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Posted in All Posts, Challenges

your quick guide to open when letters

Posted on by allybro96

Core values are a set of principles that people and organizations seek to emulate when they are living their day-to-day life. The goal is to see these values in whatever the person or organization does. When I was deciding to expand Notes by Alex from a personal blog to something larger, I thought long and hard about what I wanted the core values to be. I thought about what I valued and what was a message that needed to be spread. I landed on unity, hospitality, and love as our three core values. They were simple, easy-to-remember, and generally universal. These are values that I want to see more of in the world. I want to help people spread these in the world. One AMAZING way to show hospitality and love to others is with OPEN WHEN letters. My challenge to you is to make a set of Open When letters this month!

what is an open when letter?

An open when letter is specialized notes that you make for a loved one (partner, spouse, family member, friend, mentor, etc.). You decide on certain conditions or criteria which allows a person to open that specific letter. That letter has a one-of-a-kind note, written by you to encourage your loved one. These conditions can be positive conditions (open when you get a promotion), negative conditions (open when you feel lonely), or anything in between (open when its Wednesday). The purpose of this is to encourage, love, and uplift those whom you love.

It is a great gift for anyone. And it does not cost much. But just because it is cheap financially does not mean it is a cheap gift. You are spending a lot of time to deliver something personal and edifying to you loved one. It is worth quite a lot to the person who will receive it. This is a perfect gift for any occasion. It can be a great birthday gift for a surprise party. This would be great for someone who is going through a hard time. Maybe, your relationship or friendship is about to long distance, and you want to be able to encourage even from the distance. This could be an anniversary gift! Or perhaps, there is no reason at all other than you want to show some love. Whatever the reason, get started now!

how do I make open when letters?

You only need a few basic things. The most basic thing is that you will need paper, cards, or cardstock. You will need something to write the messages on, obviously. I do believe in handwriting these because it makes it super personal (unless you have unreadable handwriting). Then, you will also need some envelopes to put the letters in. Lastly, you will need pens and things to decorate your open when letters.

The last time that I made open when letters. It was a quick spur of the moment decision. I took about two hours to make and deliver them, but I did not really have any envelopes at the time. So what I did was that I made the printer paper that I wrote on the envelope. I folded the paper in such a way that it looked like an envelope, and when he would open one, it would unfold to be the message. Check out this video to learn how to fold paper into an envelope.

what are the rules of open when letters?

for you, the writer

  • Have a variety of conditions for them to open when
  • Draft out all of your letters before making the final versions
  • Decide if you want to include more than just the letters
    • For example, if you did a letter for open when you miss me, you could include pictures of your favorite memories together or something that would remind him/her of you.
  • Don’t look up what to write in each letter. Make the letters personal! Write from your heart because you are writing these as you to your loved one. You will know the words to say!
  • Enjoy the process. You are doing this to spread love to your friend/family/mentor/mentee/significant other. Knowing that should fill you with a sort of joy. It will not turn out well if you are feeling dread while working on this project.

for the recipient

  • No peeking!
  • Open the letters whenever they apply
  • Only open up to 2 letters a week, so that they last longer
  • DON’T LOSE THE LETTERS
  • (If you want, you can also add a rule that he/she lets you know when he/she opens one.)

ideas for open when conditions

I figured that you needed a starting place for generating ideas for what conditions you should include. Here is your list to get you on track! Open when…

  • OPEN FIRST (I think you should have one to explain what it is and the rules to the recipient)
  • You feel lonely
  • It’s the BEST DAY EVER
  • Friday
  • You need a laugh
  • It finally feels like spring!
  • Your faith is wavering
  • You are hungry
  • It’s Christmas
  • You’ve lost something important
  • You need to rant
  • Nightmare!
  • We haven’t talked in a while
  • It is Thanksgiving!
  • You can’t sleep
  • You’re sad
  • Boredom Strikes
  • Today is your birthday
  • Inspiration is needed!
  • You are having a rough day
  • You’re filled with guilt
  • Exciting News!
  • The feeling of nostalgia is welling up inside
  • There’s finally snow outside!
  • You hear “our song”
  • It feels impossible to sleep
  • OPEN LAST

final thoughts

Open when letters are always a good idea in my mind. They are amazing ways to show others love and hospitality (which in turn leads to greater unity). It is not only good for the recipient, but it also has value for the writer. You learn to appreciate you loved one as you recall the things that makes him/her special and special to you. Find ways to make your open when letters truly special.

  • Maybe you can make one of their favorite recipes to put with the letters.
  • Make this a group project for a friend who needs a little extra love. Either have different people write different topics, OR have everyone write something for each condition so that there is a little extra love spread. Your loved one’s day can be brightened when reading a bunch of letters from people who love him/her.
  • Make a giant event where people pick 3 topics or so to write open when letters for. Everyone writes the letters, and then, they give personalized ones to everyone, so that everyone has a complete set.

These are just some ideas that I came up with. Put in the comments some ideas that you may have in order to level-up open when letters. Growing in unity while affirming others with hospitality and love!

Until next time,

Posted in All Posts, Recipes

how to make super easy 10-minute cake

Posted on by allybro96

Imagine this situation. You have guests coming over soon for a small get together, but something is missing. You forgot to make dessert. What’s even worse is that you have also ran out of eggs (a situation that occurs all too often when I want to bake something). You do not want to run to the store as you do not have that much time. Worry not though, you remembered that you read this blog post on Notes by Alex which prepared you for this very situation. You were prepared on how to make a 10-minute cake which will make

This cake recipe is so quick and easy that you can make it before they arrive. It takes a mere 6 minutes for this cake to “bake”. What is even greater is that there are no eggs, so whether you are out of eggs or have someone who cannot eat foods with eggs, this recipe is perfect for you. Oh, did I forget to mention that there is no preheating the oven? This cake is made in the microwave! It’s so easy you can get your young kids to help you with the recipe. Are you hosting a surprise party, and your guest of honor will be there in less than 15 minutes? You have nothing to worry about! Well enough talking about how cool it is! Let’s get to the recipe so that you can make it now. (I never understood those blogs where you had to skip 7+ paragraphs that people never read in order to get to the recipe.)

you will need…

  • 6 tablespoons of butter = 3/4 stick of butter (room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup of sugar
  • 1/4 cup of yogurt
  • 3/4 cup of milk
  • 1 cup and 2 tablespoons of flour
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla
  • A dash of salt

recipe for your 10-minute cake

  1. Whisk together the butter and sugar
  2. Add the yogurt, milk, and vanilla. Mix together.
  3. Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until smooth.
  4. Put in glass cups, and microwave for 6 minutes.
    • I used an ice cream scoop to divide it into 3 cups. Each cup got 2.5 scoops of the batter.
  5. Check the cake to make sure it is cooked all the way through. (see notes below)
  6. Wait for it to cool, then top with your favorite buttercream.
    • I used a classic American buttercream, but I made it a bit softer so that it would spread more smoothly on top.
Ingredients Mixed
Ready to Microwave
Currently Cooling
Frosted and Decorated
Ready to Enjoy
It Looks Just Like Baked Cake

notes for the perfect 10-minute cake

  • I used cake flour in my recipe, but all purpose flour will work just fine!
  • I heat my milk in the microwave for 30 seconds before adding it with the other ingredients. You want all of your wet ingredients to be about the same temperature which is typically room temperature. After taking it out of the refrigerator, a 30-second microwave warming brings it to be about room temperature!
  • You can use the normal toothpick method of putting a toothpick through the center. If it comes out clean, you are done.
    • If you are like me, you do not always have toothpicks on hand. In such a case, use your smallest knife (which for me is my pairing knife) to achieve the same effect.
    • If it does not come out clean, continue microwaving in 30-second intervals. Be careful! It will be HOT!
  • If you do not want to make your own buttercream, use store-bought frosting. Or use cool whip or whipped cream. Any of these would be great pairings with the delicious cake!

my reaction

This was such a simple and easy cake. It was quick to prepare, and it requires so few ingredients. Your friends will never know that it was made in a microwave. I’m not a fancy cake baker or decorator; I just bake for fun. My cake is no work of art, but for those more artistically inclined, it can look amazing. There is so much creativity that can be unleased both with the design and the recipe. If you want to try different flavors, this cake would do well with using different flavored extracts or buttercreams.

This is an easy recipe to make with kids as it requires few ingredients, it is quick, and it does not require a hot oven. I look forward to making this with my nieces the next time that I see them. It does not require a lot of patience.

Using the cups, it is perfect for each person to have their own personal mini cake. I absolutely adore this recipe. The cake is moist and not dense. This is a perfect last-minute dessert for anyone who is expecting some sweet treats from you.

Posted in All Posts, Events

a year of events: 12 events to plan in the next 12 months

Posted on by allybro96

People are going back to spending time with each other which means HOSTING EVENTS. Hosting is one of my favorite things in the entire world! I am a firm believer that anyone can host and entertain. It just may require training and practice. This blog is to help you plan events from start to finish! I want people to finish reading a blog post and say, “That was not as hard as I thought it would be!” This is a round-up of 12 events that you can host for a year of events. Make it a goal to have people over at least once a month to have fun and laugh!

01 | January: New Year, New Skill

Start off your year of events with a one-of-a-kind event where you get your friends together to learn a new skill. There are millions of videos on YouTube dedicated to you learning a new skill. So, start off the new year by improving yourself. Do you want to learn how to cook or bake? Get a recipe book, and make a recipe together with your friends. Are you interested in learning a new language? Get the Duolingo app to start learning the new language and practicing together. Have you always wanted to be able to draw or paint? Look up some basic tutorials on Pinterest or TikTok, and try to all create the same piece in your own style. Are you trying to learn how to host events? Well, you’re already in the right place, so read this blog post!

With an event like this, all guests are together trying to learn something new. As the year goes on, this can be a reoccurring event to make sure you are all growing in the skill. Furthermore, you can hold each other accountable for growth. You can practice and compete with one another to get better at your new skill. Let this new year be a year you learn something new.

02 | February: Kitchen Competition

I love kitchen reality shows, and it can be a really fun event to host one of your own! As kitchen space is often limited, I suggest hosting the first part virtually through FaceTime, Zoom, Google Hangouts, or another video conferencing service. Then, you will all come together to eat everyone’s great creations.

a. Chopped Competition

There will be a few ingredients that all need to be included in the dish. The ingredients should be based on the skill level of your competitors. As I doubt that you are competing against a group of only professional chefs, I would not have a time limit. Inform your guests of the required secret ingredients in advanced, and have a time where you will all come together to bring your dish together. Then, everyone will vote on their favorite secretly.

b. Star Ingredient

Based off of Beat Bobby Flay’s first round, you will have one ingredient that you need to show off. This is similar to Chopped, but you will have only one required ingredient. With Chopped, there are many ingredients, and none particularly have to be the star. But with this variation, you want your main ingredient to be obviously and creatively displayed. Everyone will make their own dish, and they will vote on which is the best.

c. Recipe Roundup

With this competition, all of you will be given the same dish which you have to make your own. For example, everyone may be told to make macaroni and cheese. It will be up to the competitors to be unique in coming up with ways to create a delicious and one-of-a-kind macaroni and cheese. You will all eventually come together to vote on whose is the best.

d. Full-Course Champion

Bring your appetites for this variation. You are going to have people go head-to-head for various courses in a meal. There will be at least two people per round competing to make foods for their assigned course for people to vote on whose is better. You will have two-people making appetizers, entrees, and desserts. People will vote on each round on which dish was better. You better not eat before this one because you’ll be eating a lot of great food.

03 | March: Game Night

The classic game night is a quintessential event when thinking of a way to bring everyone together. The healthy competition and hearty laughter is something that is always welcome. Game nights are my favorite things to host, and I love hosting them all year round. March is a perfect time for one because the weather is slowly beginning to get warmer, and you could have a nice game night either outdoors or indoors. You could do a combination of both.

If you are at a lost for how to host an unforgettable game night, check out this post that I made to teach you my method.

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04 | April: Craft Night

I LOVE CRAFT NIGHTS! To me, they are basically just hanging out with your friends while doing crafts. It’s been a while since my last craft night that I have hosted, but they are essentially just nights where people get together working on whatever creative project they would like. I could be working on a painting, another friend could be doing crotchet, another friend will be knitting, and another friend could be writing a story. Each friend is doing his or her own creative project, but everyone is together doing it with their loved ones around.

If you would like, you could have extra crafts for people to work on individually. But the beauty of this is that it is very LOW-MAINTENANCE. It is important in hosting a year of events to have events which require little effort from you. You could even have a movie going on in the background while each of you is being creative.

05 | May: Karaoke Night

There aren’t many events that are funnier than a classic karaoke night. Embrace your voice, especially if you’re not a professional singer, with this event and a cheering audience. Whether you are virtual or in-person, this event is bound to be loads of fun. There are videos, like those on Sing King’s YouTube Channel, that makes hosting karaoke nights super easy. But, what are some ways to mix up your classic karaoke night to something more memorable.

a. Song Association Challenge

The Song Association Challenge is a challenge popularized by ELLE where contestants are given a word. Then, they have 10 seconds to sing that word in a song. That word must be said in the 10 seconds in order to get the point. One channel on YouTube, Song Association Words, has made a lot of videos that just has the words and the countdown. So for your karaoke night, make sure that you try this out for size. Check out the current 4 seasons of Song Association on ELLE’s YouTube Channel. (Season 1) (Season 2) (Season 3) (Season 4)

b. Harmonizing Challenge

The Harmonizing Challenge is, just like it sounds, a challenge where you and your loved ones try to come up with a good harmony. It has a few different formats, to be either competitive, cooperative, or a mix of both. This challenge was created by Cimorelli, one of my favorite groups of all time. Only do this one if you are a more musically inclined group because this is such a hard thing to do, but it can be super fun even if some harmonies are disastrous.

  1. Working Together: As an entire group, you will select a song from a hat. After getting that song, you will start singing a part of the song trying to come up with good harmonies. Here are some examples of Cimorelli doing this variation:
  2. Versus: In this variation, two teams will compete against one another to come up with harmonies for the same songs. You may want a judge to be a party to decide which team did better.
  3. Recorded: For this variation, you will be recording all of the parts to a song to make creative harmonies. You will need an audio recording app where you can record various parts. There is a free one called Take that I have been using for years, but it will limit you to only 3 parts (one of which I assume would be the melody). Spire Song Maker is another app which has gotten good ratings for being able to do similar functions. Watch the Cimorelli version for an example.

06 | June: Binge Watch Party

Does anyone else feel like they are behind on a television show? Glad, I’m not the only one. Chances are that your friends are also behind on your favorite television show, so what is better than to plan an event for all of you to catch up together. Grab your friends together for a night (or day) together watching, reacting, and discussing all the best moments from your favorite television shows. Are you all caught up on your shows? There are thousands of shows to pick from on the various streaming services that exist.

It is not hard to plan a Binge Watch Party. All you need is a television, a streaming service subscription, some snacks, and all of your loved ones. Just like that, you have an event for this month. Are you watching a long-television show? Split it between various nights. Pick a night of the week where you guys meet weekly to watch a couple of episodes. If you do not want the brunt of the hosting on you every week, swap houses each week to give everyone a chance to host the television show. Come up with creative ideas for each of you to make it your own. Looking for tips on hosting a successful binge watch party, check out our post here. After this is over, you have made it halfway through your year of events.

07 | July: Cookout

A cookout seems rather obvious because it is the middle of the summer! (Plus, it has Independence Day if you live in the States.) The weather is warm, and it is the perfect time to grill out with all sorts of food. There are various creative summer recipes that you can try for food and drink. And, you finally can dust off your outdoor games like cornhole and ladder ball.

But, you can make your cookout next level with a few small additions! Have a themed-cookout where all the decorations, foods, and outfits match the theme. It could even be a simple color theme, where everyone comes in the same colors for a picture perfect moment. You can easily buy colored plates and napkins from Wal-Mart to go with the theme.

Plan for a few stations at your cookout! Cookout food pairs well with different sauces, so you can have a sauce station. This can be made into a competition where people combine various sauces and spices to try to make the BEST ORIGINAL SAUCE that they can. Or you can try to recreate your favorite restaurant sauces, like Chik-fil-a sauce.

Create a question and answer station as an icebreaker. Find colored paper that goes with your theme, and make small sheets of paper with good get-to-know you questions. Guests can write their answer to the questions, and put it in a container. Later on in the night, gather everyone together to get people to guess who said what. Check out my blog post on the best question book ever and how to use it for fun games.

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08 | August: Photo Scavenger Hunt

When was the last time you did a scavenger hunt? Photo scavenger hunts take your normal everyday scavenger hunts to the next level. They also only require cell phones and the scavenger hunt sheet. Plan a time for everyone to meet at a predetermined space with their charged cell phones. Everyone will need to be in separate groups with a scavenger hunt paper for each group.

On the scavenger hunt paper, there will be a list of pictures that they have to take. All group members, except maybe the one taking the photo, must be in the picture. These will contain various poses and locations for people to take the photos. Different photos will have different point values. Closer spots and easier photos will have lower point values whereas more difficult locations and photos will have higher point values.

There will be a time limit, so make sure all groups arrive on time or they lose. The group to have the highest point value in the time assigned wins. You want it to be a short enough time for groups to have to make decisions on if they are going to go for more pictures of smaller point values or the fewer pictures with higher point values. Ultimately, this is a fun an innovative activity having people run around taking photos at various locations. You have some great photos with friends, and a lot of fun competing with others.

09 | September: Movie Night

Movie Nights are the coolest! Two hour movies in a dark theatre are not my thing, but a movie night is so much better. You can sit on your super comfortable couch with your friends, under the comfort of a nice warm blanket eating popcorn that is not super expensive. For half the price, you can have an amazing experience, customized however you want it.

If you have a projector, this is the PERFECT opportunity to host an outdoor movie night. September is not too hot and not too cold, so an outdoor movie is perfect. Plus, it is a last ditch effort to use the grill before fall is in full swing. But in case of inclement weather, it can easily be moved indoors to your living room. Make whatever foods you feel like having, and make the space perfect for your movie watching experience.

How do I make this movie night different from any other movie night? As long as your hosting it for the people you love, any movie night you have will be amazing. But if you are looking for ways to make it stand out a bit more, have a critic’s panel. Have sheets with a grading rubric for how you would rate the movie and the various aspects. Talk about characters, development, predictability, set design, costumes, engagement, and re-watch-ability (if that’s even a word). Discuss with one another why you gave the score you gave and what they could have done to improve to you. If you are an creative bunch, write a new ending for the movie and vote for your favorite. However, you cannot vote for your own! Whatever you choose to do, a September Movie Night is 100% the way to go.

10 | October: Murder Mystery Dinner

This is the event that no one ever thinks to host, but if implemented correctly, it can be a huge hit. This requires the most planning out of all of the events, especially because you DON’T want to split the work between various people! You are the host and the only one that knows all of the information going in. If other people help, that will ruin the surprise which is the key element to a Murder Mystery Dinner. Mystery is literally in the name!

When you send out the invitations, you will provide your guests with a character name and description. Give them a few days to practice getting into character: finding outfits, practicing character choices, etc. When they arrive to dinner, give them an envelope or booklet with all of the information they will need for the night. But, they cannot open it until directed by you because it will hold secret information for each character! Make notecards or sheets that each person will grab at random when coming in (also to be kept secret) on whether or not they are the murderer.

Planning a Murder Mystery Dinner can be a lot of hard work (and I definitely want to make a blog post devoted to just this event in the future). In order to lessen the work load on you, check out Broadway Murder Mystery which has cheap kits to make it a whole lot easier on you for planning.

11 | November: Friendsgiving Potluck

Potlucks are the best events to host because it requires the less work than many others. You cook one dish because everyone else is also bringing their own foods. You do not have to make an entire elaborate feast by yourself, nor should you have to. Create a sign up form with Google Docs or Google Slides. Collaborate with everyone to make sure that they know what they are bringing. Keep food allergies in mind to keep everyone healthy. If you are having outside of the home, make sure someone knows to bring plates, utensils, and napkins! Then, everyone will bring their dishes to the venue for a nice dinner together with friends.

Now, you know that there is going to be people who have dishes that they will want to make for themselves. So, make sure everyone brings a few copies of the recipe for everyone to take home and make for themselves. You can check out our editable recipe pages and cards, right here. (If you’re not a subscriber to Noteworthy, check out the bottom of the Noteworthy page for our newsletter archive for the password. Then, subscribe so that you do not miss another freebie!) This way everyone has a chance to make their new favorite recipes at home. You have new recipes to make with your family. If you do not know what to make, we’ve got you covered because we have a crowd-pleasing recipe that friends of all ages will love. Make adorable mini cheesecakes for everyone to enjoy.

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12 | December: Christmas Party

There’s nothing better than a quintessential Christmas party. There are so many variations to this classic event which cumulates all the skills from hosting your year of events. Host a Christmas Movie night where you and your friends watch a classic Christmas movie, such as Home Alone. You can opt for the traditional Ugly Christmas Sweater event (or it’s classier cousin, making an Ugly Christmas Sweater look good). Go with another potluck for a Christmas feast because everyone knows that you cannot diet in November and December. If you haven’t planned a game night in a while, do one while everyone is in town for the holidays with some Christmas-themed fun! Do another karaoke night but with Christmas music only, or go caroling around the town. Plan a Secret Santa or White Elephant with your loved ones.

Or do my favorite… COMBINE THEM ALL FOR A END OF YEAR SPECTACULAR! You have practiced, and you are ready for the biggest event of the year! Have everyone come in their Christmas attire bringing one of their favorite dishes and a gift. Start with a bit of light competition with a game of sorts with the winner being the first to choose their present for White Elephant. After presents have been opened (and wrapping paper has been cleaned up), it’s time to enjoy your Christmas feast! Play some Christmas music in the background, so your musical friends can jam out. When everyone is stuffed to the brim, cool down with a nice Christmas movie. And there you have it; a complete Christmas event combining many events from the rest of the year! This will be a great end to your year of events.

Final Thoughts

An entire year of events for you to plan may seem like a lot, but I hope this post took some of the fear out of it. At least, it is to give you some ideas of what you can do. If you want to only host games nights for your year of events, you should do it. But make it your goal to host something each month, even if it is with the same group of people each month. Twelve events may seem like a lot, but it is worth it to find new ways to laugh and have fun with your loved ones.

Do you have ideas for other events that were not mentioned in this post? Please leave a comment sharing your ideas with others. I would definitely love to get new ideas for things to host!

Until Next Time,

Posted in All Posts, Events

how to host a successful binge watch party

Posted on by allybro96

Are you ready to spend time with people again? Make up for lost time and plan to have a binge watch party together for a one of the many great television shows that are accessible to you. There is so much potential with binge watch parties that make them truly amazing experiences, and you can alter the format based on your individual needs. This is the perfect way to catch up with old friends. With so many streaming services, there is always something to watch.

My love for watch parties began in college. My friends introduced me to Once Upon a Time, and as we learned of more friends who watched it, we slowly began to form watch parties every Sunday night. It was fun to gather people together to watch a show we all loved. Then after graduating, there was another show a bunch of friends and I loved. But because of conflicting schedules, it was not like we could all watch it together, so I planned one binge watch party where we would meet together to watch a bunch of episodes back to back. It was a great success.

how do you have a great binge watch party?

Having a great binge watch party is more of an art than a science, but it is still a social event. There are different small things that will make it stand out. While just sitting and watching the television show is something that is fine in and of itself, there is so much more that you can do which will make it so much more fun. This step-by-step guide will have you hosting amazing binge watch parties in no time.

1. food

Food is a must! This is the most obvious of all of them. If you are watching a bunch of episodes back-to-back, people will get hungry. In order to not need to stop in the middle to go out to get food, make sure that you have food present. Have snack foods for people to munch on during the watch. These are things that are simple to prepare, and you probably already have it somewhere in your kitchen. Think popcorn, chips, veggie tray, crackers, and fruit. These things have little or no preparation. People will be eating these while watching the show no problem.

But, you will also want to have something a bit more substantial, especially if it will last more than 3 hours. Snacks are nice for the short term, but consider making something bigger for the group. Around 3 hours, you will want to take a break anyway. It can be exhausting to sit for long periods of time. So every 3 hours, have a break and food ready. This can be pizza, sandwiches, spaghetti, or anything. Just have a time where you are away from the screen enjoying each other’s company with good food and good conversation. Prepare it in advanced. It will save you time and headache. It is so much easier to just heat something up than making it when there are hungry people over.

Check out this blog post on how I made a 3-course meal in a Ninja Foodi to give you recipes and ideas for food that you can easily make for your binge watch party.

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2. interactive element

I say this for all of my events. Have something interactive for people to do! It makes a world of difference. The last binge watch event I hosted, I used my whiteboard. It was interactive central. It cost no money, but it stimulated good conversation. I had a few prompts which people could write down their thoughts.

  • Reactions – In this section, people could write down their major reactions to things that happened in the show. We would also write down things that we would say often in response to what was happening.
  • Predictions – This is an interesting section, and it is super fun to watch if they come true. Here, people would write what they think would happen. Some were funny, and some were serious, but it was always fun to see these as we are going along.
  • References – We were watching the show, Young Justice, which has many references to the number 16. So, I challenged my friends to try to find and identify every reference to the number 16 that they could find. Find things that work in your own show that could be a fun challenge to discover.

Ultimately, this event led to a lot of good memories as they would write the funniest and most absurd things on the board that I still remember to this day. With every plot twist, I am glad that I got to experience it with my friends. But there are other things you can do for an interactive section. You could have a What If? section, responding to what would be different if a character made a different decision. You could make a Show Playlist for what songs you would play for different scenes. You could make a TV Menu, writing down every food you see in the show. This can lead to another follow-up event where you each make a different food that you saw in the show for a potluck. Comment what other interactive elements you would include in your binge watch party.

3. discussion

Have a space for discussion. Whether that be during the episode or in between episodes, you need a space to discuss what just happened. TV shows include various plot twists and surprising elements, so make sure to have a time to talk about it. Here you can talk about some of the things from above in the interactive elements section.

During discussion, you could have a question that really causing people to think. This idea came from college where a few friends got together to have philosophical movie nights where we would have a deep discussion based on the movie. Imagine you just watch a heart wrenching scene where two characters break up. You could have a pretty in-depth conversation about various things. What would have happened if they did not break up? Where did it go wrong? What would happen if I was in both characters shoes? Where can a similar concept be applied in our own everyday lives? These all are simple questions that can go deep really quickly. It is a great way to get opinions and thoughts out in a civil conversation.

what should we watch for our binge watch party?

There are a lot of great shows to watch. Some are shorter shows, whereas some may be longer. Consider your audience and patience. You also do not have to watch all of it in one night. Split it between multiple nights. You can have a weekly event where people know to come over for this event. Plus with all of the streaming services, there is bound to be something that you all can watch together that will have everyone’s interest. Here are a list of some of my personal favorites:

  • Drama: A Million Little Things, This is Us, Once Upon a Time
  • Mystery/Thriller: Why Women Kill, WandaVision, Gossip Girl, Stranger Things, Psych
  • Action: Flash, Supergirl, Stargirl, Young Justice, Titans, Gifted, Inhumans, Fate: The Winx Saga, Invincible
  • Family Friendly: High School Musical: The Musical the Series, Fruits Basket (2019), Boy Meets World, Girl Meets World
  • Reality Competitions: Worst Cooks in America, Food Network Star, Survivor, The Bachelor(ette)
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final thoughts

As people are starting to spend time together again, plan to have people over. A binge watch party can be the perfect way to get people all back together again who may not have seen each other in a very long time. You can have a lot of fun and a lot of great conversations. It doesn’t cost a lot, and planning for one does not take much time. You can plan to have one tonight. Send out those invites now. Start making the food (or order it). Choose the show. You’ll be ready to host one right now. Stop doing Netflix Watch Party. Host a real watch party that people will remember and love. Comment on any ideas or additions that you would add for an amazing watch party.

Until next time,

Posted in All Posts, Recipes

making mini cheesecakes for your next event

Posted on by allybro96

Everything is cuter when it is smaller, right? We have an entire market based on having things in a small version. We have mini versions of candies, baby carrots, fingerling potatoes… So, there must be something to this mini trend, so I wanted to join in. It is no secret to anyone that knows me that a cheesecake is my favorite dessert, especially when I make it myself. There is something special about a creamy and decadent (baked) cheesecake, and I was blown away by how cute and fun mini cheesecakes are.

Made in a cupcake tin, these mini cheesecakes are perfect for so many occasions. I have used them to serve at a potluck type event where people can each have their own little individual treats. They are also perfect for edible gifts. Right before giving the gift, pop a few of these into a box. Bake these for any event that you are hosting. People can flock to these treats as they please. Whatever the occasion, these mini cheesecakes are your next go to recipe.

mini cheesecakes: ingredients

Crust

  • 3 Cups of crust (check the notes below for more on ratios)
    • Graham Crackers
    • Vanilla Wafers
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling

  • 16 oz (2 sticks) of cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp of sugar
  • 1 tbsp of vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp of lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp of flour
  • 16 oz of sour cream
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mini cheesecakes: recipe

Firstly, preheat oven to 350°F.

crust

  1. In a large Ziploc bag, add in graham crackers and vanilla wafers to preference. I try for half vanilla wafers and half graham crackers.
  2. Using a rolling pin, crush the graham crackers and vanilla wafers to form the crust.
  3. Add in melted butter to the cookie crumbs in order to form the crust.
  4. Then, add the crust to the cupcake liners into the cupcake tin. Put about one spoonful of the crust into the liners, and compact it down.

filling

  1. In a bowl using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, cream together the cream cheese and sugar.
  2. Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  3. Then, add in the vanilla, lemon juice, and flour and mix well.
  4. Finally, add in the sour cream, and mix lightly until it is completely incorporated. Fold around just to make sure that all ingredients are well combined.

final touches

  1. Spoon in cheesecake filling until the cupcake liners are about 3/4 full.
  2. Bake for 30 minutes.
  3. Let the cheesecakes cool to room temperature.
  4. Put the cheesecakes in the fridge for 8-12 hours to chill.
  5. Finally, enjoy plain or with a fruit topping.
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mini cheesecakes: notes

  • For the ratio of the crust, I like to have equal parts graham crackers to vanilla wafers. I tend to just eyeball it because it is delicious regardless, but if you want to be more precise use about 3-4 vanilla wafers for each graham cracker.
  • For a finer crust, throw it in a blender or food processor to have a finer grain.
  • There are a lot of options for the crust. You can add other cookies or ingredients if you want to. If I did not have a nut allergy, I think almonds would be a great way to add a bit of extra crunch to the recipe.
  • Making a topping for the cheesecakes doesn’t have to be hard.
    • Get your favorite flavor of fruit preserves to top the cheesecake with.
    • Make a simple syrup, and brush the fruit with it. It is easy to make and adds a nice shimmer to the fruit.
      • Put one cup of water and one cup of sugar in a saucepan.
      • Put on medium heat, and stir continually until sugar is all dissolved.
      • When it starts to boil (soft ball stage), take it off the heat immediately.
      • Quickly brush it on the fruit you are going to top the cheesecake with.

mini cheesecakes: final thoughts

This is such a simple recipe with amazing results. It has a 5-star rating in my list of favorite recipes, but don’t take my word for it. Make this amazing recipe for yourself. After you make this recipe for the first time, it will become a staple that you will make for all of your events. Surprise your cheesecake-lover friends at the next surprise party you host. To see how to host an amazing surprise party, check out my post here.

You don’t have to be an expert baker to make amazing treats, so take a chance and make these cute desserts for all your loved ones. Comment what changes you made to this recipe for your family and friends. Also, don’t be afraid to share pictures of your amazing creations as well.

Until next time,

Posted in All Posts, Events

why asking questions is your next game night tradition

Posted on by allybro96

My best friend and favorite person in the whole world has a new tradition that was started a few short months ago. While he is at work, he posts a question on Instagram which people answer, and he posts throughout his work day. He has a variety of cool questions that he asks of people.

I love getting to know people. Once I have decided that I want to be friends with someone, I want to truly get to know them. My friend says that his favorite question is: What are 3 stories you have that really define who you are? It is such a deep question that I could spend hours trying to think about. But, asking questions is really the most simple way of getting to know others.

Whether your next game night is virtual or in person, asking questions of each other will make it not only fun, but meaningful. Do you know what is better? It is so easy to do and requires no set-up. And, there are so many ways to mix it up so that it looks different each and every time. This has happened a few times, and each time, I have felt that those have been the most successful game nights that I have ever gone to. Check out my post for how to host a great game night.

In college, a close friend introduced us to this truly magical book. It is called The Complete Book of Questions (Gary Poole). The book contains 1001 engaging questions to get to know the people who you are with. It starts off simple with easy questions that you can answer without much thought. Every time you reach the next 100, it starts a new, deeper category of questions. Before you know it, you are asking each other questions which require in-depth thought. You really get to know the people around you. If you are interested in purchasing the book, I will leave it linked below.

how does this game work?

It will be slightly different if you are having an in-person game night as opposed to a virtual game night. If you are virtual, you will just have the person who owns the book ask all of the questions whereas those having game nights in person can pass the book. It does not matter how big or small the group, this works wonders. It can be as small as 2 or as large as 40. This will be a hit.

People can join in at any time. Many other games, you have to wait for a round to finish or something of the sort. This is so easy to have people enter and leave when it is convenient. You can also do this while doing other things. When you are hosting an event, sometimes you are preparing food while company is present. Even while preparing food or setting up, you can answer questions when it is your turn. Let’s look at a few different ways to play the game.

variation 1

Let’s make up some imaginary players: Atticus, Brynn, Cruz, Darcy, Everett, and Fallon. Atticus starts with asking Brynn what number she chooses. Brynn picks a number between 1 and 1001. Brynn choose number 327. Atticus searches the book to go to question 327, and he asks her the question. Once Brynn answers, she gets the book (if in person), and she chooses who she wants to call on next to answer a question. She chooses Fallon. Fallon chooses number 757 and gets asked that question. Then, Fallon chooses the next person to answer a question.

This can go on for as long or short as you want it. Typically, you will not want to ask anyone a second question until everyone has gone at least once. So, no one can call on Brynn until everyone else has answered at least once. This way, everyone in the group has an equal chance to share. Sometimes, people re-ask the same number by mistake (even with 1001 numbers, you would be surprised how often it happens even for short games). In those cases, tell the person to pick a different number.

variation 2

This is very similar to the first variation, but with this one, you go around in a circle (or predetermined order). We have done this at retreats where there are many more people. I was once in a circle with probably around 30 other people. Instead of people randomly picking, everyone gets a chance to answer when it is their turn. So, Atticus would go first. Next, Brynn goes. Afterwards, Cruz, Darcy, Everett, and Fallon go in that order. Then, Atticus will go again.

This way, you will not have to keep track of whose turn it is. Everyone will know when they are going based on the predisposed order. This is perfect for a Zoom or Google Meets where you can go in order. You may not get the random surprise of not knowing when you will be called on, but it makes it so easy for people to know when they are going to go making it easier than trying to remember who has and has not answered questions.

variation 3

One day in class where we had a lot of students absent, we did this variation. Atticus picks a number. He choses number 804. Everyone will have to answer that question going around the circle or video call. Once Atticus answers, then Brynn, Cruz, Darcy, Everett, and Fallon are all expected to answer question 804. Then, the next person (Brynn) will pick a number that everyone in the circle has to answer.

When a question is asked, sometimes I want to answer that question to. It can be really cool to compare answers to see what you have in common with others. I love doing this with groups who do not know each other as well. You all can find commonalities or differences in the group when answering the same question.

variation 4

If you have a group that knows each other pretty well, this variation will really test your knowledge. You can quiz each other on making guesses on what the other person would say. In your circle or Zoom Room, know who is before you and who is after you. Atticus picks a number (401). Brynn has to try to come up with what she thinks Atticus would say as his answer for the question. Then, Brynn picks a number (202), and Cruz has to guess Brynn’s answer to the question. This can really see how much your friends really know about each other. You could even change up this rule in a few ways.

  • Brynn could pick the number/question and guess how Atticus would answer.
  • Atticus could pick the number/question, and Brynn has to guess how Cruz will answer.
  • Atticus could pick a number, and everyone in the group has to guess his answer. Points go to the people who guess the answer correctly.

Mix it up. Find ways to be creative with this one. There are so many possibilities with this one. I can tell you that I will be doing the third one for the next game night that I host. This friendship competition will really make things intense.

variation 5

I only recommend this in a group where everyone feels safe, but this is perfect if you think there is someone who would only stick to the lower numbers. With this variation, Atticus would choose a number. The person with the book would say the question. Then, Atticus chooses Darcy to answer. This is a version that requires being comfortable with one another because someone else hears the question before choosing who will answer. But in other variations, you already do not know the question that you will be asked. The only difference is that this one is slightly targeted.

You can put parameters around this variation such as having a number ceiling (where people cannot ask numbers above a certain level for a while) or having question skips if people do not want to answer. But, this is a good way to really get to know people and prevent some people from only picking small numbers.

variation 6

This version requires a little more set up. In advanced, you need to have slips of paper or notecards for people to write on! Atticus will find a question he wants everyone to answer. Everyone, except Atticus, will answer the questions on the slips of paper. They will compile their answers and shuffle them. Atticus, then, will have to try to figure out who gave which answer.

This may be difficult as it relates to people learning each other’s handwriting, so you can have a computer where people type in their answers. They just have to make sure that their answers are not chronological, or Atticus is in another room while they are typing their answers. Atticus will get points based on how many he gets right. After Atticus, Brynn will go, and everyone will rotate until everyone has gone a certain number of times. The member with the highest points wins.

variation 7

Variation 7 is very similar to variation 6, but with a bit more set-up. In this variation, Atticus is not the only one guessing who said what. Instead, everyone is trying to guess who gave what answer. Hopefully, everyone will get at least one point per round (their own answer). But, this will require another sheet for people to write who they think said each one.

Once everyone has written or typed their answer, number them. You would write 1 on the first answer you pulled out, 2 for the second answer you pulled out, and so forth. After all of them have been read aloud and numbered, people will write the name beside the number that they think gave that answer. If the first one pulled out was Darcy’s answer, everyone who wrote Darcy for number 1 would get it correct.

You can use free websites like Swift if you have people with distinctive handwriting. This allows people to just text in their answers without having their name attached necessarily. Plus, you could project it on a screen for easy access to easily see the answers instead of having them on a small sheet of paper.

final thoughts

Regardless of the variation that you choose, this needs to be a game added to your arsenal. It only requires one book. If you go to any store and see the price of games, this is so cheap in comparison. Not only do you have an engaging game that allows people to talk about themselves, but you have a chance for people to get a better understanding of each other. You can really get to know each other well by doing just one simple variation of this game.

Even if you are not using it for a game, it is a great tool for introspection. For those looking for icebreakers for groups, journal prompts, or using it as a teaching tool? This book has a great use and needs a place in your home.

Let me hear your thoughts. What are games you love to play during game nights? Is there a creative variation that you can think of that would go well with the question book? Make sure to write all of those in the comments. I can’t wait to read them.

Buy your own question book here.

until next time,

<img src="https://notesbyalex.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Question-Asking-At-Game-Night-683×1024.png&quot; alt="
Posted in All Posts, Events

the guide to a super surprise party

Posted on by allybro96

“My loved one has a birthday coming up! I want to throw him/her a birthday party!” No worries, we’ve got you covered. Throwing a surprise birthday party seems like a lot of work to plan for, but in reality, they are easier than you would expect. This guide will lead you through step-by-step for how to plan and host an iconic surprise party that your loved one will appreciate.

plan the surprise party

So you have decided to plan a surprise party for a loved one? Well, this is your guide to have the greatest party of all time. The first step is to get some of the major details decided.

  • Decide the date.
  • How many guests do you want?
  • Who is going to help you?
  • Will there be a theme?
  • Decorations?

assemble your team

To throw a truly successful surprise birthday party, you will need to form a team. You cannot do it all alone. Find 2 or 3 trusted friends who you plan on inviting in order to help you make your party a success. Have people who know the person well help out. They can be helpful in a variety of ways. Delegate tasks so that the entire burden is not on you.

  • Food and Drink Coordinator – This person will organize all of the refreshments for the event. This person does not have to prepare or buy all of the food by himself or herself. But, it is good to decide what is needed and how to set it up. Whether the food is being homemade, bought, or delivered, there needs to be a point person to set it up.
  • Surprise Decoy – The point of a surprise party is the surprise, but you will need someone to help you get the guest of honor to the venue without arousing suspicion. This person can also help you buy time if things are going awry. Ultimately, this person’s job is just to spend time with your friend until it is time to arrive to the party.
  • Gift Guide – If you all are getting a gift together, have someone coordinate it. Have someone to be the point person to collect all of the donations in order to purchase the gift.

send out the surprise party invites

This may seem like it is the most obvious part, but you will need to send out your invitations. Decide who you want at the party. Find people who mean a lot to your guest of honor. Family, friends, mentors, roommates, and close coworkers are some of the best people to invite. If they are unable to come, try to find a way to include them still somehow. I’m sure they would love to be included even if they cannot be present.

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decor galore

Decoration is something that is often overlooked, but nonetheless, it is something that sets the scene for an overall experience. Decoration does not have to be anything extravagant. I have a whiteboard in my living room which I can decorate to fit whatever the theme is. I also have a message board where I typically include the title of the event that I am hosting. There is a lot that you can do for decoration that is typically cheap…

  • Colorful Napkins, Plates, and Cutlery that go with the theme
  • Making a movie poster for the guest of honor on Canva
  • Designs cut out of colored paper
  • Small Battery-operated tea candles

These are just ideas to get you started, and doing all three of the ideas above would cost less than $10 to implement. Decoration does not have to an ice sculpture with various moving parts, but small tasteful decorations will make all the difference in a surprise party. (Plus, it saves you from a lot of cleanup.)

favorite foods

For the last surprise party that I hosted, I included some of his favorite foods. He is a lover of pizza, coffee, and (interestingly) strawberries. The pizza and coffee were easy, but I knew that I definitely wanted to incorporate strawberries somehow. Like most people, he loves chocolate. Chocolate-covered strawberries were the obvious option. I got white chocolate and dark chocolate to cover the strawberries. Then, I decorated them further with gold drizzle and luster dust.

Figure out what your guest of honor loves. When you figure it out, your menu has already been made. Be clever on how you get the information though. As with everything, you do not want them to catch on. Let it be a natural part of the conversation. My best friend had polls on his Instagram where you could ask him questions. I would always bombard him with questions. Included in those questions were things that I wanted to know for his party, such as what he wanted and foods he liked. Because I was already asking a lot of questions, he was none the wiser. I already knew a lot of what he liked, but this got me more ideas.

Figure out what works for you. If you can, ask someone who knows the person well. They can give you the inside scoop without compromising your secrecy.

surprise! and special touches

It’s the day of the surprise, and you are getting everything together. The food is ready to be served. All decorations are set up. You know who to expect and when to expect them. Everyone on their team is doing their job, especially the surprise decoy who has arguably the most important job. Now, it is just time for any last finishing touches before the party.

In my blog post on hosting an unforgettable game night, I mentioned having an interactive element for guests when they arrive. This still holds true for surprise parties. For the last surprise party that I hosted, I made a guest book of sorts. When guests arrived, they would write their favorite memory and an encouraging note to the birthday boy. Because I had thought of this days in advanced, I also reached out to people who I did not invite or who could not make it to also write messages which I would simply type up. This “guest book” was one of his favorite parts, and all it took was a few sheets of paper (with a graphic I made).

With all of that finished, it is time for the surprise! Inform your decoy of when to arrive, and prepare for the surprise. Everyone needs to get into position, and when the time is right and they enter, surprise your guest of honor. Enjoy yourselves as a lot of hard work went into planning this successful surprise party!

What is something unique that you have included or want to include in your surprise parties? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time,

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Posted in All Posts, Recipes

how to make homemade butter in 3 easy steps

Posted on by allybro96

Until about a few months ago, the mention of making butter was something that seemed beyond difficult. Whenever I hear of someone making homemade butter, I knew to be impressed because of the labor of love that it truly is. It sounds hard to make homemade butter. A lot of people make homemade bread. Homemade butter is another story completely. A few months ago, a student’s mother gave his teachers homemade bread with a homemade herb butter. It was the best bread that I have ever eaten, and even more so, I truly loved how the butter paired with the bread. It was all truly spectacular.

Today, I want to demystify the seemingly difficult process of making butter into something that is easy and not time consuming. By the end of this post, you are going to go to your kitchen and make butter that is out of this world.

you will need

  • 2 cups of heavy whipping cream
    • Yes, that is the only ingredient.
  • Stand Mixer with Whisk Attachment
    • A hand mixer would work just fine, but your arm will be tired
  • Any add-ins for some great flavor options

making homemade butter

  1. Pour the heavy whipping cream into the bowl of the stand mixer. With the whisk attachment, beat the whipping cream on medium for 20 minutes.
    • I cover the top of the stand mixer with a towel to prevent the cream from splashing out while mixing.
    • We are going beyond making whipped cream. It will go past soft peaks and stiff peaks. It’s weird to keep mixing after that, but just keep at it.
    • You will know that you are ready when there is a solid butter mixture separated from the buttermilk.
  2. If you have a cheesecloth, you can also squeeze out the buttermilk from the solids.
    • Do not discard the buttermilk. You can use this for so many things, such as some amazing buttermilk pancakes.
    • If you do not have a cheesecloth, simply wash it under some cold water for about a minute. Even with a cheesecloth, I like to do this just to make sure that I have truly gotten out all of the buttermilk.
  3. Mix in any additions that you wish to include for an amazing and unique final result.
    • Salt
    • Honey
    • Herbs
    • Pumpkin Pie Spice
    • Orange Zest

notes on homemade butter

Making butter is so easy that I do not know why I ever buy butter now. Having homemade rolls with homemade butter is something that I love doing whenever I am hosting a nicer event now because it is so easy to customize. It NEVER ceases to impress. People can’t get enough as soon as they try your homemade butter.

Making it yields a decent amount. I split the butter into 4 batches to try something different with each: a pumpkin spice butter, honey butter, a simple salted butter, and plain butter.

final thoughts

Use this butter for whatever you use store bought butter for, but you actually know what is in the final result with this butter. I have used it for greasing pans, baking, making pancakes, spreading it on bread, and adding flavor to other dishes. Serve the homemade butter with your secret ingredient bread. Check out that recipe here!

What is even better is that you can make this in as little as 20 minutes with very little work as the stand mixer does most of the work for you. A trip to the grocery store takes much longer than that even when you live nearby one. I live a half mile to 2 major grocery store. I can finish homemade butter faster than I can get to the store, park, go in, wait in line, pay, and drive back. It takes so much more work to do all of that than it does to put heavy whipping cream into a mixer and wait for 20 minutes.

Make this butter the next time you host a dinner party. Whenever friends come to your home, be prepared to inform them that you did not have to do any churning in order to get an amazing butter for your bread. Watch the thrill on people’s faces as they try your butter for the first time and impress everyone with something that took little time at all.

Until next time,

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Posted in All Posts, Events

the beginner’s guide to plan an unforgettable game night

Posted on by allybro96

I love game nights! My fondest memories of college are going to and planning game nights where we would all have fierce competitions. I love getting my friends together for some laughs, and this is my favorite way to do so. There are a few different types of game nights each of which has their own allure. Follow this guide for your next game night, whether it be virtual or in-person!

planning a game night

In order to have a successful game night, you need a plan. There are few considerations that you need to take into account when making your plan, but they are important nonetheless. Make sure you have an answer to each of the following questions before moving forward:

  1. How many people do I want to invite?
    • Of the people I am inviting, who would I expect to come?
    • What games are conducive to that number of people?
  2. Where is this going to be taking place?
    • Is this in-person or virtual?
    • Will this be at my home?
    • Is this going to be at someone else’s home?
    • Are we going to a more public place?
    • Do I need to rent out/reserve a space?
  3. What is the schedule?
    • Is there a specific start or end time?
    • Can people just come and go whenever?
    • Is this structured? Will you just be going with the flow?
  4. Will there be food/drinks?
    • Who is providing them?
    • What will be provided?
    • Is everyone going to be bringing something?
  5. What games will we be playing?
    • Are we focusing on just one or two games?
    • Will we be playing multiple games at one time?
    • What are the format of the games?
      • Virtual Games
      • Video Games
      • Board Games
      • Card Games
      • Party Games

making the invitations

The most exciting part of the preparation is making invitations. These aren’t super formal, but the game night is official when these are made and sent! I create an invitation with all of the required information below, and I text it to people. You could email or hand them out, but I find that texting is simple.

On the invitation, you will need…

  • The event name
  • Time & Date
  • Location/Address
  • Date for RSVP

For events, I love coming up with creative names and themes to get into the spirit. These are just ways to stimulate excitement, and it is a fun theme to follow. It is not a requirement though. Some of the titles that I have come up with are for my most recent events…

  • Ghoul-ish Game Night(mare) [for my Halloween game night]
  • No Grinch Game Night [for my Christmas-themed game night]
  • The First Bro-el [for my Christmas themed guy’s night]
  • Joe to the World [a surprise party for my friend, Joe]

These are just ideas to get you started. Choose titles that work for you if you are going to give your game night an official name. Slogans are also fun to add something extra to your invitations. If you want a template for an invitation, sign up for our monthly newsletter, Noteworthy. You get access to a free editable invitation template where you can type in the information for your event to send to your guests.

day-of preparations

So, here you are on the day of the event. Excitement is building as you get ready for your game night. But, there are some things that you will need to do in order to prepare for the big night!

1. Prep Your Space

  • Take out the games for people to preview.
  • My Amazon Fire Stick takes my preparation to the next level. On the Fire Stick, I pull up a YouTube video with a cool background (some of which have music to go along with it). This adds a bit of ambiance to the atmosphere.
    • During Christmas events, I may have a video of a running fireplace as a background. Use this fireplace video for your winter events.
    • You could also do a coffee shop aesthetic. This coffee shop video will make you feel like you’re in a real café.
  • I also have a whiteboard in my living room. I tend to decorate my whiteboard for whatever event that I am hosting. This is just a small touch to add to the atmosphere. You do not have to do anything extravagant, but small touches go a long way.
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2. Food and Refreshments

This is not something that is required at game nights, but if you are having food, get it set up. Get your plates and utensils set up for guests to immediately dig in when they arrive!

  • If you are making the food, set aside enough time to prepare it.
  • For those who would prefer to order food, make sure to do it EARLY. If you don’t, it may not be there when people arrive.
  • Potluck style events are easy to set up. Just make sure to designate the area(s) where the food will go. Make a label for it if you must.

If you want a recipe perfect for game nights, check out my blog post for the ultimate finger food, chicken nuggets. It is so easy to make! Plus, finger foods are so easy for competitive game play. Read the blog post here.

3. Include An Interactive Element

I love having a small station somewhere for people to write something or think about something. Just make sure people can see it!

  • Have a few small sheets of paper to have people write down a recent blessing or good news!
  • This could be a prompt for people to respond to.
  • Use it as prep for a game that you will play later in the night.
  • Have people write encouraging notes. As the guests leave, they will take a note with them.

Preparation does not have to take a lot of time, but it is about the small things that people will remember. It is using small gestures and objects to make a big difference. Many times, I do all of my prep work in an hour or two. Do not spend copious amounts of time on prep.

game night

So, the night has finally come! There is only one thing that you need to do. HAVE FUN! You have worked hard only to enjoy this night. Different people have different hosting styles, so let yours run wild as you are hosting. Enjoy the night that you devoted time to create!

when the party’s over

There is one final touch to really set you apart in your hospitality! Send a text thanking your guests for coming! This will show how much you value the presence of your friends. This can also lead to some conversations about how things went as a way to get feedback on the event. Perhaps, they will talk about your recipes that they loved. Ultimately, people feel special when you do this small gesture that takes little time.

Send it within 24-hours. I personally like doing it the night of, but depending on logistics, doing it the next day could be better! I sometimes like to make a graphic similar to the invitation which you can just send to all of your guests easily. You could also send a personalized text message. Whatever you choose to do, honor those who took the time to come. You may have done the planning, but the event is nothing without the guests that took their time to come.

final thoughts

A game night is really what you make it, so work hard to make it the best. An unforgettable game night is both a science and an art. Like a science, there are formulas that you can follow for a pretty successful game night. But, there is an art to making it different and your own style. So, go forth and get your game night on.

I want to hear from you though. What are ways that you make your game nights unforgettable?

Until next time,

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Posted in All Posts, Challenges, Products, Recipes

how to make a 3-course meal in a Ninja Foodi

Posted on by allybro96

Buzzfeed Tasty’s YouTube channel has this series which I adore called Chef Out of Water. The talented chef has to make a 3-course meal with a gadget or appliance of the producers’ choosing. They have had it all on there: air fryer, microwave, toaster, iron, dishwasher, and more. I wanted to challenge myself to this task, but with a device much easier to handle. I made a 3-course meal in a Ninja Foodi.

When I first moved into my condo, it was the perfect fit. It was almost everything that I wanted that my old apartment did not have. However, there was one issue when I moved in though; the oven did not work. I found this out one day when trying to make a meal, but fortunately, I had bought a cool device to make this easier, the Ninja Foodi. I prepared many of my meals with this device. It was a God-send to have purchased this a mere few weeks before learning of my oven not working. It saved me from having to spend excess money eating out. If you do not know what the Ninja Foodi is, please check out my post about the 6 reasons why you need to get a Ninja Foodi ASAP.

the challenge: 3-course meal in a Ninja Foodi

This challenge has 3 parts: appetizer, main course, and dessert. I cannot use any other appliance to prepare food which includes but is not limited to, stand mixers, blenders, microwave, oven, toasters, and griddles. I must use the Ninja Foodi in all three of the dishes. The purpose of this is to see if I would be able to make it if every other appliance in my kitchen was rendered unusable.

The hardest part of this challenge was coming up with recipes to make. I was able to come up with recipes for the appetizer and main course with ease, but the dessert was difficult to come up with one. I choose to do this with the Ninja Foodi because of how versatile it is. With all of the different modes, there were so many recipes to choose from, but the challenge was making it my own. I’m not a professionally trained chef. I am self-taught, and all I know comes from books, YouTube, and experimentation.

I also wanted all three dishes to be coherent-ish. In the following sections, you will get access to recipes that I made for this challenges to hopefully give you some inspiration for your next event. Your guests will never believe that you made everything with only one appliance. If you want to see more of these challenges, leave a comment below, and I will make it more challenging with focusing only one one mode.

appetizer: homemade tortilla chips in a Ninja Foodi

This recipe produces a decent portion of crisp tortilla chips. It is such a quick and easy snack. After making the recipe for this challenge, this has become an after-work snack. If I have corn tortillas, I will make some chips while I am doing work at home. I emphasize corn tortillas because I did try to make it with flour tortillas once, and the flavor is not that great. Do yourself the favor, and buy corn tortillas when you try this recipe.

you will need

  • 7 corn or white corn tortillas
  • 2 teaspoons of salt
  • 2 teaspoons of pepper
  • 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon of paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder
  • Olive or Canola Oil Spray

tortilla chips recipe

  1. Cut all of the tacos into eighths.
  2. Then, set the Ninja Foodi to Air Crisp at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.
  3. Put the chips into the air fryer once it reaches 12 minutes.
  4. Before closing, spray the chips with the oil spray and cover with spices. Move the chips around to make sure they are all getting covered with pray and spices and all sides.
  5. Close the top and let it crisp for 12 minutes. Open it even 3-4 minutes to move the chips around so that they all get equal heating.
  6. Check on them around 10 minutes to see if they are finished. If not, let them finish for the remaining 2 minutes.
  7. Remove from the air fryer and serve.

main course: tacos in a Ninja Foodi

I will be the first to admit that I am a picky eater, and my tacos are rather minimalistic. This is my preference for tacos, but feel free to add and subtract whatever you want from this recipe. It is so easy to add lettuce, tomato, or other toppings that you like for your tacos. Additionally, you could swap the meats out. This recipe also transfers well to burritos if you buy large soft shells. Tacos are a super customizable recipe, and this is meant to be a template for you to customize.

rice

you will need

  • 2 cups of white rice
  • 2 cups + 4 tablespoons of water

rice recipe

  1. Begin by adding your rice and water to the pot.
  2. Put on the pressure lid, making sure the vent is sealed.
  3. Use the Pressure Cook feature and set the time for 4 minutes.
  4. When the four minutes have finished, let it natural release for 10 minutes.
  5. After the 10 minutes of natural release, do a quick release by turning the knob from seal to vent.
  6. Fluff with a fork and serve.

notes on rice

  • It’s okay if your doing stuff and you forget to quick release, I have forgotten to quick release many times before, and the result is still great.
  • If you want a bit more flavor to the rice, add a pinch of salt. I chose not to because each of the other components of the tacos are all lightly salted.
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beans

you will need

  • a can of black beans
  • a pinch of salt

beans recipe

  1. To start, set the Ninja Foodi to Sear/Sauté (High temperature).
  2. Then, add in your beans and pinch of salt. Stir well.
  3. When you see or hear little bubbles start to form, drain immediately.

corn “salsa”

you will need

  • A can of whole kernel sweet corn
  • 2 teaspoons of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of pepper
  • Green onion, sliced to taste

corn recipe

  1. Start by setting the Ninja Foodi to Sear/Sauté (High temperature).
  2. Then, add in your corn and stir well.
  3. When you see little bubbles start to form, drain and mix in your spices.
  4. Slice some green onion, and add to your corn.

taco meat

you will need

  • Ground Beef
  • 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Garlic Powder
  • Paprika
  • Chili Powder
  • Cumin

I do not give measurements for this recipe because I always change it based on my personal taste and how much meat I use. Use your judgement to how much of the spices you should use for the amount of meat that you use. My measurement recommendations for the spices will be in the notes below.

taco meat recipe

  1. Firstly, set the Ninja Foodi to Sear/Sauté (High temperature).
  2. Pour the olive oil into the pot.
  3. Next, add in your meat to the pot. Break up the meat to allow it separate and cook faster and more evenly.
  4. Measure out and combine your spices together. In the middle of cooking, add half of the spices to the meat.
  5. Let the meat cook completely, stirring every few seconds until it is fully browned.
  6. Then, drain the excess liquid from the meat.
  7. Lastly, add in the remainder of the spices and stir.

notes on the taco meat

  • If you prefer, you can use store-bought taco seasoning instead of your own personal spice mixture. Similarly, you would just want to add all of it in and mix well when you would add in the first half of the spices.
  • For half of the container of meat, I use about…
    • 1 tablespoon of salt
    • 1 tablespoon of pepper
    • 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
    • 2 teaspoons of paprika
    • 1 teaspoon of cumin
    • 2 teaspoons of chili powder

from soft shell to hard shell tortillas

you will need

  • Soft Shell Corn or Flour Tortillas

hard taco shells recipe

  1. First, set Ninja Foodi to Air Crisp function at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 9 minutes.
  2. Place the soft shell upside down on the reversible rack to get the correct shape. Make sure that the shells are not touching the bottom of the pot.
  3. When the Ninja Foodi says there are 5 minutes remaining, place the reversible rack with the taco shells into the Ninja Foodi.
  4. Serve with style. Fill your taco however you want to!

dessert: monkey bread in a Ninja Foodi

I fell in love with monkey bread my freshman year of college when one of the vendors at our weekly campus farmer’s market had this amazing homemade monkey bread muffins. Every week, I would go to purchase their monkey bread. This recipe reminds me of that stall with the amazing and sweet bread. This recipe is so simple and has amazing results. After making this for the first time, I was super impressed with how amazing the result turned out. One thing with foods that is important to mean is the ability to reheat it. I was able to put this in the microwave for a few seconds the following days, and I still loved how it tasted afterwards as well. Monkey bread was never something I made before, but now, this will be something I serve at my events or gift to my friends and colleagues.

you will need

  • 1 roll of biscuit dough
  • 1/4 cup of granulated sugar
  • A dash of cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup of butter (1/2 stick), melted
  • 1/4 cup of brown sugar
  • parchment paper
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monkey bread recipe

  1. First, cut your biscuit dough into fourths.
  2. Mix together the granulated sugar and the dash of cinnamon.
  3. Put all of the biscuit dough into a large Ziploc bag along with the sugar and cinnamon mixture.
  4. Next, coat all the pieces of dough thoroughly.
  5. Put the air frying basket into the Ninja Foodi and set it to Air Crisp at 330 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.
  6. While this is preheating, mix together your melted butter and brown sugar.
  7. Once the time reaches 25 minutes, line the air frying basket with parchment paper.
  8. Put it your biscuits covered with sugar. Then, spoon the butter-brown sugar mixture on top of the biscuit dough.
  9. Close the lid, and let it cook for 25 minutes.
  10. Finally, put it onto a plate and serve. You can either cut slices or pull apart pieces that you like. (For the glaze that I poured onto it, see the notes below)

notes on monkey bread

  • For my recipe, I personally did not want a strong cinnamon taste, but if you want one, feel free to add more cinnamon. Nutmeg and Allspice may also pair well also.
  • I added a glaze to mine which is optional. In order to make it, combine 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Pour this over the monkey bread while it is still hot.
  • If you notice the little yellow flakes in the biscuit dough, this is because I used a “butter flavored” biscuit dough. Feel free to use regular, buttermilk, or other variations of biscuit dough. This may also work well with cinnamon roll dough too where the cinnamon and sugar is already added as well as the glaze being included.

final thoughts

For my first time doing this challenge, it was not overly difficult because I was using a device which has multiple functionalities. I think that this speaks to the versatility of this gadget. I learn more and more about the Ninja Foodi as time goes on which makes me love using it more. These recipes were individually rather simple to make, but that does not mean that they are not amazing.

Additionally, each of these recipes have great uses in hospitality. You could serve tortilla chips with salsa at a low key social event like a game night. You could have a taco bar when inviting some friends over for dinner to allow them to customize their tacos however they like it. Let’s not forget the monkey bread. This quality treat is the perfect edible gift to wrap up and give to a loved one.

There are a plethora of recipes to be made with the Ninja Foodi. So, what are you waiting for? This gadgets needs to have a place in your home. It is an amazing tool for your ease. With the Ninja Foodi, spend less time cooking and more time with the ones that you love. If you want to see more Ninja Foodi recipes, let me know in the comments below.

If you want to purchase a Ninja Foodi, click here.

Until next time,

<img src="https://notesbyalex.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Ninja-Foodi-Meals-683×1024.png&quot; alt="