Cocktail Par-tay suggestions needed!

[Mermaid]

My daughter Philippa is going to her first prom on Saturday. A bunch of her friends are coming over that afternoon--first the girls then the boys. She told me all the parents are then coming over at 5 pm for photos and general oohing and aaahing. I have to throw a cocktail par-tay!

I've never done one of them before. Dinner parties, yes. I know how to make an excellent dinner. But the befores? Clueless as to what hors d'oevres are all about. Every cocktail party I've gone to is about the cocktail in my hand and the conversation. I can't remember the food!

Please help me set a pretty horsey dor table!!! I promise to share prom pictures!

 

[shakennotstirred]

What kind of appetizers would you like to make? I have lots of appetizer recipes but nothing too fancy. I always get requests for the recipe when I make Teriyaki Shrimp & Tomato Onion Phyllo Pizza for par-tays. Let me know if you are interested & I'll dig them up & post them.

 

[Jdarg]

What kind of appetizers would you like to make? I have lots of appetizer recipes but nothing too fancy. I always get requests for the recipe when I make Teriyaki Shrimp & Tomato Onion Phyllo Pizza for par-tays. Let me know if you are interested & I'll dig them up & post them.

Oh! Oh! I want that recipe!!!! (please )

 

[Beach Runner]

I always hire a caterer for parties like this. I've found that it's no more expensive than doing it myself. Plus, I'm not too tired to enjoy my own party. You know, the day after you and I and another SoWaller had lunch together a few weeks ago, I gave an engagement party for 100. We drove from Seagrove to GA that AM, showered and dressed, attended our party, enjoyed it, and let the caterers do the work.

Dinner parties are a different animal for me. I like them small (8-14) and intimate so I can enjoy my guests individually and share my love of (and IMHO gift for) cooking with them.

However, for a quickie beach cocktail party we do bruschetta with three different toppings - tomato (recipe below), pesto (just use pesto in a jar from Modica), and white beans (Progresso cannellini beans doctored up with garlic, parsley, and a bit of lemon), plus an olive medley and some nuts.

Bruschetta with Tomatoes and Basil

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

6-8 basil leaves, slivered, plus a few more for a garnish

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

? teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)

? teaspoon garlic salt (or to taste)

? teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste)

1 baguette, sliced thinly on the diagonal



Combine all ingredients except the last. Put olive oil on bread and broil until brown; repeat for other side. Serve tomato mixture over the bread, garnished with basil.

 

[shakennotstirred]

Oh! Oh! I want that recipe!!!! (please )

Sure jdarg! Which one?

 

[scrltbegonya]

My daughter Philippa is going to her first prom on Saturday. A bunch of her friends are coming over that afternoon--first the girls then the boys. She told me all the parents are then coming over at 5 pm for photos and general oohing and aaahing. I have to throw a cocktail par-tay!

I've never done one of them before. Dinner parties, yes. I know how to make an excellent dinner. But the befores? Clueless as to what hors d'oevres are all about. Every cocktail party I've gone to is about the cocktail in my hand and the conversation. I can't remember the food!

Please help me set a pretty horsey dor table!!! I promise to share prom pictures!

Wow! Proms have come a long way...or maybe I didn't go to the right ones

 

[peapod1980]

My daughter Philippa is going to her first prom on Saturday. A bunch of her friends are coming over that afternoon--first the girls then the boys. She told me all the parents are then coming over at 5 pm for photos and general oohing and aaahing. I have to throw a cocktail par-tay!

I've never done one of them before. Dinner parties, yes. I know how to make an excellent dinner. But the befores? Clueless as to what hors d'oevres are all about. Every cocktail party I've gone to is about the cocktail in my hand and the conversation. I can't remember the food!

Please help me set a pretty horsey dor table!!! I promise to share prom pictures!

One thing I like to do that has nice color and great, fresh taste is what I loosely call Caprese salad on a stick. I take a grape tomato (whole if it's small, in 1/2 if it's larger), cut a small hunk of good mozzarella, tear a small piece of basil, spear it all on a nice toothpick. Arrange on a platter, drizzle some nice olive oil over all the spears, ta-da!

 

[Jdarg]

Sure jdarg! Which one?

the pizza one.

please

 

[Rudyjohn]

www.semihomemade.com
www.marthastewart.com
www.southernliving.com
www.hgtv.com

Mermaid,
These sites are a few that I always turn to when I have questions on certain types of entertaining. The Semi-homemade site even has table decorating ideas, background music suggestions. I use these sites for lots of different holidays, kid's parties, & entertaining in general.

Good luck!

 

[Miss Kitty]

One thing I like to do that has nice color and great, fresh taste is what I loosely call Caprese salad on a stick. I take a grape tomato (whole if it's small, in 1/2 if it's larger), cut a small hunk of good mozzarella, tear a small piece of basil, spear it all on a nice toothpick. Arrange on a platter, drizzle some nice olive oil over all the spears, ta-da!

Love this! You could do peas on a stick as well!