Cooking Club

I was reading my friend Steph's blog and she was writing about how she was starting a cooking club and I was immediately interested!  I had been thinking about starting a book club but it never got off the ground because I don't really like to read.  Well, I should say, I don't like to feel pressured to read.  I like to read but I am an inconsistent reader and I usually read novels such as the Harry Potter books or other "light" reads... I do not enjoy books such as Jane Eyre or Little Women or other classics.  So my taste is limited and that doesn't work out so well in a book club.  I also didn't want the pressure of finishing a book every month because life gets busy and things come up and I might not finish the book.  So a Book Club is not my thing... however, a Cooking Club is more my style. 

So I read her "How to Start a Cooking Club" and got to work.  I invited 3 of my friends that love to cook but also don't know each other, 1 friend from church, 1 friend from the gym, and 1 friend from work.  Then, in my effort to meet new friends, I asked each of them to invite a friend of theirs that also loves to cook.  My goal was to bring together ladies that have never met in hopes to foster new friendships. 

I hosted a brunch for our first meeting and we had a blast!  I had asked all the gals to bring something from their kitchen that described them and it was a fun "get to know you game".  We also brainstormed and decided on our monthly themes:
April- Favorite Dessert or Salad- we really just wanted dessert but thought that might be sugar over load : )
May- Favorite Summertime/Picnic Recipe
June- Favorite Sweet and Savory Combo Recipe
July- Favorite Locally Grown Recipe- find your ingredients at the local farmer's market
August- Favorite Middle Eastern Recipe- think Moroccan, Indian, Thai, Greek, Chinese, Japanese
September- Favorite Classic Comfort Food or Childhood Fave with a Twist
October- Favorite Soup
November- Favorite Family Tradition Recipe
December- Favorite Appetizer

We also decided that we should challenge ourselves to enhance our skills.  Throughout the year we will try to incorporate a new ingredient, one that we have NEVER used before.  And we will try to use a new cooking method- grilling, roasting, frying, baking, sauteing, pressure cooking... the possibilities are endless! 

I am looking forward to meeting monthly with the Cooking Club and sharing our dishes, our recipes, and our life's together.  And I promise to share with you the Cooking Club's delicious recipes! 

"Food is a way of celebrating- of showing love to our families.  Recipes passed down from one generation to another can encourage and inspire us with a sense of belonging."