This post is inspired by the upcoming 109th Founders' Day of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, which is the oldest historically black sorority, founded by a group of visionary women on January 15, 1908 at Howard University. With sisterhood and all things magical in mind, I wanted to provide something aimed at bringing women together. Of course, food was involved. This is my eighth year as a proud member of AKA and it has been such a gratifying experience of sisterhood and service. Most of the mentors throughout my personal and professional life are Alpha women and, of course, I feel like it's the greatest sorority on Earth!
Most recently, the world was introduced to three of our brilliant sisters in the movie Hidden Figures, which is an absolute must see,  by the way! These women are American heroes and I'm so thankful that their hand in making history is finally being shared. My sorors, specifically my line sisters and chapter members, have become some of my closest friends (and huge cheerleaders for Dash of Jazz). We're scattered all over the country and, at times, the globe but always make time to support each other and celebrate both the big and little things together. We typically gather in some fashion every January to celebrate the founding of our sorority and this year is no different. Since gathering for a good time is not unique to my organization or even to sororities period, I thought I'd share some recipes and inspiration for your next girls' night in. For this post, I partnered with my soror, Alana Frailey, who blogs about everything home decor over at Stash of Panache, to create the perfect girls' night in! Alana is also based in Houston and launched her blog in 2016. She opened up her expertly-styled home and set the perfect stage for a party and I dreamed up an easy and yummy mini menu. Below are all the recipes and links to tools I used as well as what I wore. See Alana's post for all the details on the decor and party accessories. In each post you'll also find suggestions on how to change out things like colors or ingredients to suit your personal theme.
Sparkling Strawberry Mint Limeade
This fun beverage was inspired by our sorority colors. I wanted to create something that's effervescent, bright, and not too sweet. This limeade hits all those points and is pretty in pink and gorgeous in green, to boot. 🙂 It's made sparkling by seltzer water and good for all ages. You can easily tone down or amplify each glass by adjusting the syrup to water ratio. Flavor-wise, just imagine a virgin mojito meets fresh berries and bubbles. This mocktail wet our whistles for the main dish coming up next.
Easy Pasta Bake
I briefly shared the recipe for this easy pasta bake in my meal prepping 101 post last Fall and am revisiting it for this event because it is not only foolproof but also a one pan dish so both preparation and cleanup are easy breezy. That also makes it portable so you can prep everything in the pan then take it over to your host's house for baking or reheating (like I did). There is major emphasis on easy in this dish. Simply layer the ingredients in the pan, bake, and serve. Oh yeah, it's also absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS! My homemade meat sauce, fresh basil, spinach, fresh mozz, and rigatoni pasta meld together for yummy, cheesy perfection. The spice from the sauce and sweetness from the basil really elevate this comfort meal.
Easy Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 1 pound Barilla rigatoni pasta cooked shy of al dente (about 6 minutes)
- 4 cups meat sauce using recipe linked below or of your choosing
- 3 leaves fresh basil
- 20 leaves fresh spinach
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Alternate layers of pasta, sauce, cheese, and spinach in a baking dish.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and slightly browned.
- Top with pieces of torn basil just before serving.
Strawberry Cake Donuts
To finish things off on a sweet note, I whipped up these strawberry cake donuts, which were inspired by the pumpkin donuts I shared last October. These are lightly sweet with fresh strawberries and a hint of almond flavor. They're baked and very easy to make using my trusty donut pan plus no frosting or glaze is needed! These donuts are perfect for winding down or to send home with your guests that can't stay all night (what?!) as they're portable and not at all messy. It also doesn't hurt that these are a bit pink but feel free to play around with the recipe to fit in with your theme and tastes. You could swap out the strawberries for blueberries or shoot for red velvet flavors instead, if you are looking to incorporate colors from another organization. These would also be great with a little lemon zest!
I hope you find some inspiration for your next girls' night in, whether it is with sorority sisters or not. Let me know if you have any questions below and be sure to check out all the stylish home tips Alana shares on her blog. She has some serious decor inspo that I will definitely be referring to while decorating my new home. I'd love to know what, if any, organizations my readers represent so let me know in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
Jessica says
Looks like a great day and those recipes look amazing definitely going to copy them down to use one of these days. Thanks for sharing.
Carolyn says
Strawberry mint limeade sounds amazing. What a fun sorority and that it is lifelong friendships is so great.
Adaleta Avdić says
I'm such a fan of nights in, and making it really fun by being a great host with excellent food and drink. This is definitely my kind of evening 😉 xx Adaleta Avdic
rosepetalsinthesea says
How amazing! It has been awhile since I have had a Girls Night In (or GNO), but I could use one. Thanks for sharing these recipes! - HilLesha
stylesprinter says
These are such great party ideas!! Love how those donuts look like! I always looking for great cocktail recipes and I think that Sparkling Strawberry Mint Limeade might easily become my new favorite party drink!
terricairns says
All these recipes look delicious! I really want to make your mint strawberry limeade, looks fizzy and delicious!
Debbie-jean Lemonte says
This is pretty amazing. I didn't understand Founder's day until it came around and my friends explained its significance. PS: That limeade got me inspired. I'm about to make a pitcher.
Jazz says
I hope you love it. Thanks for reading!
ginamarie314 says
This post is beautiful! I felt like I was there! And I still have not seen Hidden Figures yet with this winter weather it has been difficult wanting to get out the house but I know it is an amazing move. Can't wait to try that limeade.
Jazz says
Thanks so much for reading, Gina! Hidden Figures was amazing and I hope you get to see it soon!
Megan mccoig says
Ooh looks like you had a great time. I love a good girls night in with drinks and food. Must save the strawberry limeade and pasta bake for my next one!
Catherine Murton says
What a delicious collection of recipes for a brunch. That sparkling strawberry mint lemonade sounds divine. I'm hoping to read the Hidden Figures and then hit the movies with some of my girlfriends!
almostindianwife says
Oh I'm so jealous! I would love to have a fun girl's night like this! I'm definitely going to do more of this over the year. I need it!
reesann723 says
What a fabulous day with friends! Everything looked delicious! Days like this I love so much more than going out!
courteneynoonan says
I love a girls night in! Also, the pasta bake looks amazing - I'm definitely going to try the recipe 🙂
Brittany says
That sparkling strawberry mint limeade sounds so incredible. It looks like you had a beautiful event.