Free event.
Who? Everyone is welcome! All ages. Toastmasters. Non-toastmasters. Members of the neighborhood potluck group. Guests.
We are celebrating National Mac & Cheese Day! (YES, this is a REAL HOLIDAY.)
What to Wear? Everyone is encouraged to wear yellow!
What to Bring? Everyone. Brings. Mac & Cheese. Yes, really. Everybody brings a macaroni and cheese dish. The host will provide drinks, and some healthy salad and vegetable dishes. So this will be a perfectly fine, balanced meal. But all guests bring mac & cheese!
Be Creative! We do not want anybody to simply bring plain Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. (We love that stuff, but save that for another time.) You can bring a dish you make from scratch. You can bring a dish you made from a box and embellished. You can bring a dish from a restaurant or a caterer or from a store. Think outside the box. You could bring a mac & cheese-inspired salad. Or a mac & cheese-inspired bread. Or dessert. Or simply a really delicious traditional mac & cheese dish with your own interesting twist. However you get there, try to bring something interesting, creative, delicious.
Awards for Best Dishes! A small panel of judges will inspect and taste all of the mac & cheese dishes and select a few winners. Don't let this intimidate you! This will be done privately. Nobody's dish will be criticized publicly. We'll simply present a few awards to top dishes.
Location: Enough room to seat 100 people. 12 banquet tables will be set out covered with beautiful bright yellow tablecloths, with yellow satin table runners. Food serving tables will also be covered with bright yellow tablecloths. The location has plentiful free parking.
This is a photo of the location, from a PREVIOUS event:
What will Happen? Guests will socialize and eat dinner. Talk to old friends and meet new people! A member of the Epicurean Toastmasters club will give a short speech (6 - 7 minutes). Speeches are typically humorous and are about personal topics, such as "Why I Love Gardening" or "the crazy thing that happened on my road trip." Another club member will conduct "Topics Topics," giving people an opportunity to speak impromptu for 1 to 2 minutes, in response to a question.
Note that these events offer opportunities to speak. But speakers are pre-assigned. Guests are very welcome, and are given an opportunity to introduce themselves, but never required to do any public speaking.
Location: Space for this event was generously provided by the Del Rio Ward and the Tempe Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Items guests have signed up to bring:
M. M: Garlic jalapeño Mac and cheese
P. D: Mac & Cheese Cups
R. S: Veggie Mac
B. N: brisket Mac
C. S: Mac and CHeese
H. C: Mac&cheese
J. F: reg
K. D: Leaning toward a mac and cheese themed dessert
L. E: gluten free mac and cheese
L. K: A Mac & cheese casserole recipe my mom used to make when I was growing up. It was my favorite. It also has ground beef in it.
M. M: Southern baked
M. L: Tomato Max and Cheese
M. A: mac & cheese w/ tuna
Peggy: Mac and Cheese Bites
P. H: vegetables, salad, drinks
S. M: TBD
S. F: unsure
T. H: something savory and a dessert (I have an awesome dessert idea)
C. P: ?
C. W: ?
C. K: ?
J. B: ?
J. A: ?
R. S: ?
T. T: ?
D. K: ?
D. K: ?
G. T: ?
J. H: ?