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Housewarming Party Menu
Hi ladies,
We're having an open house to show off our new digs on Sunday, October 9. The invite has it from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. (so def. not meal time at all) and says "open house style" and "light refreshments will be served." I tried to make it as clear as possible that there wouldn't be a meal and that it was supposed to be stop by/say hi more than anything else.
I'm trying to come up with a menu, but I do have a bit of a sticking point. I'm pescatarian; my husband is lacto-ovo vegetarian. My husband is very, very, very, very against serving meat in our home, especially cooked meat which causes the place to smell.
So, with this in mind, I want to make sure that our veg-only spread of "light refreshments" still has enough variety to please many guests. Here's what I was thinking:
Appetizers:
Veggie tray with dip (ranch)
Spinach dip
Hummus trio
Crackers
Pita Chips
Fruit tray
Skewers (Italian - Marinated Tortellini + Olives and Mushrooms)
Olive & Pickles tray (or Relish tray, I guess some people call it)
Chex Mix
Desserts:
Small dishes of candy (probably M&Ms)
Chocolate chip cookies
Peanut butter cookies
Drinks:
Water
Lemonade
Iced Tea
Coffee (Keurig pods - lots of choices)
Favors:
House + Heart shaped sugar cookies in cellophane bags with decorative "thank you" tags
Does that seem like enough? We sent invites to friends/family all over the country because it was also our "We've Moved; Here's Our New Address" card, but we're not expecting out-of-towners. We are thinking our total will probably be between 50-80 guests (80 would be the total if every single "in town" person, which is basically a three mile radius, showed up. That number is including kids ages 1-7).
Any substitutions, eliminations, or additions (remember, vegetarian only!) would be very helpful. Thanks!
Re: Housewarming Party Menu
I'm afraid I'm not familiar with lacto-ovo vegetarians, but if your husband would be ok with it being present, I think cheese would be a welcome addition to your menu.
I don't think you need favors for an open house at all, unless you're just dying to. They're not expected in any way for this type of event.
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It's a lot of dips. I'd probably get rid of at least one dip. Since you are pescatarian would you consider some sort of shrimp/crab spread or smoked salmon? Deviled eggs might also be a nice option or just some chunks of cheese?
Also, if you have a real coffee pot or can borrow one I would. I'd bet there are a lot of people that don't know how to use a keurig (I'm one). You know your crowd, but we'd also want some beer and wine.
A cheese plate/tray is a great idea. I'm also adding bowls of mixed nuts to the list.
Unfortunately, most of my family hates fish (weirdos), so a shrimp or crab dip would probably go untouched.
I would add something like a veggie/cheese pinwheels platter. I agree with pp that you have too much "dipping" stuff and I think you need something more substantial people can add to a plate. You could also do mini cucumber sandwiches. You spread cream cheese on a mini piece of rye bread and just add a sliced cucumber on top.
I also think these spinach roll ups would be a good finger food.
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/make-ahead-spinach-phyllo-roll-ups-62581.aspx
I feel like you are missing some protein - even if it is tofu (but I am not familiar with your preferences, so maybe this is also out of the question?)
I wondered about the keurig. We're having a housewarmign the first week of November and I thought about having people get coffee from our tassimo coffee maker but then I kept thinking there would be a line for coffe or some people are not familiar and wondered if I should get a carafe.
Glad I read this post.
For poster I agree maybe loose a dip and put in cheese.
I'm also a vegetarian and we never prepare/serve meat in our house. Food at our parties includes things like pasta salad (hot or cold), empanadas, a caserole like Tuscan pie, "meatball" sliders, anything really.
Although you've made it clear that a meal won't be served doesn't mean you can't serve something that would normally constitute a meal, kwim? If you have an entree type thing available with your other items, and it's a walk-around/meet-and-greet kind of event, people will take smaller than entree sized portions (at least, in my experience).
This. I was going to suggest adding some nuts since I'm not familiar with your preferences, but someone suggested deviled eggs also and either would be a great option.