Welcome to October lovely readers. There are some deliciously exciting times ahead! The spring racing carnival has kicked off and will be in full swing within the month. Then before we know it, Christmas parties will be happening and we’ll be planning Christmas dinner. But right now you have another excuse to get together with your ladies, drink good wine and eat great food. It’s time for the Cancer Council’s Girls’ Night In. Throughout the month of October I encourage you to hold a girls night in (or brunch or lunch) and raise much needed funds to help beat women’s cancers.
For those of you already planning (or now intending to plan) your Girls’ Night In, I have put together a guide of delicious snacks, mains, sweets & drinks to satisfy your lovely ladies.
I appreciate that catering can be hard. We have vegetarians, vegans, those with coeliac disease, those with lactose intolerance and the list goes on. Unfortunately unless you are superwoman, you will not be able to please absolutely everyone. The key is to have a variety and be smart about your choices so there are at least one or two things your guests can enjoy.
As I was writing this post I was thinking of quick hacks that can save time & too much food being made:
- Don’t just serve crackers with dips & cheese. Add vegetables sticks and fruit slices.
- Choose dishes that use naturally gluten-free grains, i.e. a rice-based dish rather than a pasta
- Choose flourless dessert options – a flourless chocolate cake using almond meal will please EVERYONE
- Serve meat separately to side dishes.
So, to start, I am going to put it out there. A good night starts with a beautiful cheese platter. Because, cheese. I am a massive lover of the Mersey valley vintage cheddar (you’re welcome). Nina from What’s for eats? can take you through the do’s and don’ts of cheese platters.
As you chat all things wonderful, dip into Nina’s roast beetroot hummus, Gemma’s baked spinach dip bread bowl (this one is sure to be a crowd pleaser) or enjoy some Healthy veggie nachos courtesy of Delfa at Nutritionally worth it.
Snack on spicy roasted chickpeas (another gem from Gemma), roasted Parmesan wedges from Karen at Green Tea & treacle or slice up Anna’s (Food for All) Zucchini slice for easy, protein packed finger food.
For a more dinner party style night in, satisfy the protein fiends with baked lemon soy chicken legs from Caroline at Healthy home café, an easy chicken casserole from Joanna at Everyday nutrition and a Vietnamese beef noodle salad from Erin at Eat + Live + Move. Be sure to provide some vegetable & carbohydrate sides such as a warm Mediterranean roast vege lentil salad from Lucy Taylor (Bloom Nutritionist). Choose quinoa or brown rice to make this coeliac friendly. Team the chicken with honey-lemon coleslaw from Fumi at Key Nutrition Solutions or Julie Meek’s fabulous Ancient Grain salad with pomegranate.
Or you could do something along the lines of a build your own burger bar with these lamb, mint & couscous rissoles from One handed Cooks. And maybe team it with that beetroot hummus. And just so you know, Heidi provided a baked potato bar at her baby shower…
Be sure to keep your guests hydrated with ginger spritzer, raspberry & lemon iced tea or an orange and rosemary cordial – all from the brains of Liz at Simple Real Nutrition.
Lastly be sure to satisfy the sweet tooth’s with one or two of the following:
- Blueberry ice poles – A lighter dessert option from Julie at New life nutrition
- Chocolate, orange and cardamom bliss balls from Sanchia who shares my love of the orange & chocolate combination
- Beet, choc and blueberry loaf with vanilla ricotta icing. A gluten free option from Kerryn at The Wholesome Collective
- Yvonne from Baking & I shares another love of mine – all things lemon – with lemon & cranberry scones and a lemon chia cake
- Flourless chocolate and hazelnut brownie from Nickie at The Goodwolf Manifesto.
This was a ridiculously hard post to create, as it seems that so many of our storehouse bloggers love being in the kitchen. I had to stop before I showcased the entire storehouse. I guess this could be is another reason to follow the storehouse on twitter – keep an eye out for recipe related posts!
Storehouse Blog Directory is your one stop shop for credible nutrition content – check out the latest post on the home page or search for a credentialed blogger here.
About out expert
Emma Stubbs is one of our Staff Writers and has been blogging at Broccoli & Blueberries since 2014, check out her Storehouse directory listing here. When Emma isn’t working an Accredited Practising Dietitian in rural Victoria, she can be found at farmers markets, in the kitchen or going for long walks. But really, it’s likely she’ll be waiting in line for delicious bowls of porridge and hashtagging #breakfastinmelbourne.
