I'm hosting a baby shower and need ideas for a menu?

Question

Please help!! We have about 24 ladies coming at the end of Feb for a baby shower -- ITS A BOY. I have a few ideas, but was hoping maybe somebody had something better.

THANKS!
Kim in Ohio

Answer 1

Probably should stick with appetizer type of finger foods. Veggie tray, summer sausage and assorted cheese tray, cupcakes or a small decorated cake. Serve it buffet style with pretty paper plates and napkins.

Answer 2

I think it's fun to do a theme of sorts. I've done "boy" or "nursery rhymes". If the parents have a theme for the room you can sometimes incorporate that into the theme of the shower as well.

You can serve anything you want and either put ID tags near the food which could be something as simple as an index card folded with the food's ID on it, or something more w/ use of scrapbooking talents.

I think it's fun to make a program for the shower, just something simple in your brochures section of your computer in word or something like that. Just one piece of paper folded in half, the front could have the parents names on it (or the baby's if the shower is after the baby comes), the inside left could have the menu with your theme and then the inside right and back could be used for any games you may be playing. We often play baby bingo but instead of saying "bingo", your table has to sing a nursery rhyme/song and the person who got bingo wins. If you don't know what shower bingo is, you make a small bingo board on your paper, give a free box in the middle and guests write in the boxes what gifts they think mom might get. As she opens gifts, they X out their boxes. When the have Xs across, down or diagonal, that person wins a prize. We usually don't spend too much on prizes, just some little things from the dollar store. We try to buy enough for each person to win and you can include your table centerpieces as gifts as well. Nice table centerpieces that make good gifts include potted flowers, bouquets of flowers, flower arrangements and so on.

I think a perfect menu for a shower is a ladies luncheon that includes some sort of sandwich type item, a few salads and a dessert. Most often ppl serve a cake that is decorated baby themed or the theme of the shower.
Chicken salad, ham sandwiches on croissants or small buns are very nice and not difficult to make. A nice tossed salad, brocolli salad, and a sweet jello type salad go well. Also fruit, veggie an cheese trays always go over well. You might want to use blue jello for "boy". You could serve a punch, coffee & have hot water for tea. Serving buffet style is the easiest. Use nice glassware and such for a nice presentation. Keep it simple and try to get help from other's involved in the friends life so you're not overwhelmed with all the work.

Naming your food items ideas:
Little boy blue punch (make the punch blue using whatever koolaid flavor is blue), 3 men in a tub for water or beverages (serve bottled water & beverages out of a tub filled with ice)

Old mother hubbard went to her cupboard and whipped up some tasty delights for today!

Chicken little croissants or sandwiches for chicken salad
3 little pig sandwiches for ham sandwiches
Old MacDonald had a farm with pigs and cows and turkeys (for a deli tray w/ ham, beef & turkey)
John Deere green salad
Mary Contrary's garden salad
Little miss muffets jello curds for a jello salad
3 blind mice cheese & crackers
farmer in the dell cheese & crackers
peter peter pumpkin bars (if you served pumpkin cookies or bars)
Peas porridge cold salad (if you served that 7 layer salad that has peas in it)
hot cross buns (if you have a deli tray and your buns are out in a basket)

I'm out of nursery rhymes that I can think of off the top of my head, but you get the picture. You could research nursery rhymes and maybe come up with some better ones. Or, use the same concept with the baby's room theme.

Answer 3

I love this taffy apple salad. I use green granny smith apples because they are a little more tart.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/taffy-apple-salad-i/detail.aspx

I also normally do fruit kebabs. Rather than having a fresh fruit salad which can get watery, I take strawberries, melon chunks, grapes and kiwi chunks and put them on wooden skewers. Guest can simply pick them up and nibble. You can make them the night before and cover well and refrigerate and they look beautiful arranged on a platter.

Peas and Peanuts is always good, too.
http://www.askyourneighbor.com/recipes/412.htm

I usually go with chicken salad stuffed tomatoes or croissants for a function like this...

My fave punch ever - light and fluffy and very yummy!:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/orange-dream-punch/detail.aspx

Have fun and congratulations to all. Enjoy this wonderful time!

Answer 4

I usually serve Chicken Salad and Tuna Salad, but I will not make the sandwiches, afraid they will get soggy.
I set out the bowls of each and put some crackers different types and different types of small slice breads. Chips and dips. Maybe even so Queso and Chips. Vegetable tray or melon balls,
Set food out buffet style.

Answer 5

well I have always like taking the Cinnamon Sugar bagels from Brueggers Bagel cutting then all into quarters and add a scoop of ice cream (vanilla) and some of the quarter pieces then drizzle a little chocolate syrup for decoration :O)

Answer 6

minature hotdogs on a stick

Answer 7

I think you you feed them white out.

Answer 8

boiled chicken

Answer 9

Deviled Eggs

12 eggs, hardboiled
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup mustard
1 Tbsp pickle relish
salt and pepper to taste
paprika for garnish

Peel and cut eggs in half, lengthwise. Remove yolks, mix yolks in
bowl with mayonnaise, mustard, relish, salt and pepper. Add extra
mayonnaise if needed for texture. Add mixture back to egg white
and top with paprika.

Asparagus Roll Ups

1 lb asparagus
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 lb honey maple ham, sliced thin

Steam asparagus spears for three minutes, then pour into bowl of
ice water to keep crisp. Spread cream cheese onto slices on ham.
Lay asparagus onto ham and roll up. Slice into 1-inch pieces.

Sandwich Tray

1 lb sliced honey maple ham
1 lb sliced chicken
1 lb sliced beef
1 lb sliced salami
1/2 lb sliced mozzarella cheese
1/2 lb sliced swiss cheese
1/2 lb sliced provolone cheese
1/2 lb sliced cheddar cheese
16 slices white bread
16 slices wheat bread
1/2 cup mustard
1/2 cup mayonnaise

On a nice serving tray, lay out meats together, cheeses together,
breads together and condiments in small serving bowls.

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

1/2 Seedless Cucumber, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
1/4 softened butter
1/4 cream cheese
16 slices white bread
salt to taste

In a bowl, mix together mint, butter and cream cheese . Spread
mixture onto slices of bread. Lay cucumber slices on eight slices of
bread and sprinkle with salt. Top with remaining bread and
remove crust. Cut sandwiches into quarters diagonally.

Salmon and Capers Sandwiches

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tbs dill, chopped
1 tbs capers
1 1/2 tsp horseradish
8 slices of white bread
1 1/2 tsp softened butter
4 slices smoked salmon
12 thin slices cucumber

Mix together mayonnaise, dill, capers and horseradish. Spread
bread with butter then mayonnaise mixture. Layer with slices of
salmon and cucumber, then top with bread. Cut sandwiches into
quarters diagonally.

Crab Bread

Imitation Crab Meat-one package
jar of Old English Cheese
1/2 stick melted butter
seasoned salt to taste
package of English Muffins

Mix together crab meat, old English cheese, butter and seasoned
salt. Spread onto English muffins. Bake at 350 for 5-7 minutes,
until lightly golden. Cut into quarters and serve.

Quesadillas

1/2 lb chicken
1 bottle fajita chicken marinade
1 cup shredded monteryjack cheese
1 stick butter
4 flour tortillas
salsa
sour cream

Marinate chicken for at least an hour, up to over night. Grill
chicken and cut mean into bite size chunks. Melt 1/4 stick of
butter over medium heat in saucepan. Add tortilla until hot on one
side, flip, add cheese to one half of tortilla until just beginning to
melt, add chicken over cheese. Fold tortilla to close and remove
from sauce pan. Cut into quarters. Repeat with remaining three
tortillas. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Guacamole Dip

2 avacados, ripened
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp cream cheese

Slice avacado lengthwise, remove meat from skin and core. Squish
meat with fork, add other ingredients. Stir and serve.

Peach Tea

2 cans peach nectar
1 peach, sliced, core removed
2 quarts brewed tea
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
ice

Add sugar, peach nectar and lemon to water while still hot. Add
ice and sliced peach. Serve over more ice.

Answer 10

Easy Meatball Appetizers
large bag frozen fully cooked meatballs
bottle honey-barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons dijon mustard

Place meatballs in crockpot for 1- 1/ 2 hrs until cooked through, pour off any water that’s accumulated. Mix honey, mustard and barbecue sauce together and pour over meatballs. Heat through and serve.


Cheese-Filled Mushrooms
1 1/2 pounds white mushrooms
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup mayonnaise
Crumbled cooked bacon, to taste (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a large cookie sheet; set aside. (If desired, line cookie sheet with aluminum foil to save on cleanup.) Wash mushrooms thoroughly; dry and remove stems, hollowing out a hole where the stem was attached to the mushroom. Set aside. Mix together cheeses, mayonnaise and bacon (if using). Pack the center of each mushroom with a mound of the cheese mixture. Arrange mushrooms on cookie sheet. Bake until cheese is browned and mushrooms are shiny, about 20 minutes. Mushrooms may be stuffed and refrigerated ahead of time, then baked as needed.


Baked Mac-sagna
1 lb. Macaroni cooked and drained
2lbs. Hamburger, browned and drained
1 large container large curd cottage cheese
1 large can gr. Pepper and mushroom spaghetti sauce
1 cup each cheddar and mozzarella cheeses

In large bowl, mix macaroni, hamburger, cottage cheese, sauce, and 3/ 4’s of each of the cheeses. Pour into baking dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly.


Super Macaroni Salad
1 16 oz box macaroni cooked,drained and cooled
1 1/2 cups good mayonnaise (Hellmans, Kraft's,etc)
1 cup white vinegar more or less
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/4 large green pepper finely chopped
1/8 cup minced onion
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/ 2 cup sugar

Pour the macaroni in a large bowl, add the veggies including the onions, set aside. In a smaller bowl mix remaining ingredients, taste, it should have a nice sweet and sour flavor, add more sugar or vinegar until you like the taste. Then pour over the macaroni veggie mix, blend well and put in fridge until ready to serve.


CREAMY CUCUMBER SALAD
3-4 cucumbers, peeled and sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
1 ½ cups Ranch or Cucumber Ranch dressing

In large bowl, combine all ingredients, tossing to coat the vegetables. Place in refrigerator and chill before serving.



Chocolate Chip Cake
2/3 cup butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9 inch round pans. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Beat in the eggs. In another bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, and salt. Add this alternately with the milk to the creamed mixture. Stir in the vanilla. Chop the chocolate chips coarsely and add to the batter. Pour batter into prepared pans, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean. You can fill with a Butterscotch Filling, and top with a Chocolate Glaze. I prefer a white frosting dotted with Milk Chocolate Chips. Pretty and good to the pallet.


Warm Winter Lemon Cake
1 pkg. (2-layer size) lemon cake mix
cups cold milk
1-1/4 cups water
pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Prepare cake batter as directed on package. Pour into greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Do not bake. POUR milk and water into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes and granulated sugar. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Pour over cake batter in dish. Place baking dish on baking sheet to catch drippings as mixture does bubble. BAKE 55 min. to 1 hour or until cake appears baked in the center. Cool in pan 20 min. (Mixture will thicken slightly as it cools.) Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Spoon onto serving dishes.


Ruby Tuesday's Smurf Punch
1/2 C. Sprite or Ginger Ale
blue food coloring
whip cream
cherry
ice (optional)

Preparation:
In a tall glass, fill with ice, sprite or ginger ale, and add 2-3 drops of blue food coloring. Top with whipped cream and cherry.


Three Fruit Punch
6 oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate
8oz. can crushed pineapple
10 oz. pkg frozen strawberries (thawed)
3 quarts of Ginger Ale
1 small packet of Kool Aid (flavored and colored to suit the occasion)

Put lemonade concentrate, pineapple and strawberries into a blender. Cover and blend until smooth. Pour Ginger Ale slowly over mixture in a punch bowl. Mix up a batch of Kool Aid and freeze it in a Jello mold. Float it in the center of the punch bowl. You can add strawberries or red fruit to the mixture to make it festive. For baby showers, you can make pink lemonade, or pink/blue Kool Aid and freeze it to use in the punch bowl