my daughter is 24 giving her first Christmas party.she needs help planning menu and entertainment for 6 guest

Question

she wants this to be a hip party, so my help is out. the people she is inviting are her co-workers from her job, 5 girls and one guy and one is her supervisor, so it can't be raunchy, just nice fun with good food. how long should this party be and ideas for menu are most wanted, along with what to drink and games to play, if any, it is a christmas party for young adults, so what does a mother know. o.k. kids can you help?

Answer 1

OK Mom. Instead of going all out for your Christmas get together why not serve a nice buffet instead. Here are a few ideas for buffet foods to have on hand during your holiday parties.
Remember everyone is going to have a christmas dinner so you don't want to prepare ham or turkey.
Doing a buffet for your holiday party is so much easier than doing an all out fancy dinner. Everyone munches and snacks around while we talk, goof off and joke around. There's no heavy dinner to deal with. No rushing around afterwards because we took so much time for the dinner.
Put out chips & dips, a veggie tray, a fruit tray, a deli tray with assorted cheeses and meats. a small array of dessrets like petit fours and fruit breads and cookies. Don't forget some assorted gourmet breads and the garnishes for sandwiches.
All of the trays can be prepared (or ordered) ahead of time.
Now there is time to mingle and enjoy the party.
As adults they don't have to play games but, the is that ever hilarious Dirty Santa game. If they are of the persuasion that likes to sing carols then do that. Acapella if need be.
Tell her to enjoy. An Mom, Just be avaliable in case she does need you.

Answer 2

I'm just a tad bit younger then your daughter and I am also throwing a similar Christmas party. Here's what I am doing; The party is going to be five hours. I won't put a limit on a punctual time when everyone has to leave, but the standard timing on the invites is five hours long. The party is from 6pm-11pm. Seeing as your daughter is having fewer guests, she may want to make the party 3-4 hours. I've decided to get different "party trays" because the people I have invited all have different taste buds. I'm buying (you can get these from your local grocery store especially pathmark, thriftway, shoprite, acme, etc.) a cheese tray. Your daughter can actually make one of these as well if she doesn't want to purchase it, but I found it to be quite inexpensive. The tray includes cheddar cheese chunks, sharp cheese chunks, white cheddar chunks, brie chunks, pepperoni slices, crackers, olives, nuts, wine jelly, and some dried fruits. It's actually very classy. There will also be a hoagie try with minimal decisions. The choices will be Italian, Ham & Cheese, Roast Beef, and Tuna Salad. They will be sliced hoagies, so they're about the size of a square coaster. I'm also planning to make my own dishes, this way they'll taste my baking skills. I'm making an Apple Pie, Macaroni Salad, Chicken w/ cream of broccoli & chunks of broccoli. There will also be tortilla chips, salsa, guacamole, and spinach dip. Bevarages vary— pepsi, diet pepsi, vodka w/ cranberry juice, spiced rum & coke, and some Sandy Creek chardonnay. The lighting will be dim, minimal decorations. I don't want like little santa faces all over. I just want some nice red and green lights (not the blinking back and forth ones, I have the ones that stay lit) with some music in the background. Music Selection— (I have burned a few CD's to play, here's the list of songs). 1. All I Want For Christmas Is You- Mariah Carey 2. Blue Christmas— Elvis Presley 3. Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree— Brenda Lee 4. Jingle Bell Rock— Bobby Helms 5. This Christmas— Joe 6. My Only Wish This Year— Britney Spears 7. Silent Night— Boyz II Men 8. Frosty The SnowMan— Ella Fitzgerald 9.Joy To The World— Whitney Houston 10. Santa Baby—Eartha Kitt That's my christmas CD selection. I will be also playing a CD of music that everyone can either just lay back to and enjoy and/or dance to. That selections is— 1. Since You've Been Gone— Kelly Clarkson 2. Over My Head (Cable Car)— The Fray 3. Say It Right— Nelly Furtado 4. Fergielicious— Fergie 5. Long Way 2 Go— Cassie 6. How To Save A Life— The Fray 7. Show Stopper— Danity Kane 8. Man Eater— Nelly Furtado 9. About Us— Brooke Hogan 10. Hurt— Christina Aguilera 11. Walk Away— Paula Deanda I'm also having a Karaoke with songs by Mickey Avalon, Paris Hilton, and others (just for fun). There'll be plenty of room for dancing, sitting, and lounging. Also, everyone is bringing a gift (inclduing myself). We're going to have them sit on a table, each will have a number, with a matching number on the stocking. If you get your own number, you dig in the bag again. This way, each person gets a gift, and everyone doesn't have to buy everyone a gift, it's a unisex gift that anyone can use too. I'm also planning to play a trick with a gag gift, mouse traps. It'll be ammusing and then I'll give the real gift to the person who picks my number. I'm excited and I'm sure my guest will have a great time.

Answer 3

If you search for bowtie christmas party games on google or yahoo you should get to a bowtieproducts site that will give you 4 new original games that will help make your nite fun.

For parties like this they work because they give folks something to do while they get warmed up to each other. if they want to talk, they can talk, but if conversation lags games like these take up the awkward silences that many of us dread.

Several of these games have people start singing the songs to get to the answers and that is always a good thing.

Whats nice is that people don't all have to be in it to enjoy it. Some can just help out if asked or enjoy the groaning at the answers.


If links work in the answer blocks here's the link

http://www.bowtieproducts.com/Christmas_party_games_and_puzzles.htm

there is also some party giving advice you may enjoy.

My wife and I made up the puzzles and many people really enjoy them.


I hope they work out well for you

John Griffin

Answer 4

OK, make the dessert first, cause once dinner is started, she doesnt want to spend too much time in the kitchen. I'd suggest something easy like Flan. Its a custard with a caramel sauce on top. Jello makes a very good version thats easy and all she has to do is flip them out of the little cups onto a small dessert plate and they're ready. Goes great with coffee.
Because its a party, and no two people like the exact same things, you could offer a variety of things by having a meat and cheese tray and let everyone make their own sanwiches. Offer a nice soup, NOT CAMPBELLS, or maybe an oyster stew.(very informal). Or go a little more special and fun by having a fondue party, which is becoming much more popular again. Have a variety of things that could be cooked in the fondue pot, cubes of steak, shrimp, chicken, frozen breaded veggies and breaded cheese cubes. Offer a nice rose or zinfendel, not too expensive but nice. Fondue like this is nice because it allows the host to be out there enjoying the party too. (still informal, but much more special). Or, go right over the top and serve a sit down steak dinner. Your daughter will have to prepare all the food in advance, except the main course. Have her find a friend who can cook on the grill, hire them to help, and have them dress as a chef and cook the steaks to order on the grill. Veggies can be nuked right before serving, and dinner rolls can be kept warm in the oven for quite a while in advance. Candles, better wines and apertifs at dessert would be appropriate. Champagne and strawberries for dessert.(formal, more work)

The party should be long enough to allow late comers to make it before dinner is served, allow enough time for everyone to eat, have coffee, and chat.
The entertainment depends heavily on the guests. Be prepared. They may want to play pictionary or trivial persuit, or they may play quarters and strip poker. Just be ready for anything. Anything is cool as long as no one does anything that they'll regret at the office on Monday.
Choose some music that is safe, but not boring. Then let the party take on a life of its own and choose music accordingly.
Be sur eto have a bottle of sparkling grape juice on hand for any who wish not to drink.
Dont be afraid to shut it all down early if someone is getting intoxicated. Nothing is more embarrassing to a host and the guest than the guest getting drunk and stupid, maybe hurt, and if we're lucky, naked. Sorry I went on so long.
Have fun! Merry Christmas!

Answer 5

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Answer 6

Menu should be:
Broccoli, cheese, and rice casserole.
Herb roasted cornish hens
Au gratin potatoes
Green bean casserole
Salad
Pasta salad
Sliced honey ham with pineapple & cherries
German chocolate cake

Answer 7

You will find most answers to your questions at:
http://www.gourmet-food-revolution.com/