Host a Budget-Friendly Freezer Meal Party with Wildtree - Tips & Ideas"

[JennyJennJen]

I just got an invite to a Wildtree Freezer Meal Workshop. You order your products ahead of time ($75 worth) then you go to the party and make 10 freezer meals (4 servings each). The guests bring a cooler with all their meat and ingredients, then you go there prep the meals and get labels and side dish recipes for each meal.

I wanted to go, but $75 for products plus the cost the meat and other ingredients was just too much for me at this time, but I wanted to go to see how it would work.

Anywho. Has anyone ever thought about or tried doing this with your parties? I think this would be a great thing to do with PC. The great thing is, we could have a much lower pre-order for spices, if we even wanted to do that, or be no cost to come, except ingredients.

Any suggestions on meal options and sides to go with them to do this?

 

[esavvymom]

I would certainly be curious, but the cost would scare me off...especially if you didn't know what meals you would be assembling (not all tastes are created equal, know what I mean?).PC does have a few Power Cooking themed shows. I think the info is still available on CC in the Themes, but I didn't like those recipes either. In that case though, you make the base (either chicken or beef), and then one completed recipe. The rest of the base goes for the host to make the other recipes later (I think 2, maybe 3?) The guests do not get their own, however they can see how it's done. THAT seems more manageable to me. I can't imagine trying to set up for all of the guests to make meals of their own too! I have a hard enough time just with regular show food...haha.

 

[KimJunker]

There is a PC Freezer Meals group on FB that has all sorts of recipies planned out, sheets to print for your guests, cooking day instructions. They bring the ingredients but if you buy in bulk, many times you can save at the register, plus your time and gas not making extra trips to the store. Working on setting up my own workshop.

 

[JennyJennJen]

Can you post a link to that group or pm me with it? I am very interested in it. Also, let us know how yours goes when you do it.

 

[KimJunker]

Will post a link when I get back to my pc.

 

[KimJunker]

Here is the link to the PC Freezer meal group. She explains in detail how she does her workshops. Hope this is found helpful.

 

[JennyJennJen]

The link didn't come through. Thank you though

 

[KimJunker]

Here is the link to the freezer meal group on FB. Sorry it took so long to get back on here. https://www.facebook.com/groups/472302276184951/. Hope it helps. The group name is Fast. Fun. Family-Friendly Freezer Meal Workshops.

 

[aPamperedBride]

I gave people the option before of bringing 1-2 pounds of chicken to take home a freezer meal. We made BBQ Chicken using salsa, ketchup, and brown sugar. I used to also make teriyaki chicken for my freezer at the same party. A friend of mine who did Tastefully Simple had lots of success doing parties where they pre-ordered the seasonings to make meals at her house, but her advance fee was to cover the products and the non-TS ingredients, so she didn't have the problem of a guest forgetting to bring one of the ingredients.

 

[Roadtripray]

How about this for an idea: get a set of the Leakproof Glass Containers, which are oven, microwave, and freezer safe. Show how to assemble meals, either doing a separate entree (like a pasta bake or something) so you could pre-prep several at once to maximize your prep time in the kitchen. Then demonstrate how easy it is to pop the dish right in the oven (try that with tupperware) to get that beautiful brown caramelizing on the top.You could bring some to the show that were already prepped to pop into the oven to show how school night dinner can be ready in 10 - 20 minutes (or whatever it takes to reheat and brown) and that can be baking while you are demonstrating the simple slicer, food chopper, etc in preparing the ones that go in the freezer or fridge.This sounds like it would be an awesome show for back-to-school season!Peace,
Ray

 

[JennyJennJen]

I joined the above FB page and started these at the beginning of last month. I have been getting excellent response. My sales aren't as good for these as regular shows b/c I can only have 10 participants, BUT I get many repeats from this. It has brought me many new customers and I can really build relationships with them b/c of it as well. This helped me kick-start my business. I went from having 4-5 actual parties all year in 2012 to having over $5000 in sales in Jan and Feb, which is great for me.

 

[CookinWithLynda]

My director is doing this for our monthly meeting next week. She sent us the recipes so we know what ingredients we need (and can adjust them to suit our family's preference). She'll act as the host & we'll be the guests so it will be a trial show. Sounds like a great idea and I can't wait to try it!

 

[KatLdyKC]

There is a similar Pampered Chef Group on Facebook calling itself Dinners Done with Pampered Chef. The link is below. https://www.facebook.com/groups/dinnersdonewithpamperedchef/

 

[JennyJennJen]

I thought about that idea, I'd like sending people home with 10 meals instead of 4-5, but, I prefer selling our tools to the pantry items. For me, that would be competing too closely with the other companies do this. So many of my guests have fallen in love with our knives, easy read colander, can opener, and mix n chop from doing the prep work at the party. I also just got off the phone with a gal coming tomorrow and she was ecstatic that all she had to do when she got home from the grocery store was to wash and separate ingredients by meals and not have to do any prep before she comes over. To me, that's what my parties are all about. I definitely see the advantages of doing that kind of party, I would make more money at the show, but I don't think I would get as many repeat parties booked and customers coming to the parties. But then again, I haven't tried it that way, maybe I should check it out and offer it as an option to people at my parties though.

 

[leshelman]

ANY flyers or documents for these kind of shows would be great!! I am thinking of trying to start a monthly one and feature some of my products. I kinda like the idea of grocery shopping for everyone and just collecting the money... BUT, it seems like WAY too much work, and some people prefer certain things (for example, a recipe that calls for peanut butter... it better be Jiff or I am not touching it - JIFF or NOTHING!! )Anyways, any recipes that work really well? And how do you all run your shows/workshops? How many people? (I want to try MASS amounts of people, even though it may be hard to coordinate... I am sure a couple people can handle it)Ideas, suggestions, comments... (you can also email me [email protected]) Easier to send files and attachments via email!

 

[Shari in TX]

I've offered a few of these and plan to offer more in the future. My goal is to help people learn how to do freezer cooking in their own homes. To this end, I'm keeping each workshop small (10 or fewer) and trying to give advice and suggestions for making and cooking their meals throughout the workshop. I also only supply PC rubs/seasonings/sauces (and I try to keep these to just a couple per workshop to keep the cost down for me) and other items such as garlic, oil, salt/pepper and maybe a few other things that it's easier for me to buy in bulk than for them to buy a small amount of (orange juice and dried cranberries are a couple that I've supplied).I charge $15 per person as a workshop fee for those supplies and my time. I thought about offering to charge a higher fee and buy the groceries in bulk, but I decided not to for the following reasons: 1. This doesn't help them learn how to do freezer cooking themselves at home and 2. Allowing them to buy their own groceries means they can buy what they want. I've had people bring grass-fed beef and organic canned goods. People who don't like pork bring chicken for those recipes. One woman's family didn't like onions much so she didn't bring as many as were called for. Another woman's husband won't eat mustard in anything so she left that out of the recipe. Allowing them to buy their own groceries lets them tailor the recipes to their families and learn how easy it is to freezer cook at home.Now, they may still choose to do their freezer cooking at my house instead, but at least I've made an attempt to "teach them how to fish."I've been using the recipes on the FB page that Kim posted to this thread back in October. I've been tweaking them to fit my needs and the needs of my customers. I see this being a great way to use my skills to help others -- both my skills as someone who's been cooking dinners for her family for 20 years and doing her own freezer cooking for years and also as a PC consultant who would be totally lost without so many of my PC products as I make those meals.

 

[omcv04]

Our Team is getting together to make 10 Freezer Meals with these ingredients below .. It works out to be $3 - $4 a meal. My Director has worked put some of the kinks from https://www.facebook.com/groups/472302276184951/.#9677 Garlic-Infused Canola Oil
#9704 Lemon Pepper Rub
#9492 Garlic & Herb Rub
#9807 Spicy Pineapple Rum Sauce
#9860 Asian Seasoning Mix
#9659 Three Onion Rub
#9496 Herbs de Provence Seasoning Mix
#9680 Tex-Mex Rub
#9516 Cherry Chipotle Barbeque SauceMeat
1-1.5lb raw shrimp, peeled and tail off (3 chicken breasts can be substituted)
12-18 chicken breasts
3lb cut of corned beef with spice packet
2lb cubed beef chuck
1.5lb ground sirloin or lean ground beef
4-5lb whole roaster chicken
1 bag frozen meatballsProduce
2 cup fresh basil
1 zucchini
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 head of cabbage
7 carrots
5 medium yellow potatoes
4 onions
3 celery stalksPasta/Grains/Beans
¼ cup pine nuts
9oz cheese tortellini
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beansVegetables/Fruit
2 cans whole kernel corn
1 can chunk pineapple
1 bag frozen broccoli cutsTomato Products
14oz can diced tomatoes
28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 can Rotel tomatoes with diced chiliesBroths
5 cans chicken broth
1 can beef brothDairy
1oz parmesan cheese, block – not shredded
8T butter
4oz cream cheeseMisc
1pkg dry ranch dressing mix
1 jar of salsa

 

[JennyJennJen]

omcv04 is this meant then for the guests to prep everything at home in the gallon bags and then you just add the seasonings at the party?

 

[JennyJennJen]

leshelman...here is the FB page I got all my info with. Read the pinned post for an overview of the party outline and then go to the files to find the recipes and the file six menu ideas to get an idea of what to pair together.

 

[omcv04]

omcv04 is this meant then for the guests to prep everything at home in the gallon bags and then you just add the seasonings at the party?

That's what were going to figure out. We all are bringing our ingredients to our meeting & see what will be the best way to present it as a show. I will post here after March 15th with the recipes & how we thought would best work.

 

[ElieQ]

My Aunt works for Wildtree and when she does these parties, they provide the meats and she provides spices, sauces veggies etc. She does really well, we are trying to find a good balance to intoduce PC items into the mix. Maybe have them prep with PC items (you buy new) and they can purchase same day off of what items were used in the kitchen. First come, first serve. Or order. We're still toying with it....