Happy Friday, Real Women of Philadelphia!

Member Tammy Laroche, of Peterborough, Ontario, owns Parkway Banquet Hall and has loved cooking since she was 5. You could say that cooking is in her blood, as she comes from a family full of foodies, from red seal chefs and bakers to restaurateurs.

About 13 years ago her landlord hired her to work as a banquet server, and after a couple of years asked her to take over the business. “I guess, in a nutshell, I was able to get into the catering business because someone believed in me,” says Tammy. “I could never ask for a more fulfilling career than I have now. With the help of the most amazing staff ever, I get to do what I love every day AND get paid for it!”

Tammy now owns and operates one of the largest venues in her area! “Of course, none of this would be possible if I didn't have such great staff,” she says. “Our customers are always telling me how helpful and friendly the members of the staff are. My staff aren't just co-workers, they are also family.”

We asked Tammy for 5 tips on how to plan meals for big groups. Here's what she had to say:

1. Know who you are feeding. "A group of men are going to eat more than a group of ladies. Farmers will eat more than office workers. This will also determine things like meat portions, potato portions, salads, gravy, desserts, etc. If you are unsure of the type of eaters you are serving, plan for big eaters!"

2. Know your serving sizes. "My rule of thumb when preparing food for a large or even a small group is to allow 3/4 to 1 pound of meat per person, 1/4 to 1/2 pound of potatoes, about 1/4 pound of vegetables. When it comes to lasagnes and such, I know how many people my trays will serve depending on the size of the buffet they are having. This can be done with normal, home dishes as well. At home, I know my 13x9 pan of lasagne will feed 6 adults. Always err on the side of leftovers. Better to have too much than run out of anything!"

3. Plan your time and your cooking space. "Know how long it will take to prepare each dish and start with the ones that take the longest or need to be chilled. If it is possible to prepare some items the day before, do it. Just be sure to keep enough to do the day of, that your guests are going to walk in to wonderful aromas. Remember coming home after school to the smell of dinner cooking and how wonderful that made you feel, no matter how nasty the weather was?"

4. Trying something new. "If you are going to serve a new recipe, try it on friends and family first. It is a good excuse to have people over for dinner and they will give you honest feedback...at least mine do!"

5. Safety first. "The most important thing to remember about serving food to a large crowd is to make sure the food has been prepared and stored or held safely. Keep hot foods hot, cold foods cold, no food should be left at room temperature for more than two hours. It needs to be refrigerated or kept hot. If there is a safe food handlers course available, be sure to take it. Your local Health Unit can help you with this. You really do not want to be responsible for an outbreak of food poisoning."

If you would like to learn more about Tammy and her business, click HERE.