Oh am I STRESSING!!!! Need help with a Surprise Party!

[debster812]

I am throwing a surprise party for my mom in honor of her retirement. This is so hard. My mom is the one I always call with my 'party' questions!!!!

Like, how many bottles of wine to get

How much beer to get

How many different kinds of hors d'ouvres?

Ack!!!

So, any advice? There will be about 30 people all together, with wine, beer, and cocktails, and hors d'ouvres.

Anyone got any great party recipes?

 

[December99]

A pretty quick one that I have used in the past is Party Spirals.

Take an 8oz package of cream cheese and soften, mix in 1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Dry Dressing Mix. Then mix in either all of the following or do variations of the following - cut up black olives, cut up green olives, shredded cheddar cheese (you can use anything that you think would go good and you can use just one of these, or two or all three). Spread on a plain tortilla, wrap and cut!

Very easy and very yummy!!!!! You can prepare these a day or two ahead and put them in a tightly sealed container.

I have also done another variation of this using the Buddig ham, cut it up - use the cream cheese without the dressing mix, mix in cheddar cheese and put in a tortilla, wrap, cut and serve!

You can also this Buddig ham one and make a "cheese ball" using the same thing I listed above and roll it in shredded cheddar cheese and use on crackers

 

[RUDisney]

The beer distributor or wine merchant will be able to help you with how much liquor to buy. At least in PA, if you don't open a bottle of wine/liquor you can take it back and get a refund.

As for party food, the nicest party I've ever been to that was easy and casually chic was a bridal shower in someone's home. They served a spiral sliced ham, on a platter, with croissants that were put in the oven for a few minutes before serving. This was served with potato salad and pineapple stuffing. It was filling, the croissants made it elegant, and the spiral ham was great.

When I've thrown parties, I usually make penne with vodka sauce and I make shredded beef au jous for sandwiches in the crockpot.

If you're just doing appetizers, the little quiches are wonderful at Sam's Club. You can take a can of crab meat and mix it with cream cheese and form it in a ball, then pour a jar of cocktail sauce over it and serve it with fancy crackers and an hors deuvers knife.

An easy, and very delicious thing that one of my friends makes is with unrolled Pillsbury crescent roll dough. Keep it flat on a cookie tray and sprinkle grated gouda over it and bake it until the dough is slightly browned and the cheese has melted. Cut into bitsized pieces.

Of course you can make a spinach dip bread bowl and the "mandatory" veggies and dip, or an array of cheeses displayed for the guests to cut what they want.

If this is in your home, get some boxes of various heights and place them in an arrangement on your dining room table on top of a plain table cloth, then you can take appropriately themed smaller table cloths and drape them attractively over the boxes. You can use one or more cloths, depending on their size and the size of the boxes. Now you have a canvas on which you can stagger the presentation of your food display.

You'll do fine without your mom's help and she will be amazed at how well you carried it off on your own... all that good upbringing and the fact that you've listened to her so well over the years.

 

[Dream]

This one is simple and easy Debbie! Put an 8oz. bar of cream cheese in the bottom of a dish, top with a jar of salsa and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top of the salsa. Bake until all is melted and serve with corn chips and/or fritos. Easy and yummy! I also have a yummy crab dip that goes in a chafing dish. One lb. of crab mixed with one stick of butter and 8oz. of cream cheese...heat and stir until well blended then plop into a chafing dish and keep heated during the party. Serve with party rye bread or crackers. RELAX...you will do fine!!!

 

[RUDisney]

Oops! Almost forgot. You can also place fresh or silk flowers into your food display for added oomph.

I usually make up an antipasta salad, too. That's not hard... just an arrangement of fancy olives, like kalamatas and large spanish olives, etc., roasted red pepers cut to a managable size, marinated artichokes, marinated mushrooms, chunks of provolone, marinated eggplant. Hopefully, in the boondocks, where you live, the grocery store has an italian section in which you can find these items.

Isn't this fun?

 

[debster812]

Thanks guys! I know it will be fine, it's just that initial, OMG what have I gotten myself into????

Great ideas too. I really like the spiral ham idea with little rolls or croissants! And all this do ahead stuff too!

Keep em coming!

 

[preshi]

My dads retiremant party was last weekend. It was great they invited about 100 people 78 RSVP and about 50 showed. Here's what they had...
Chips, Crackers, Peanuts, Totrilla Chips, 7 layer dip, Crudites, Green Olives, Cheese Cubes, 2 Beer Kegs, Soda, Water, White and Red wine, These hye roller sandwhich things my DSS made, The guy came with the barbeque and made tri trip, garden burgers, sausage, beans, corn and garlic bread. She also had salad and for dessert they had cookies and brownies. I think they have enough food left over for a month!!! It was WAYYYY too much but I think my DSM panicked. LOL

 

[Serena]

I always buy twice as much stuff as I need, except for one important thing.

I'm sure your party will come out wonderfully.

 

[luvindisneyworld]

1lb hamburger meat, big package of velveeta cheese and two cans of original rotel, you can melt the cheese in the microwave just watch it closely and then add the cooked ground beef and the 2 cans of the drained rotel and then microwave all together, and it is so yummy serve with tortillas
misty

 

[RUDisney]

What's rotel? I've never heard of it before. At first, I thought you meant a type of pasta, but that doesn't usually come in cans, unless it's spaghettios.

 

[debster812]

Rotel is a brand of canned tomatoes that are diced and have different varieties (sp?) Helps speed up the casserrole process.

 

[JohnTBap]

You should ask Goofy. He's a genius with entertaining.

 

[debster812]

Bumping for the evening crowd.

 

[jldriscoll]

Can we have a day to call our moms and MIL's for ideas?

 

[debster812]

OF course you can!!! I have a few more weeks to go anyway.

Call away. My goal for this party is to NOT have to deal with cutlery. (Just serving pieces)

I think the spiral ham and rolls/croissants will take care of the "get something in their stomachs if you are going to have booze" gene in me, and then the rest can be all the nibbles.