Please help with menu choices for 1st birthday!!

[jojo2324]

Okay, so we're a little late. Gannon turned one about 3 months ago. BUT DH is ALWAYS working. Always. And now that he finally has at least one (!!!) day off a week, we (I) decided it was time to give our little boy his due.

But I am an absolute dunce when it comes to cooking. We've invited about 35 people (big family presence in the area, and my family alone is 6), including 5 kids ages 8 months to 2 years, plus my siblings who are 6, 11, and 12. I am guessing about 25 total will show. Any suggestions for food? We are having it later in the day during the week (DH's only day off is Tuesday), so people will be coming from work and will most likely be hungry.

The only thing I could come up with was a crudite and chili for the adults. TIA!!! :)

PS - Any suggestions for games or anything? I don't think it's going to go late into the night...A couple of hours at most. But there should be something for the kid to do, right?

[celfsh]

Yikes, Jo! DD's first b-day party is tomorrow afternoon, and I was just planning on cake and ice cream...should I do more?????

celeste
mom to olivia 9/25/02

[daisymommy]

If you want to make it easy on yourself, and actually enjoy the party, here's what I would make:

-Fried mozerella sticks with a jar of maranara sauce. Get 2 big boxes of TGI Fridays frozen cheese sticks at BJ's/Costco

-Loaded baked potato skins with sour cream dip. Once again, TGI Friday's brand, frozen, buy 2 big boxes in bulk.

Arrange these on a platter with the dip in a little bowl in the center. I'll share a secert with you: Everyone scarfed these down at Joshua's party and were asking me to please email them the recipes. ;) Hee-Hee.

Nacho Chili Cheese dip with tortilla chips (1 lb. Velveeta cut into cubes, 1 can Rotel Tomatoes & Chilies, 1 can chili NO beans. Microwave in bowl 3-4 minutes.

California onion dip with veggies or spinach dip in a hollowed out bread bowl (email me for recipes). Looks very gorurmet.

Cheese and specilaity crackers.

I made garden ranch pinwheels (like wrap sandwiches in tortillas, rolled up and sliced diagonally.) When laid down on a platter they look like pretty pinwheels. you can also buy these at most deli counters that do party platters. Serve on a bed of Kale leaves for a nice touch.

Chex Mix (very easy to make it homemade. Everyone goes nuts over it here).

Sodas/drinks for the adults

Clear juices for the kids such as apple and white grape (save your carpet from accidents).


Enjoy the party, And good luck!!!

[Andrea S]

We had ham and tenderloin for Andrew's it was easy to put them in oven then slice. We also had potato salad, fruit salad, cole slaw, baked beans, bread, tomato and cucumber salad. We had a lot of family in town so I wanted something to fill them up and I would not have to feed them dinner as well.

Chili sounds good just have chili and hotdogs for the kids.

We did not do any games b/c most of the kids were younger. You could do pin the tail on the whale (I thought that was your theme). If you go to birthdaypartyideas.com they have a ton of ideas of parties that people submitted and they always have games listed.

Edited to add: Gannon could wear his Whale sweater.
Andrea
mom to Andrew 8/14/02

[jec2]

A big grilled salmon is always easy. You can buy large salmon fillets at Costco. A good marinade is soy sauce, honey, pressed garlic and olive oil (I don't measure, I just pour).

Serve the salmon along with fruit, green salad or pasta salad or grilled veggies (corn, red peppers, tomatoes, onions (or fruit--our new favorite is grilled peaches), and bread.

[Sarah1]

Another great and SUPER EASY thing are the little mini-quiches (I buy a big box at Costco). They are DELICIOUS...we had them at Audrey's baby naming and they were a big hit!

[Momof3Labs]

Colin's party is tomorrow, and we are doing Italian beef sandwiches and chicken fingers. Sides are potato salad, pasta salad and fruit salad. Dessert is cake (duh!) and ice cream. Everything is store bought, and I'm sure glad I did it that way - DH and Colin have both been sick this week!

[heidi_timms]

Some other ideas for you:
-Veggie platters from Costco. They come with dip and everything!

-7 layer bean dip w/ chips(beans, sour cream, guac, cheese, olives, tomatoes, salsa, etc)

-finger sandwiches or cold cuts for make-your-own

-Baked Brie (easier than it looks and SO SO Yummy). I made this for a bridal shower and guests were raving. Costco sells the perfect size round of Brie for this recipe.

http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=recipe3106&search=true&resultNo=1

~Heidi
Mom to Kailey Ashlin
4/27/03

[sbirmantaz]

Our dd Bday is this weekend and we are doing a cheese tray maybe fruit, and ordering pizzas from a good local place. Cake and hoodsies and cookies for dessert... Nice and simple

[jojo2324]

Thank you so much everybody!!! LOL Amy, you are certainly the hostess with the mostest. :)

And Celeste, if I could, I would TOTALLY only do cake and ice cream. But since it's during the week, we have to have it after 5 to allow for people who work. (Ummm, everybody but me.) So I am wanting to do more, because little kids are going to be there and hungry, as well as big, maybe grumpier kids (ahem, DH and FIL) who are *always* hungry.

And Andrea, I kind of abandoned the whale theme....I couldn't find a 3D cake mold, so I'm going to get Fudgy the Whale from Carvel for the adults and kiddos, and "make" a smash cake for Gman. (Yes, the quotes are warranted.) I am thinking I can cut out two small whales from a sheet cake and slap them together, thus making the base wide enough for it to stand on its own. Think that'll work? I got a whole bunch of plates and napkins and stuff that say "1st Birthday" and don't think I'll do much else. I just want him to have a good time!

I am so glad that I am finally getting to know some people with kids. DH just wanted to do family (ie, grandparents), but I didn't want to have a party with 60-yr olds and Gannon. Wouldn't be too much fun for him!

Thanks again everyone!! :D

[August Mom]

We ordered a tray of assorted grinders from a local shop. I made pasta salad, cut up fresh fruit, put out some pretzels and bought Veryfine fruit punch at Sams. We had a grocery store cake for dessert (and they gave us a separate cake for DS because it was his 1st birthday). It wasn't too complicated and was very nice. You could make the sandwiches yourself to save some costs since you have so many people.

I think chili would be fine. If you wanted options, you could have some salad greens that people could make into taco salad, baked potatoes with the option for a chili topping or hot dogs not just for the kids if someone wanted a chili dog.

We didn't have any older kids at the party and didn't play any games. Just eating, opening gifts and having cake was enough entertainment for DS.

[Tondi G]

well if you are planning on doing chili then you could also serve hotdogs... kids will eat them plain and the adults can have chili-cheese dogs (don't forget the shredded cheese and chopped onions on the side!) I would serve maybe a pasta salad (get tri colored spirals... chop red and green bell peppers, red onion and add a can of sliced black olives(drained) and italian dressing...easy!

maybe a fruit salad?

cheese and crackers is easy

potato salad

vegi's and dip

chips and dip / tortilla chips and salsa

If you wanted to skip the chili and hotdogs you could get turkey and ham, some sliced cheeses and assorted bread and rolls and people could make up sandwiches!

Good luck... don't get crazy over it.... the chili and hotdogs is probaly easiest cause the crockpot will keep the chili hot and the dogs could be in hot water on the stove..... then the platters are easy can be made up ahead of time..... with little quiches and such you will be taking hot ones out of the stove and serving all night!!!!

Have fun and Happy belated Birthday Gannon!!!

~Tondi and Mason 7/8/01

[alleyoop]

How about a big 'ol pot of spaghetti, big salad and garlic bread? Or make a couple of lasangnas ahead of time... one veggie and one with meat? Or you can buy the frozen Stoffers kind to make it easy.

Have a great party!

[nathansmom]

Nathan is very upset he wasn't invited. I promise the stuff I told you about will be in the mail on Monday.

I hope you guys had great birthday celebrations.