Party help!

[MargeandHomer]

Hi,

My name is Hilary and I just joined this forum.I have been looking for a forum to discuss cooking.

Well my main question is for my birthday party.

I am going to be 25 this November and I am going to have a 1985 birthday party.

I have been researching food (and drinks) and things to serve at the party.But all I have seen so far is junk food.I am planning on serving a buffet.I want to find something distinctly 80's.Not just candy and junk food but real food.

Any and all help would be great!

 

[kadesma]

You want a buffet? Do you want all finger food? How about several salads About how many people.? Small sandwiches are nice, anti pasto platters can be done ahead covered and then set out as the party starts. Chips and dips. More details about things you love to eat will help us.
kadesma

 

[MargeandHomer]

I was gonna have a couple appetizers set up in the living room with cocktails and the buffet in the kitchen.I am looking for stuff I can keep in crock pots and a meat dish.I really wanna make a ham but i am not sure if thats a real 80's thing?I like casseroles and such.

I am guessing there will be at the most 12 people attending.

 

[roadfix]

I want to find something distinctly 80's.

As far as food from the mid-80's, I can't help you with that as it hasn't changed much for the most part.....except for their packaging. I can't name one food item that was distinctly popular back then. Music, movies, clothing, and hairstyles, yes.

Hall & Oats
The Mullet hair style
Boy George
The Breakfast Club

etc...

 

[kadesma]

Foods don't change that much, you could do an adult mac and cheese, and spiral cut ham but I think I'd jut get a boiled ham that would give you more surface to cut it. You don't want to be carving at the last minute. I'd do several chip and dips with drinks they were popular in the 80's or a tray of small sandwiches We use to buy unsliced bread cut through the long way into 3 sections butter then fill with cream cheese and bacon and olives with pimento chopped next layer tuna salad or chicken salad, deviled ham and green onion third layer cover the outside with more cream cheese and us some chopped parsley to color it up slice into thin slices on a platter surround with a curly lettuce or flowers dips can include the ever popular onion dip or salmon, dill, cream cheese with nice water crackers. I have other ideas if you are interested.
kadesma

 

[kadesma]

My sisters 80's dip we all love this and it can be made the day ahead and will taste wonderful
Take a defrosted 10oz pack of chopped spinach and with your hands squeeze as much waster as possible from it. Combine with 2 cups of sour cream 1 cup mayo 1 package leek dry soup mix.1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley 1/2 cup chopped green onions both green and white 1 Tab. fresh chopped dill or dry dill 1 tea. dry Italian salad dressing mix Combine in food processor til blended Refrigerate til ready to use, serve In bread bowl with bread removed from cent and some carrots,celery and other assorted veggies
enjoy
kadesma

 

[roadfix]

Pac-man shaped cookies.

 

[DaveSoMD]

Buffalo wings were just coming into the forefront
Tab was REALLY big

 

[roadfix]

"On" TV
Richard Simmons
The Vitamin Bible
Nautalis gym equipment

Did I mention Hall and Oats?

 

[MargeandHomer]

Foods don't change that much, you could do an adult mac and cheese, and spiral cut ham but I think I'd jut get a boiled ham that would give you more surface to cut it. You don't want to be carving at the last minute. I'd do several chip and dips with drinks they were popular in the 80's or a tray of small sandwiches We use to buy unsliced bread cut through the long way into 3 sections butter then fill with cream cheese and bacon and olives with pimento chopped next layer tuna salad or chicken salad, deviled ham and green onion third layer cover the outside with more cream cheese and us some chopped parsley to color it up slice into thin slices on a platter surround with a curly lettuce or flowers dips can include the ever popular onion dip or salmon, dill, cream cheese with nice water crackers. I have other ideas if you are interested.
kadesma

Yes,definately I am open for all ideas and tips.

 

[kadesma]

Let's go like this, I'll list some favorites you can look them over and let me know if you want something
Spiced melon balls, Parmesan Pesto dip, candied walnuts,Ham rolls on baguette,hot artichoke dip with tortilla chips of crackers, stuffed eggs,Aram sandwich.figs wrapped in prociutto drizzled with honeymozzarella with sun dried tomatoe bites on toothpicksTomatoa and basil bruscetta, marinated olives. A large platter of pasta with pesto served at room temp with scattered chopped sweet fresh tomatoes on top, this will go a long way is tasty and filling, serve with green salad and garlic bread snd oven fried chicken dont the day before with garlic,garlic white wine, butter
kadesma

 

[LPBeier]

Here's an interesting link. The article itself is mostly junk food, but if you read the comments you get some pretty good ideas What food's are uniquely 80's?

I certainly agree with some of the comments regarding quiche, tri-colour pasta salads, etc. I remember making a lot of these in the 80's!

 

[PrincessFiona60]

My favortie appetizer was a ham and horseradish concoction. Thin sliced deli ham, cream together cream cheese and horseradish to taste and spread thin layer over the ham slices. Stack and cut into 1" squares, apply toothpicks to each. An easy cracker dip was cottage cheese with Mrs. Dash mixed in, one of the first "dishes" made for Mrs. Dash. Little Smokies cooked in BBQ sauce on a toothpick. Nachos, as an appetizer were gaining ground then, too.

Six foot long sub sandwiches cut in 2" slices were popular,too and then there was the old pizza party.

I won't mention the gallons of Tequila Sunrises we consumed in the 80's or the Brownies we baked.

 

[Kathleen]

What a fun party idea!

Putting on my red shoes to dance the blues....I remember these things from my days as a Navy family member in the mid-80s:

Appetizers: FROZEN Daquiries with fruits. Then dips like chili con queso and avocado (guacamole), mini meatballs (in everything from BBQ to grape jelly in a CROCKPOT), cheeses like brie with almonds or pistachios pressed in it but not a cheese ball! (OMG, how very 70's!) You could marinade some veggies like tomatoes or mushrooms.

Soups: In the Navy, we were into chilled soups in the summer - especially chilled watercress or veggie soup...like gazpacho. (Consomme was out - too Nixon years-ish!) French onion soup worked or even a chunky soup like beef noodle - though popular, none of us made Italian wedding soup as it was Mrs. Admiral's go-to soup!

Main Dishes:
Putting on the Ritz: Try cooking with WINE! Beef with mushroom and wine, Chicken with mushroom and wine, Eggs on toast with sherry! Veal in Marsala or Port sauce was popular (social concerns for veal were gaining momentum though.) Sides should include rice pilaf, vegetable medleys, and salads with fruit vinegarette. FAN-CEE! Those skinny breadsticks! Very chic.

Feeding a Crowd:
We felt very cutting edge with our "Make your own kabob" party. Also, buffets (which were also popular in the 70s) were still fun, but I recall a lot of rice-based casseroles like a paella knock-offs which were tasty but NOT the real thing. Also veggie lasagnas were pretty new to us. Again, salads...and use the Dijon mustard dressing.

Friends and Family Dinners:
Quiche! It was new...fab...cool! And we put everything in them. Asparagus ...string beans...cheeses....onions...spam. Yes, we put SPAM in it and everyone wanted the recipe...then were horrified that it had spam...but made it...and then the circle played out again. Healthy food was also on the rise though healthy was questionable by today's standards. Grilled fish is something I still enjoy though not with all of the butter (margarine) that we dumped on it at the time.

Dessert: Tofutti with "Gourmet" cookies such as Famous Amos or Pepperidge Farm big chunks, cakes made with jello pudding or cool whip or even jello! I remember making a frosting out of a container of cool whip, a box of instant Jello pudding, and a can of crushed pineapple...and yanno, it was yummy! I divided layers of an orange cake...which was a mix...into four layers and slathered the frosting between the layers...and on the top...and decorated the top with orange segments and pineapple. It was such a hit.

Sometimes I wonder if some of those things were as good as I remember. I'm not sure whether this is what you wanted, but I had so much fun thinking about what we had back then. I think as long as your recipe contains jello pudding, cool whip, or Campbell's soup, you cannot go terribly wrong! Gee, I want a Jello Pudding Pop.

~Kathleen

 

[Kathleen]

Let's go like this, I'll list some favorites you can look them over and let me know if you want something
Spiced melon balls, Parmesan Pesto dip, candied walnuts,Ham rolls on baguette,hot artichoke dip with tortilla chips of crackers, stuffed eggs,Aram sandwich.figs wrapped in prociutto drizzled with honeymozzarella with sun dried tomatoe bites on toothpicksTomatoa and basil bruscetta, marinated olives. A large platter of pasta with pesto served at room temp with scattered chopped sweet fresh tomatoes on top, this will go a long way is tasty and filling, serve with green salad and garlic bread snd oven fried chicken dont the day before with garlic,garlic white wine, butter
kadesma

Kades - I loved melon balls. I still have my tuperware melon-baller.

~Kathleen

 

[LPBeier]

Wow, Kathleen you really are a "child" of the 80's! ... oops, flowers were from the 70's!

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I forgot about daquiris and kabobs, Fondue!!! We fondued everything!

 

[Kathleen]

Wow, Kathleen you really are a "child" of the 80's! ... oops, flowers were from the 70's!

The 60's so flowers work! Peace, love and fondue!!!!

I forgot about daquiris and kabobs, Fondue!!! We fondued everything!

I loved fondue! In the Navy, it was a popular relic from the early sixties and cheese fondue went well with pink ladies (a drink). (It went so very well with pink ladies....*sighs dreamily*) At home with the parents, we felt righteously decadent in the winter with angel food chunks dipped in chocolate fondue since we could not buy a strawberry that time of the year in the sixties. Fondue was still popular with us in the 80s and here is the recipe for Momma's best chocolate fondue recipe ever!

In a medium saucepan, stir 3/4 cup of dark or light corn syrup and 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove immediately from the heat and add 8 ounces of semi-sweet or German Baker's chocolate chips. Stir until chocolate completely melts. Serve with chunks of fruit, cheese cake, angel food cake, etc. It makes about 1 1/2 cups and don't double dip!

Thanks for the memories....now I want a pink lady to go with my pudding pop!

~Kathleen

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Thanks for the memories....now I want a pink lady to go with my pudding pop!

Knox Blocks...made with apple juice! Remember those?

 

[Kathleen]

Knox Blocks...made with apple juice! Remember those?

Knox blocks....YUM. I loved it with Welches Grape juice....now, in keeping with the thread, I suppose jello shooters....with a dab of Cool Whip.