Food for Baby Showers
Put more than one person in a room, leave them there long enough, and the talk will ALWAYS turn to, what else? Food! And do you think baby showers are any different? No way! Food is always a reason to get excited (and even plan!) a party. Yes, baby showers are supposed to be about the upcoming baby’s arrival, but, let’s face it, they’re also meant to satisfy the palate!
Scared to plan the food at the shower? Don’t be! It’s simple. It’s just like any other party, in this regard. Figure out who’s going to be there, what their preferences are, and where it’s going to be. Once you’ve got these logistics down, making food choices is simple. You know your friends and their eating habits well, I’m sure, so the biggest question mark is probably the location. Is the shower going to be held at a home or at the office, something that’s occurring more and more often?
Baby Shower Location: The Office
To make this type of baby shower work food-wise, I recommend stick to the time-honored tradition of a potluck! That way, food costs are borne by everyone in a relatively equal fashion. Make sure you have one point of contact for the menu, however, whose duty it is to make sure that no two dishes served are the same. Since you’re going to be having this during the workday, it’s limited to the lunch hour, and this will limit your menu accordingly. Nothing too elaborate. Stick to items like deli trays, sandwiches, drinks, and salads.
However, if you decide to hold the baby shower after regular business hours, instead of holding it on company grounds, consider going to a nearby restaurant instead. This permits the guests to order their own food, something much appreciated. For the cake, either have someone bring it or arrange for the restaurant to take care of preparing and serving it.
Baby Showers at a Home
Are you lucky enough to be able to hold the shower at a home instead of at the office? Great! Showers held at someone’s house allow a far greater degree of control over food choices. And if you’re a host who wants to put her style and creativity on display, at-home baby showers are the perfect opportunity to indulge yourself.
These type of showers will give you the chance to serve a wider array of goodies. How about some dishes reflecting the different nationalities of the parents? In addition, having plenty of food keeps the party going longer than a party without since everyone can stay to play games and take extra picture when they know their stomachs will be satiated!
Showers held at home really shine in the food department when it comes to appetizers and drinks. You can be a lot more creative and cost-effective with these items when they’re not being delivered or ordered at a restaurant. In the summer, cold drinks such as an ice-cream floats, or a fruit slush would be hard to find at a sit-down restaurant but are easy to make at home. In warmer weather, apple cider and hot cocoa are easy winners with every guest.
For appetizers, triangle-cut chicken sandwiches, small cheese squares, stuffed mushrooms, sweet and sour meatballs, chips, mini cupcakes, and in-season fruits are easy-to-prepare ideas that are always a big hit. In fact, if you’re short on time, many of these items can be purchased from your local grocery.
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