lifestyle

Hobbies: 5 Simple and Fun Activities for a Cooking Club

mehobbies & me timelifestylehobbies-me time

Hobbies are activities we enjoy doing in our spare time. Whether it is hiking, reading, scrapbooking, cooking, or even spending time with your friends, it is important to set aside time for yourself. Finding this time for yourself is not always easy, but extremely important.

My younger sister, Lisa, has five children, runs the books for her husband's business, and is really good at carving out time for her hobbies and interests.

About three years ago, she had the opportunity to join a cooking club. Her club consists of 13 women from all over the Salt Lake Valley. This club has not only given my sister a way to connect with woman that she normally wouldn't have come in contact with, but it has given her more confidence with her cooking skills. The woman in the club all have different interests and hobbies, but one thing they have in common is the importance of making and eating good food.

When I was talking to my sister, she shared some of the things that her cooking club does to make it fun. I thought it would be fun to share them with you in the event that you wanted to start your own cooking club.

5 Simple Ways to Make a Cooking Club Fun and Fresh

Follow Guidelines and Recipes

The cooking club is once a month. Each one of the women in the club has a chance to host the group in her home and make dinner for them. There are no guidelines as far as what to cook, as long as the meal is homemade and they provide the recipes.

Host a Couples Night

Because there is an extra person in the group, once a year two of the woman host a couples night. This is a fun way for the group to invite their husbands to their cooking club. Because each person is only hosting a dinner once a year, they have plenty of time to find a recipe that is new and different. There is no pressure here. Some people like to go all out with their dinner presentation. It is completely optional. My sister is in charge of the couples meal this year and is excited about introducing a new rib recipe that she found. She thought the men would especially like this meal.

Go on a Retreat

Once a year the cooking club goes on a retreat. One person is in charge of picking a location and working out all the details of the trip. Last year, the group took my sister's motor home and went to California to see "Wicked," She said that this was a really fun way to connect with the whole group and expand their interests.

Host a Cookbook Exchange

In December, the cooking group goes to a restaurant for dinner. They each bring one of their favorite books and they do a book exchange at the end of the meal. This is a fun way to make the holidays less stressful and to make sure they are staying connected.

Participate in a "Favorite Things" Exchange

For the month of January, the group each brings 3 of their favorite things to the cooking club night. This has been a fun way for the group to get to know each other better. At the end of the evening, each person goes home with three different things.

After being in the club for three years, my sister is realizing how rare it is that a group of women with different ages, interests,  and backgrounds can come together and really enjoy one another. She is realizing that the group is more alike than she ever thought. They all love to socialize, and connect. The group is really supportive and non-critical. They all make it a point to try everything that is served, and it has been a great way for all of them to learn how to make some quick, easy, and delicious recipes for their families.

It is important to make time for your hobbies. It should be something that you can take time out of your schedule to do. Make your hobby fun and exciting and be willing to include others in on your hobbies as well.

What are some of your hobbies and interest? How can you make sure you make time for yourself?

 Picture courtesy of flickr.

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