This past weekend I got to throw a bridal shower for my sister!
I was super nervous about how it all would turn out, seeing as I've never hosted anything like that before. I planned for weeks and made lots and lots of lists to keep myself organized.
Of course, since it was me, I was most concerned about the food, since that is the focal point of any event as far as I'm concerned. Thanks to a number of great food blogs and recipes from my mom and my friend Amy, the food turned out amazing. A lot of it could be prepared in advance too which is always a plus.
The menu:
Chicken salad sandwiches on croissants: my mom's recipe. I don't know the proportions of anything, but it's mayo-based with pineapple, sliced almonds, and dried cranberries. It's so delicious I could eat it every day, and this coming from a girl who doesn't usually care for mayonnaise!
Vegetarian Asian noodle salad: I've blogged about it here, but it's originally from VeganYumYum. This time, however, I used peanut butter instead of tahini and brown rice pasta.
Cocktail meatballs: I used the frozen meatballs from Costco, and the crockpot made this so easy.
Rainbow fruit skewers
Mini caprese bites: these were a huge hit! We used Zoom Yummy's version.
Mango chutney over cream cheese with assorted crackers: recipe from Simply Gluten Free. I used thawed, frozen mango, chopped into smaller pieces. It calls for coconut palm sugar, something I hadn't ever used before but I was able to buy it in bulk so I didn't have to buy a whole lot. It's not too spicy, so if you wanted more heat, add more chilis or leave some seeds in.
Shrimp and cocktail sauce: prepared tray from Costco
Mimosas
Mini cupcakes with marionberry filling: my mom made these, so I'm not sure of the recipe.
Hazelnut truffles: from Vintage Kitchen Notes
I know this is supposed to be a food blog, but now for some crafty things:
The invitations: I bought some tulle already cut in circles from a craft store to use as the skirt.
The centerpieces:
One of the prizes:
I melted some odds and ends candles to make a new candle in an antique tea cup. Idea from Georgica Pond. I tied it with ribbon to hold it together and then wrapped it with tulle. I also had some store-bought lotions and soaps for prizes in case of ties, and there was one, so I'm glad I thought of that!
One of the games: homemade scratch-its! There is a great tutorial here. The losing cards had a cartoon picture of a frog with the word "sorry" written underneath.
Congratulations Jamie on your upcoming wedding! Love you!
I was super nervous about how it all would turn out, seeing as I've never hosted anything like that before. I planned for weeks and made lots and lots of lists to keep myself organized.
Of course, since it was me, I was most concerned about the food, since that is the focal point of any event as far as I'm concerned. Thanks to a number of great food blogs and recipes from my mom and my friend Amy, the food turned out amazing. A lot of it could be prepared in advance too which is always a plus.
Chicken salad sandwiches on croissants: my mom's recipe. I don't know the proportions of anything, but it's mayo-based with pineapple, sliced almonds, and dried cranberries. It's so delicious I could eat it every day, and this coming from a girl who doesn't usually care for mayonnaise!
Vegetarian Asian noodle salad: I've blogged about it here, but it's originally from VeganYumYum. This time, however, I used peanut butter instead of tahini and brown rice pasta.
Cocktail meatballs: I used the frozen meatballs from Costco, and the crockpot made this so easy.
Rainbow fruit skewers
Mini caprese bites: these were a huge hit! We used Zoom Yummy's version.
Mango chutney over cream cheese with assorted crackers: recipe from Simply Gluten Free. I used thawed, frozen mango, chopped into smaller pieces. It calls for coconut palm sugar, something I hadn't ever used before but I was able to buy it in bulk so I didn't have to buy a whole lot. It's not too spicy, so if you wanted more heat, add more chilis or leave some seeds in.
Shrimp and cocktail sauce: prepared tray from Costco
Mimosas
Mini cupcakes with marionberry filling: my mom made these, so I'm not sure of the recipe.
Hazelnut truffles: from Vintage Kitchen Notes
I know this is supposed to be a food blog, but now for some crafty things:
The invitations: I bought some tulle already cut in circles from a craft store to use as the skirt.
The centerpieces:
One of the prizes:
I melted some odds and ends candles to make a new candle in an antique tea cup. Idea from Georgica Pond. I tied it with ribbon to hold it together and then wrapped it with tulle. I also had some store-bought lotions and soaps for prizes in case of ties, and there was one, so I'm glad I thought of that!
One of the games: homemade scratch-its! There is a great tutorial here. The losing cards had a cartoon picture of a frog with the word "sorry" written underneath.
Congratulations Jamie on your upcoming wedding! Love you!
