5 Easy Ways to Give Thanks This Year

0 comments By The Kitchen Whisperer Filed in General November 25th, 2008 @ 2:01 pm

Between roasting the turkey and baking the pumpkin pie, it’s easy to forget that the true essence of Thanksgiving is to celebrate our gratitude for all we have, especially the bountiful meals we get to enjoy with friends and family.

In these times of economic hardship, there are many folks who will have less to celebrate. Give thanks this year by helping those less fortunate enjoy a holiday meal. Here are five easy ways to help:

1) Gather. Run a holiday food drive in your office or at your children’s school. The San Francisco Food Bank asks for a 100-pound pledge (roughly 2/3 of a barrel) for any pick up, but you can also drop off smaller amounts at their designated locations.

2) Bag It. Organizations like Glide in San Francisco need volunteers to bag donated groceries this December for families to take home and make their own holiday dinner.

3) Serve. Help serve up holiday meals with One Brick, a volunteer staffing organization that gathers people together for various community projects. It’s simple to sign up for events online. Their calendars cover all major cities.

4) Deliver. Volunteer 1-hour of your time and your car to deliver food for Food Runners. You’ll pick up excess food from businesses such as restaurants or hotels, and make deliveries to shelters and neighborhood programs that feed the hungry.

5) Donate. A cash donation of $10 can provide two nutritious meals for a homebound senior citizen. For an organization like Meals On Wheels, nearly 50% of their funding comes from individual donations. By donating online, you can assure that 82 cents of every dollar you donate goes directly to delivering meals and services to seniors.

How To Save Your Holiday Party from Getting the Ax

0 comments By The Kitchen Whisperer Filed in Entertaining, General, News & Events Tagged with , , , , , , , , November 18th, 2008 @ 1:58 pm

Holiday spirits have hit an all time low with many companies choosing to slash holiday party budgets, opting for small potluck gatherings or canceling the party all-together.

While immediate cutbacks make sense from a financial standpoint, canceling the end-of-the-year celebration can be short-sighted… hard-working employees will leave for the holidays disgruntled and unmotivated for a new year that seems equally dismal.

Fear not, we’re here to help with a smart alternative that will save this year’s company holiday party. We call it our “Appetite Stimulus Plan.”

cooking partyAt a fraction of the cost of a traditional dinner with free flowing wine, you can host a do-it-yourself cooking party, where guests attend a cooking class, create a gourmet meal, then sit-down to a dining celebration.

5 Insider Tips for Low-Cost Holiday Cooking Parties:

1) Host the party in your office or home versus renting a professional kitchen. Saves over $600.

2) Opt for our Sumptuous Small Plates appetizer party, instead of a full meal. Saves $20+ per person.

3) BYOB the alcoholic beverages (example: Two-Buck Chuck wine). Stick to just beer and wine only. Saves $5+ per person.

4) Skip traditional employee gifts and order party favors like logo chocolates or logo mint tins for as low as $2.55 per person. Saves $10+ per person.

5) Take advantage of our monthly SideDish Special. From $200 off your event, to free party favors and complimentary champagne toasts, the special varies from month to month. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter to get the scoop on the current offer! Saves a bunch.

Save your holiday party from cancellation now! We can help you plan a cost savvy cooking celebration that will be fun, memorable, build morale and best of all taste delicious! Contact Parties That Cook’s event planners at info@partiesthatcook.com or 1-888-907-2665. Or just fill out our simple online form for immediate assistance.

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