Time to break open the girlfriend event box and celebrate friendship while appreciating and remembering Breast Cancer Causes with a perfect pink and health conscious lifestyle theme. Celebrate “the girls” with these insightful ideas! Roll out the PINK CARPET! It’s a night for the girls!
1. Menu Ideas: Opt to get the night started with a Salmon Nicoise Salad! Salmon is one of the top 10 Cancer fighting foods!
Ingredients
4 lemons, zested and juiced
1/2 cup capers
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 lemon, sliced in rings
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 small skin-on, 1 inch thick salmon fillets
3 pounds small Yukon gold potatoes
1 1/2 pounds green beans, stems removed
2 lbs cherry tomatoes
6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut in 1/2
1-2 bunches romaine lettuce
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
For the marinade, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, half of olive oil, mustard, half of garlic, 1 1/2 tablespoons salt and 1/2 tablespoon pepper with capers in a small bowl and set aside. Place the salmon on a sheet pan that has been covered in parchment paper, and drizzle the marinade over the salmon. Sprinkle with additional capers, and lemon slices. Allow the salmon to sit for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the potatoes and 2 tablespoons salt in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then place the colander with the potatoes over the empty pot off the heat and cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Leave the potatoes to steam for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender but firm. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, set aside.
Place the salmon in the oven and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until it is almost cooked through. Remove to a plate and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. Blanch the green beans in a large pot of boiling salted water for 1 1/2 minutes only, drain and toss with remaining olive oil and minced garlic, set aside.
Arrange the romaine, salmon, potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, and eggs on each plate and serve!
2. A Pretty In Pink Tablescape with props from home, simple printables, favors and more: Perfectly pink items can be found at the Dollar Tree, such as Pink and Zebra Diva-esque table cloths, Pink Cheetah Buttermints, Polka Dot napkins, and more! Dig out your girlfriend box and get to work! Princess martini glasses might make an entrance, and dip can be served from a “killer” pump on a platter, or in your favorite femme-fabulous dish.
3. Activities That Make A Difference: Take a look at the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Making Strides, and other Breast Cancer Awareness groups for information on events, walks, and more! You can also peruse the grocery store for special items where partial proceeds go to helping the fight against Breast Cancer.
4. Gifts to Help The Cause! Backstory: This cause is near and dear to my heart as one of my best friends is a recent breast cancer survivor. I had the privilege of spending time with her while she was recovering and I know this sounds crazy…but we laughed and we cried and amongst all of it, our friendship was celebrated through the struggle. Now, I’m in Canada and I meet Rena’s neighbor, who is also a cancer survivor. While I was there, Nargis and I walked, practiced yoga, and not only did I make a new friend…I learned incredible nutritional information to keep cancer at bay. You can purchase her “Starve Cancer Cookbook” for under $20 from Barnes and Noble! Giving each gal-pal a cookbook to get started with healthy recipes is a great way to fight cancer while raising awareness one meal at a time! These recipes combined with healthy lifestyle, are inspirational because they have kept Nargis and many others’ cancer at bay. Hope you pick this up as a gift or even for yourself as a percentage also goes to help fight this terrible disease, and these recipes could be life-saving.
5. Celebrate in Style! Invite each guest to attend wearing their “prettiest in pink” get up. Rock pink tops, pink gloves, pink shoes, pink hats…anything bright and girly to celebrate the girls and have a great time. Roll out the pink carpet! It’s a night for the girls!
