New Year’s Party: 3 Last Minute Party Food Ideas

1. Goat Cheese Grape Balls

Image via: The Kitchen Prep

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Fruit and cheese are one of the best combinations for party food and they are great with wines and champagne.

Ingredients:

Goat cheese

Seedless grapes (red or green)

Freshly chopped basil

Chopped walnuts or pecans

Mini skewers or toothpicks

To make them, just mix up the goat cheese and the basil. If you want to lighten up the goat cheese flavor, you can add some cream cheese or even Greek yoghurt into the goat cheese mix to that end. Take a small amount into your hands. Shape a round dish-like shape out of the mix and place a grape in the middle of it. Wrap the grape up with the cheese mix and roll it in the chopped nuts to cover. Put the balls into a refrigerator. When ready to serve, stick the skewer in it with care.

2. Mini Lobster Buns

Image via: Martha Stewart

This party food idea is a must-have for any New Year’s Party. They are easy to put together and just the yummiest thing!

Ingredients:

3 ½ cups cooked lobster meat cut into ½ inch pieces

½ cup mayonnaise

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp freshly chopped chives

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp seasoning for seafood

2 tbsp butter, salted

8 hot dog buns halved crosswise or mini buns

Parsley leafs for decoration

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, except for the butter. In a skillet, heat up the butter and toast the buns a couple at a time, until they are golden brown. Fill the bun with about ¼ lobster salad and top with parsley leafs if desired.

3. Caprese Salad Bites

Image via: Carmen’s Kitch

To round things up, serve some individual salad bites, like these Caprese salad bites. They will add freshness to your menu and are just perfect to accompany New Year’s Party drinks. You can choose between serving them in phyllo cups, skew the ingredients onto wooden skewers or toothpicks or even filling hollowed out cherry tomatoes with the rest of the ingredients.

Ingredients:

Cherry tomatoes

Mozzarella balls or cubes

Balsamic cream

Basil leafs

Ready to use phyllo cups or wooden skewers (optional)

To serve the caprese salad, you can choose one out of these three options:

The first one is to halve the tomatoes, chop the leaves into big pieces and add them along with the mozzarella pieces to the phyllo cups. Drizzle some balsamic cream over them and serve immediately.

The second option is to hollow out the cherry tomatoes, by cutting the top off and removing the seeds. Stuff them with mozzarella and basil pieces and drizzle balsamic vinegar over the top.

The last suggestion is to use a wooden skewer and spear onto it a cherry tomato, a piece of mozzarella and a basil leaf. Again drizzle some balsamic cream and they are ready to be enjoyed.

These easy to make but super tasty party foods will be the perfect companion for party drinks and champagne for your guests. Choose one or more of them and thing of some unique ways to serve using perhaps martini glasses or wooden plates to make a stunning impression with your New Year’s Party guests.

For more New Year’s Eve recipe ideas, click here.

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Embrace the Theme:

Falling full-tilt into a sports theme will help your friends get in the game day mood from the moment they walk in the door.  Head to the dollar store and pick up some decorations for the day. Invest in some hanging flag banners or an Astroturf-style tablecloth. If you have footballs, helmets or other paraphernalia, wash them off and repurpose them as a centerpiece. In the event that your team is playing, use their colors as a backdrop.

Go Buffet Style:

Since the majority of the day will be spent focusing on the TV, buffet-style is the perfect choice for your super bowl blowout. Stock the table with a variety of finger foods that people will be able to eat with and minimal concentration. Don’t forget to offer plenty of wet naps as well. In terms of menu, aim for All-American classics: wings, stromboli, chips and dip, etc.  Consider doing a potluck, as well, to maximize variety while keeping your workload manageable.

Encourage Friendly Competition:

Just because you and your guests can’t be at the game doesn’t mean that you have to be separated from the competition entirely. Keep everyone entertained by offing a few simple party games. Printable super bowl bingo sheets are widely available online or take bets on the game’s final score. Offer the winning guests small prizes and encourage a little friendly rivalry to keep things interesting.

Make these great Super Bowl Sugar Cookies recipe here on Stagetecture.

Create Two Party Areas:

While Super Bowl Sunday is undoubtedly about football, there are bound to be a few guests at your part who aren’t all that invested in the game. Cater to everyone’s interests by offering two distinct party areas: one where the game on TV is king and another where it is quiet enough to sit and chat. Just be sure to establish a flow between the two party zones, so that people can come and go as they please.

These tips are enough to get any gathering off to a good start. However, there must be other ways to put this year’s celebration of the top. If you have a great Super Bowl party tip to share, let Stagetecture know in the comments below.

Need more Super Bowl Party Ideas, click here.

Easy New Year’s Eve Buffet Setting Ideas

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Use Trolleys or Carts with Wheels

Trolleys or islands with wheels are great for buffet parties. They can be placed anywhere and they are easy to refill if needed. Also, they get out of the way real quick if you want to create more room for a fun game or dancing. There is a wide variety of trolleys for any home and the good thing that you can use them all year long. Having some kind of breaks can be a useful feature. You can find trolleys for any taste, from vintage or simple to modern and designer ones.

Make Themed Tables

If you have everything placed in one room, make themed tables and hang a cheerful banner above each one to announce what is on them. You can have different tables for cheese and fruits, for vegetables, dips and crackers, for appetizers, for party supplies, for other food and of course for the drinks and cocktails. Make sure everything is tagged nicely, so everyone knows what he can put on his plate. Making themed tables can help avoid creating crowds and lines and it can also help to keep an eye on where the most buzz is and what needs to be refilled.

Create a Dramatic Background

If you are going to place the buffet table against a wall, then you can create some great, glitzy background decoration. Balloons, bubbles, frames or clocks are all great ideas. Choose a color theme to make the most impact.

If the buffet table is placed in the middle of the room, hanging décor from the ceiling is a good way to go. Balloons, snowflakes, disco balls, even sparkling ornaments are perfect items to hang.

Take the Party to More than One Room

If you have the space, spread the party into different rooms, especially if you have many guests. This way you will encourage mixing and mingling and also avoid too much crowding. Choose to have one or two things in one room, for example, use the kitchen for appetizers, the dining room for deserts and the living room for drinks. Make sure to have a small number of the other foods or drinks in every room.

Use your Selves

If space is a problem, use your furniture in an unconventional way. Think about using your bookshelves, racks, cabinets, shelves or side tables for displaying foods and drinks. They can look great for the occasion if decorated appropriately.

Invite some great people over to your house to give the most cheerful welcome to the New Year. Prepare a sparkly buffet party for them and everyone will remember this year’s celebration.

For more New Year’s Eve ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Worried about hosting a last minute summer party? Well, it’s a normal feeling to experience such pressure. Hosting a party isn’t something that you can easily throw and have fun right away. There has to be a plan and a little preparation. But even with a short notice, you can definitely have a summer party that will be worth reminiscing in the future.

With so much expectations and so little time, everything has to work accordingly. There’s no room for error. This should be the mindset of every individual involved in the preparation. It takes wonderful ideas to achieve the desired output.

Image via: Living. MSN

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Speaking of ideas, here are some easy ideas for a last minute summer party that you can implement:

Have a breezy table setting

A wonderful table setting will definitely make an impression to your guest. It will give your venue the looks that will dictate the general mood of the party. Since it’s a summer party, you can show off a neutral color scheme of greenery on your table. Cut ferns and other leafy green in your garden as a table centerpiece. Pair it up with white linen for your tablecloth. It’s a wonderful combination for a summer theme party.

Image via: 100 Layer Cake

Serve summer-inspired dips and salads

There are quite a number of summer-inspired recipes that you can choose from. These should be a wonderful addition to your table. Summer dips like the chilled dip with blanched asparagus spears, baby zucchini, sliced cauliflower florets and sugar snap peas. You can also have the Shrimp Salad-Stuffed Endive recipe for appetizer.

Don’t forget the refreshments

There no better way to fight the summer heat than having chilling bottles of refreshments. Set up a wine table on the side and have the bottles dip in an icy cool container. Pile up wine glasses and have them ready for serving.

Image via: Bedroom Design Tips

With these easy and wonderful ideas, you can be confident that your summer party will be a success even in a short notice.

For more summer ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

]]> https://stagetecture.com/easy-ideas-for-a-last-minute-summer-party/feed/ 1 51060 https://stagetecture.com/easy-easter-crafts-to-bring-smiles-to-the-holiday-table/ https://stagetecture.com/easy-easter-crafts-to-bring-smiles-to-the-holiday-table/#respond Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:43:16 +0000 https://stagetecture.com/?p=24462 Entry #1042, March 26, 2012

Easter is only two weeks away and everyone is on the ‘hunt’ for fun Easter activities and crafts. Today, I pulled out one of my Martha Stewart favs from the archives. From the chocolate bunny to the weighted egg tablecloth holders, this post is a good one to share again!

Image via: Living at Home

Original Entry #472, April 8, 2011

The countdown is on to Easter and making crafts to brighten your spring home can be fun and get the kids and you in the holiday spirit! From ideas for your table to playful ways to entertain outdoors (like egg weights to keep the table cloth down!)

Martha Stewart Living always has great ideas to inspire and be creative. Take a look at a few of my favorites. For more Easter craft ideas visit the site and get ready for a flood load of Easter inspiration.

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Clover Basket

This fanciful green-meadow vignette seems a fitting home for a chocolate bunny. His eyes (dabs of tinted royal icing) and bow-tie (ribbon with a glued-on rosette) match his surroundings. Click here for the How-To instructions.

Decorated Egg Weight

Use a plastic egg filled with jelly beans to anchors your tablecloth; gingham ribbon is secured around the egg with hot glue and threaded through a hole that has been punched in the oilcloth.

Easter Bunny Garland

To bring some festive cheer to your dessert table, march the rabbits across a garland, sit them atop cupcakes, or use them to offer sneak peeks into gift bags.

Garland: Download and print the rabbit template. Trace onto vellum; cut out shape. Punch 2 holes in head; thread with yarn. Repeat as desired.

Metallic Polka-Dotted Eggs

There are whimsically polka-dotted and beribboned silver blown-out eggs, filigreed sterling silver “baskets,” and, of course, dapper chocolate bunnies — here, white chocolate, tied with ribbons to match the dots.

For more Easter ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

 

Easter & Spring Decor are beautiful in any room of your home.

For Stagetecture Easter ideas – visit our past posts! From iphone apps by Martha Stewart, to decorating with perfect centerpieces from Southern Living.

Click here for inspiration => Easter ideas

Image courtesy of Martha Stewart Living

For more Easter ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

The countdown is on to Easter and making crafts to brighten your spring home can be fun and get the kids and you in the holiday spirit! From ideas for your table to playful ways to entertain outdoors (like egg weights to keep the table cloth down!)

Martha Stewart Living always has great ideas to inspire and be creative. Take a look at a few of my favorites. For more Easter craft ideas visit the site and get ready for a flood load of Easter inspiration.

Clover Basket

This fanciful green-meadow vignette seems a fitting home for a chocolate bunny. His eyes (dabs of tinted royal icing) and bow-tie (ribbon with a glued-on rosette) match his surroundings. Click here for the How-To instructions.

Decorated Egg Weight

Use a plastic egg filled with jelly beans to anchors your tablecloth; gingham ribbon is secured around the egg with hot glue and threaded through a hole that has been punched in the oilcloth.

Easter Bunny Garland

To bring some festive cheer to your dessert table, march the rabbits across a garland, sit them atop cupcakes, or use them to offer sneak peeks into gift bags.

Garland: Download and print the rabbit template. Trace onto vellum; cut out shape. Punch 2 holes in head; thread with yarn. Repeat as desired.

Metallic Polka-Dotted Eggs

There are whimsically polka-dotted and beribboned silver blown-out eggs, filigreed sterling silver “baskets,” and, of course, dapper chocolate bunnies — here, white chocolate, tied with ribbons to match the dots.

For more Easter ideas on Stagetecture, click here.