What we’re about
**ABOUT THIS GROUP (**This is a "ladies only" cooking club - Ladies Night Out! :)
We are a blog-based cooking club for foodies and cooks of every kind! We are all about REAL people, eating REAL food, with REAL ingredients from REAL cooking blogs having REAL FUN! We are the "Real Deal" :):) IF YOU…
- are on a special diet
- are not on a special diet :)
- love good food
- love cooking
- love exploring new recipes & techniques
- are a seasoned cook
- are just learning how to cook
- want to connect with people through cooking
This group is for you!
Simply put, we believe in real unprocessed foods, real ingredients, good old fashioned scratch cooking, local seasonal ingredients, and real fun in the kitchen! Anything goes – meats, fruits, veggies, pasta, breads, grains, desserts (yes please!), drinks, and anything else you can find on the blogs we post! You can choose recipes that accommodate your personal diet and preferences or you can explore recipes that you might not normally try! Whatever you’re style, whatever your preferences, we aim to choose blogs that will offer a good wholesome variety of foods and cooking styles that we can enjoy and learn from together!
Heard of “Ancestral Cooking”? “Clean eating”? “Whole foods”? We’re aiming for the good stuff :)….the REAL DEAL!
WHAT TO EXPECT
Each month, we will post a food blog, and each attendee will choose at least one recipe from the blog, prepare it at home, and bring it to the event. We will sample each dish “buffet style”, and discuss the recipes. You can stick to the recipe as written, play with the recipe and make it your own, or adapt it to a special diet. It's up to you! If you do adapt the recipe, you can let us know how you adapted it, and if it accommodates any special diet during the group discussion. We will go around the room at each event, introduce ourselves, discuss our recipes and cooking experiences, and talk a little about life as well, so we can build some friendships!
Even if you are more apt to choose recipes that don't involve cooking (such as special salad recipes from the blogs) we would love for you to join! If you are willing to bring a prepared dish from the blog in some capacity, you are welcome to join this group!
If the event is "full" just jump on the waitlist no matter how long it is! As events get closer it is likely that you may be moved to the "going" list if people drop off, or if we decide we can fit a few more people in.
A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZERS
CHRISTINE: I love to cook and eat ALL kinds of food – I eat meat, veggies, gluten, sugar, you name it! I love cooking and eating real food, and I love exploring new recipes. I am also an avid baker. In addition to this group, I have a baking group which has been existence since 2016, a social group started by my church, and a foodie instagram page.
ALISON: I'm a trained natural foods chef who specializes in gluten-free, dairy-free, anti-candida and healing foods in general. For the last 12 years I've cooked for and coached people helping them achieve optimal health through diet and lifestyle. I have a website and an instagram page focused on healthy, natural food, and cooking and lifestyle tips.
We can’t wait to meet you and we are looking forward to trying all of your dishes as we explore different blogs, recipes, and cooking styles! We hope that everyone will benefit from this fun adventure and that all of us will be able to add new recipes to our cooking repertoire!
Upcoming events (1)
See all- INSPIRED TASTE RECIPE BLOGNorth Shore Bible Church, essex, MA
The couple who writes this blog says that their goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and confidently cook fresh and flavorful meals. They focus on fresh, vibrant ingredients and bold flavors, creating enjoyable meals you’ll want to make again! This blog is one that I (Christine) use often - and there are so many categories! You will find inspirational recipes to satisfy any palate and any diet. To find recipes specific to a special diet, scroll down under the recipe index tab. On a fun note - they have a "cooking club"! At the beginning of each month, they post recipes and an entry form. If you submit a photo of one of their posted recipes, you are entered into a drawing for a $250 Amazon gift card. So fun!! :):)
Choose any recipe from any part of the blog. You can choose a recipe that suits your special diet or personal eating habits, or you can try something new! Have fun exploring! Remember...you can PLAY with the recipe if you want - you don't have to do it exact. Be creative and talk to us about what you did different! For example, you can substitute ingredients, add meat to meatless dishes, make a regular dish gluten free, or just adjust things in the recipe that you feel need adjusting! Have fun...make it yours! :)) When you find something that 'speaks' to you, leave a comment and let us know what you're bringing!
**PLEASE NOTE THE TIME! WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED OUR EVENTS TO BEGIN AT 6pm, HOWEVER THE TIME HAS CHANGED TO 4:30**
If the event is "full" just jump on the waitlist no matter how long it is! As events get closer it is likely that you may be moved to the "going" list if people drop off.
EVENT ROAD MAP:
- Peruse the blog and choose at least one recipe. Don't feel obligated to double the recipe - everyone will take a small portion, and not everyone will eat every single thing. So feel free to prepare one regular recipe as written, but you can make more if you really want to.
- Leave a comment, and let us know what you're bringing. Please try not to duplicate dishes. We want to experience as many recipes as possible! Hopefully we will all find new blogs and recipes that we really love and can add to our cooking repertoire as time goes on!
- Prepare your dish at home and bring it to the event. If you are preparing a hot dish, think about how you want to keep your dish warm. We have a microwave and a stove / oven available for warming. You might also consider a crockpot, warming tray, chafing dish, or insulated carrier. It may also be just as tasty served at room temperature! Whatever works for you - just plan ahead!
- Attempt to arrive on time (by 4:30) with your dish. If you arrive late, there is a good possibility that your dish may not get eaten. We want everything available for sampling at the beginning and we will probably start each event within 5-10 minutes after 4:30 just to give everyone a chance to settle in.
- Place your dish on the table, label it, get a name tag, and grab a cup of coffee :). You can either create a label for your dish at home or use the provided labels. You can indicate if your dish is vegan or gluten free (or any other special diet.
- Allergies: Please label all nuts, nut based flours, coconut, gluten, dairy, shellfish, and mushrooms for allergy purposes. We have members that are allergic to these foods. (If anyone is allergic to something other than what is listed, please let me know).
RSVP:
Please be sure to change your rsvp if you cannot attend. Please do not wait until the last minute to do so. This makes it very difficult for people on the waitlist to research recipes and have time to cook. No-shows make it impossible for others to attend. If you don't show up for a meetup or back out last minute, we may scoot you over to the wait list for the next event to give someone else a chance. We want to be fair to everyone and give everyone equal opportunity to enjoy these events! :)PROVIDED:
There will be paper goods, disposable utensils, serving utensils, name tags, labels, coffee, tea, creamer, and water. That being said, we are asking that every few events, each of you consider donating one of the following to help with supply costs.DONATIONS ACCEPTED:
- a small box of eating utensils - clear or white
- or a small bag of ground coffee or decaf (Maxwell House or Folgers only), or tea (no keurig)
- coffee filters
- cold cups for water
- hot cups with lids
- napkins
Some people may opt to bring their own plate to cut down on trash and costs. This is purely a personal choice, and we will always have paper plates available! Also, if you are interested in leftovers, please BRING YOUR OWN take-out container. There will probably be an opportunity to take some left-overs home at the end of the evening! Tomorrow's lunch? We will not be providing take out containers so please remember to pack one!
$$ CONTRIBUTIONS:
[ *If you are a member of the other group (Bakers and Tasters) and have contributed there, you are all set! You don't need to contribute to both. ]It is suggested that attendees contribute $3 - $5 at each event (contribution box provided). Meetup expenses do add up, the cost to organize a group increases each year, and it does take time and effort to make things nice :). If you would like to see what your contributions are going towards, all expenses and donations are recorded, but the link often doesn't work on mobile - only on a computer. You can find a record of expenses and contributions here. We appreciate any and all donations!
We are looking forward to meeting you, discussing recipes, and spending time with you around the table! See you soon! Have FUN exploring and cooking!
Christine and Alison
