RS Party Party

Party Party Information!

For those of you who missed the activity, we missed you!  Amy Greenland gave us a great lesson on gift giving and has tags for simple gifts if you want her to help you with that.  Heather has some awesome cake baking tips to get your cakes looking professional and would be happy to answer questions for you, I'm sure.  Thanks to everyone who came and everyone who taught (Amy, Brigitte, Laura, and Heather) and Sami for helping prep.  It was really a fun afternoon!

Below are some of the things we learned there.  Hope this gives you some help with your next big event...

How to Make a Gift Bow...

Zoom in on the image and talk to Brigitte Papa if you have any questions!

Cake Decorating

Buttercream Frosting

3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tbsp heavy cream

Mix butter and sugar on low until well blended.  Mix on medium for 3 more minutes.  Add vanilla and cream and mix for another 2-3 minutes.

Royal Icing
(glue for gingerbread houses, or make-ahead decorations)

3 tbsp meringue powder (found in craft section at stores)
4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
6 tbsp water

Beat all ingredients at low speed for 7-10 minutes or until icing forms peaks.  Keep icing covered with wet kitchen towel to avoid drying out.

Decorating Icing

(preferably just for accents.  *you can cut this recipe in half or smaller)

1 1/2 c. Crisco shortening
2 lb. sifted confectioners' sugar
1/2 c. water
1-1 1/2 tsp. clear vanilla or desired flavoring

Cream shortening, sift sugar over the shortening, add scant 1/2 cup of water and flavoring. Mix on low speed to prevent air bubbles from forming. Cover bowl with damp towel and use as desired.

Ganache

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Put ingredients in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat and stir until melted together.  Put in the fridge and cool for approx. 40 min for pourable ganache, and longer for spreadable.  For both types, spread/smooth with a spatula if necessary and chill until set.

New to decorating?  Check out www.wilton.com and select Cake Decorating 101 on the left of the page.  They have great tips on frostings, fondants, and decorating that are free!

Party Games!

Questions?  Talk to Sami Jones

Games, Games, and more Games


Sami’s personal quote, “Games make or break a party! Gotta love the games!”
**I am also all about inexpensive ideas that are fun and get people involved. I usually have several games prepared and feel out the party to see if you want to play all of them***



Some of my Favorites:


Birthday Party (adapt to age and gender)
Photo Booth- bring props could go with a theme, have someone take their picture.
Music- kids especially (freeze dance, musical chairs, hot potato, cake walk)
Scavenger Hunt- things around the room or backpack or purse
Balloon Stomp- tie a balloon to leg and run around and pop everyone else’s.
Relay Games- dress ups (pile of clothes to put on), water cup with a little hole in it run and fill a bucket up to the line, egg on a spoon.
Paper Bag- on one foot bend down and get it with your teeth. Progressively cut the bag shorter with each round


Baby Shower
Memory- have the matches go with candy. (i.e. breast feeding they get a milky way bar, pacifier-ring pop, etc.)
Present Bingo- fill out Bingo cards with gifts they think she will receive. As she opens they cross them off and try to get Bingo. (have cheap presents to choose from)
Don’t Say Baby- Safety pin and collect others when they say baby, Person with the most pins wins.
Sing Off- two teams. Have the players think of songs with the word baby in it, until a team can’t think of a song (other words, love, sweetheart, etc.)


Cool/Helpful Internet Resources
(mostly blogs) http://karaspartyideas.com/-AMAZING
http://partiesandholidays.blogspot.com
http://blog.hwtm.com/
http://familyfun.go.com/
http://www.marthastewart.com/

Catering

Laura Theodosis is our culinary expert and can help you with questions re: food at your next event!

Catering – Tips and Tricks to do it yourself!

You are excited to share the food you love with the people you love at an event  - now how much food will you need?  Many factors play a part: the length of the event, number of people and the types of food you are serving.

Appetizers

Evening function with no dinner:

        10-15 pieces per person. Make sure it's substantial. When appetizers are served buffet-style vs. passed on trays, people tend to eat more.

Evening function with dinner following:

        3-5 pieces per person. Can be lighter foods such as cheese or veggies.

Late morning or early afternoon with a meal following:

        1-3 pieces per person. Again, can be lighter, such as veggies or cheese.

Beverages

        About 3 beverages per person at a party.

        A 2-liter of soda fills ten 8-ounce glasses.

Breakfast

        Offer juice, milk and water.

        People will drink about 2 beverages each.

        Offer a main entrée (about 5 oz). Offer 2-3 side dishes (4 oz. each) with bread or a starch and dessert.

        Fruit makes a great breakfast "dessert." Estimate a half to one cup of fruit salad or 3-5 pieces of sliced fruit per person.

        Serving pastry only? Estimate 2 pieces per person.

Lunch

        Offer soda and lemon water.

        If serving hors d´oeuvres, plan 2-4 per person.

        Accompany your entrée (about 5 oz.) with 2-3 sides (4 oz each), bread or a starch and dessert.

        For buffet-style, plan on 4 oz meat and 2 oz. cheese per person, allowing for one to two sandwiches each.

Dinner

        Serve water with a lemon slice in addition to any other beverages.

        Plan 3-5 hors d'oeuvres per person, depending on your number of courses.

        Offer your entrée dish (5-7 oz.) and 2-3 sides (4 oz. each for veggies, 2 oz. for beans or pasta). Of course, offer bread, salad (1 oz w/out dressing), possibly soup or an appetizer.

Desserts

        Plan 1 slice of cake, tart or pasty, 4 oz. of a creamy dessert, such as mousse or pudding, 5 oz if serving ice cream.

        Remember, more people mean more courses and more choices.

General Tips:

When estimating food and drinks, always round UP. Try to guess what items will be most popular. Remember that more options mean smaller individual portions.

No cooked dishes, soft cheeses, cut up fruits, lunch/deli meats or dips should sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours.  Use chafing dishes and beds of ice or coolers to maintain food temperatures.