New Thoughts for Recipes for the New Season

[wadesgirl]

I've been trying the new recipes out of the SBRB which is where I normally pick my recipes from. Right now I really like the pull apart pizza and the fajita pizza. I was trying to come up with a dessert to offer (three recipes but they only pick one). Then I got to thinking that I should probably just offer those two and add a DCB cake to each recipe with the host buying the ingredients for that. Figured it would be a great way to show off the DCB without using it for the demo.

So then on Saturday my HD mentioned an idea she thought of trying for the new season - sort of similar to the pantry shows everybody has been talking about. She's planning on stocking up on sprinkles, sauces and oil dippining seasonings and offering one of those as a show. What she said she would do is let the host pick two from one catagory but that she would bring the items to go with it - cream cheese and bagels, cream cheese and crackers or french bread and oil. She would then request $15 from the host but they would get to keep the pantry items they used.

Now I thought about adding this to the above two recipes so that my host could choose something else but I can still cut down on what I bring to my shows (main goal for this season!). I feel very uncomfortable asking the host to reimburse me so what I thought of was just providing said pantry items for her show and using the rest at my next show but the host would buy the accompanying stuff.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I've been thinking about this quite a bit too - and have been trying it out this month in a subtle sort of way, as an Appetizer Show

I've been doing the Mexican Cheese Crisps as a demo - it's a simple, easy demo but shows a good amount of products. I bring the tomato, cilantro, and onion from my garden. Then, I have the host also provide 1 lb chicken (boneless/skinless breasts), and cream cheese, crackers, and a loaf of french bread. (haven't been doing anything with the rubs)

Before the guests arrive, I cube the chicken, then grill it in the grill pan brushed with garlic oil. Stick little toothpicks in the chicken nuggets, and put them on the Bamboo Tray, with small bamboo bowls of Ginger Wasabi, and Thai Peanut Sauce for dipping.

I do the dipping oils with the bread, and serve that with 2 more bamboo bowls and the bread in the med. square bamboo bowl.

On the med bamboo tray, I divide a block of cream cheese, and pour pineapple rum sauce, and rasp. habenaro sauce over, and crackers in between.

All of that is ready before the guests arrive. We spend about 20 minutes on the demo - I explain the rest of the products/sauces, and then they eat! It's gone over really well! My last party - all but 1 person spent over $60 to get a sauce for free! Her party closed at $825 w/ 2 bookings. The one before that was $650 w/ 2 bookings.

I'm thinking that the pantry show might be a regular option for me now - I'll give people the option of 3 types of appetizers, and do the Mexican Cheese Crisps along with that. They can choose from:
-Cream Cheese/Sauces/Crackers,
-Chicken/Sauces, Oil Dipping Seasonings/Bread,
-Rubs Dips/veggies & crackers,
-Sprinkles Dips/fruit & pretzels.

 

[BethCooks4U]

Becky, thanks for putting this together! I usually offer an appetizer show before the holidays to give them ideas for their upcoming family/friend gatherings and this gave me some new ideas! I love it and it will be one of the choices my hosts will have throughout the fall. In fact here's what I sent my August 28th host:

Hi Dee,

I have a great new idea for our party. What do you think?


Mexican Cheese Crisps as a demo. (block of Colby Monterrey Jack cheese, 2 limes, 8 oz block of cream cheese (need 2 oz for this and the 6 oz to put the sauce over), 1 Tbsp. mayo, SW seasoning (I have), 1 small tomato, 2 ripe avocados, cilantro, small red onion) - the cheese becomes the base with these yummy ingredients on it.

Then also get 1 lb chicken (boneless/skinless breasts), crackers, a tub (8oz) of soft cream cheese (plain) and 7 oz marshmallow creme and some pretzels.

With these ingredients we'd make the cheese crisp recipe, quick grilled chicken nuggets with 2 dipping sauces, Sweet sprinkles dips (3 kinds) with the pretzels and 2 sauces over cream cheese with crackers.

This would all be ready in a very short time and your friends will be so impressed.

I will likely give the host the choice of the DCB cake or the sprinkles dip at other shows. I'll throw in those mini-cheese balls that came with the party picks we had a few years ago for those shows that are booked off of the first appetizer shows so there's a variety.

 

[DebinIA]

Hate to be a Debbie Downer, but if you look at TS's show average, it's about $200-$250 and they think that's good. I would think this type of show would seriously effect your show average. This would be especially true for newer consultants who aren't comfortable/effect in selling products just using words. While you may get bookings for future shows, I would almost bet my DCB that the show sales will be very small. Same thing happened when I offered Power Cooking shows. There was too much emphasis on the Pantry and recipe steps and the products got lost in the shuffle. Of the 12 Power Cooking shows I did, my show average which is normally $800+ went down to $400. I got bookings, but it was a lot of work for less sales.

 

[wadesgirl]

Hate to be a Debbie Downer, but if you look at TS's show average, it's about $200-$250 and they think that's good. I would think this type of show would seriously effect your show average. This would be especially true for newer consultants who aren't comfortable/effect in selling products just using words. While you may get bookings for future shows, I would almost bet my DCB that the show sales will be very small. Same thing happened when I offered Power Cooking shows. There was too much emphasis on the Pantry and recipe steps and the products got lost in the shuffle. Of the 12 Power Cooking shows I did, my show average which is normally $800+ went down to $400. I got bookings, but it was a lot of work for less sales.

I do have to agree with this, which was one of my concerns also!

I think I'll stick with my original thought to help me back down on all the products I bring.

 

[gailz2]

Deb, that is a good thing to keep in mind--my director said to always be sure to show/demo some of the more expensive items, don't emphasize the less expensive that they can see in the catalog easily.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Hate to be a Debbie Downer, but if you look at TS's show average, it's about $200-$250 and they think that's good. I would think this type of show would seriously effect your show average. This would be especially true for newer consultants who aren't comfortable/effect in selling products just using words. While you may get bookings for future shows, I would almost bet my DCB that the show sales will be very small. Same thing happened when I offered Power Cooking shows. There was too much emphasis on the Pantry and recipe steps and the products got lost in the shuffle. Of the 12 Power Cooking shows I did, my show average which is normally $800+ went down to $400. I got bookings, but it was a lot of work for less sales.

Which is exactly why I am demoing the Mexican Cheese Crisps at the shows that I do like this. It's an inexpensive, quick demo that uses a lot of products, and I am still doing a good sampling of sauces/rubs. During last Fall/Winter season, my show avg. went up by over $100 (In Michigan - no less!) and I pretty much did this same thing, only I was demoing the Steamed Wontons, with Thai & Ginger Wasabi sauces for dipping, and the cream cheese w/ sauces, and bread with dipping oils. At that time of the year, people were looking for easy and impressive ideas for appetizers/potlucks, and I sold a TON of sauces at full price (8-10 per show...Pineapple Rum Sauce was in my top 10 - along with the DCB!) and also a ton of the oil dipping seasonings.

I agree it's not something for a brand new consultant, but it sure worked for me last year.

 

[rkzink]

Hate to be a Debbie Downer, but if you look at TS's show average, it's about $200-$250 and they think that's good.

What does TS stand for? I'm racking my brain trying to figure it out, and I know I will kick myself when you tell me..

Thanks!

 

[DebinIA]

What does TS stand for? I'm racking my brain trying to figure it out, and I know I will kick myself when you tell me..

Thanks!

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