Party Post-Mortem

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Claire

Master Chef
Joined
Sep 4, 2004
Messages
7,967
Location
Galena, IL
I asked earlier who was planning what for a party this season (now I cannot even find the question!!). Now I'm asking everyone what you did or did not do, what worked and what was a waste, and what was a disaster.

Last night I had about 30 people over.

I throw basically the same party every year (for those who didn't read my first post), a tree trimming party where everyone brings something for charity. Sometimes it's a cozy group of a half dozen, sometimes it's 50 (depends on where I live and how long I've lived there). I'm amazed at how what people eat and drink can change from year to year, even if it is the same people.

This year, what worked: Hubby's great egg nog, a gallon and a half made with really good Bacardi and nutmeg grated on the spot. We live in dairy country, and people love their milk around here. Cheese, crackers, Cincinatti chili

What didn't go: anything seafood. Shrimp cocktail, salmon, and caviar sat there

Could have been a disaster: Husband warned the parents of a 2-year old boy that our little dogs are old and grumpy. Dog did not bite him, but did snap after being messed with a bit. Thank heaven parents mildly said, "we told you no, now you know to leave the dog alone."

All in all, the party was a huge success. My tree is 3/4 trimmed, my neighbors all love me and me them. The only people who didn't come are very sick. Some who weren't going to come because of holiday depression came and left with a smile and full tummy. I have enough food to bring to the bank to feed a family of four for a week or so. All's well.

Tell me about your holiday party successes and failures!
 
Glad the party went well. You will usually have some sort of problem when ya get that many people together. I found that seafgood does not go very well at partys. I stay away from it. Seems people would rather have Spam on a cracker. :LOL: Cheeseballs go fast in my house.
 
Sounds like a good party!

What works and always gets gone first -

  • pineapple cheeseball
    smoked salmon with a cream cheese, caper, red onion spread on toast points or a baguette
    bruschetta (tomatoes, basil, garlic, s & P, touch of evoo and balsamic) spread a little goat cheese on baguette first then top with the tomato mixture
    shrimp cocktail
    small cheese tray with horseradish cheddar, a nice cave-riped gorgonzola drizzled with honey, Emmentaler
    small fruit tray with grapes, oranges, pineapple spears
    Brie with brown sugar and walnuts
    artichoke, hearts of palm, spinach dip

What doesn't work -

Loud drunk people! :roll:
 
HMMM!

Manhattan clam chowder...

Smoked oysters,
smoked octopus,
SMOKED TURKEY
72 kinds of cheeses
a wide variety of raw veggies with dips
crackers
headcheese
liver/pepper pate
BBQ kielbasa
Sliced Genoa salami, shaved ham, garlic beef, montreal smoked meat, BBQ chicken shavings, finely sliced pork tenderloin pieces, preferably BBQ'd...
The hottest mustard this side of "heck", and the sauciest mayo...
sardines with red onion slivers
crab salad
steamed shrimp with sauce
fresh pineapple wedges
strawberry slices with either cream cheese or devon cream dip
decaff coffee with creamer
Moose Milk and/or Airforce Punch
Shirley Temple cocktails for 'Elf
Bunsmaster's fresh crusty dinner rolls
Becel for us Canucks, and Wisconsin butter for the Yankees and/or Johnnie Rebs...
An assortment of pickles

Can you tell that you shouldn't "get me started" on things like this?

Lifter

(you might like or dislike me or mine, ours may not be the ,ost salubrious house you visit in the season, but you will surely eat well!)
 
If you invited me, you wouldn't have any shrimp, salmon, or caviar left. :LOL:
 
You are always invited, all of you (and yes, this includes some of you who might actually show up, given your locations!). I profited by a case of wine and tons of cheese and crackers (I told you that everyone who lives around here loves dairy). threw away salmon and caviar, and am thinking about what to do with the shrimp. A pasta dish maybe. What upsets me is that our local grocery store has live clams right now, and I love linguini with clam sauce. WE can only get the clams once a year, and it is always when I have six tons of food. So who knows?

Don't forget to tell me about your party successes and failures!
 
Claire said:
You are always invited, all of you (and yes, this includes some of you who might actually show up, given your locations!). I profited by a case of wine and tons of cheese and crackers
Hey Claire! I live 10 minutes north of the Illinois border in the land of cheese and beer. Whats for dinner tomorrow night? I love pizza (I can bring the beer). I can be at your house about 6:00. See you soon :LOL:
 
Can't recall too many "failures" its just who you invite, and how you host, to get the mixing going...

Our last "big" one was back home on the prairies, many years ago, about 75-100 attendees...

We pasted "names" on Avery labels on their backs as they came in...these "names" ranged from "Tom Thumb" (my 6'-5" 325 lb boss), to Lady Godiva, to Pierre Trudeau, Bugs Bunny, Winston Churchill, Queen Elizabeth II, well, you get the idea! Ficticiouis or factual identities that are recognizable...

Your "job", as a "guest" is to identify your "hidden identity"...you can only ask ONE question of any other person, and that question must be able to be answered "yes" or "no"...so you pretty much have to seek out and speak with every other person present, or traipse about with a joke stuck on your back...

Good food for snacking, and keeping the sobriety levels up..."punches" that are "virgin" for the drivers in the group...and some "games" at or of an "adult" level...check out the "Mensa Club"...as it interacts pretty good by this point...

A pretty good time for all, including the guest that came dressed as Santa!

Lifter
 
What a laugh! We'd love it. What can you do with tons of cheese and wine (i profited by a case or so)? Just asked hubby, and he thought it would be a blast. where in WI are you? As you know, we can spit and hit Wisconsin, and the very best cheese in the US is made around here. give us a 'heads up' and we'll do it!!!
 
Claire said:
What a laugh! We'd love it. What can you do with tons of cheese and wine (i profited by a case or so)? Just asked hubby, and he thought it would be a blast. where in WI are you? As you know, we can spit and hit Wisconsin, and the very best cheese in the US is made around here. give us a 'heads up' and we'll do it!!!
I can bring some of the best cheese in the world, and some of the cheapest beer from Wisconsin lol! That would be a blast Claire. I just sent you a pm.
 
Some of my best friends are Canadians .... like half my relatives were at one time. Whenever someone jokes about wetbacks and other illegal immigrants, my husband starts laughing. What is so funny? "Claire's family are a bunch of frost backs -- illegal Quebcoise from a generation ago." Beer, Canadian whiskey, and cheese are mother's milk. Come to thing of it, Pepere was a cheesemaker before he came to this country.
 
I took the box from a case of wine, wrapped it in holiday style, and could have filled it 3 or 4 times. I'd say we've fed a family of 4 for over a week.

It's a lovely tradition that I'd forgotten for a half-dozen years. Many people over the years have come by even when they couldn't come to the party, just to drop off food. I don't give much money to charity for a myriad of reasons, so I try to buy extra food and give it. This party just resurects my knowledge of how good people are. It is very local (wherever I've lived, be it food in Honolulu, DC, Daytona or here) and you know that no one can cheat, or get rich, which is what happens with money. There simply isn't much you can do with a can of beans, bag of rice, or case of Enfamil besides consume it. Especially in a town this small.

Most everyone brought food for us to eat as well. Whose platter is that, anyway?
 
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