There are no friends like Great Girlfriends!!!

A few months ago, I was out to my monthly Birthday Club luncheon

(Some of the members from our Birthday Club)

with some friends. This is a group of my friends that have been meeting once a month for over 22 years. We go to lunch and celebrate the birthdays of anyone in the group that happens to fall in that month. There are about 18 of us left in the group, and whoever can make it, comes to lunch. This particular month, thanks to the weather and the snowbirds all-fleeing to Florida, there were only three of us who were able to attend. My friends Maria and Ewa who are both of Polish descent were my lunch dates for this particular luncheon (they are unfortunately absent in the picture above.)

Of course, what was our topic of conversation? FOOD (there was another topic of conversation but that one is best left unsaid as this is a g-rated blog ☺) I was telling the girls about the new food blog I was writing, and said that I would love to learn some Polish dishes to post on the blog.

Maria said that she was going to have her annual Birthday Pierogi party (which number birthday this is, I cannot divulge, being sworn to secrecy, but I’ll give you this hint, Maria is now moving in to my league) in a few weeks and since I couldn’t make the last one, I should come to this one.

What Maria does, is have some of her close friends and associates from work come to her house to learn how to make pierogies and stuffed cabbage. Maria does much of the prep work ahead, and then her friends come over and make the dough, learn how to stuff and fill the pierogies and make the stuffed cabbage. I asked Maria to let me come help with the prep work, so I could bring this evening of instruction to all of you to see on the blog. She had done a few things before I got there, but for the most part, I was able to photograph and write up what I hope will be an enjoyable 5-part post (including this one.)

The first recipe post will explain how to make the sauerkraut
and cabbage filling for the pierogies,

the second recipe post will show you how to
make the potato filling for the pierogies,

the third recipe post will show you how to
make the dough for the pierogies,

and the final recipe post of the series will show you how to make
the stuffed cabbage or the Golombki as it is called in Polish.

I hope you enjoy this serial posting. We didn’t get pictures of everything, but I think you will be able to successfully make these dishes from our photos and recipes Maria (or as she likes to be called “Pani Marysia” or the Contessa) has created. I told her she could be the Contessa as long as she remembered I was the Queen!!!

Her Royal Highness "The Contessa Pani Marysia"

Maria invited about 18 of her women friends to one of the most fun filled evening I have been to in a long time. There was so much camaraderie and teamwork, interspersed with laughter, a little vodka, a great meal and a wonderful birthday celebration.

It was akin to an adult pajama party without the sleepover, just a great group of women bonding, and getting to know each other. These were some of the most phenomenal women I have met in a long time, independent, professional, multi-lingual, beautiful, each bringing something different to the table.

I must encourage you do to a similar evening with your friends.
Find something you are one of your friends cook well,
invite a group to learn how to prepare it,
eat what you have made,
and have a great evening of fun…we did!

Note: To help you organize something like this, we will be setting up ideas and groups for you to join in the near future, so all of you can enjoy fun-filled opportunities and more aroma therapy making memories of your own.