Baby Shower Ideas

Very sweet of you to hose a shower..
My spin..I like to cook ahead so i dont have a mess..or stress myself out. I make a huge pan of lazania a day or two ahead of time...and a lettus salad..cut up some vienna break..beautiful! Cheaper..easier..AND very nice!

You can make tea sandwiches the night before..I'm a big fan of them! you can cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Go to foodnetwork.com and type in Baby Shower Tea Party. They have recipes for tea, sandwiches and scones. I think adding a personal touch means so much to the person you're throwing the shower for. Good luck!

First of all, I would assume that guests will arrive ready for lunch. I think your menu sounds fine. You could otherwise serve little sandwiches (labor intensive) or sandwich makings. For dessert, strawberry shortcake!
About me, I am a great grandma
S.

Ar you looking for someone to make your little keepsakes? If so, I make them and give me an email

T.

Your mention of a "Tea Party" would be nice--try having tea
sandwiches-simple, but can be elegant-maybe use doilies-and for dessert, Petit Fours--use inexpensive foods but make them "feminine" with garnishes

you can make the theme very simple and elegant--

the briidal shower umbrella would add to the ambience-

just some ideas-

I don't want to sound cliche, but Paula Deen had a couple shows on tea parties. One was a bridal shower for her daughter-in-law to be and one was meeting the future in-laws. Most of the items looked so simple and tasty! I looked on the Food Network site and here's a link to one of them: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_99...

You can get to the other recipes from that episode from this page.

Also, Sandra Lee always has great ideas for things like that, as well as beverage ideas.

Good luck!

K.

Most baby showers lately consist of light snacks like vege trays, fruit trays, hommis and pita chips, cheese and cracker tray, and cake. Each of these items require no prep, just go a store like Sam's Club or Coscos and get them already prepared to serve.

Pat J

I think either way would be fine. 1:00 is still close enough to lunch that people may expect it. I'd just make sure to have enough food that if someone didn't eat lunch they would be okay.

Dear M.,

I think it all depends on what you want to do and what your neighbor likes. I had a friend and she loves cheese and crackers. So we cut up different kinds of cheese and had different kinds of crackers. We also did coffee cake for her. My sister just had a baby and she has the more extravagant taste so we went to sams club and bought a box of quiche to bake. But she also wanted to make sure that we had little hot dogs. So we made some in just beer and then we made some with ketchup and brown sugar. For her shower we went all out. Because we had the coffee, tea, and pop. We also had a veggie platter because someone was a vegatarian. if you need some game ideas, I could give you some and they don't cost much, a lot of them hardly cost anything if you go to the dollar store. Good luck and enjoy the party.
B.

I would keep it to something simple. Have coffe cake - any assortment of cookies and cut up fruit. You can also have a pot of hot chocolate on your stove w/ fixins next to it - whip cream , marshmellows, Kahula or Godiva liquor for mommies not expecting. Who doesn't love a hot chocolate bar.

M.,

I own a Tea Cafe and it is a wonderful idea to have a tea party as a shower, we do them here all the time. If you did not put on the invitations not to each lunch that a full lunch will be served then your food is to heavy. If you did then you are okay. Tea sandwiches can be easy and made the night before if you butter all the breads so that they do not get soggy. We serve ham, turkey,corned beef, roast beef, egg salad. For vegetarians cream cheese, cucumber and dill or tomato. Petite fours are great. Go to a bakery or Sams and get pastries. We have a baker that does all of ours. I hope this helps.

Honestly, I think it might be easier to do finger foods and cheaper, ie veggie tray, small sandwiches, 7 layer salad, etc.

Hi M.,

I have a mom-owned invitation business in Oak Lawn and just wanted to let you know I have some really great tea party themed favors if are in need of favors. Just let me know and I can send you my website info.

Foods: I suggest little finger sandwiches: rye bread with cream cheese and cucumbers and you can't go wrong with chocolate covered strawberries.

Thanks
D.
Good Times Invitations

I just cohosted one a few weeks ago and I had tons of plans the previous day so I had little available time to prep for the shower. This is what we did, I did not cater anything. I made brushetta, a cold shrimp appetizer (easy), Mexican appetizers (bought salsa and guac and made a cilantro sour cream dip with chips), cheeses and crackers (bought 4 different cheeses and a few different crackers), mini croissants with chicken salad (from Jewel), and fruit salad (homemade). Then we just had cake for dessert and kept out the fruit salad to go with it. It was very little time prep and very little cost. There was plenty of food too and nothing was too heavy.

Costco has great little frozen appetizers. Their mini quiches are yummy and you get alot of them. They also have croissant sandwiches cut up which are also reasonable. If you don't have a membership, you can ask to look around first and see if there are things you like. The other thing that is really inexpensive there is their fruit. It's already cut up & in a bowl. I can't remember how many lbs. but it's MUCH cheaper than the regular grocery store.

I've done a couple "Tea" parties. Yes it can be very easy and cost effective. The Dollar Tree is your friend. Buy a package of small doilies and big ones. Line your serving plates and paper plates with them. Use mini muffin tin and bake lemon or strawberry cake mix in it for "Fairy Cakes". Egg Salad and Canned Chicken salad w/ grapes cut in half and celery is easy and "cheap". Use any bread and softened margarine to spread on bread. Cut off bread ends night before and pre-mix your fillings. If having little ons attend make up a few PB&J.
Lastly you can buy a tin of danish cookies, and butter mints (at Dollar Tree) for nice accents as well. A nice touch is a fruit salad of canned pineapple, mandarin oranges, cut up apples, and bananas with a squeeze of lemon juice and sugar mixed with a tsp or so of water to keep the bananas and apples turing brown.
Eggs 2.19 doz
Canned Chicken 2.99
Mayo 2.00
Celery .99
Handful of grapes .99
Bread (2) loaves 2.00 - 3.00
lemon .69
canned fruit 1.50/ can
1 apple .99
2 bananas .60
Cake Mix 1.00/ box
Pink Lemonade Froz concentrate 1.00
Total: 20.00 - 25.00
Dollar Items
Doilies 2.00
Cookies 1.00
Mints 1.00
Plates 1.00

Maybe 5.00 - 10.00 if you buy other paper items there or DECO.....

You are very thoughtful to host a party for your neighbor! To me, breakfast food sounds more difficult than what we usually do. Eggs and other breakfast foods taste really good when hot, but rubbery and hard after about 10-20 minutes, and in my opinion, wouldn't taste very good if cooked in advance. I think it would be less stressful and easier to prep cold foods ahead of time and put them over night in the fridge.
Typically, when I have parties around lunch time, I think sandwiches, potatoe salads and fruit salads, finger foods such as cut up veggies or fruits and chips that can be out in serving containers, maybe a punch bowl and coffee.
Many times I will go to Sam's Club and buy their premade sandwich rounds, bags of chips or precut veggies, and salads such as potatoe salad that come in a container to be scooped out.
You could also do finger sandwiches, such as cucumber salad sandwiches that are very easy (and inexpensive) to make ahead of time.
Or I've picked up a pack of croissants and a container of chicken salad and made chicken salad sandwiches that way.
If you don't have a Sam's or Costco membership, you can find good inexpensive party food at Wal-Mart, too.
If you have a punch bowl, punch is also extremely easy to make. All you need is a quart of sherbert, ginerale and cherry 7up. Put the sherbert down the bottom and then add the liquid on top. Good luck!

What fun! I would ask the guests to bring a dish and you supply the drinks and main courses. Tell them your theme and ask for specific items. If some asks you what to bring like a fruit bowl, muffins, bagels, and scones. You'd be surprised how many would be happy to bring their favorite things. The hot chocolate bar someone else suggested sounds awesome. Especially the Godiva and Baileys touch! Or if your having juice, have some Vodka or Malibu Rum handy.
Good luck!
M. L.

FOOD: You could always just do a few appetizers. one that everyone loves is pkg of cream cheese and pour jar of preserves over, serve with crackers Also the ole standard. cream cheese top with can of Hormel chili(no beans), then top with shredded taco cheese heat to melt taco cheese in mico serve with nacho chips

Ask each person to also bring a pkg of diapers with their name on it. Have the mom to be pull a pkg. every 10-15 min. or so and that person wins a prize. Depending on the number of people, say once every 15 min. would be 4 prizes/hour. I gave a glass jar candle from Menards, inexpensive but nice, watch for sales. THIS IS GREAT ALSO BECAUSE THE NEW PARENTS HAVE DIAPERS TO LAST A COUPLE MONTHS maybe. People just figure a bag of diapers into the cost that they are spending

I had a personal bridal shower for a friend and I served finger sandwiches, fruit salad, chicken salad, a lettuce salad with dressing. I had small finger size desserts (cookies and tarts) and a cake that I ordered from the bakery. To drink I served an non-alcoholic punch, lemonade, and iced tea. The sandwiches and salads all can be made the night before.

well if you are having a birthday party the night before and the shower the next day at 1 something simple would be sloppy joes which can also be made the night before in a crock pot then all you will need is bunns and chips and drinks that would be good to only because people will not eat knowing that they are coming to a shower that normally will have food but this si just a suggestion

A tea party is always fun. The thing about French toast is that everyone attending may not either like it or can't eat eggs. Some have to watch out for the evil cholesterol. I had high cholesterol at 23, so I still have to be a little careful. Fruit trays, pasta salad and cookies, like kolachkies are always yummy or dessert breads. If you want to have a real meal (French Toast) put it in the invitation that lunch will be served so people will come hungry. Have more than just one main dish, just in case... picking up a half tray of pasta or beef sandwiches is always easy too...Good Luck.. now I'm hungry =)

M.,

I have some awesome recipes for you! I have my own business as a consultant with The Pampered Chef. We have some wonderful, easy to make light recipes perfect for something like this. Keep in mind, unless you specify, people may be expecting food at this event. Not everyone eats lunch before noon. I can recommend things like ham and cheese brunch squares, or quiche lorraine tartlets. Summer Berry shortcakes are a quick and easy dessert too. Check out my website if you want at : www.pamperedchef.biz/jeannesurdo
If you'd like some of these recipes I'b be happy to email them to you.
Good Luck!

For my baby shower my mom and sister got mini buns and made turkey with chesse and ham with cheese mini sandwiches and had a veggie dip tray. Depending on how many people you are having it is cheap and easy and put some picks in them and use them for a game by having on have something on it and that could be the door prize game. Hope this helps.

Light tea party food, or since it's after lunch....I'd just have cake, mints, tea/coffee and nuts. Good luck. Google "baby shower ideas" and you'll get a lot of hits. Good luck! :)