Girls Night In!
GIRLS NIGHT IN- Paleo style!
Okay so I love this topic I’m about to talk about! Being social and Paleo are sometimes a hard mix. After work cocktail parties or celebratory luncheons are nearly impossible, but we get dressed up and go because we love to be social… but standing there awkwardly sipping lemon water is not anyones idea of a fun night.
Let me show you how to have an amazing GNI that everyone will LOVE.
How many of you have ever hosted an event and the guests don’t eat the *fill in the blank* that you provide because they are “on a diet.” It’s so frustrating when we go out of our way to try and provide something for everyone (except ourselves) but it ends up backfiring. I want so badly to host events and make sure that everyone has something they like and don’t feel forced to eat the Paleo options. However, what I’ve encountered over the years is that no one wants to pig out while you, the host, munch on some carrot sticks and grapes. We tend to make people feel uncomfortable or insecure even though that is NOT our intent. You know we’d be going wild on some cheesecake with you if we weren’t going to pay for it the whole week and be sick as a dog.
So let me talk to you about providing delicious and healthy Paleo options that EVERYONE will enjoy.
Let’s create a trendy charcuterie board to start and we’ll go from there! Crackers Dips Veggies Dried Meats Olives Nuts Dried Fruit
Maybe even a parfait bar: Yogurt Granola Fruit
Or for the major sweet tooth: Dark chocolate Tarts Brownies Cookies
Even a “junk food” vibe: Chips with queso, salsa, guac etc. Tacos Pizza
And of course some casual booze! Tequila Red Wine Fruits Cocktails
Every single item that I listed, I had a product/brand in mind that would work perfectly for your evening in. It doesn’t always have to be salads and carrot sticks y’all. It’s time to show our ladies just how fun and delicious this Paleo life can be! I LOVE introducing my friends to new things when they come over. It usually starts with a request for something to drink and I open my wine fridge (that is stocked with everything from champagne to Spindrift!) It’s so fun for them to be like, “ooo what is that?” Well here let me show you. Also, if my non Paleo friends enjoy something we cook, you know it’s a WIN! People tend to think that healthy people “don’t know what’s good anymore,” and maybe they aren’t totally wrong, especially since it’s been over seven years since I’ve had sugar. How do I know that my sweet treats don’t actually taste like crap? Ask a friend! Trust me, they’ll be honest.
So let’s break down these GNI categories I mentioned above since that’s what you’re really waiting for!
Charcuterie Board: Crackers- Simple Mills (All shapes, sizes and flavors to give you that complete feel) Dips- Hope Foods almond and cashew hummus! Several flavors to choose from Veggies- Raw anything. Carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, broccoli etc. Dried Meats- Applegate Salami (not 100% compliant- dextrose) Boar’s Head Prosciutto Olives- Black, green, garlic stuffed (as long as they are only sitting in olive oil) Sprouts/Whole Foods olive bars are great! Nuts- Anything but peanuts. Raw is best, typically no bad oils. Always check labels Dried Fruit- Made in Nature- no added sugar!
Parfait Bar: Yogurt- So Delicious and Kite Hill Granola- Autumns Gold and Simple Truth Paleo Granola Fruit- Berries are best!
Sweet Tooth: Dark Chocolate- Enjoy Life- bars and morsels Tarts- Hail Merry - something for both chocolate lovers and non chocolate lovers Brownies- Simple Mills brownie mix (GNI with some fun baking involved!) Cookies- Simple Mills
Junk Food: Chips- Siete tortilla chips or plantain chips Questo: Siete Salsa: Mateos- Guac: DIY guac bar with all the additions! Tacos: Siete shells or make a taco-less salad with your chips and toppings. (Beef/chicken, tomatoes, sour cream [plain so delicious yogurt with some spices] queso and Primal Kitchen dressing options) Pizza: Cappellos pizza crust and a DIY pizza night with all the toppings. My favorite is our pizza sauce, with chicken/beef, kale and peppers!
Booze: Tequila: Margaritas! Keep them clean and just use agave and lime Red Wine is fine- stay away from sweeter reds though. Menage a Trois- Midnight is my JAM Fruity Cocktails- Get creative and use 100% juice with your tequila. My fav is tequila cranberry!
So now that you have everything you could possibly need to throw the best Girls Night In- you just have to decide which category sounds best!
Decisions. Decisions.
