Thoughts for the re-mojo-ing party

TarHeels&Rebels

Date.  I checked the community calendar and there's nothing going on locally July 9th or 16th.  Have any thoughts on either of those dates?  (A month ago, I almost set a party for today bc I completely forgot it was father's day and everyone's doing family things.)

Guests.  Maybe 12 or so.  I know of 6 people who are "safety guests" so I won't have an empty house. 

Decor.  Sunflowers in cobalt vases with vintage blue & white linens.  I've always used dishes when I have people over, but MIL has a million of these for paper plates and I think they'd be fun with the casual summer feel (and way easier on me).

Apps

Sweet n salty honey-cheese spread

Veggies and dip (people go crazy for that packet)

Sides

Blue cheese and bacon potato salad

Ina's corn salad

Watermelon

Main

Grilled chicken (I'll do tenders, not full pieces)

Brats

Dessert

Options (choose): Triple berry pie, apple pie, pound cake with X, white chocolate key lime pie

Drinks

All the usual suspects

Carolina peach sangria

 

Questions

1. How do yall fix your brats?  I just cut them into bites and eat with mustard.  What do I need to please normal people? :P  Fancy buns?  Toppings?

2. What do you think of cooking the chicken in advance and serving it cold?  It will, of course, be 100* here, and DH is OOT, so somebody'd have to sweat it out on the grill while everyone else is inside.  I could cook it the night before.  Buuut what do I do about the brats then?

3. Which dessert?  I'm quite a baker and all those would be homemade.  People go into rapture over the berry and apple pies.  All would be with vanilla ice cream - guests love this variety.  Do I need a little something chocolate?  (Could I just put out a bowl of Kisses?  Aiming for easy here.) 

FormerCityGirl

TarHeels&Rebels:

Questions

1. How do yall fix your brats?  I just cut them into bites and eat with mustard.  What do I need to please normal people? :P  Fancy buns?  Toppings?

We boil them with a half a bottle to a bottle of beer, serve with some kind of bun or nice bread to wrap the in (like a swirled rye), and we usually have a variety of mustards too.  FTR, I eat mine the same way you do.  Guess I'm not normal either! 

2. What do you think of cooking the chicken in advance and serving it cold?  It will, of course, be 100* here, and DH is OOT, so somebody'd have to sweat it out on the grill while everyone else is inside.  I could cook it the night before.  Buuut what do I do about the brats then?

If you boil the brats to cook them most of the way, they only need to be browned and warmed on the grill.  If you do the chicken cold, I might add or sub a green salad that people could put the cold chicken tenders over for a lighter option.  You could also do a vinaigrette dressing in advance or buy something nice.

3. Which dessert?  I'm quite a baker and all those would be homemade.  People go into rapture over the berry and apple pies.  All would be with vanilla ice cream - guests love this variety.  Do I need a little something chocolate?  (Could I just put out a bowl of Kisses?  Aiming for easy here.) 

I like the white chocolate key lime pie idea, but would probably do the berry pie, apple pie, or even pound cake to be on the safe side for the guests since key lime can be an acquired taste.  You could just do kisses for chocolate or you could try this super easy flourless chocolate cake recipe.  It's all done in a blender or food processor and then it just gets poured into the pan and baked.  My friends think I slave for hours on this one!

6fsn

I think the 16th would be better so it's not as close to the 4th.  The menu sounds fantastic!

1. If they are uncooked , poke and boil in beer.  You can do this the day before too.  Toss on the grill to get the good flavor.  Serve with buns, good mustard, and saurkraut.

2. I don't like the idea of cold chicken for dinner.  I like the recipe, but colld just says more lunch.  So I'd either suck it up and grill, or find something to bake.  It's already a pretty short grill time, but something to think about...Chicken sausages.  Johnsonville has some really awesome apple chicken bratwurst.  

3. Berry pie with vanilla sounds perfect.  I'm one who likes to do a bit of chocolate with every dessert and I fully believe a bowl of kisses is just fine.

wejustwant2:)

Hi!  Everything looks beautiful - esp. the Blue and White themed table with the baskets and sunflowers...  (forgive my crazy typing BTW please am tired and "punchy").

Re: the Brats agree with previous post - could also add carmelized onions and sauteed peppers with red sauce for "Italian Style" Sausage and Peppers - if you like.

Re: Dessert  - The White Chocolate Key Lime Pie looks fantastic - have just saved it to my recipe folder with the Sweet and Salty Honey Cheese Spread.  Could maybe do frozen thin mint girl scout cookies or something like that to supplement if it will be 100*.

Have fun!  You def' have your "mo-jo" back.

 

TarHeels&Rebels

Does boiling in beer make the house smell?  I'm having this niggling memory of boiling something in something and the house smelling for days, but I don't remember what.

Oh, frozen thin mints, great idea!  Dollar General or Family Dollar has a dead-ringer knock-off that's just $1 a box and would look great on a plate.

Wine Enthusiast

A client recommended a brat recipe to me last year for the 4th so I took his advice and got SO MANY compliments- they were literally the talk of the night until H's accident happened.  These must be done the night before.

Use disposable pan, place brats in after poking holes with fork.  Spread diced onion and minced garlic over top, then pour a strong beer over so it comes about half way up the brat.  (I used red stripe).  Cover tightly with foil and cook in oven at 275 for 3-4 hours.  Take out of oven and leave foil on, allow pan to cool enough to place in fridge and refridgerate overnight.  Do NOT drain beer.  Next day pull brats out and grill or broil like 5 min. 

Everything you're planning sounds fab!

6fsn

Wine's recipe sounds goooooooood.  After I realized you poke holes in the brats, not the pan.

wweaver0

I agree that the 16th would be better because it's not so close to the 4th.

I have no help on the brats, but Wine's recipe does sound really good.

Maybe you could cook the chicken and just reheat it in the oven?  I'm not sure about that.

The key lime pie, definitely.  Looks awesome! 

I love reading about your parties--I'm sure your mojo will come back soon

LisaMinFL

Brats- boil in a dark beer w an onion (doesnt smell). Grill before hand and throw in a crockpot on warm. Done! Serve w martin's potato rolls. Diced onion/ relish/mustard/ketchup/ sour kraut as toppings. Maybe make the chicken chicken salad if u want to serve it cold. Some thing w fruit, maybe grapes? I agree about the 16th. Dessert- can you make mini single serving pies in a variety of flavors? Use a biscuit cutter size, press in cupcake pan, fill, decorate tops ( lattice or stars or something of the sort)