How Many Recipes at One Show

[HAPPYCOOKER13]

I Usually Only Do Two Recipes At A Shpw, 1 Main Item And Then A Dessert Which Is Usually Almost Complete Anyway. I Have A Show Tonight Where The Host Wants To Do 4 Yes, 4 Recipes. I Am So Nervous That I Might Get One Confused With The Other And Just Mess Everything Up. I Know The Host Casually But I Dont Know Any Of The 15 Guests That Are Going To Be There, I Am So Nercous I Didnt Sleep Lastnight And All Day I Have Been Rehersing What I Will Say, How I Will Present Things And Also Try Not To Get My Hopes Up For A Huge Show, I Have Been Let Down So Many Times Before With People That Say They Are So Ready And So Many People Are Going To Be There. Well I Need To Go Get Ready And Pack My Car. Wish Me Luck.

 

[pamperedjan]

How many recipes?

wow - 4 recipes! I only do one recipe at the show and encourage the hostess to prepare another if she feels it absolutely necessary. For example if she knows she's having a large group and we may have to cut the recipe into more bite-size peices. Otherwise I suggest a veggie or fruit tray or even chips and salsa as a filler. You don't want to have it look hard to other potential hosts. Good luck with your show, just take a deep breath and relax, I'm sure you'll do great. Just out of curiosity - what 4 are you preparing?!!?

 

[chefloriray]

I would no more do 4 recipes than a man in the moon! What stress! I only do one recipe and like the other post said..I tell the host she can fix anything else to go along with it that she wants.

 

[rwesterpchef]

IF..the host expects more than 12 people, then I offer to make a punch (usually the mock sangria or homeade lemonade since it's summer months right now). She still provides the ingredients though.
At one of my shows this weekend, there were 24 women and 2 pre-teens there. I still only made the Taco Ring with all condiments, and the Sangria in the QS Pitcher.
I truly believe people want fast, friendly recipes...and fast, friendly shows. It also shows prospective recruits how easy our job is. After saying all this...it is YOUR business and you can operate it however is most successful for you.

 

[proudmama02]

I;m in my SS2. I fix a pizza of some sort--fruit or veggie, and then I show off the APSC with some caramel apples.

 

[D_Patel]

Let us know how it goes !!

Let us know how the 4 recipes turn out ! Also how the show goes ! The most I have done was 2 , the host got up and helped me make 2 of the cheeseburger rings ! It was fun to get the others involved ! Good Luck !

 

[noradawn]

I have occasionally done 2 recipes, but what I don't like about that is that for almost every recipe you need a few of the same basics, like the food chopper, cutting board, etc. I only have one of each. So what do you do between recipes? You can't exactly go and wash the items, you know? If the host wants me to do two, sometimes I do one of them as soon as I get there, put it in the oven, then wash everything up for the demo. I know you can also have one mostly made, just put a few finishing touches on it. I think the punch as a second recipe idea is a good one.

 

[dawnsclassycupboard]

I did a show one time with 25 guests. The host wanted two recipes and we doubled both. What I did was count the guests off into groups so there were 4 groups. Each group was in charge of putting together a recipe. They ended up having a ball. No, I did not get much talking done but they got hands on use of the tools and I ran back and forth to take care of each groups needs, answer questions and make sure they had the tools they needed. For future use with someone who wants to put do that many recipes... tell her ahead of time that her guests will have to go to work to save on time!

 

[PamperedGinger]

I know you have probably already left for your show and this advice is too late, BUT here is what I'd do in the future IF a host wants a lot of recipes.

I would explain to her that her guests DO NOT want to sit through that many recipes. If she would like to put them together AHEAD of time, you can give her the recipes.

 

[Cookie]

Too much!

I struggle just doing my 1 or 2 recipes in front of everyone! I'm actually working on fitting more audience participation into my shows so that I'm not doing everything. I don't know about you all, but I'm just not that entertaining! One time when I did a kids show I had three recipes. I had 3 work stations and divided everyone so that moms were in the same group as their kids. My hubby helped with that show and was in charge of one recipe, I was in charge of one and the hostess was in charge of the third. Everyone took turns doing something and had alot of fun. But on my own NO WAY!

 

[Sk8Mom209]

Wow

4 recipes yicks! Most of my hosts have wanted desserts so I will do a dessert recipe as the main recipe. At the beginning of the show, usually during my "story" and the intros, I will do fresh lemonade but do not really count this as a recipe, because I really do not do any explaining I just do it as I am talking or the guest are doing intros.

If there are going to be more than 10 guests. I will to the garlic bread very quickly and get it baking during the dessert preparation. This format has worked especially well at bridal shows with a lot of people and several other appetizers that the host has prepared. This works especially well with the dessert is something like the tiramisu brownies. I get to demonstrate the stoneware and the professional cookware (garlic pull apart bread) instead of just talking about one of them.

 

[kitchenqueen]

I usually do 1-2 recipes also depending on how many guests will be at the show. And you can never go wrong with a veggie tray as an extra - the crinkle cutter and our dips are great sellers. I ask the host to purchase some veggies and I usually have her help set that up. With everything put together in the Chillzanne rectangle server, it is sort of like a silent demo because people really do notice it! Just thought I'd add!

 

[pamperedbecky]

Wow, I'll be interested to hear how that show went!!! That could make for a really long show. If the guest is expecting 15 people or more, I'll do two recipes. Usually one is really quick or already mostly prepared.

I am a little nuts because this Saturday I have a Cooking with Kids show and the host is expecting 25 adults and about 20 kids. Yikes. She wasn't expecting that big of a turn out. I don't even think she invited more than 40. So, the kids will be doing the Tic Tac Toe pizzas, then putting the "toppings" on the S'Mores Brownie Bites, which the host will bake ahead of time. I'll do a demo while kids are doing their stuff of the Chicken Enchilada Ring. I'm also bringing the Touchdown Taco Dip to just stick in the oven. It's more than I usually do, but this is host is getting really stressed out (who can blame her) to have all these people in her home. She's bound to have a good show (I hope!) but she wants to be sure there's enough for the adults too. Luckily I've done a bunch of kids' shows so I can streamline that part pretty well. It should be interesting!!!

 

[HAPPYCOOKER13]

wells the show is over, THANK GOD! it was a litlle difficult and i will never do it again but i got to show off a lot of tools, infacts every tool. right now, the show is at $900 and she still has atleast 6 outside orders, i guess it wasn't that bad. i made a Thai Chicken Salad, and the Lemon Herbed Chicken Ring for the main dishes, and for dessert i made a micro cake and a banana split brownie, the brownie was baked ahead of time. it took 1 hour to do the presentation and the guests were drinking heavily so the longest part was the check out part. nobody could find anything or every attemp to figure out the price. it was like working with children. i did get 2 bookings for September which i am very happy about.

on another note, i have earned the first part of the show to go already i cant wait till it gets here.

 

[chefloriray]

We were all anxious to hear how it went. Glad to hear you had a great show. I would be glad it was over too! A $900 show is wonderful, good luck on hitting that higher show with the outside orders!

 

[BethCooks4U]

wells the show is over, THANK GOD! it was a litlle difficult and i will never do it again but i got to show off a lot of tools, infacts every tool. right now, the show is at $900 and she still has atleast 6 outside orders, i guess it wasn't that bad. i made a Thai Chicken Salad, and the Lemon Herbed Chicken Ring for the main dishes, and for dessert i made a micro cake and a banana split brownie, the brownie was baked ahead of time. it took 1 hour to do the presentation and the guests were drinking heavily so the longest part was the check out part. nobody could find anything or every attemp to figure out the price. it was like working with children. i did get 2 bookings for September which i am very happy about.

on another note, i have earned the first part of the show to go already i cant wait till it gets here.

Great show!! As you can tell by all the posts, we were all worried about that 4 recipe thing.

I had a host request that too once for a bridal show. I picked easy/quick recipes and she was supposed to have some of the prep work done before I got there (I was driving quite a distance in rush hour and even leaving home very early...construstion, traffic... you get the picture). Anyway, she had done nothing so as guests came in I put them to work while I set up. We weren't quite ready when it was time and the demo took longer than I like it to but everyone had a good time. In the end, though, even the host said it was too much food.

I will never again allow anyone to make me do more than 2 recipes and one WILL be quick or almost done when I get there. I tell hosts that want more that people really are not looking for a meal...just a taste, but if she insists on more food I give her some recipes and let her do what she wants. They always understand that it's not a good idea for me to prepare that much in front of everyone.

I'm so glad that your show was such a success! Be sure to host-coach those bookings that this was NOT a normal show and that you usually do only one or maybe 2 recipes. People want to come, have fun, get something and go...

 

[D_Patel]

Whoo HOO !

Way to go Happy cooker ! That is awesome ! congrats on a GREAT show !

 

[pamperedjan]

Awesome!

$900 - what a great show! I didn't have time to get online last night and frequently thought about you and your dilema. Sounds as if you handled it wonderfully and it was a hit. You also sound extremely organized to be able to pull that off - including the checkout process !!

I agree with the other post though - make sure you don't put yourself in a similar situation with the 2 bookings and their recipe choices.

Again - congrats on a great show!

 

[Cookie]

Wow!

You did great Happy Cooker! Thanks for letting us know how it went. It's amazing how much we could all feel the tenseness of what you were going through. I couldn't wait to hear the result.

 

[pamperedbecky]

That's great!! What a great show. I'm glad to hear you survived it! It must feel good to have had such a big accomplishment. Hopefully you can continue having those types of shows without going through so much stress! I think an hour presentation for that many recipes is really good! Way to go.

 

[HAPPYCOOKER13]

thank you all so much for your support. i have already told the two new bookings that this was not a regular show and they were happy to hear they didnt have to buy so many ingredients. on another high point, i just got a call from a lady who was at the party that has scheuled a party for next thursday because she brought the catalog to work and everybody wants to go to a show. i am so excited, this is only me fourth month with the pampered chef, i finally feel as if my business has began, i got away from the family and friends who are just there to help you out, and have gotten to the people who are having the parties for the right reasons. it makes it so uch easier to go out and do a great job.

again thank you for your support!

 

[scottcooks]

Phew!

I confess - I did aToo Many-recipe show also, and was trying to have the guests wait to eat - they were RUDE! I said to the guy who got up, to please wait until I was done - it would be about 20 minutes, and he said "why?" He is a friend of mine, and a professional caterer - bought $90 in products, but he really ticked me off.

I told the guests when I started that I would be making lots of things, and that this was an unusual PC party - at their party, I would only be doing one recipe and we would discuss the benefits of our fantastic cookware and amazing stoneware. When I was discussing this event at conference with folks, they said "you can do a second recipe if you're good -this one was over the top, though.

This was an outdoor barbecue at a pool - "Summer Sandals and Sangria" - where the host made the Sangria, and I made
(1) veggie tray ahead of time with Dill Dip I mixed in front of them in batter bowl
(2) Jennifer Rusche biscuit appetizer in the "try me" Professional Skillet, then put into the oven to finish.
(3) grilled corn on the cob (7 mins in microwave, grill until husks turn dark brown or black, it is PERFECT) - the guests actually grilled these
(4) Western Basted Beef - a recipe of mine I sent in to TPC uses 12 tools, the guests actually grilled the beef
(5) Micro Cook Cake - 11 mins.done - box of any "normal" cake mix, 3 eggs, 16 oz. sour cream - mix, pour into WELL oiled fluted pan, nuke it, turn out after it sits about 2 mins.
(6) QSP/ USG fresh lemonade

The show topped out at $900 and I am waiting for the hostess to get back from vacation to finish it/order her and her girlfriend's stuff and balance the points out. (I actually sent the credit card orders in ahead to get my 2nd show before August 15.) I did get two bookings out of it.

BUT... it was just Too Long! The party started at 6:50 and I was finishing at 8:30 - those people wanted to GO! I said two or three times to my hostess, that this was too much - originally the guests were supposed to bring meats to grill (no one brought anything). Once they had a couple drinks, they interrupted, didn't listen - it was also about 90 and I was in the sun. Okay, it was the Show from

Don't do it. Single or maybe a second recipe if there are lots and lots of guests. My Sr.Exec director told me, "Scott - you're not a caterer - it isn't your job to feed them, just sell them the tools". Remember - take the emphasis OFF the Food and ONTO the Products!

People who know ahead they will be having huge crowds make sample size servings of a couple things ahead of time. The one thing you can always do, is the Olive Oil dipping set - and 1 or 2 loaves of French Bread with hot pepper in 1 bowl, italian seasoning in 1, garlic in 1 and plain in 1 - folks love it, and you don't stress!

So do as I say and not as I do . Take care, all!