Power Cooking Show: Tips and Guidance for Hosting and Preparing Frozen Meals

[ChefJeniLobdell]

O.K. I need some insite. I printed off the flyer for Power Cooking that was in files. Awesome flyer.

Who's done this type of show? Do you have guests help you prepare meals to be frozen? After preparing the meals do you discuss the opportunity/hosting or discuss this afterward.

A customer is interested in this show, and I am a little nervous because I haven't done it yet.

Any instructions/guidance would be greatly appreciated!!:angel:

Thanks in advance

 

[ChefJeniLobdell]

Anybody?????

 

[quiverfull7]

I did a Power Cooking Club for about 6 months with a group of women. We did it a bit differently than some in that I did the grocery shopping for all of them, got the recipes together that we would make and then ALL 6 - 8 women went home with 5 entrees or dishes to put in the freezer. They had a minimum PC Purchase of $25, each took turns hosting so those benefits got passed around and could bring outside orders to cover their committment if they just couldn't order that month themselves. I would host coach just like for a regular show as far as collecting outside orders etc. It was very successful. We've taken a break for now which is also a good thing. A couple of ladies were taking my grocery shopping for granted ... anyway... I made sure to add my time to the cost of the groceries. I chose to do this to expand my customer base and it worked well. I know that as winter sets i they will call and want to resume and we will. Soccer has taken over their lives for right now. The way I looked at it whe we began was that since it was the club format, I had my monthly minimum covered as far as staying active in case shows slowed down. Thankfully they haven't but it wnet great for me. A couple others have approached me about doing it just once so they can learn how. My director has done it in the format sort of like in these files where she just demos how to do it and the host gets those meals in her freezer and I think that has gone well also. Hope this helps a bit... I know the way I've done it is different than most... but I'm a little weird sometimes anyway!

 

[ChefJeniLobdell]

Thanks for responding Diane. I am going to try it out at home and see how it goes.

 

[chefheidi2003]

Diane, that is a good idea...I might look into trying this.

 

[Cassie1037]

We just had a recipe retreat and were talking about this... my director just sent this to me!!! Talk about good timing!

 

[missyciccolella]

When I do my power cooking shows it is just like a regular show format. The recipes only take about 10-15 minutes (I prepare 3 for the host's freezer) so I do a lot of talking and try to get guest involvement as much as possible. I have the food to be eaten ready as the guests walk in so we start eating and then move into the show. I do my opening and intros, my story, show "rules", etc. When I start my "recipe presentation" I talk about the must have or "power tools" (I think this was posted on a different thread - if not let me know). I also go into detail about why to power cook, and then I demo the 3 recipes. After these are done, I talk about other time serving techniques, and other products I haven't touched on. I open it up for questions and then to my closing. This is a very general description - I use commercials so I scatter those through out the show as well. I haven't done one lately (since June) but I always had great sales and great bookings.

I've been kicking around the idea of having the guests help and everyone goes home with 3-5 recipes, but I really haven't developed the concept. I am thinking stations with various tools to use so guest move from station to station and use PC tools to prepare their food to take home for their freezer. This is still in the works so if I can make it happen I'll let you know!

I hope this helps and I know Colleen (I think Finley??) does this and does quite well. I hope she chimes in!:sing: Good luck!

PS I'm willing to share my documents, but I think they are very similar to what has been posted - just let me know if you want to see them.

 

[ChefJeniLobdell]

Cassandra thanks for the document and Missy thanks for sharing how you work your power cooking shows .

I had a huge package of chicken breasts in the freezer, so I purchased the ingredients needed for the Mushroom Chicken and Ceasar Chicken. I want to know how these taste before I prepare them for my host to cook.

What are some of your favorite power cooking recipes?

This site is awesome!!

 

[quiverfull7]

The mushroom chicken was my Pwr Cooking Club's favorite and they also LOVED the ceasar Chicken. I have a recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole that they also loved. I'll have to find that on my other computer and post it here.

 

[Chef Kearns]

Yes, please do Diane!! I LOVE Chicken Cordon Bleu. I need to get off of this dang computer and pack up for my show tomorrow. I sure won't have time tomorrow between PTC (PTA) breakfast, picking up 4 year old at preschool (11:45am), meeting a customer (noon), host coaching (12:30pm), and straightening the house before my MIL comes to watch the kiddos to pack up. Hopefully, this show will be a good one. My sales have been lagging a little bit lately. Left a house Sunday with only $138 in sales. Granted there were only 3 guests there (supposed to be 8), but still.

Sorry for the hijack!! I'm feeling a little sorry for myself tonight

 

[quiverfull7]

Chicken Cordon Bleu CasseroleHere you go! I don't use the cooking spray at all and we froze it with the mushrooms raw so we saved that step and you cannot tell a difference once it's cooked. I once took this out of the freezer, popped it in my crock pot and left it... it was SO good! Of course it wasn't crunchy on top but my family loved it.

 

[Cassie1037]

Crock pot!!! That sounds so delicious Diane!

 

[sjgibbons]

I did a Power Cooking Club for about 6 months with a group of women. We did it a bit differently than some in that I did the grocery shopping for all of them, got the recipes together that we would make and then ALL 6 - 8 women went home with 5 entrees or dishes to put in the freezer. They had a minimum PC Purchase of $25, each took turns hosting so those benefits got passed around and could bring outside orders to cover their committment if they just couldn't order that month themselves. I would host coach just like for a regular show as far as collecting outside orders etc. It was very successful. We've taken a break for now which is also a good thing. A couple of ladies were taking my grocery shopping for granted ... anyway... I made sure to add my time to the cost of the groceries. I chose to do this to expand my customer base and it worked well. I know that as winter sets i they will call and want to resume and we will. Soccer has taken over their lives for right now. The way I looked at it whe we began was that since it was the club format, I had my monthly minimum covered as far as staying active in case shows slowed down. Thankfully they haven't but it wnet great for me. A couple others have approached me about doing it just once so they can learn how. My director has done it in the format sort of like in these files where she just demos how to do it and the host gets those meals in her freezer and I think that has gone well also. Hope this helps a bit... I know the way I've done it is different than most... but I'm a little weird sometimes anyway!

So did you have them each place a $25 PC order and pay their portion of the groceries? How often did you get together and did you make the same 5 entrees each time?

 

[Chef Kearns]

Diane, if you were going to make this for a Power Cooking show do you just dump the soup in the bag or what? I am still developing my demo and learning how do these. Can you give a Power Cooking step-by-step? It would help a bunch and THANK YOU!!

 

[quiverfull7]

OMG... I'm so not a step by step person but for this recipe I buy disposable aluminum 9 x 12 pans and we build the whole casserole in that. I use the battter bowl and stainless mixing bowls to have them stir the sauce together. Then we cover with saran wrap and then wrap with foil. You can also mention and show that they can line their own 9 x 13 pan (A ARECTANGLE BAKER OF COURSE) with saran wrap before beginning. They they will wrap it up at the end the same as with a foil pan and freeze. When it is frozen solid just pop the entire casserole out of your pan so you are not losing that pan to the freezer. When you take out the casserole to use you peel off the saran wrap and pop it right back in that same pan... it's molded to fit and works great!

 

[Chef Kearns]

GREAT TIP!! Thanks Diane!

 

[Chef Kearns]

Missy in light of recent interest in the Power Cooking show can you please add your documents to our files?

Thank you!!

 

[missyciccolella]

Missy in light of recent interest in the Power Cooking show can you please add your documents to our files?

Thank you!!

This is what I have. I have not done one since the new fall products came out so some of the Power Tool list may be out of date. I've seen some very similar documents posted on here and theirs may be better and improved. I just listened to a director talk about a new form of power cooking where every guest takes home 5 recipes for their freezer. Let me work through this and actually try it out and I'll let you guys know how that works. Feel free to email, pm or whatever with questions (or even suggestions)!
[email protected]

 

[Chef Kearns]

Thank you very much, Missy!!

 

[Chef Kearns]

I really like how you give them labels. I was planning on just telling them to have a relatively new Sharpie.

 

[finley1991]

I write right on the bags with sharpies. I used to do labels and they run if they get wet (like when thawing) and they are unreadable.

 

[missyciccolella]

I put tape over the entire label, and also write with a marker - what ever the mood is! LOL

No problem posting and most of this came from a director is CA who is a great sharer and amazing person. I wish I could take more of the credit!