WELCOME! LET US INTRODUCE OUR FORUM TO YOU.

[diner524]

__________

WELCOME TO THE COOKING GAMES WITH FRIENDS FORUM

We are so pleased you have dropped in to visit. There are so many truly wonderful tag games to play in this forum and one "just for fun" game too. Whether you are looking to set your menu for a week, a few days or just a night, you have come to the right place! So sit back, grab a cup of coffee and read a bit more on each game so you will feel right at home in this forum.

So now what? Here are guidelines for all cooking tag games so it is easy to understand the basic rules across the forum
All tags have an automatic 2 week (14 days) due date from the date you initiated the tag.
All tags are eligible for an additional 2 week (14 days) extension period as long as you post in the game thread the need before your original due date.
Tags not completed within the 28 day full cycle begin unfortunately the restriction period for the chef where any further tagging across the forum cannot be made until the past due recipe is completed.

So how do I make a tag in a game. Here are some easy steps to post a tag correctly in all games
The general format to post your tag in any game is:
_____Your Chef Name is tagging Recipe #xxxxxx #xxxxxx by Chef (insert name)
_____You replace the x's above with the actual recipe number which is listed in the About this Recipe box two lines in under the Chef name.
_____If you are in a game where you become "IT" then you mention that or if you are in an ABC type of game you mention the next letter that is IT.
Confused? Here is what a tag line might look like for any game:
____CookingGames is tagging Vegetable Stuffed Mushrooms #432111 by Chef ZYXWV
____Now CookingGames is IT or Now Letter P is up!

Are there limits on the number of games I can play or the tags I can make?
There are no explicit rules about the number of tags you can make. That said, we ask that every player to take into consideration how many you can safely tag and complete within the time frame. Factors might include the size of your household, your cooking habits, etc. You know better than we do what works best in your kitchen.
All players play in the games in good faith that the other players will make their recipe tags too. So be honest with yourself. As a new player maybe less is more until you get comfortable with the games and then increase as you get more experience.
If you find yourself late or requesting many extensions, that may be a sign that you should cut back a bit. (We know, tagging is not only fun, it can be a little addicting!)

What if I need to change the recipe I tagged?
We know that sometimes you can't find an ingredient or something changes where your recipe needs to change too. In most games you are able to change your recipe choice but you still need to follow the specifics related to tagging in that particular game. All that information can be found on the first page of each game thread.

How is the best way to track my tagged recipes?
Each chef will eventually find the best way to track their recipes. Here are a few ideas given to us by our players:
Create a separate cookbook just for your tagged recipes and save your tags there. When you complete a tag then remove it from the cookbook.
In the notes section of the tagged recipe type in the game you tagged, the date you tagged and the due date.
Create a menu for your tags. This not only lets you see the actual tags but sorts them by course so you can adjust your tagging if you say have too many desserts (I know that would never happen ) and need to find more main dishes or sides.
Create a document you save on your computer with a list of all the recipes you have tagged and the due dates.
Print out the recipes you have tagged and write on them the due date and the game where you made the tag and keep them in a folder/notebook to place in your kitchen.
If you truly cannot remember where you placed a tag, just let one of the forum hosts know and we'll help you locate it or you can check the first page of each tag game and you'll see the list of tags there too.
The most important thing to remember is to find a way that works best for you so that you can complete your recipes on time within the 2 week time frame.

Help! Where do I go if I have a question?
All three of our forum hosts are more than happy to help you out! Just send an f-mail to anyone of us and we'll do our best to help you figure it all out.
~~ diner524 ~~ lazyme ~~LifeIsGood

[diner524]

Let us introduce you to our games!

Please remember a tag counts only for one game in our forum. We do not allow cross tagging where you tag the same recipe for more than one game in our forum. Some forums allow you to use tagged recipes from other forums for their events but here we ask that you only tag specifically for the particular game you are playing.


TAG YOU'RE IT GAMES

Rookie Recipe Tag ~ our hostesses Starrynews and AZPARZYCH ~
This game involves tagging other players' recipes which have 0-4 reviews.
You need to have and maintain a minimum of 20 posted recipes of which 10 of these have 4 or less reviews.

Zaar Stars ~ our hostess Bayhill ~
This game involves tagging other players' recipes which are so popular they have 5 or more posted reviews to the recipe (not the star rating but the number of reviews listed by others).
You need to have and maintain a minimum of 10 posted recipes which have 5 or more reviews posted to them.

Photo Tag ~ our hostess breezermom ~
This game involves tagging other players' recipes which do not have a photo associated with them.
You are required to photograph the recipe so if you have a camera and would like to take pictures of your food then this game is for you!
You need to have and maintain a minimum of 10 posted recipes which do not have a photo associated with them.

Went To The Market ~ our hostess Nif ~
This game involves tagging other players' recipes based on a list of 3 ingredients they present to be part of the recipe. At least one of the ingredients must be part of the recipe you tag (not all three).
You need to have a minimum of 10 posted recipes.

Everyday Is A Holiday ~ our hostesses alligirl & Debbwl ~
This game involves tagging other players' recipes that you have not previously reviewed. Everyday is a holiday somewhere where your recipe will fit right in!
You need to have a minimum of 10 posted recipes.

I Recommend ~ our host weekend cooker ~
This game involves a bit of a twist. You tag recipes that have been reviewed by the player who is currently IT. A great way to find recommended recipes based on their own reviews.
You must have already tried and posted reviews to a minimum of 10 recipes.

Please Review My Recipe ~ our host Sydney Mike & hostess Noo ~
This game involves another fun twist on tagging. The basic concept of the game is that there is a list of recipes that players have asked to be reviewed, and they are on the Recipes Offered list on page one of the game.
For each recipe you try and review in this game you are allowed to post an offering of a recipe too. (This does not include recipes you've reviewed outside of this game).
You need to have a minimum of 1 recipe posted to try. We ask that you continue to post more recipes though as it is always more fun when you have more recipes to offer to other players.

YOU ARE NOT IT GAMES!

Bargain Basement ~ our hostess Boomette ~
This game involves finding and tagging recipes posted on Food.com which have been posted for 1 year or more without any reviews or the combination of reviews gives an average of 3 stars or less total on the recipe.
Just because a recipe has a low rating, doesn't mean the rating was unmerited. The point here is not to criticize a review, but to promote a recipe that may be getting overlooked for various reasons.

Healthy Choices ~ our hostess Mia in Germany ~
This game involves finding and tagging recipes posted on Food.com which are healthier in nature.
We leave the definition of healthy up to the tagger. In other words, low carb, low fat, low sodium, diabetic, gluten free, low calorie, vegetarian, vegan, raw, etc. - you pick a recipe based on whichever dietary plan you are following to achieve better health.

New Kids On The Block ~ our hostess NorthwestGal ~
This game involves finding and tagging any new recipe that has posted to Food.com in the past 30 days.
These new recipes are easily overlooked with the volume of recipes posted to the site and have not been reviewed but even if it has a review posted and has been on the site less than 30 days it is eligible for tagging by you.

Zaar Cookbook Tag ~ our hostess bmcnichol ~
This game involves finding and tagging a recipe based on the letter/character which starts the recipe name.
The game runs in ABC order. Find out which letter is up next for tagging and base your recipe choice on that letter of the alphabet.

Zaar Chef Alphabet Soup ~ our hostess flower7 ~
This game involves finding and tagging a recipe based on the letter/character which begins the Chef's name.
The game runs in ABC order. Find out which letter is up next for tagging and base your recipe choice on that letter of the alphabet which matches a Chef's name.

SOMETHING JUST FOR FUN

Recipe & Picture Match Game
This game involves finding the recipe that goes with the photo and list of ingredients posted in the thread.
The person who finds the correct recipe gets to post a photo and clue next. The default photo for the recipe has to be used.
There is no cooking involved in this game but we will warn you it is quite addicting trying to be the first to find the correct recipe.