graduation party menus

[LaurieA]

For those having or had a graduation party.. will you post your menu.. Post your decorating ideas also. I think I may do the candy buffet idea from the other thread. Please post away-looking for any and all ideas having my sons in July-looking for help

 

[madge]

I went to Costco - 2 different sandwich trays, pita chips & dip, cake, veggie tray, fruit tray, frozen quiches, and I picked up some sausage balls at the grocery. I also bought cheese & crackers, but I ran out of time setting everything else up and ran out of time to slice the cheese. LOL.

the big hit at our party was the m & m's in DS school colors.

 

[WendyZ]

DD grad party is in a week and a half(first one for me)...we're having a BBQ theme. Hamburgers, hotdogs, fruit salad, macaroni salad, beans and potato chips. For desserts...cookies, truffles, cheesecake and we're toying with the idea of a grad cake.

Decorations...we did picture buckets for half the tables and for the other half yellow gerber daisies with black embelishments (her school colors). Then we'll have to traditional table of scrapbooks, picture boards and a powerpoint.

Good Luck with yours!!

 

[#1hockeymom]

Sam's Club and Costco should be your best friend! Go there now and just look around at the options. We did half between the last two posts, with some ham/cheese balls from our local grocery that are standard at any party around here. We skipped the grad cake and did finger food desserts we picked up at Sams. They were a hit and were gone by the end of the party

I have to laugh at madge... I forgot to cut the cheese up, too! Found it a week later.

 

[bdcp]

I've done bbq from Red Hot and Blue for two HS grad and one college grad (one college grad to go and we're done). It's not super expensive and everyone loves it. I get an assortment of pulled chicken, pork, brisket and ribs along with a few sides and it come with rolls. We usually have some left over, but it all gets eaten in a couple of days. I decorate very little, but do also buy a cake from Costco with the school colors. I also make a fruit salad and pick up a couple of veggie trays from Costco and everyone is happy.

 

[Kimmumum]

We are doing Italian (DS's choice). We are getting big trays of spaghetti and gnocchi. Hunks of bread, a really big antipasta salad, a tray of meatballs, and sausage and peppers. It really isn't all that expensive.

We went to a party last week that was Mexican (Mexican parties are big by us). She got trays of fajitas and little burritos, chips, salsa, guacamole, etc

Another friend did sandwiches. She got different lunch meats (she rolled them all to look nice), every condiment under the sun, tuna salad, macaroni salad, potato salad and deviled eggs. It was very nice....and simple.

Good luck with your party. Ours is this coming Sunday.

 

[madge]

I have to laugh at madge... I forgot to cut the cheese up, too! Found it a week later.

must be a lizority thing

 

[We4mickey]

We have DS's this weekend. He wanted hamburgers, brats, hot dogs, baked beans, seafood salad, chinese coleslaw, potato salad, taco dip, taffy apple salad,cheese and sausage with crackers, chips and dip, veggies, fruit bowl, cookies, brownies and cake. I think that's everything. Lots of boys coming, thus the reason for all the sweets.

 

[MrsPete]

Decorations...we did picture buckets for half the tables and for the other half yellow gerber daisies with black embelishments (her school colors).

Picture buckets? Please describe -- sounds interesting!

 

[Nolcrest]

DD's choice is shrimp platter, spring roll platter, penny hot dogs, cocktail meatballs, italian sub, honey glazed wings, cole slaw, pasta salad, garden salad, choc chip cookies, ice cream cake (cake with layered ice cream), knox blox jello, fresh fruit. We'll have Bubba Hamburgers in the freezer in case we want to grill some later on in the evening. If not, no problem "cause you grill them frozen.

Lauri

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

DS graduated from HS in May. We had soft shell tacos with all the toppings available, Chili cheese dip and chips, fruit trays, and cookie trays. The trays were purchased and the taco meat was cooked up in advance and placed in a roaster.

Easy, but we do tacos many times a year for 30+ high school boys, so this was just king of business as usual - just a larger quantity. DS did not want cake (that's my boy!) so we skipped that.

 

[luvtogo12]

We are doing a BBQ but I will be getting trays of food as well.

We are having, hamburgers, hot dogs, fried chicken, sausage and peppers, penne vodka pasta, meatballs and chicken marsala. As sides, green salad, potato salad, three bean salad and macaroni salad.
We will have a fruit salad and cake (from Costco). I am using my Dad's pop corn machine and of course, the candy buffet.

Forgot the appetizers. Grilled shrimp, spinach dip with veggies and chips and salsa.

I am not doing much in the way of decorating. DD just wants A LOT of balloons in her school colors.

 

[pnutmnm]

Keeping it simple: fried chicken, mostaccioli, salad, taco salad, potato salad, and garlic bread.
We are not getting too carried away as this is for 8th grade graduation and we are only expecting 35 people.

 

[PatsGirl]

DS graduated last Saturday but is leaving for USAF at the end of August so we're combining his party as a graduation/Adios party theme. The menu: BBQ ribs and chicken, baked beans, mac and cheese, cole slaw, cornbread, and watermelon (lemonade and iced tea). By the end of August here everyone is sick of traditional hot dogs/burgers, mac and potatoe salad so I wanted to a do a traditional Western BBQ. Any ideas/suggestions are welcome as well.

 

[WendyZ]

Picture buckets? Please describe -- sounds interesting!

HI...
We purchased small buckets and painted them black. She picked themes...prom, vacations, graduation and friends. She took approx 6 pictures and put them on posterboard w/ scrapbook stickes,cut them down and them taped them to small dowels. We then stuck the dowels into strafoam (the green kind you find in the flower section) which was already cut and stuck in our painted buckets. Then we placed hot glue on top of the strafoam and place white or yellow shredded paper so it looks like an easter basket so to speak. Acutally we did it in the opposite order, paper first then the pictures. She also found some cute decorations to add, those went on sticks as well and we just stuck them in wherever. We seen the idea in a scrapbook store...they turned out cute.
I hope you can understand this.
Good Luck!
WendyZ

 

[addicted2dizney]

Having two parties for DD's 8th grade graduation... 1st party is Friday, pool party for her and 35 of her closest friends. I am doing, sub sandwich trays, a tray of honey bbq wings, chips, and a costco cake.

Sunday we are having about 35 family and friends, we are doing, pasta salad, grilled vegetables, (made in advance, DD's favorites) grilled chicken breast, fresh fruit, and fritatas, they are kind of an italian egg omelette with onions, potatoes and cheese in them. you serve them in a pie shaped sliced, they are sooo yummy and when my mom offered to make them I could not resist. They can be served at room temperature so they work out great! I will most likely serve them the leftover cake.. It's close family, they will not care... and some finger food desserts as well as ice pops, etc..
When it's a pool party I feel like I can get away with a lot!

 

[addicted2dizney]

Having two parties for DD's 8th grade graduation... 1st party is Friday, pool party for her and 35 of her closest friends. I am doing, sub sandwich trays, a tray of honey bbq wings, chips, and a costco cake.

Sunday we are having about 35 family and friends, we are doing, pasta salad, grilled vegetables, (made in advance, DD's favorites) grilled chicken breast, fresh fruit, and fritatas, they are kind of an italian egg omelette with onions, potatoes and cheese in them. you serve them in a pie shaped sliced, they are sooo yummy and when my mom offered to make them I could not resist. They can be served at room temperature so they work out great! I will most likely serve them the leftover cake.. It's close family, they will not care... and some finger food desserts as well as ice pops, etc..
When it's a pool party I feel like I can get away with a lot less

 

[LaurieA]

thanks for all the ideas. I plan on making some side dishes(salad like) but have no idea what yet. Chicken wings, Hoagies, and thats as far as I got so far. Keep the ideas coming .

We4mickey-what is a taffy apple salad?

 

[Bearvet]

DS graduated last year and the biggest hit was personalized frisbees. I ordered them in his school colors and had a congrats message and what college he's going to printed on them. We turned them upside down to use as paper plate holders - people loved this idea and had a fun momento from the party.

I also did the M & Ms in his school colors (maroon & white) and made up little bags tied with matching ribbon. I also printed a congrats message that was tied to the ribbon.

We have a big charcoal pit barbeque so we did hamburgs & hot dogs, brats and marinated boneless chicken breasts (some teriyaki, some Italian dressing). I made many pots of chili and put it in crock pots. Some friends brought salads and I did baked potatoes (in the coals) with a topping bar instead of potato salad.

I did have a cake and some friends baked cookies. I also did a chocolate fountain but the chocolate was too thick so it only worked for a short time. But people loved it while it worked! I like the candy buffet idea and will do that for my next DS's grad party (3 more years).

We let DS have his friends camp out for the night in our front yard. So for the late evening I got a 6 foot party sub from Subway, chips, etc. The kids loved it. Side note - after the adults left I made DH and his brothers carry every last bit of alcohol up to our bedroom where it was locked up with us all night. He wasn't happy but it was worth it.

DS still talks about how great his party was. And I still have frisbees left!

 

[luvtogo12]

DS graduated last year and the biggest hit was personalized frisbees. I ordered them in his school colors and had a congrats message and what college he's going to printed on them. We turned them upside down to use as paper plate holders - people loved this idea and had a fun momento from the party.

I also did the M & Ms in his school colors (maroon & white) and made up little bags tied with matching ribbon. I also printed a congrats message that was tied to the ribbon.

We have a big charcoal pit barbeque so we did hamburgs & hot dogs, brats and marinated boneless chicken breasts (some teriyaki, some Italian dressing). I made many pots of chili and put it in crock pots. Some friends brought salads and I did baked potatoes (in the coals) with a topping bar instead of potato salad.

I did have a cake and some friends baked cookies. I also did a chocolate fountain but the chocolate was too thick so it only worked for a short time. But people loved it while it worked! I like the candy buffet idea and will do that for my next DS's grad party (3 more years).

We let DS have his friends camp out for the night in our front yard. So for the late evening I got a 6 foot party sub from Subway, chips, etc. The kids loved it. Side note - after the adults left I made DH and his brothers carry every last bit of alcohol up to our bedroom where it was locked up with us all night. He wasn't happy but it was worth it.

DS still talks about how great his party was. And I still have frisbees left!

I remember doing the frisbees for a party I had years ago. It was a big hit. Thanks for the reminder. I think I might do that again.