 |
| my entry porch decorated for summer -- going for an Americana look |
So I'm hosting a little shindig for my daughter's graduation. We've invited friends from church as well as friends from her university. We have no idea how many folks will show up. It could be a lot (maybe 50), or it could be just a handful. We left it as an afternoon, open house-style reception, which is good when you don't know who or how many will come. No one is expecting a sit-down dinner. Plus, I am doing the food by myself. Both daughters will be very busy in the days leading up to the reception, so my usual spare hands won't be available.
Here's my menu, so far:
a meat and cheese platter, with split mini croissants and split mini Hawaiian rolls, plus sliced pickles and a mayo-mustard mix in a squeeze container.
an antipasti tray of cheese cubes and olive mini kabobs, rolled salami, and pepperoncini
baked (actually microwaved) brie topped with apricot preserves and chopped toasted almonds, along with crackers
hummus and pita chips
rosemary-garlic cream cheese spread and crackers
a vegetable tray of cherry tomatoes, radishes, baby carrots, broccoli florets, with dip
a platter of strawberries, with whipped cream dip
cookies
chocolates
mixed nuts
mini cupcakes
blackberry lemonade
water
My menu needed to be all finger food, and things that could be eaten while standing. No silverware, and no worries about finding places for people to sit.
Basically, I was thinking of everything that I could make with the greatest ease. The vegetable tray will be put together by me, but with already washed and cut vegetables. I have some ranch dressing mix to make the dip.
The strawberries will be easy, just rinse, dry and set on a tray. I'll whip the cream and sweeten in the early afternoon. This sounded easier than putting together a fruit platter with cut fruit.
I thought of pre-made small sandwiches, but I think a do-it-yourself meat/cheese/bread tray will save me time, and should be easy enough for guests to help themselves. Opinions on this? The sliced meat and cheese is a good price at Cash & Carry. I can assemble a tray myself in 30 minutes or less, for half of what a meat/cheese tray from the grocery store deli charges.
The brie is a super easy thing to do, but tastes amazing and looks "gourmet."
I will buy the mini cupcakes and cookies. And the chocolates will be drugstore boxed chocolates set on a nice tray. (I think Russell Stover's is pretty good for a drugstore chocolate, and the boxes are buy one get one free at several stores right now.)
I can buy already cubed cheese at Cash & Carry, so the mini kabobs will be easy.
Having only cold beverages eliminates my need to make more or reheat coffee/tea throughout the afternoon. The blackberry lemonade will be homemade, using bottled lemon juice and frozen blackberries. The water is bottled spring water which I bought in a large dispenser, but will decant into 1-litre repurposed glass sparkling cider bottles, and chilled (looks nicer than a large plastic dispenser on the table).
Even though I'm using mostly prepared foods, my overall costs are a fraction of what it would cost to cater a reception. And I think it will all be lovely and delicious. One money-saving tip -- veggie trays are cheap, and so are crackers. Make a couple of veggie trays to set in different locations. Ditto on crackers, especially if using a less-expensive spread or dip, like homemade hummus or cream cheese spread.
I have 4 food stations planned for the house: the kitchen table, the dining room table, a side table in the living room, and the game table in the family room. This should prevent a bottleneck around the dining room table. I'll set up a beverage station on either the dining room or the kitchen table.
In addition to planning the menu I have been sprucing up the place, and removing unnecessary furniture to allow easier movement with a crowd. I finally got some art work hung, found lightbulbs for every fixture with a burned out one, rearranged some seating, and did up the front entry to the house. I've been using this reception as an excuse to get our house all gussied up for summer. What's been on your calendar lately?
