Here are the top 5 things to ask yourself to let go of, when you can't afford to have your dream wedding.
These questions will help you to reveal the right answers, making it easier for you to make the sacrifice necessary to reach the goal of the making way for your larger desires at hand.
If you don't absolutely love something - let it go.
Oh, I know. Yes I know, that can be much easier said than done.
And even more so, when you have things to get rid of that bring to mind many special memories. But, these memories don't have to remain a part of your plan.
Because you've decided to use what's called the "conservative approach". So, that's what you'll do... conserve. And save money, for other things that you'd much rather have instead.
There are any items that you currently own that you'll eventually part from, so to make it easier - think of it this way: I'm allowing someone else to have them, and I'm blessed to be able to bless them, to have them to use for their own special memories.
And, because only you know what you're willing to get rid of, only you can eliminate them (sell them or if they're like new - use as a contest prize for a give away that you can hold on your bridal website?) from your bridal inventory.
"Top Five Things To Ask Yourself"
1.) Is this item really worth anything to me?
2.) Why on earth am I holding onto it?
3.) Is it in good shape? Or, is it beyond repair?
4.) Will I be able to replace it?
5.) Is it worth it to replace it with a new, updated version?
We could bet you money that other Cater-Hater readers would like to know... Have you had to part with something you purchased for your wedding or wedding reception to save money for something else? If you did, what did you give up? How hard was it to do it? And, what was the reason you decided to make this choice?
Image source: Image via Wikipedia things to let go of when you can't afford your dream event, things to let go of when you can't afford your dream bridal party: TechnoratiTags
Signature cocktails and making your own brand of shots isn't as difficult as you might think.
If you've been thinking about it, wondering how to make a signature drink - here's where you'll find the best signature cocktail idea advice.
And, once you've created your first signature cocktail recipe and your first round of signature cocktails and see just how easy it is, you can make customized signature drinks for any private party, wedding reception, or corporate special event.
First, you'll need a cocktail shaker, a jigger, and a lemon, lime, and orange zester. You can probably use something right out of your kitchen in place of a muddler and if you're creative, you can probably get away with using your electric blender in place of a juicer.
You're going to become the "mixologist", actually making the shot and tasting it - otherwise, you won't know if it's good or not. Next, you'll have to decide what you want your base flavor (alcohol) to be, and if it's of major importance to you, and the overall price or amount of money you want to spend on the ingredients of your special alcoholic beverage creation.
You'll also need to decide if it will taste best as a chilled cocktail or shot, or if it would taste better served at room temperature. Find out the quantity of each ingredient in one or two of the different types of cocktails and/or shots that you like, then study the recipe. Using the quantitative amounts of one of the shots (or a combination of more than one); this is how you determine how much of each ingredient to use. So, you'll use other drink recipes as your "alcohol amount guides" for making your special shot.
Next, you'll want to decide whether to go fruity or strong (alcohol flavor-wise). And, you'll need to taste it to decide what would compliment your base alcohol best. It's a good idea to use liqueurs with flavors that people don't use very often, like pineapple and banana, or raspberry and orange. You're creating something unique to you (or the party host or Guest of Honor), so try to add "different" types of ingredients that are considered "not the typical" ones used all the time, in order to reach your "unique" success.
You'll also want to decide whether or not you think you could (or should!) add a third alcohol. And, you'll also want to continually run taste-tests as you're mixing your special shot or mixed cocktail to figure out if you'd like to add a splash of either a fruit juice, a soft drink, like 7Up or Sprite, or maybe even top it off with some hot or iced tea or coffee.
The trick is to keep mixing the ingredients together until you've created something flavorful and unique, that you really like of course. Because if you really like it, there's a good chance that other people will too.
You'll also want to make sure that as you're creating it, you're writing down all of the different alcohol and other added beverage combinations that you come up with. There's nothing worse than forgetting one of your custom-made recipes you've concocted.
If you want to create a real commotion and give people something to watch and talk about, something else to consider is whether the shot (drink) you're creating could be made as an "upside down" drink. What's an upside down drink, you ask? It's a novelty bar concept where the drink recipient sits on a bar stool with the back of the stool against the front of the bar, sloped down in the seat a bit - so that their head can lie (backwards) on top of the bar (as they gaze up at the ceiling). Next, the bartender pours the ingredients of the shot into their mouth, instead of a shot glass.
The two most important things about "upside down" drinks are: #1.) The bartender has to have a very steady hand, so that they don't end up pouring the drink onto the face of the drink recipient and #2.) The drink recipient has to sit very still for the brief period of time that it takes to pour the drink into their mouth, as they keep their throat closed off - not swallowing the ingredients that are being poured into their mouth - as the bartender is actually pouring it.
You get those two things right and you've got people going on and on, daring each other to do it - and generally talking about having their first "upside down" drink, whether or not they're going to have another "upside down" drink, and about "how funny it was when so-in-so had their "upside down" drink, and laughing about it all night long. Serve your "signature shot" poured "upside down style", and you've served an eco-friendly, fun drink all night long. People get so into them!
Next, we suggest that you narrow it down to your final two favorite recipes. If you're on the fence about which one to choose and you can't decide, invite a good friend over to help you choose, remember: AFTER you've narrowed it down your two. In the early stages of making your drink, if you give people too many choices, your "cocktail assistants" can get you confused. Besides, who's signature shot is it anyway? Yours, right? This is exactly why it's best to have a couple of "idea drink ideas" finished before you get other people involved. It's one thing to ask for an opinion, it's another thing to allow people to help you make it.
After you've chosen the perfect one, name it. Be sure to keep in mind the ingredients that you've used and your reason for making the signature cocktail or shot as you're deciding upon a good name.
One of our guest favorite custom cocktail creations was made for a highbrow luxury condominium sales office grand opening for a complex our client had decided to call "The Watermark". We named the signature cocktail created on their behalf, the Watermarkini Martini. It was fruity and bold as well as refreshing, with a bit of a kick.
We had to warn people who attended the event, who were "knocking them back" pretty fast, to slow down. This custom made cocktail had that "hidden" alcohol taste element; tasting really good upfront, making it really easy going down. But when you stand up, leaving you rocking and reeling a little bit as it slowly (and unexpectedly) crept up on you - leaving you with that, I don't know what hit me, oops! I'm bombed kind of effect.
You see, making your very own "shooters paradise" when you create your own signature drink isn't a hard thing to do. It just takes some patience and time. Before you go, tell us about the signature drink or "signature bomb or flop" that you made. Tell Cater-Hater what it's made of and what kind of reviews you received.
We hope this article will be of great value to you.
Have fun making your signature shots and cocktails, but not too much fun! You know what we mean (*wink, wink*).
Cheers to you! Be sure to drink responsibly.
Image source: Carlo At Your Service Productions
cocktail training, how to make a custom cocktail, make a cocktail, make an alcoholic beverage, make an energy cocktail, food and drink, yogurt drink, custom drink, summer drink recipes, drink ides, beverage ideas, tequila shooters, alcohol shooters, make your own maryland shooters, : Technorati Tags
Thanks to Google+ we've been meeting a lot of really great bloggers that blog about all kinds of subjects, from A to Z. But we have to admit that we have a special affinity for the bloggers who blog about food and beverages, on just about any level.
A new blogger-lady friend that "circled" one of her G+ cirlces, Arlene Mobley, who writes the blog known as "Flour On My Face", turned us on to this contest.
The chance to win the prize (valued at $70.00) that celebrates the arrival of their new Jarlsberg Dip ends at midnight on February 29th, 2012, just a five (5) days from now.
This is one of those giveaway ideas that involves food as it's prize. And, who doesn't like food? Nor, is it a game giveaway. What it is, is a blog giveaway. Yet to know more, you need to read on.
This contest has been touted as a "Super Bowl and Beyond" event. The people at Jarlsberg have teamed up with 29 food bloggers over at Kitchen PLAY to give Jarlsberg cheese lovers (and cheese lovers in general) another great way to enjoy delicious Jarlsberg cheese dip.
This is their new Jarlsberg cheese recipe that everyone believes will be another big seller, because of its creamy combination of shredded Jarlsberg, red onion and real mayonnaise. Doesn't it sound divine?
Excuse me, but I have to tell you this... I'm a "late" cheese lover - meaning: I fell in love with cheese after most of you did.As a child, I was a picky, weird eater. I hated eggs, wouldn't touch anything that I knew had any mayonnaise in it (except my mom's homemade potato salad), and I was extremely particular about the types of candy and dessert I would eat. No vanilla anything, only chocolate. And I sure as heck wasn't going to eat any cheese - except American, melted in a gooey grilled cheese sandwich. So now I'm making up for lost time; finding my way around some of the most awesome cheese stores, tasting their cheeses, and savoring every bite.
But, it isn't a daily giveaway contest; in a way. But, here's how it works. Throughout the month of February, Kitchen PLAY will post a new link to one of the recipes created by an awesome home cook. After which, they'll ask people to check Kitchen PLAY everyday to find out about new ideas they've come up with that explain how to do something super creative with Jarlsberg cheese dip.
Sure,it's getting down to the wire. But, if you'd like to vye for a chance to win the prize, all you have to so is Facebook "Like" their Jarlsberg USA page, and write a comment to let them know. Or, you can do what I did - write a suggestion/idea about something different that you could do with the dip. I immediately thought about making it into cheesy, onion-y, mayo-steak grilling butter. Doesn't that sound yummy?
Impress the judges and here's what you'll win...
Jarlsberg Lite Cheese
new Jarlsberg Cheese Dip
Snofrisk (a Norwegian style cream cheese)
crispbreads
honey crèmes
honey vinegar
... all placed inside a tailgate tote!
Sweepstakes Rules:
No Purchase Necessary. Void where prohibited. Promotion open only to residents of continental US (excluding Alaska). Must be 18 years or older. Promotion ends February 29, 2012 at midnight, EST. One winner drawn at random from all eligible entries. Prize valued at approximately $70.
We know a lot of people who are passionate about food; blogging about food, taking pictures of food, writing books about food, you name it. And what's cool about it is, it's an infectious, wonderful thing... food and talking about it. Because here's the thing... if you're going through a rough patch and are wondering how you'll stay inspired, read a food and beverage blog or book.
Or, better still, invite a few friends over for a "convo-nosh fest". That ought to get your creative juices flowing. You'll start feeling better almost instantly! And hey, if you win the giveaway - definitely call a few of your food-lover friends over to celebrate, and share your Jarlsberg Cheese Dip tote winnings with them. Don't worry about the Jarlsberg cheese calories, either. If you win, it's free. So why bother counting calories?
"One of the delights of life is eating with friends, second to that is talking about eating. And for an unsurpassed double whammy, there is talking about eating while you are eating with friends." - Laurie Colwin
Contest winner wishes! If you win, who are you going to share it your Jarlsberg products with?? And why?
So, consider this as a raw food diet menu. We've included a few ideas for you to incorporate at parties, that you can use as your raw food recipes for beginners.
Aside from the upside, raw food weight loss (or raw food diet weight loss) factors that come with eating natural, uncooked food - what we love is to see is, people making their own homemade, do-it-yourself fruit, salad and vegetable platters.
Because, unless you're extremely pressed for time - you can save money creating your own party platters. And, you don't have to be a raw food chef to do it. We love that... the saving money part, don't you?
Some people might be wondering... What is a raw food diet?
Raw food is uncooked food that you can safely eat raw.
Raw food diets are cool - especially, if you love fresh vegetables and fruits, like we do.
An upside? You have the ultimate control here. Unlike buying food platters from restaurants and delicatessens, you know that your kitchen is clean which can put your guests at ease.
And, because you'll prepare your party platters yourself, you will know how well your raw food has been washed. And, you'll control how much of what, goes where on your platters.
I don't know about you, but this is the kind of control that we like. Store bought is okay for some people. But, when you make your party platters yourself, you'll know that it was made in a clean environment and that everything is A-OK.
You'll also get to reap the reward of knowing that you've made everything (saving yourself money), thus reaping the compliments yourself - with a watchful eye on your wallet and bank account. You've got to love that.
There's nothing like good, healthy, fresh, raw food.
Especially when you've had the luxury to plan and shop for the fruit and veggies at the roadside stands belonging to the farmer's that grew them. Later taking the fresh raw food home, you create your salad platters yourself. Talk about fresh... This is raw food at it's the best! You'll know which items you gotten the best deal on, and which items are at their best, freshest, ripest peak. So, you can't go wrong. And, there's nothing better than that.
If you were wondering about fruit platter recipes, and possibly thinking of incorporating some vegetable platter recipes into your party food buffet repertoire, you're at the right place. Check the "Top Posts" section on our left-hand sidebar (where you'll find more party platter articles/posts that will help you). If the articles that we speak of have gotten buried, because we've written more articles, use the Google search widget and search within Cater-Hater. It's also located on the left-hand sidebar.
Prior to thinking about how we could help you make your fruit, salad, and veggie platters, we also thought about which kinds of trays have been popular with our catering clientele - and we've come up with a few.
We prefer to display food on large white porcelain platters. After testing it out through the years, white seems to be the best "background" for food display. It makes the colors of the food "pop", drawing more attention to it than just a quick glance. Keep in mind that people are very, very particular about what they put in their bodies (eat). It's best to think of how you're going about things from the guest perspective. Do that, and nine times out of ten you won't go wrong.
But first, always start with a properly sanitized counter surface. After that, you're ready to get rolling - chopping, dicing, and slicing your way into fruit, salad, and veggie heaven. Oh, and think of this article is kind of like "raw food rehab" for those of you who have "fallen off the wagon", eating a lot of fast food and stuff like that.
Read on...
Your Fresh Fruit Party Platter With Cinnamon Vanilla Yogurt Dip
This type of party platter is a certainly popular among fruit lovers! Filled with peeled and sliced cantaloupe, watermelon, and honeydew melon, with sliced kiwi, fresh pineapple, reg grapes, strawberries, and green grapes, make a colorful and delicious combination of fruits for your guests and they'll make return trips back to your buffet table, over and over again.
A spread like this is a wonderful start for a raw food breakfast, which is another great idea for raw food diet plan. If you're going to do it, you might as well do it. Eating "raw"is especially good for your digestive system. When you stick to it, everyday is sort of like a raw food cleanse.
Back to platters...
We definitely suggest that you have backup sliced and ready to go for easy platter replenishment. And your food will look best displayed on a bed of curly lettuce too. Keep in mind that a medium-sized platter will serve 12 to 16 people.
It's wise to go as far as to even peel the fruit that can be peeled, to lower the "guest food waste" factor. Great caterers do everything possible to eliminate waste. They are cautious and conscientious, keeping a watchful eye on their clients budgets. No one wants to pay for food that will ultimately end up in the trash. So, keep this in mind.
We've always felt that it's better to have a.) left-overs and b.) to call an agency that distributes food overage(s) to soup kitchens and missions. Angel Harvest, is who you'd call in the Greater Los Angeles area. And, Forgotten Harvest is who you'd call in Metro-Detroit. If you know the name of the food distribution company in your local area, please leave their name and a link to their website in the "View Comments" area at the bottom of the article. Like Angel Harvest says, "be a neighbor feeding your neighbors".
Cater-Hater Tip: If you don't cut up enough fruit to have plenty of backup - you'll likely find out that this was a big mistake. We're restating this, because it's really important. There's nothing worse than trying to explain your way out of why your buffet table food is scarce, for the party late-comers. And for easy to create buffet decor, simply make a couple whole fresh fruit baskets and position your party platters strategically around them. Or, if you're feeling creative and have the time, do something like we've done in the first fruit display picture. We're luxury service-based caterers and event planners. We have to produce a presentation that is first-class. Our clients are paying for and expect the "wow" factor. Looking at our second photograph, you see a small fruit plate/platter that is much simpler. And, that's okay - especially if time is a major concern. Or, if you just don't feel that you're a buffet table "display maven".
Oh, and here's something else...
You could place your fruit on skewers, making it easy for guests to pick up, place on their plate, and walk around - eating, while they mingle. The downside? Not every person will necessarily like all of the fruit that you've chosen for your skewers. And, you know what that means. It will be in the trash. Not. Good. But, what can you do? Right?
This is one of our easy to make spring salad ideas. Delicious and garnished with hard-boiled eggs, grape tomatoes, and cucumber slices on a bed of baby field greens is a spring salad that has ingredients that typically offend no one. You can serve this salad with a choice of dressings on the side. Or, you can toss it gently in a wonderful Balsamic vinaigrette. Either way, this is another item on the menu that would be best to have plenty of backup ready. Salad lovers always go back for seconds.
As far as spring salads recipes go, we usually don't add onions to this salad. But instead, we choose to instead place them in a crystal bowl on the side. People have a real thing about not eating onions, especially at parties. We're "onion-ites". We love onions! Party or not, we eat onions and plenty of them. From what we understand, raw onions help prevent high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries, bronchitis, dry or a stubborn cough, and most importantly - prevent an irregular heart beat and abnormal blood pressure, for both hypotension and hypertension.
We told you eating raw is cool.
If you've invited people who feel like they just have to have something "more substantial", think about placing a bowl of well drained, water packed Albacore tuna nearby. And while you're at it, why not add another bowl - full of black olives - next to it. Add blanched and chilled haricot vert (skinny, long green French variety of green beans - because they're more delicate, they cook faster) and you've suddenly placed the fixings for a Salad Nicoise on your party buffet table. As long as everything is fresh, crunchy, and chilled (except the tomatoes and tuna, which taste better served at room temperature), your spring salad party platter should be a big hit. This is a nice spring mix salad to serve, that the majority of your guests should enjoy.
Your Caesar Salad Party Platter
This zesty salad should prove itself to be another big salad hit at your party. People love Caesar salads - all versions of them. We suggest that you start out with the basic Caesar, made with romaine lettuce, shredded Parmesan cheese, and plenty of crunchy croutons. Then, vary it's theme - placing separate side dish items next to your main Caesar salad party platter, just as we've suggested with the Spring Salad platter above.
There are a lot of really good Caesar salad dressings out there, but there's nothing like homemade salad dressing. We're big proponents of homemade salad dressings. We happen to think our Caesar salad dressing is one of the best Caesar salad dressings out there. And hey, don't worry about the Ceasar salad calories. If you're primarily eating "raw", you can afford them.
We'll post the one we make (and get a gazillion compliments for at the end of the article). Going the homemade dressing route, you'll have the best and freshest salad dressing for your Caesar salad possible Your guests will love you for it.
As usual, we promote "doing things your own way" - so be sure to experiment. There are tons of ways you could take this Caesar salad platter, that's for sure. If you prefer the more "pure" Caesar, that's fine. But, remember - there are NO RULES. You really can do whatever you want.
Your Mozzarella Tomato Party Platter
This tomato mozzarella basil salad a cinch to make. So much so, that a kid could do it. This is a simple, yet tasty salad that's always inviting to party guests because they know exactly what it is. Made with fresh tomato slices, sliced mozzarella and fresh basil leaves - that's all that's to it.
Place a robust-flavored, handsome, well preserved Balsamic vinaigrette on the side for your guests who are "in the know" to drizzle atop their "ToMoBa Salad". Yum! But, this only works well when you spring for a pricy, old Balsamic. You use the newly made ones that haven't been preserved long and you'll likely ruin the taste of your salad. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on top too. Tomato, basil, mozzarella salads are easy to make, which is a great time saver.
Your Vegetable Salad Party Platter
Crunchy and crisp celery and carrot sticks, cucumber slices, red and green sweet bell pepper slices, broccoli florets, cauliflower, and lots of red and yellow cherry and grape tomatoes with plenty of ranch dressing (ranch dip) is a party platter constant that your guests can always count on. Vegetable platters might seem insignificant, but they're not. People often serve veggie platters because they're raw food platters that people really like.
But, why not serve another type of dip - along with with the ranch dip? Why not serve Green Goddess with your veggie platter? Since vegetables on a platter seems boring to some of you, jazz it up with side dishes of various dressings. Another one that will be a tasty compliment is Thousand Island dressing. Or, if you think cooked vegetables will be more palatable to your guests, serve a roasted vegetable salad.
Your Assorted Salad Party Platter
This ones a easy. Customize your platter with an assortment of salads using the ones that we've mentioned above. Or, go with three or four entirely different ones. Anyway you go, you'll have a big hit on your hands. People love when they have choices, customizing their party plates they way they want.
An assortment of salads on a platter is a good choice. Just add the salad assortment platter idea to your sandwich party tray idea book. Serving assortments gives everyone a chance to have what they want, their way. And that's awesome.
1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted and peeled
2 scallions, green and white parts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup fresh tarragon
1/4 cup fresh parsley
3 tablespoons white vinegar
3/4 cup buttermilk
salt, to taste (but not too much that your guests complain) Place the avocado, scallions, tarragon, parsley, vinegar, buttermilk and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender; puree until smooth. Serve with vegetable sticks.
Thousand Island Dressing
(Printable Recipe)
Serves 4
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon minced capers
1 teaspoon minced gherkins
1 tablespoon sweet pickles
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Pinch kosher salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
Place the mayonnaise, ketchup, capers, gherkins, sweet pickles, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a bowl, and stir until blended.
Cater-Hater wants to know...
What additional fruit, salad, and vegetable salad party platters would you add to this article?
And, if you know of any good raw food restaurants, anywhere, be sure to share your recommendations (restaurant name and location).
Click "View Comments" written below (in small print). Look for it in the area above the very bottom center section.
As readers, many of you - which have signed on to become subscribers, you are a fundamental part of Cater-HaterDNA.
Thank you for your comment and suggestion contributions to our party consumer advocacy "ecosystem".
Our ongoing commitment is to empower you with the tools, resources, and support you need to create affordable parties as you leverage the knowledge and power that you've gotten from us here at Cater-Hater. To help us do a better job, we want to hear from you.
We'd like to ask for your candid feedback. We want to know what additional information you need from us to help you expand your knowledge and produce a better party. We've opened a thread, Listening To Your Feedback, in our Get Satisfaction group area so that you can share your ideas and opinions with me, Carlo (the author of Cater-Hater), and the rest of the team.
To leave your feedback, click on the gray "Feedback" button on the right-hand side of the blog.
In exchange, we will not only work to provide you with better information and resources, but we will also do everything that we can to bring you new party-related opportunities. We're particularly excited about the talks we're having with other companies about teaming up to hold contests.
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If you've wondered how to have the perfect tropicalparty, or have thought long and hard about tropical theme party ideas - you've just hit pay-dirt.
This article shares our "take" on the subjects of tropical theme decor and what we envision for a tropical themed party.
Picture this...
Your guest list of 20 people first receive their cleverly designed and colorful postcard invitation in their "snail mail" mail boxes.
Your invitation is "vintage Hawaiiantropical", with a picture of a woman sitting in a big rock right at the edge of a beach, who has a big flower in her hair.
The invitation reads... "You give me fever!" on one side.
The flip side shows a hand drawn ukulele with musical notes around it, and on the score - the words to the late famous Hawaiian singer, Don Ho's, top hit, "Tiny Bubbles".
The invitation is just the beginning, right? And, how does the rest of this tropical party go?
We like the idea of you being "party empowered". So, exactly how things turn out is for you to ultimately decide. But, here are some Cater-Hater suggestions for you to take and run with, adding whatever cool ideas and touches you can think to come up with.
Make Fresh Fruit The Main Part Of Your Party DecorGo completely tropical!
Greet your party guests at your door wearing your most colorful, tropically-inspired camp shirt, taking all of them on a party-fun "tropical vacation" at your place. Play music by the Buena Vista Social Club in the background, as you hand each guest a delicious Cuba Libre cocktail made with Captain Morgan's Rum, giving it a fantastic tropical twist.
Your tropical party sets you apart from bland and ordinary. Therefore, just serving a few "normal" Rum & Coke's won't suffice. Feature a tropically flavored cocktail made from your tropical "Cuban Rum Bar" - that's decorated chock full of fresh bananas, oranges, apples and grapes (both, green and red), kiwi, lots of lemons and limes, watermelon, honey dew and cantaloupe, peaches, fresh coconut, pineapple, cherries, blueberries, raspberries, a few mangoes and some blackberries. You've nailed it. Ariba!
Go crazy with fresh fruit.
Fresh fruit makes your Cuban Rum Bar gorgeous to look at, wonderfully fragrant, decorated in an inexpensive, practical way for the ultimate tropical party experience.
If you're going with beach theme party decoration ideas and have a swimming pool or live near a lake - throw in a few beach balls, swimming pool furniture, and some thick, luxurious towels in your tropical party mix to help your guests have a good time and for good measure.
Tropical Party Menu
Fruit plays a 3-part role here. First, it sets the stage for your tropical party decor. Second, it's a practical addition to your drinks. And third, it's perfect for dessert. Just add some chocolate (a fountain?), some angel food cake and pound cake - along with a Costco sheet cake (highly recommended by Cater-Hater - order 48 hours in advance or buy a cake out of their refrigerated section, as is), if you've invited more that 15 or 20 guests. We suggest whitebutter cream iced cake, unless you know that several of your guests are chocoholics.
Your party guest table decor will remain "upbeat tropically delightful interesting" with a mix of bright stripes and cabana tropical prints. We imagine walking into your party seeing two very distinctive patterns that many are afraid to mix; stripes and prints together.
It's easy. But, there is a definitive trick to it.
Here's what you have to remember... Use big stripes with small prints and use small stripes with big prints. It's just that easy. Use these two power concepts together and you'll nail it. Promise.
Mix Things
Continuing on, keeping things light and bright, our picks for for table clothunderlays are "solids" in happy, colorful tropical shades of bright grass green and tangerine-orange. For effect-sake, we recommend going "every other". What we mean by that is, allow your table cloth and/or buffet table runner overlays to show up, doing the the "we're having a tropical party" work for you. And more importantly, mix and match "every other" table.
Confused? Dress one table with a solid underlay with a striped or print patterned overlay, and dress your next table with a striped or print underlay with a solid overlay.
Color... Out!
Don't be afraid of using lots of color.
We see bold tropical prints in the gorgeously wonderful tropical shades of bright yellow and white, and orange, green, yellow and white together. Oh, and don't forget you can always add classic black and white.
You mean I can add black and white to my party and still make it look "tropical"? Yes. As a matter of fact, you can. For example, a big black banana leaf print on a white background (or vice versa) is a wonderful look on free-standing bars in a big party space (room) with guest seating tables covered in the table cloth color and print suggestions that we've mentioned above. This is how to have a unique luau.
The Perfect Tropical Cocktail For Your Party
You had them or seen them all. You know what we're talking about, the frou-frou cocktails with a Maraschino cherry and an orange wedge skewered with a paper umbrella. Look, the cherry and orange wedge aren't a bad idea. It's the actual cocktail that you want to be "different", right? Well, we've got something different for you.
Ask for Coquito, a brandy, rum, coconut drink (doesn't it sound delicious?) from Puerto Rico that sells for about $18.95 per bottle. You'll probably have to ask your local liquor store to order it for you. But, serving it - you know will definitely be something different. And you should see the Coquito bottle. Make sure your bartender displays an unopened bottle your the bar for your guests to see. It's perfect for a tropical theme party.
You can serve Coquito chilled and up (no ice), on the rocks (over ice), or blended in a blender with ice.
Cater-Hater's Cool Coquito Tropical Cocktail (Printable Recipe) Serves One (1)
2 parts Coquito 1 part Absolut Vanilla 2 parts Pineapple juice Splash of 7-Up Ice
1.) Add lots of crushed ice to a blender, then blend together Coquito with ABSOLUT Vanilla, and pineapple juice. 2.) Pour into a margarita style glass. Add a splash of 7-Up. Garnish with a lime twist.
Cater-Hater Tip: If you 'd like your cocktail to taste even sweeter, try adding some natural honey to the recipe. It's a little bit more caloric, but still healthy.
Cater-Hater Coquito Champagne Punch (Printable Recipe) Serves One (1)
3 Parts Coquito 1 Part ABSOLUT Vanilla 6 Parts Pineapple Juice 2 Parts Simple Syrup 1 Part Lemon Juice 1 Part Maraschino Liqueur 1 Part Orange Curacao Champagne
Fill a shaker with ice cubes. Add Coquito, ABSOLUT Vanilla, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, orange curacao, pineapple juice and simple syrup. Shake and strain into a chilled wine glass filled with ice cubes. Top with champagne.
Cater-Hater Tip: Champagne, all true champagne, comes from the Champagne region of France. You can use any type of "champgne", be it a domestic version of champagne or another bubbly beverage - such as a Blanc de Blanc.
Cater-Hater's Coquito Cranberry Fizz (Printable Recipe) Serves One (1)
2 Parts Coquito 1 Part Triple Sec 1 Part Cranberry Juice 1 Peel Lime Champagne
1.) Fill a shaker with ice cubes. Add Coquito, cranberry juice, lime juice and triple sec. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Top with champagne. Garnish with lime. Cater-Hater Tip: Don't wait until the last minute to order Coquito. It's typically served during the holiday season. So, you'll want to make sure you can definitely get it in time for your party. You might have to contact the company that makes it, yourself. Also, the Coquito alcohol content amount is 8.2%, so of course adding other alcoholic ingredients means that you're serving quite potent cocktails. They're tasty, so you and your bartender will want to keep a close eye on your guests and their consumption levels.
Full cater bars can be expensive. Save money by serving one of the Coquito Tropical Party cocktails, Sangria, Cuba Libre's, one domestic and one foreign beer, and a white and red wine. This type of beverage offering will me make things easier for you. Beer and wine will have to be chilled, The Sangria can be made a day or two in advance. And, the Cuba Libre and Coquito cocktails can be made per request.
Cater-Hater's Coquito Cosmopolitan (Printable Recipe) Serves One (1)
1 ounce Coquito 1 oz. ABSOLUT Citron 1/2 oz. cranberry juice 1 oz. Cointreau Dash lime juice
1.) Shake with ice. 2.) Then, strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
So now you have a few perfect tropical party decor ideas, along with a few Coquito cocktail recipes - so beyond shopping for what you'll need fruit and food-wise, and stopping by a party rental company to look at table cloths - you should be just about ready to roll. You've got the recipe to for a party on the order of a luau in Maui, sans the roasted pig. So, we know that you've got it covered.
The keys to a successful party is, that you favor your guests. It should all about them, or otherwise... Why bother?
Yet, if you think of something we didn't mention or think of, share it with the other Cater-Hater readers by leaving it in the "View Comments" area below this post.
I'm an off-premise catering evangelist/outlaw. I'm a passionista. I'm a paradox. I love when a client hires me to oversee their entire event, from start to finish - because I'm an event planner too.
I'm proud to be mom to Petey Wheatstraw, "the devil's son-in-law" - the best damn Chihuahua North of Mexico. I grew up in Rochester, Michigan. I currently live deep in the heart of Texas. And boy, do I ever miss Xochimilco Super Nachos, the fragrance of Fall and fresh cider and donuts at Paint Creek Cider Mill, and eating a Detroit Lafayette Coney Island when the mood hits me.
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