Featured Article
Spring Party Planning
Plan the Menu with your Guests in Mind
As you plan your menu, remember who you are serving. Be sensitive to those who may have specific food allergies. Make sure to note food items accordingly or separate these items from the main buffet. If a guest has food preferences that are hard to accommodate, ask them to bring something to share with everyone. This way, your guests have a variety to choose from in a safe and pleasing manner.
How much is Enough?
Estimating the amount of time, money, and actual food it will take to feed a crowd is truly unknown. Keeping a party planning journal is a great way to help you plan a similar party in the future. When making your journal save receipts, take pictures of decorations depicting the theme, and consider any guest comments. It is also important to note what wasn’t so hot about the party; everything from weather, length of party, and even the amount of leftovers.
If you are planning back to back parties, consider purchasing enough food for both parties at once. Purchase non-perishable items ahead of time and watch for coupons. Don’t be afraid of institutional size cans of chili, beans, and fruits. You can find these items in most grocery stores at reasonable prices.
Consider purchasing inexpensive foods in bulk like potato chips, salsa, potato salad, and brownies to make the meal stretch. Start serving these items towards the head of the table where the plates are served. This will allow guests to pack their plates with bulkier, inexpensive items first, before they see the “gold mine” at the end of the table. Strategically place more expensive items throughout the buffet in smaller quantities.
It is also best to remember to lay out appropriate serving utensils for the size and texture of the food. (For example, provide tongs for salads with bulky pieces that are hard to handle.) This way, guests will waste less food due to having too large of a portion.
Let your Guest Eat with their Eyes First
The key to planning a memorable event is to make the intangibles tangible. Make the theme of the party obvious to any onlooker. Use bright colors that represent your theme. Also remember to use different, heights, shapes, textures and forms to bring interest to the room.
