please help with a birthday luncheon?

Question

i am planning a surprise 40th luncheon for my daughter. i will be asking about 6 of her women friends. please help with ideas for decorations and menu. it will be in december.

Answer 1

I think you should really dress it up-small fresh flowers vases for centerpiece, with carnations in all colors.
Place cards (with their first names in pretty colors)
Pretty table cloth with (like pink, if you use pink & red flowers or whatever her favorite color is)
Your best china & silverware-NOTHING CHRISTMASY!
Marthastewart.com has some good things to check out.
Something simple-like lasagna & salad. The desert should be the focus here-really pretty cake or beautiful individual cup cakes served with coffee.
This is a wonderful idea and will be a special treat for all of these women! I would glam it up & make it One for the Girls! Champagme if possible-pink!

Answer 2

Go with a winter wonderland decor----Make all her favorite foods.I always make chicken enchiladas for luncheons.Don't forget to have a nice bouquet on the table.Serve the food on your good stuff, she will appreciate it.Hot tea, cider,and chocolate would be good drinks.If it will be a real surprise, make sure all arrive early, so no one is pulling up with her.Have them park away from your house or try to car pool.Have the guest stand and tell how long she and your daughter have been friends or how they met...ENJOY......

Answer 3

Patrick...What about a High Tea birthday? Does your daughter like tea? You could serve cucumber sandwiches or any number of dainty tea sandwiches. In place of a cake, you could have small tarts or petit fours. I would have a flower theme and make the room sunny and filled with flowers.

Answer 4

I think you should dress it it up as well. No junk food as we are talking about adult women. You can still throw a decent party without spending too much money. All you need is some preparation, decoration, and delicate touches.

For dinner table setting, use your best table cloth, china, and silverware.

What is your daughter's favorite color or flower? If she likes (for example) pink, go with a pink theme. If she likes red roses, go with the roses and a red theme.

Buy a nice bouquet of flower of your choice and place it in a crystal vase in the center. I know it's a lunch party but you can still use candles. So choose the same color candles. Buy the same color napkins for your table. The key is to stay within the same color in all your decoration. For your serving dishes, try to use either white, silver, or clear (glass) dishes. You don't want it to clash with your theme color.
Also spread out rose petals all over your table.

For your coffee table with appetizers, you can use a large crystal bowl, put some rose petals in there and place 2-3 floating candles in there as well. This is a very romantic touch.

What's your daughter's favorite cuisine? These are some ideas but you can always go with what your daughter like the most, after all you know her best! :)

Menu:

Appetizers

_Triangle Cucumber sandwiches (very refreshing and easy)
peeled cucumbers, thinly sliced
Cream cheese or feta cheese
bread of your choice (I prefer whole wheat)

Spread the cheese over your bread and place the cucumber slices on top. Cut off the crust, and another diagonal cut from corner to corner to cut the sandwich in half creating 2 triangle shapes. For 8 people you should at least make 8 sandwiches (16 triangles).

_A tray of cheese, cracker, slices of cold cuts, olives, apples and grapes.

_Fresh and high quality salsa, or even better homemade with tortilla chips:
Tomato, red onion, green chili pepper, salt and pepper, garlic, cilantro.

For a healthier choice, rather than tortilla chips, you can buy pita bread, cut them into small chip size and place it in your oven under the broiler on a cookie sheet until golden brown.

_Spinach dip and slices of baguette are always a great hit n the parties. you can buy the spinach dip ready made. Just make sure you buy a good bread.

_Dried fruits and nuts.

_Cookies

Drinks and cocktail:

Right now is a great season for pomegranate, so you can buy make pomegranate martinis.

Vodka of your choice
Lemon juice
Pomegranate juice

After making the martinis, you can add fresh pomegranate in your drink as it makes it look really nice.

You can also make raspberry martini instead, just use raspberry juice and fresh raspberries instead.

If you don't want to serve hard liquored, you can go with wine and champagne. Mimosa is always a great daytime drink (champagne and orange juice).

Dinner:

Usually Italian is always a safe choice, accompanied with a nice salad with a light vinaigrette and garlic bread. Also it's easier to make Italian food for 8 people as it's not too fancy and time consuming.

Lasagna
Pasta
Chicken Parmesan

There are some really good recipes on www.foodnetwork.com

I have a tasty,healthy, and easy recipe for chicken Cacciatore if you're interested: (this recipe is for 4 people, so just double the portions)

2 large chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large can of diced or whole tomato 28 OZ
1 tsp dried basil or a hand full of fresh basil (you can be generous with the fresh basil)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
10 mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 cloves of Garlic (you can add more if you like)
1/4 cup (I usually put more) of cooking sherry or you can use the white wine of your choice
Pasta of your choice 12 OZ
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Heat the oil (high heat) and to that add the chicken till it's golden brown. Add the mushrooms and saute for about tow minutes. Add the garlic and saute for a few seconds. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, basil (only if it is dried, if it's fresh basil ad it at the end, right before you serve your sauce). Reduce the heat to low and let it cook for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile you can cook your pasta and set aside.

After 30 minues, add the sherry and let it cook for five more minutes. If you have fresh basil, chop it and after 35 minutes turn off the stove and then ad the basil leaves and stir in the sauce.

Pour the sauce over your pasta and mix well and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

This pasta is really easy but very tasty, all together will take one hour to make it.

PS: You can make this without the mushrooms, it wasn't in the original recipe but I added it myself and people liked it more.


Dessert:

Fondu:
Fresh berries, sliced apples, sliced banana, ginger snaps, rice crispy treats, marshmellow, you can use your fruit or cookie of your choice.

Melted chocolate: melt the chocolate with cream or milk to make it just a little less thick.

Use a large round or oval tray, place a bowl in the middle and pour the chocolate in it. Place all your side ingredients around the bowl to fill the blank spaces in your tray.


And last but not least: CAKE! :)
Oh yeah, get the candles the same color as your theme.

You can also serve coffee or tea with the cake.

Hope this menu helped and if you need more recipes I have tons to share from diiferent cuisines, you can email me for more.

Answer 5

Since it's intimate and just girls, I would do a Chocolate-Martini party. Meaning that you will serve nothing but chocolate desserts and dessert martinis.

Or, go to The Melting Pot Restaurant if there's one near you and have cheese fondue, individual salads, and chocolate fondue. Yum!

Answer 6

well it depends on the mood of your party...if it's a nice wear a sweater and kacki's and we'll have a nice dinner with wine then things like casserole dishes and roasted chicken with pie and ice cream is good...if it's a casual wild party serve junk...chips soda brownies, pizza crap that no one needs since ur just throwing a fun party.