About Our Group

The group consists of 12 girls, each paired with a partner. Each month a partnership will host a dinner, which entails formal invitations, decorations, menus, a multi-course dinner, party favors, etc. Each year we'll have six hosted dinners, a few potlucks, and then take the summer off. The dinners are a lot of work, but a lot of fun. Each partnership will host once a year, and usually have a few months to plan. There are no set themes – be as creative as you want. This gives each of us plenty of opportunities to not only try out new recipes, but to also share an evening with friends.




Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Parisian Soirée

April's Event:

Our hosts for this month was Ashley and Darleen. These girls took it to the next level and transformed the dining room into what I believe would be a 1900's night club feel. The dining room already had the french-inspired feel from the large chandelier, beautiful wallpaper, and the grandness of the room. We were all taken back and loved eating beneath a sky of vintage umbrellas and parasols.





The Invite

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Trouble

I've heard from a few of you that you weren't able to download March's Dinner menu. I've reloaded it and now hopefully you are able to receive it.

Click on this link
http://www.4shared.com/document/1_AilFHQ/Gourmet_Girls_March_Dinner.html?

You will click on the BLUE download button.
It will count for 20 seconds
and than you should be able to view it.

Post a comment if you are not able to view it.

Also we forgot to add the Orange-Mint Drink to the document so here it is for all of you who want it. It is so yummy you have to try this.

Grandma Anderson's Orange-Mint Drink

5 cups water
5 cups sugar

Make a syrup by boiling this mixture for about 10 min. or until it starts to slightly thicken and sugar is dissolved.

Then add:
4 good handfuls of fresh mint (crush and twist it a little as you put it in to realease the flavor. I put stems and everything in b/c it all has flavor and you'll strain it out anyway)

Steep for one hour or more then strain out the mint leaving just the syrup.

Then add:
1 3/4 cup (which is one 12 fl oz can of frozen orange juice)
1 3/4 cup lemon juice concentrate (not the frozen stuff just the bottled lemon juice)

Store in the fridge. Serve with ice and 7-up.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Celebrate the Season

March's Event:


Since the first day of Spring was on March 20th we decided to Celebrate the Season by having our gourmet dinner that same week. The hosts for this month were myself (Lindsey) and my partner Amanda. We wanted to bring Spring into the home by bringing in lots of flowers, lights, moss and also focus on having a light and fresh atmosphere. We brought that concept into the food, no more heavy foods, we wanted food that was light in taste and dishes that used fresh produce for the season.


The Invite

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Chinese New Year and Murder Mystery Dinner

February's Event:

Since Chinese New Year landed in the month of February, Joni and Krissy based their theme around it. It is the most elaborate and important holiday in the Chinese calendar. Food plays a vital part in most of the festivities and these girls did an amazing job of providing delicious food but also adding some traditional food served in the festivities. 

To go along with our Chinese New Year night, the girls decided to throw in some fun by adding a Murder Mystery game.

Madame Wong, a wealthy widow, suddenly freezes and falls over, dead. She has been poisoned, by a blow dart. Everyone present could have done it as everyone had the means and the motive. Who killed Madame Wong?

Everybody came ready to play and dressed in their parts, unfortunately with the time and amount of people not present we were not able to play the Murder Mystery game and are still wondering, 'Who killed Madame Wong?' 

The food was so delicious, we are all still talking about it and the decorations were so beautiful and well put together. 

The Invite


The Decorations:

Paper Lanterns
A gold woven table runner
votive candles 


Dinner Setting:

Gold Square Charger Plate
Orange Napkin draped under the Place setting
A bowl filled with rocks and water topped with a Cymbidium Orchid 
and chopsticks






Thursday, February 3, 2011

A Very Merry Un-Happy Birthday Party

January's Event:


It was so nice to get together with all the girls again, it has been months since all of us have been together since our first event in September.

Our hostesses for this month was Megan and Brooke, and they did an incredible job. The theme was 'A Very Merry Un-Happy Birthday Party' from Alice in Wonderland and on the invitation it said that we had to wear our Wonderland best. Everybody was dressed in frilly skirts, bright colored dresses and outfits fit for a tea party. Every little detail was thought of from the tea pots and cups to a beautiful pink color scheme. We all mentioned that if we were young again this would have been the best Tea Party birthday party.


The Invites: