The Simplest Party Food
Parties are made more fun by the right refreshments. If time and money were non-issues, everyone would be having lavish spreads of hors d’oeuvres, entrees, fine wines and cheeses, and sinful desserts made of the finest ingredients. Alas, most people have budgets to consider and not all can be tied up all day preparing meals.
Someone working full-time and running a household at the same time can’t drop everything just because guests are coming. Chores won’t get done by themselves just because you are expecting company.
The answer, therefore, is to find refreshments that are easy and simple to make but can still taste and look great. Here are some ideas for a quick and easy table for a party at home:
- A buffet is perfect for family gatherings. Everyone can serve themselves and sit with whoever they like. This makes the atmosphere of the entire party more relaxed and informal – as all family gatherings should be. Nobody should feel aloof and this is the perfect time to let loose. You are spared the trouble of preparing individual portions like that required in a sit-down meal and you can even enlist the help of siblings and cousins in your preparations.
- Make a colorful table with vegetable dips. Slice vertically carrots, cucumbers, and red peppers. Then put out a selection of dips, such as Thousand Island dressing, garlic sauce, avocado salad, and homemade tahini. All of these are easy to make, don’t cost a lot, and make the dinner table look very vivid. For some more variety and as a filler, put out a selection of cheeses, with crackers and rolls. This makes a light, delicious, and beautiful buffet table.
- Serving home-made baked goodies will take your party up several notches. Make a lasting impression by ending the evening right with cupcakes. For something so simple to make, cupcakes leave a huge impact especially if you take the time to decorate them. In addition to the usual frosting and icings, you can go for a snowman cupcake, cupcakes topped with nuts or dried fruits, or simple fudge chocolate. You can literally use anything as cupcakes are very forgiving.
- Disposable items give you a lot of benefits. If you are entertaining for many people, it is such a hassle to take out the nice china and silverware, wash it, take care not to break any during dinner, wash and dry it after eating, and then put everything away. You can avoid all this by going the disposable route. There are many designs to choose from today and many disposables are now elegant and not appear cheap. You just have to look a little bit harder and maybe pay a hair more. These drawbacks are tiny compared to the effort that you must exert for you to use “proper” utensils.
So don’t worry too much about making your party. Entertaining really does not have to be a nightmare if you play it carefully. And if you are relaxed and having a good time, then your guests will as well.
Veteran contributing creator Anya adores giving you her helpful unique recommendations on home baking. And her greatest hidden-secret is undoubtedly her location for obtaining cupcake decorating and christmas cupcakes.
