My Wildtree Freezer Meal Workshop Experience

As I mentioned several weeks ago, I attended a Wildtree workshop in June.

And I knew I should have written this post right away, while it was fresh in my mind, instead of waiting until I had actually tried some of the meals I prepared at the workshop.

Oh well.  I think I can do an adequate job, even lo, these many weeks, later.

So Wildtree is a direct marketing company, with home parties, kind of like Tupperware or Pampered Chef, but instead of selling stuff, Wildtree offers food.  They offer two types of parties: tasting parties and the kind I attended--freezer meal workshops.  From the website:

Wildtree was founded on the premise that food should be natural, nutritious, delicious and easy to prepare - all at the same time. [Their] products are made with the finest ingredients available and contain no preservatives, additives, MSGs or dyes. 

Here's how it worked.  First, I got an email inviting me to attend a freezer meal workshop.  The email contained a list of the meals that would be prepared, and a link to sign up and pay for my freezer meal bundle.  Wildtree has about six different freezer meal workshops available at any given time--I did "Get Your Grill On."  The $86 fee paid for the Wildtree products I would need to put together 10 recipes at the workshop.  I was responsible for buying proteins and veggies on my own, which I estimate cost another $80, purchasing most of my proteins on sale.  A couple of weeks before the workshop, I got a shopping list, and then about a week before the workshop, I got a set of instructions for prep-work to be done at home, and a list of equipment (like measuring spoons) to bring along.

The day of the workshop, I prepped my bags according to the instructions, put everything into a cooler and set off to the workshop.  When I arrived, all of my Wildtree products were set up at a work station for me.  There were a few community supplies on the table, like salt and pepper, that were provided by the hostess.  After a brief introduction by the Wildtree representative, who was well organized, very professional, and helpful throughout, we set to work assembling our meals.

The instructions were straight-forward and easy to follow, and all of us (even the ones who were a bit chatty-er than I) put together 10 freezer meals, each serving 4-6 people, within an hour and a half.  Some of the ladies at my table split their meals, so they ended up with 20 meals, each serving 2-3 people.  Along with our meals, we took home our leftover products, cooking instructions and serving suggestions, a freezer inventory list, and all of the recipes for the meals we prepared as well as a few bonus recipes that can be made with the Wildtree products we had purchased.   As each of us finished, we got to sit with the Wildtree consultant for a few minutes while she tried to sell us more stuff, get us to sign up to host our own party, and in my case, flatter me into becoming a Wildtree consultant.  She did not succeed, well, in my case, anyway.

In the weeks since, we've tried seven of the ten meals I made that night.  They've been good, but not spectacular.  Which is, considering my family's...aversions...actually quite high praise.  Everyone has been willing to eat every one of the meals.  High praise indeed.   Two meals, the Asian Ginger Beef Tips, and the Agave BBQ Country Ribs, my family wants me to make again, and I will, with pleasure.

Here's what I liked most about the workshop:
I didn't have to think.  Someone else told me what to buy and how to put it together, and I knew it was good-for-me food with no preservatives, additives, MSGs or dyes.  I went home with 10 different meals for my freezer.  Without having to think about it.  As my family's only meal planner and grocery procurer, that's huge.

Was it worth the cost?
Well, I'm not sure.  This is certainly more than I would have spent on meals that I put together myself, but on the other hand, it felt so good to have someone else telling me what to make instead of having to figure it out for myself, and it's been an amazing feeling to be able to just pull something out of the freezer to feed my family with minimal prep time.  How much is that peace of mind worth?  All I can say is I do not regret attending this workshop.

Would I do it again?
You know, I think I might.  I hear Wildtree has a Crock Pot freezer meal workshop.  Y'all want to do it with me?

Want more information about Wildtree?  Start with my consultant (she's fabulous) or find a consultant near you.  Or you can take a peek at their 2016 catalog.

This is not a sponsored post (although I would be willing to do one *hint*hint*), just my honest assessment of my experience with Wildtree.