Image by panduh via FlickrIs your free time limited? Have you ever experienced an ounce of guilt after spending a few quality hours with your girlfriends? You are in luck with this fun girls night idea! Another plan to combine your chores with fun and friendship, and probably wine :) you’ll prepare meals together to freeze and eat at a later date. We all have to eat, so why not find a way to make the prep work more fun? It’s a win-win situation: You get to spend a few hours actively connecting with your friends while saving yourself time in the busy holiday weeks ahead.
Setting and Setup
The nice thing about this party is the only room you have to clean is the kitchen!
First, pick a simple theme for the recipes you will make, such as casseroles, soups, chilis, or chicken dishes. Consider your friends’ budgets when setting your theme. You may want to limit the meals to 4- or 5-ingredient recipes. A great resource for make ahead recipes is http://onceamonthmom.com/.
If someone is making lasagna, they should bring foil pans or you can provide.
Have plenty of freezer bags, small zip-seal bags and aluminum foil on hand. You will also need labels and/or a Sharpie marker. Single girls: You may want to have small freezer bags or plastic containers so you can freeze individual portions.
On the day of the party, you will want to make sure your kitchen is sparkling and ready for your friends. Clear the counters, wipe down the stovetop and clean out the frig.
Invitations
With preparations made, now it’s time to invite your girlfriends! Because of time and space constraints, limit your guest list to five or fewer.
Try sending your invitations on recipe cards: Recipe for a Great Evening
4 chatty friends
5 different dishes
1 cup of laughter
1 hot stove
A splash of wine
And the key ingredient: You!
We’ll be cooking up freeze-ahead recipes while we enjoy each other’s company. Please bring all the ingredients to make your favorite recipe (times 5!). You’ll leave with 5 different meals to put in your freezer.
Food and Drink
Super simple is the key here. You are going to be cooking up a storm, so you don’t want to be tired out from preparing snacks for your guests. Popcorn, chips, store-bought brownie bites, or other easy nibbles are all you need. Be sure to have sodas, beer, wine, a pitcher of margaritas, or whatever your crew likes to drink at the ready.
Ready, Set, Cook!
Pack the finished dish in as many zip-top bags or foil pans as needed. Wrap securely.
Using a permanent marker (we love Sharpies), write the name of the recipe on the bag as well as any special instructions…e.g. “cook at 350 for 50 minutes,” or “serve over pasta.”
Connecting Activities
Spending time in the kitchen together is a great opportunity to share joys, setbacks and thoughts on life over food. Here are few potential conversation starters:
-Your favorite food related memory
-Who is your favorite chef
-How you learned to cook (or didn’t)
-Your signature recipe
If you want to add something extra special, here are few party favor ideas:
- Find plain aprons at a craft store (sometimes you can even find then at the dollar store) and decorate with fabric paints, or create iron-on transfers using a favorite picture of you and your girlfriends.
- Chicken Soup for the Girlfriend’s Soul
- Ask your girlfriends to send you their recipes ahead of time so you can make copies and have them ready to hand out at the party. You can put them in page protectors, or, if you are feeling ambitious, start a “Girlfriends Cookbook” binder that you can add to each time you get together to cook.
Give this fun party idea a try, you have to cook anyway, and now you get to do it while gabbing with your friends. Try it, and you may discover a new tradition. What a blast to get things done AND have fun. All it takes is a little advance planning and a kitchen full of girlfriends!
Setting and Setup
The nice thing about this party is the only room you have to clean is the kitchen!
First, pick a simple theme for the recipes you will make, such as casseroles, soups, chilis, or chicken dishes. Consider your friends’ budgets when setting your theme. You may want to limit the meals to 4- or 5-ingredient recipes. A great resource for make ahead recipes is http://onceamonthmom.com/.
If someone is making lasagna, they should bring foil pans or you can provide.
Have plenty of freezer bags, small zip-seal bags and aluminum foil on hand. You will also need labels and/or a Sharpie marker. Single girls: You may want to have small freezer bags or plastic containers so you can freeze individual portions.
On the day of the party, you will want to make sure your kitchen is sparkling and ready for your friends. Clear the counters, wipe down the stovetop and clean out the frig.
Invitations
With preparations made, now it’s time to invite your girlfriends! Because of time and space constraints, limit your guest list to five or fewer.
Try sending your invitations on recipe cards: Recipe for a Great Evening
4 chatty friends
5 different dishes
1 cup of laughter
1 hot stove
A splash of wine
And the key ingredient: You!
We’ll be cooking up freeze-ahead recipes while we enjoy each other’s company. Please bring all the ingredients to make your favorite recipe (times 5!). You’ll leave with 5 different meals to put in your freezer.
Food and Drink
Super simple is the key here. You are going to be cooking up a storm, so you don’t want to be tired out from preparing snacks for your guests. Popcorn, chips, store-bought brownie bites, or other easy nibbles are all you need. Be sure to have sodas, beer, wine, a pitcher of margaritas, or whatever your crew likes to drink at the ready.
Ready, Set, Cook!
Pack the finished dish in as many zip-top bags or foil pans as needed. Wrap securely.
Using a permanent marker (we love Sharpies), write the name of the recipe on the bag as well as any special instructions…e.g. “cook at 350 for 50 minutes,” or “serve over pasta.”
Connecting Activities
Spending time in the kitchen together is a great opportunity to share joys, setbacks and thoughts on life over food. Here are few potential conversation starters:
-Your favorite food related memory
-Who is your favorite chef
-How you learned to cook (or didn’t)
-Your signature recipe
If you want to add something extra special, here are few party favor ideas:
- Find plain aprons at a craft store (sometimes you can even find then at the dollar store) and decorate with fabric paints, or create iron-on transfers using a favorite picture of you and your girlfriends.
- Chicken Soup for the Girlfriend’s Soul
- Ask your girlfriends to send you their recipes ahead of time so you can make copies and have them ready to hand out at the party. You can put them in page protectors, or, if you are feeling ambitious, start a “Girlfriends Cookbook” binder that you can add to each time you get together to cook.
Give this fun party idea a try, you have to cook anyway, and now you get to do it while gabbing with your friends. Try it, and you may discover a new tradition. What a blast to get things done AND have fun. All it takes is a little advance planning and a kitchen full of girlfriends!
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