by Jen L.
Reader Tara has a party coming up and wrote to the Lushes for some advice:
My baby's birthday is 3 days before Christmas so we have decided to
celebrate her half-birthdays each summer. Her first half-birthday party is
June 26 and, like an idiot, I scheduled it at 5 pm on a Sunday. So the hors
d'oeuvres need to be substantial since many of the attendees will be
skipping dinner. We are expecting around 20 people. We also have several
dietary restrictions to take into account, including: picky kids, diabetic
grandparents, and my vegan brother, so I need options for those people. And,
to top it all off, our budget is not very big, so I need stuff that will not
be super expensive. Thanks for your help!
We're so glad you wrote in, Tara! Kids' parties are always a bit tricky, considering you have a lot of people with a lot of food quirks to please. Here's how I planned a menu for my son's last birthday that made everyone happy and didn't break the bank!
*Skewers are your friend. Poke just about anything with a bamboo skewer and it automatically becomes party food! I like to use the short ones and skewer fresh fruit, chunks of meat, veggies, even candy. For a very affordable meat offering, try making tiny hamburger patties and skewering them with onion, bell pepper and a cherry tomato. They grill up great in no time! You can also grill up a bunch of food ahead of time on skewers, then pop it in to the oven while you get dressed for the party to reheat it. You get that great grilled flavor without having to slave over charcoal the day of your party. Please vegans by skewering fresh fruit and veggies, or even some grilled tofu.
*Set out plenty of snack bowls. I like to use martini glasses to hold nuts at parties. They're a filling snack and provide a satisfying crunch. Try using a salt-free or low-salt variety so your guests don't get too thirsty. For the diabetic crowd, consider sugar-free jelly beans or other sugar-free treats. Be sure to use a cute card (cut out of scrapbook paper, maybe?) to label these snacks as sugar-free.
*Hot dips. You cannot go wrong with queso. It's satisfying, delicious and super simple to make. Toss some cubed Velveeta and a can of Rotel tomatoes into your crock pot, give it a little stir every so often and voila! Dip! To make it heartier, add browned ground beef or sausage. If you've got vegetarians to please, add spinach.
*Bottoms up. Drinks are what always throw me for a loop at a party. Do I buy one of every kind of soda manufactured? Demand everyone drink sweet tea? Gah. Let's steal an idea from one of my friend's weddings, shall we?
What's better in the hot summertime than a cold glass of water? These dispensers are adorable and I love the fact that they used a variety of garnishes--cucumbers, lemons, limes, mint. You could, of course, skip any or all the add-ins, but aren't they festive? And refreshing? I love this idea. Plus, what's cheaper than water?!?
*Think heavy. I know I've already talked about hot dips, but cold ones can go a long way, too. Think of making a seven-layer dip, which can be done the night before (just add any lettuce right before you serve it to prevent wilting). Spinach dip in a bread boule is also a crowd-pleaser. Heck, I often eat that for lunch! And how about some Deconstructed Antipasto? (Ahem...shameless plug...ahem) Heavy hors d'oeurves will make people feel like they've had dinner and won't cost you a fortune.
I hope these ideas help you plan your menu, Tara. If anyone else has any advice to offer, go for it in the comments section!
Photo credit: eteletours.com
Sorry I have no party ideas for you (that's always my issue too), but I wanted to pipe in and say how I think it's great you are celebrating her half-birthday. My daughter's birthday is also three days before Christmas and her second birthday party was three weeks early and still overtaken by Christmas.
Good luck.
Posted by: Christy | June 17, 2011 at 09:15 PM
These are great ideas! I think looking around for quinoa salad or chickpea or black bean salads would be great too. They can easily be vegan, and are healthy and filling. I actually posted about this recently and there are some great ideas in the comments.
http://www.foodlushblog.com/2011/06/reader-help-healthy-summer-meals-on-the-go-.html#comments
Good luck!
Posted by: Caitlin | June 17, 2011 at 09:44 PM
Thank you SO much for answering my question! I will continue to tune into the comments and plan my menu throughout the week!
Posted by: Tara | June 17, 2011 at 10:25 PM