Feature Friday: How To Host a Social Distancing Dinner Party | Teach To Taste
Happy Friday! Today we want to introduce you to one of the sweetest women and entrepreneurs we know, Margaret from Teach To Taste! Margaret lives outside of Hancock, Michigan on an old potato farm with her husband, three children and flock of colorful hens. She owns and runs Teach To Taste, an online and local cooking school that connects people with food experiences using simple techniques. She finds joy in cooking and growing heirloom vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers along side her family and community.
Today Margaret is sharing her idea to create food memories and connecting to your community during this pandemic, and how to do it!!
Social distancing dinner parties are a thing and they are phenomenal! Invite your family and friends to take break from this isolation monotony and join together in celebration!
This is how to throw your own Social Distancing Dinner Party:
Select a date/time and send out the invite! Try to do this as early as possible. People will need time to find ingredients and learn how to use the selected software. Using an app like Zoom seems to work well, but you can use any social media app that features group video. Feeling festive? - Or feeling like you miss pants? Set a ridiculous theme and encourage outrageous creative expression.
Virtual dinner parties can be culinary events where everyone cooks the same recipe, or cooks food that more-or-less follows the party theme, but most importantly be flexible. Keeping everyone safe while shopping is our greatest concern.
Remind everyone of the party the day before. Trust me! Life isn’t full of events these days but it’s busy. Your guests will appreciate the extra thought so they can dig out their tea party gloves or sombrero.
Party time! As the host of a virtual party, set the rules! Not everyone is a pro at Zoom meetings. Explain how the different buttons on the screen work, and ask if anyone needs help or has questions.
Be social and be kind. I know I shouldn’t even have to say this, but hosting a group on Zoom is different then chatting across the table. Only one person can be heard at a time. Gasp! It can be aggravating when everyone is talking and no one can actually be heard. Make sure all your guests feel comfortable sharing in the fun by making space for their thoughts.
Savor all of it. The food, the people, the joy. People miss people. These dinner parties will be memories you’ll be telling your grandchildren about.
So, go ahead! Curl your hair, cook something fancy, get the gorilla costume on! It’s time to have some fun over food!
Bonus Idea: You don’t have to use social media to create connection over food while we practice social distancing; call a friend or relative (bonus points if they are elderly) and ask for a beloved recipe of theirs. Don’t forget to ask about how they came by it and listen for any food memories that need to be included. Write all of these amazing food mementos down. They are part of our experience of food! You both will feel richer. Don’t forget to call and follow up with your Gram on how the recipe turned out after you make it.
How fun is this!? Make sure to tag us and Margaret on Instagram if you do your own social media dinner party or any sort of food memory!! If you want to connect and hear more from Margaret you can find her online cooking classes and produce at teachtotaste.com! An updated schedule of local farmers markets she will be attending can be found there as well.