Saturday, November 04, 2006

Game Room Party

Liz is throwing a party for her friends that are moving away. The party is in the evening, adults, and will be held in a game room of an apartment complex. Here are a few ideas for food. Readers, please post your ideas.

Mexican Buffet (pros:avocados and tomatillos are in season, casual, easy. cons:kind of summery, carrying around plates with foods that involve dipping could be a little awkward, good berries may be difficult to find this time of year.)

Make:
Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa

Refried Black Beans (Saute 1 chopped onion and 1-2 cloves crushed garlic in 1-2 T. olive oil. Add 2 cans black beans, 1 can at a time, juice and all and mash with back of a fork. Take off heat, salt to taste. Cool and refrigerate. Before serving heat until warm.)

Buy:
Chips

2-3 Favorite Salsas

Veggie tray (add jicama, cilantro for garnish)

Mexican Sodas

For dessert:
make you own ice cream sundaes with berries, sliced bananas, dulce de leche (buy it in the can and heat), pecans

Apple Buffet (pros:singular theme appealing, fall feel cons:are we tired of apple things yet?, a little baking involved, singular theme might be too cutesy)

Make:
Apple Cupcakes
or cupcakes that look like apples

Apple-Phyllo Triangles (make traditional apple pie filling, layer sheets of phyllo, brushing each with butter, cut lengthwise into 2" strips, put 1 T. apple pie filling at end of strip, fold over corner to form triangle, keep folding to end of strip. Brush finished triangle with more butter. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until brown.)

Buy:
Caramel and apples for dipping

Spiced Cider (heat in crock pot to serve warm)

Cheeses that go good with apples like havarti, sharp cheddar, gouda and/or a firm blue


Fall Buffet: (pros: so seasonal cons: might be too boring)

Use above apple menu, but take away the apple triangles and cheese tray and add:

Make:
pumpkin bread

spiced pecans

Buy:
cheese platter (I always like to do a brie, a blue and a hard cheese like white cheddar. You could also include a rectangle of cream cheese topped with warm cranberry compote and served with crackers.)

5 comments:

Liz Stanley said...

awesome! thanks for these ideas erin! i'm leaning towards the mexican buffet but i love the fall buffet too. i went to check out the game room and it's fabulous. it even has a fridge and a microwave if we need to warm stuff up.

liz said...

fondu pots and candles all over would be really cool. cheese and chocolate fondu with fruit and treats to dip

Anonymous said...

I love all the ideas. I can't wait to hear what you decided Liz.

Erin, I make that cranberry compote every year, it is beautiful and I love it but I am always disappointed after I pour it over a rectangle of cream cheese. Any serving suggestions?
Signed, Crabby with Cranberries

Liz Stanley said...

oh! i forgot to tell you i bought a mini chocolate fountain at rite aid last week so i was thinking that would be the dessert with a bunch of fruit and cookies to dip in the deliciousness of course

Liz Stanley said...

PS I made those pumpkin apple muffins from your recipe and they were SOO GOOD. Jared says they are his favorite. I've made them once a couple times since then. Jared calls them 'THOSE muffins'