Party Panache, Easy Peasy Tabletops and Recipes

I wanted to share a few more easy peasy recipes that helped me feed the masses during the Family “Re-Onion,”  and some simple tabletops

Our beach house is on stilts so the area under the house is handy for all kinds of things, especially parties! No need to worry if a thunderstorm pops up, you can be safe and dry~ also it is shaded and there is always a lovely breeze blowing through~

We rented some tables and chairs and set up a seating area.  I arranged for a 5 day rental so we could use them throughout the weekend.  It was very reasonable, so check into it if you need furniture for a party or event~ we used Pelican Pete’s Party Rental

Each table had a fitted white plastic cover and an orange print circular topper.  Longer cloths aren’t practical for a breezy outdoor setting and the plastic covers were easily be wiped off after dining, without disturbing the centerpieces, ready for the next meal

I used 4 different lanterns that I already had, and filled them with shells,  seaglass and a candle.  I put the same mix in each one so that even though they were all different, the tables seemed unified

Under each lantern is an aqua straw circular placemat topped with an orange rattan charger, also things I already had.  Shells and seaglass were sprinkled around the edges of the fabric circle, which kept them from blowing up in the breeze.  Small blue mason jars held battery powered candles.  The only things I bought for these tables was fabric for the circular toppers and candles

We used long tables for serving the food and one for a bar/appetizer area

5 Minute Mystery Dip is my go to appetizer when time is short.  It’s a block of cream cheese topped with mango chutney, orange marmalade or any jam you prefer.  You top the cream cheese and jam with loads of chopped bacon, green onions, coconut and nuts.  I kicked it up a notch for the party by using Macadamia nuts rather than peanuts, and I made it super easy by using cooked bacon crumbles from a package~ this version is called Macadamia Madness, and I used orange marmalade

This dip is always a hit, it’s an exotic mix of sweet and sour, salty and tangy elements~

I wish I had had time to really set it up and make everything look fancier, but when you have people visiting throughout the day and trying to set up parties at night, I was lucky to get food on the tables!

There just wasn’t enough time to set up the tables the way I wanted to, and being outside was an extra challenge~

In a perfect world there would have been a party bunting and lights hung over the buffet tables and labels for the various dishes

Here is the menu for this Saturday Under the Stars Soiree.  The main part of the meal was catered by one of our favorite local restaurants, Shipp’s Harbour Grill

To make this meal more budget friendly we supplemented the catered food with appetizers and the dessert.  We decided to make some kid friendly, easy to eat finger foods in case the younger guests weren’t excited about sushi and crab stuffed mushrooms~ Pigs in a Blanket, chips and salsa, and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches  kept the kiddos happy.  I made the Pigs early in the week and froze them.  The afternoon of the party I assembled the cheese sandwiches and baked them on a cookie sheet.  Easy Peasy.

Shipp’s is famous for their sushi, this beautiful platter was place on a high cocktail table for ease of serving

The Fried Shrimp with 3 pepper glace and bleu cheese crumbles was divine

I would love to get the recipe for these Pimento Cheese Fritters, such a delightful soft bite with a kick

The Crab stuffed Mushrooms with Dijon Cream Sauce were a big hit

and you can’t beat BBQ Pork Sliders topped with Slaw~

When it was time for dessert we removed the chafing dishes and brought out the Ice Cream Sundae stuff

Gallon tubs of Vanilla and Neopolitan Ice Cream were ready for scooping

Chocolate and Caramel Sauces, cherries, mini Reece’s cups and Rolos, -did you know you can buy them unwrapped in small bags? [Walmart] There were jelly bellies and saltwater taffy in the Foxfest orange and aqua for topping or nibbling~

I am a little embarrassed at how crude this set up is, but we were all having too much fun to care and worry about presentation~

try to picture an ice cream parlor with stacks of ice cream cones, endless apothecary jars of colorful candies, a bright orange striped table cloth and a big neon sign over the table that says “Ice Cream Sundae Bar”…

because that’s the way I wanted it to look~

The kids didn’t care, they just wanted to dig in!

Don’t forget to have fun at your own party!

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