Hearts for Hope Tea is an event we love, sponsor and help organize to give back. The tea benefits CCM, and low-income/at-risk kids in the Las Vegas Valley.
5 “Always” for Organizing a Meeting or Fundraiser Start Up:
- Always have your first meeting a minimum of 4-6 months out, depending on the size and complexity of your event. Give your team a minimum of 3 weeks notice and always send out a reminder the week of.
- Always add fun elements to the meeting, as this encourages people to give their time to the meeting after a busy day.
- Always have an agenda so that time is well managed, and make sure to assign duties and document them. This allows you to manage a committee through emails and calls in between meetings. It means less meetings will be needed, and it helps with monitoring to keep everything on track.
- Always encourage brainstorming and comments so the team feels that they’re a part of the planning and engages.
- Always set your next meeting before the meeting adjourns, and make sure every member leaves with all the materials they need to complete their tasks before your next meeting.
Our tea team turnout is always amazing for our meetings. We provide an easy meal at our home to make the ladies feel special. We enjoy tea in china cups, and occasionally have thoughtful favors to let them know how appreciated they are. Our meetings have become a productive social gathering.
We tried out a new company casserole from one of my favorite recipe calendars, the Canadian Milk Calendar that my sister Bev just sent me as I save these every year. Enjoy!
Ingredients: (With a few of my attempts to lighten things up)
2 cups each chopped carrots, cauliflower and broccoli
3 tbsp butter, divided (I used olive oil)
1 small onion, chopped
2 tbsp flour
Pinch salt
Pepper
1 cup milk (I used skim milk and added chicken broth for desired consistency)
6 oz brick-style cream cheese, (3/4 pkg), cut into cubes (I used 8oz of neufchatel cheese)
2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs (I used a sleeve of Ritz crackers to add flavor since I omitted butter)
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-cup shallow baking dish. ( I used butter flavored PAM)
Place carrots in a large saucepan; add water to cover by 3 inches and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium and boil gently for 5 minutes or until starting to soften. Add cauliflower, then broccoli; cover, leaving lid slightly ajar, and boil gently for about 5 min or until vegetables are tender-crisp. Drain well and place in buttered dish.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt 1 tbsp of the butter over medium heat; sauté onion for about 5 min or until softened. Add 1 tbsp butter and stir until melted. Sprinkle in flour, salt and pepper to taste; cook, stirring, for 2 min. Gradually pour in milk, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking, for about 3 min or until thick and bubbly.
Reduce heat to low; add cream cheese and stir until smooth. Pour over vegetables in dish; stir gently to coat evenly. Bake for 20 min. Melt remaining butter and toss with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over casserole. Bake for 10 to 15 min or until crisp and golden.
For the full Canadian Milk Calendar Recipe, go HERE!
**Stay tuned as we organize our Hearts for Hope tea over the next few months. Oh, and hey…do you have any meetings or fundraisers that you need help with? Let us know and we’d be happy to help out with some tips! Leave us a comment below, or send us an email at:
*brenda@practicallyperfectplanner.com
*jessi@practicallyperfectplanner.com
