Now What?

[CaroleDrake]

We started the club, have a meeting set, and now we need to know what is next. Like how do we set up menus, how do we structure who pays for how much, who can attend (significant others?, children), who does the shopping - you know all that administrative stuff that comes after the excitement of "Let's Start a Club!!"

Anyone have any experience in this?

Carole

[woofsbeak]

Our hostess (it's usually the same person - my sister) chooses a theme for each get together and then we research our cooking light recipes and e-mail each other recipe ideas (we add everyone to a group mailer, so everyone involved gets every e-mail from any member) ideas and everyone decides on a dish in that theme (for instance, our next is 'Italian' and 2 people will be making a main dish, a few will bring side dishes, a few desserts, etc.). The hostess usually provides drinks (wine or such). We have also done specific ingredient themes, such as 'Tomato Dishes'. This works for us. Each person shops and pays for their own ingredients, and then makes the dish either the night before or the morning of, or informs the hostess that their dish will need to be prepared at the time of the get together (in that scenario, we try to keep it to no more than 2 people preparing, otherwise it gets too hectic). We keep our get togethers to just the cooks (at this time it's all women). We did one with significant others, but the men just kept sticking their noses in and picking at stuff, so we nixed that and decided this was 'girl bonding time'.

[CaroleDrake]

Thanks Woofspeak, great ideas, I can see the men doing that!!
Carole

[TigerDan]

Why not select from your husband or significant others favorite dishes?
Plan it in such a way that they will want to be helpful and involved..
Remember some of us guys are pretty good cooks in our own rite
Dan

[CaroleDrake]

Good idea, Dan. Maybe I'd better go get one of those. ;)