef, chicken, pork and fish. The proteins are rounded out with a starch and vegetable.
Meal selections have included such tasty sounding suppers as The Three Breasted ChickenTM Goes to England, Beefy Shepherd's Pie, Grilled Fusion Pork Chops and Sunday Dinner Salmon. The cooking process ranges from oven and stovetop to grill and crockpot.
Customers sign up for an appointment with as many as 12 cooks to a session, choose the meals and upon arrival everything is ready for assembly. The work space is set up in serving stations, each of which features one recipe and everything needed for the preparation of that meal.
"If someone doesn't like mushrooms you can leave them out, or if they really like onions, add some extra," Deon said.
"And how many times have you bought a whole bottle of something and only use a teaspoon?" Meals can be made in two sizes: petite (serving two to three people) and grande (four to six). Customers may make any number of meals with price breaks for meal multiples.
Cost is about $4 per serving.
At first, it takes about two hours to make 10 dinners, but customers seem to get faster with each visit.
If the same dinners were made at home, it's difficult to say how much time a cook would spend on each meal — selecting the recipe, making a list, shopping, chopping and food prep then the ever-popular clean-up.
Deon and Spolsdoff understand the frustration families face. Both were busy moms trying to feed their families healthy, home-cooked meals but ended up in a fast-food drive-through all too often.
"Not everybody wants to cook or likes to cook, but most people like to eat healthy and like their family to eat a healthy, home-cooked meal," Spolsdoff said.
With meals at the ready, it's easy to bypass the drive-throughs.
At their My Girlfriend's Kitchen outlet, Deon and Spolsdoff have created a spacious, clean space with couches where customers can sit and chat between fixing dinners.
"We're kind of a gathering place," Spolsdoff said, "very family friendly." At any given session, friends, relatives, couples, mother/daughter combos and bunco buddies gather over the most bonding of substances: food.
Many cooks who come alone make friends quickly.
"We really wanted to introduce this concept to the community and show how it can really improve (people's) lives," Deon said.
Empty-nesters Kenneth and Cyndi Phelps both work full time and are thrilled with the way My Girlfriend's Kitchen has changed their lives.
"It's difficult to make a home-cooked meal when you're just cooking for the two of you," Kenneth said. "This is great. I haven't had a dinner I didn't like," he added.
The couple has spent quality time preparing meals together on site, but when they don't even have time for that, there's another option.
Deon and Spolsdoff also prepare meals for customers at no extra charge.
"We wanted everyone to be able to have a home-cooked meal," Deon said. "If they don't have time to make the meals, we'll do it and all they have to do is swing by and pick them up."
Dream Dinners
Tri-City Center, 1404 Industrial Park Ave., Redlands (909) 798-4626 TriCityCenterCA@dreamdinners.com
Dinner My Way
10590 Base Line Road, Suite B, Rancho Cucamonga (909) 945-5200 or (866) 899-3466 www.dinnermyway.com
My Girlfriend's Kitchen
11996 Jack Benny Drive, No. 102, Rancho Cucamonga (909) 944-9300 www.mygirlfriendskitchen.com
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TASTE PREVIEW
Recipes at My Girlfriend's Kitchen are copyrighted, so we can't divulge the specifics, but here's a sample of what's on the menu:
three-breasted chicken™ goes to england
The meal comes with an extra breast because there is never enough white meat. Then it's gloriously baked to look and taste fried, but without the extra fat.
Ingredients
Chicken, bread crumbs, egg, almonds, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, paprika, garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper (optional)
beefy shepherd's pie
Ground beef and vegetables roaming together in a rich gravy, topped with "Girlfriend" mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
"GF" potatoes (potatoes with sour cream and pepper), beef gravy, diced carrots, cheddar cheese, onions, celery, Parmesan cheese, garlic, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt and pepper
grilled fusion pork chops
Asian-marinated pork chops with a hint of West Indian spice ready for the grill or broiler. Coupled with a chili-lime corn side.
Ingredients
Pork chops, corn, soy sauce, lime juice, imitation butter, minced garlic, ginger, cumin, pepper and chili powder
sunday dinner salmon
A large salmon fillet with a bed of spinach tucked beneath it and a lovely line of orange slices on top.
Sprinkled with fresh rosemary leaves for good measure.
Ingredients
Salmon fillet, spinach, orange slices, orange juice concentrate, butter and fresh rosemary
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