One time I hosted a Fondue Party... and it was a lot of work. But people loved getting together (and I don't blame them) so they asked, "When's the next party?" I was a little overwhelmed... Since then my friends and I have hosted a hot cocoa party and a few days ago, a Pancake Party. These two options are a lot easier with not as much prep and having guests bring items totally helps. Evite.com is so cute and hard to resist so thats what we have ended up using for our parties.
Perfect!! I try to bring healthy (don't get scared) but still yummy recipes. Especially when I have a few friends that are gluten intolerant. And guess what? I had a lot of compliments and people loved the banana pancakes, even though they are healthier. My friend (cohost) brought buttermilk pancakes and chocolate chip pancakes, so it was nice to have a variety and a little bit of everything. I need to be better at taking pictures but everyone else just signed up to bring toppings. We had mouthwatering syrups, berries, peanut butter, nutella, and more that people brought. I also brought an orange honey butter that I'll talk about in another post.
Party tips: 1. We've used at our parties so far just brown craft/butcher paper and it has been so awesome. We bring a sharpie and write on the paper what the ingredients are in case people aren't sure. Can buy at the grocery store.
2. If you're a little hesitant to throw a party this is a good basic one to start out with (and can be done in most seasons I would say). I made the batter the day of, and stored in fridge. When it became 7:00 (party was at 8:00,) I turned on the stove and made the pancakes, angled them on a pretty plate somewhat overlapping(with a baking sheet underneath and foil to cover the pancakes), and made it to the party in time with very few dishes in our kitchen at home. I was early and just put the pan in the oven at a low temperature so they could stay warm until the party started. My easiest party to date!
3. Have your friends bring toppings/items, have cohosts. It is so helpful. One friend brought orange juice and milk, everyone brought their toppings, I was only in charge of one pancake dish, another friend another. If your friends have a good heart and you know they'd be willing to bring something, then have them bring something.
This banana recipe comes from Tia Mowry on the cooking channel. She is so fun to watch and I've been liking her recipes. These pancakes that I brought are bursting with flavor (bananas) and still good for you and easy to whip up. The main tips I would say are: to mash your bananas well. Otherwise, bits of banana will stick to the pan while cooking. Also make sure the oats are grounded to recipes wordage. I didn't want huge chunks of oats in the pancakes. Although, I was worried mine would be like that but when my husband tried one, he didn't say it was "too grainy". Just some things to be aware of. Another suggestion if have on hand: you could cook the pan with melted coconut oil instead of butter for an extra flavor.
The link to the site is below. Enjoy and happy cooking!!
http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/tia-mowry/banana-pancakes-with-blistered-berries.html