Desperate Non-Housewife

[cjsmith]

How did I get myself into this?

In two and a half weeks I'm hosting anywhere from thirty to sixty people (RSVP percentage is still low). There will be a lot of "walk around and talk to people" going on as I do not own anywhere near that many chairs. The start time is advertised as 7pm. I have NOT specified pot luck, and it's a bit late to change my tune. There will be wine. That much I know how to do.

WHAT DO I FEED THESE PEOPLE?

I do not "cook". I can make a basic meal, but it ain't party food, and in general it will impress no one. Plus I'd like to be able to enjoy myself; last time I "cooked" for guests I spent all day and evening in the kitchen and merely heard rumors later that others had had a good time. So I'm looking for something requiring no or little or simple preparation, and something that can be fully prepared well ahead of time.

- They'll be mingling and carrying both food and drink. Finger foods?
- Some may arrive as early as 7. Something substantial?
- It'll go on all evening. Foods not requiring heat or chilling?
- There are a LOT of people. Foods I can distribute over several tables throughout the place?

Any ideas meeting these basic criteria are very welcome. :)

edit: Likely closer to 30 people. If all our maybes and nonresponders show, we get 40; if our nonresponders all bring guests, 50 tops.
edit2: The party was billed as an "informal gathering", holiday, no gifts.

Comments

[vito-excalibur.livejournal.com]

1) Relax. There were like 90 people at our last party. I was freaking out for a solid week beforehand. It went fine.

2) Trader Joe's is your friend! Hummus. Pita bread. Veggie platters. Chocolate-covered pretzels, in milk & dark. Dry roasted nuts. Crackers. Artisan bread. Fancy cheeses, all kinds. Fruit - things you don't have to peel, like grapes.

3) I'm not a big fan of those little frozen quiches & things, though. Well, I lie - I love them like crazy. But I don't think they work for big parties. They're relatively expensive, they come in small packages, & they don't fill you up.

4) Ditto for ice cream, also it's messy, you have to provide bowls, & you'll end up with huge amounts of leftovers because people won't remember to look in the freezer.

5) DON'T FORGET THE ICE. Fill a cooler with ice for drinks.

6) Don't worry about buying beer - get like 3 six-packs, & maybe a bottle of wine, but people will bring alcohol.

7) Do buy non-alcoholic drinks though. Get stuff you like, because there will probably be leftovers.

8) If it starts at 7, you better have a couple of rounds of solid food. Pigs in blankets have been a solid hit for me: you get little cocktail sausages, Pillsbury biscuits, wrap each sausage in half a biscuit, and bake according to the biscuit directions. Serve with barbecue sauce. Cheap and fast.

9) Bring the food out in shifts, don't put it out all at once.

10) Get paper plates & plastic utensils. This is not the time to love the Earth. ;) Also, lots of paper napkins.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

1) Relax. There were like 90 people at our last party. I was freaking out for a solid week beforehand. It went fine.

THANK YOU. I think I needed to hear something grounding like that right about now.

5) yeah, I woulda forgotten about ice if you and someone else hadn't mentioned it. Heh.

8) Pigs in blankets, hmm? Interesting. What ARE "cocktail sausages" and where does one find them?

And 10), amen. I'm with you on that. Besides, I can get throwaway plates and napkins MUCH prettier than what I normally eat on. :-)

[dawnd.livejournal.com]

Cocktail sausages are little tiny sausages. You can find them in the fridge or freezer section. The ones Akien favors are called "Lil Smokies."

Knowing they are not work associates, but flying buddies--yeah, you can relax a little more. Not as crucial that the tables be clean all the time. :^)

Plastic tablecloths are your friend. :^) Also, one good trick we've used is to get extra table cloths, position the table against the wall, and hang one of the table cloths toward the front, so it hangs to the floor. Then cover with the one on the table top. It provides a quick and easy cover for storage of extra food and drink, boxes, ice chests, etc.

Don't forget plastic or paper cups if you're not doing canned sodas. ;^)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'll look for those. (or else do that hot dog recipe. Cherry jam? Really??) I did buy the smallest crock pot I could get, though, so maybe that stuff will run out fast.

Flying buddies ARE work associates, of course.

Yes, I'd DEFINITELY been wanting to hide extra drinks and such under the tables!

[dawnd.livejournal.com]

Yes, cherry jam. Really. It makes a very tasty sorta sweet and sour sauce. I kid you not.

Flying buddies ARE work associates, of course.

Um, yeah. Of course. D'oh! Still, not quite the level I had been thinking of, since I still have a context of him with multimillion dollar deals.

Glad to read that it's closer to 30 than 60. That will make it much easier. And that it was already billed as "informal". That will help, too.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

All right, I'm trusting you on the cherry jam!

Oh, good point: these aren't venture capitalists or the like. Phew!