ALL ABOUT FOOD CLUB.

Here it is. Everything you want to know about Food Club.

There's been a few questions about Food Club. And not being the secretive kind of keep-it-to-myself sort of person, here is what we do. They're not rules, so much as guidelines...

• There are eight of us, and we meet approximately once a month to six weekly at one of our homes (we take turns so that we all host it once a year).
• It's always held on a weeknight around 7:30pm (after the kids go to bed) until late. Some of us have husbands who work away at some time, so we usually try to host a night when we are husbandless. (Also, if another fellow foodie isn't hosting, but hasn't got anyone to look after the kids, they usually bring their kids in the pjs and put them to bed in the hostess' house.)
  
• Everyone makes one dish, and one foodie makes drinks instead of a dish (usually it's a fancy drink). There is always ample food.
• We choose a theme for each night. So far, we've done these themes: summer, autumn, spring, summer, comfort food, all things pizza (even dessert pizzas!), Donna Hay Vs. Nigella Lawson (four of us made Donna Hay dishes, the other four made Nigella Lawson dishes - we had to guess who was who!), Thai, Food from the 50s (we dressed up), 70s/Fondue night (we dressed up), all things Jamie Oliver, English Wedding banquet (on the same night as the royal wedding - and we dressed up in our old bridesmaids gear!), Christmas in July, Traditional Christmas and Food For Gifts (our most recent one).
• Usually the next theme, date and host is decided on a Food Club night, and if someone has something they want to try that fits the theme, they can designate that dish on the night of deciding. The host keeps a list of who is going to bring what, and usually the emails are sent to every fellow foodie, so we know what is left to bring. Then it's first in, best dressed for filling in the rest of the menu. Usually at our meals consists of entrees/nibbles, two savouries/mains (four of the girls are vegetarian, so usually there is a vegetarian dish and a meat dish), a hot dish, a salad, drinks, two desserts. As I said, PLENTY OF FOOD! The host usually sets the table all pretty and provides some water and another drink of their choice.
  
• The best bit is that after every meal, when planning the next Food Club night, we send the recipe of what we made to each foodie so they can add it to their repoirtoire. At our first Christmas, Melanie (our fellow foodie) compiled all our first years' worth of recipes into a cook book. I use that little cookbook a lot! Also, for Christmas and Christmas in July we have organised Kris Kringles. The first one was a $10 food tool, and the second one was a $20 cookbook. Our last one we made a dish for the table, and then that dish in a packaged gift size to gift to another foodie. We put names in a hat, and that is who we gave it to! So you can see the ideas are endless! And so much fun.

Each of us are in Food Club for different reasons. Some girls have families who don't like trying new things and they long to try lots of new recipes, some just love to cook and try new things, some aren't good cooks and they want to learn more, some are trying to add to their limited repoirtoire! I'm in it because I love to cook and eat. Because, seriously...

We have one of our foodies who is like our mum. She is the BEST cook, and she always teaches us something new. Last week she showed us some christmas gift wrapping ideas. She's super creative!

When we first started Food Club, not one of us knew everyone in it. Because it was a combination of two mother's group friends, book club friends, mothers whose children go to the same school, sisters, and friends from different groups. I knew three other Food Club members before, but met the other four through Food Club. I think we are all very different and have a diverse age group - but that's what makes it so much fun!

Oh, and if you want to see more Food Club posts here on this blog, go here (just remember, that the top post will be this one, so keep scrolling down).
So... when will you start your local Food Club? I'm so looking forward to hearing if you pull it off!