Article by Caren Grant

We all love parties being either the host or the guest. Everybody enjoys parties. If you are having a party to celebrate a special occasion then you have preplanned it. However, if you want to throw a party just for enjoyment you can arrange for a theme party. Theme parties are fun. You first choose a theme. I can give you some idea on this, like winter wonderland party, luau party, jungle, nautical, Hollywood, Christmas to name a few.

With help from culinary blog, you can select the menus and the recipes. If you are choosing winter wonderland theme on Christmas, decorate your house with artificial snowflakes, snow covered Christmas trees and the menu as follows:1) Wassail2) Finger Sandwiches3) Fruit-n-Cheese Trays4) White chocolate fondue and cupcakes topped with white icing and flaked coconut5) Stack mini popcorn balls like snowballs for a fun, seasonal party snack.6) White Chocolate Truffle and Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake7) Hot chocolate with whipped cream and a peppermint stick.

Do not forget to greet your guests with hot chocolate and champagne.

If you want a theme for your kid

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Funniest Halloween party games – Do you think it’s a little early to be making plans for Halloween night? If so think again if you plan on throwing a Halloween party for children. No matter what the occasion is you’re about to celebrate, and especially if it includes kids then it’s never too early. Making preparations well in advance is the best policy if your party is to be a success. You can bet a bottom dollar that even the best planned out Halloween party can experience some last minute hiccup. Getting things in order for your kiddies Halloween party sooner than later will lessen the list of upsets that could rise than that of the list if you hadn’t planned early.

The vast majority of parties that turn out to be a flop are usually the result of bad management. When organizing a social event there are more things to consider than just supplying food and music. They say it’s easy to amuse children, I don’t doubt this for a minute, however my penny worth says, as long as you amuse them with what they want to be amused over then yes it’s easy. When you have a gathering of kids it’s imperative the Halloween party games will suit all age groups so no one misses out on the fun. Although the games are important, so is the food you serve up. Some kids might have special needs and have to follow a special diet. Speak to all mom and dad’s beforehand about things their children might not like, or not allowed to eat, or allergic to like (nuts etc.) We will look at the yummies you can lay on as spread after we have sorted out your Halloween entertainment.

Funniest Halloween party games need to be just that “funny” if the kids are to enjoy themselves. How do you know what games to play that will excite the kids? That’s it you don’t. The solution is to have various games to choose from and find out this way. It beats holding your breath and keeping your fingers crossed that the 1 game you had in store for them will go down well. With choice then you’re sure to please.

Remember, a bored child can run a mock and cause serious chaos…and depending on the child it is damage you could be looking to prevent a mischievous imp from causing. If you play some of the funniest Halloween party games it will distract them from any intended destruction.

All the games you have planned for the party will have a winner, and what to winners get, yes they get a prize. If you’re counting the pennies after splashing out on other party items for your Halloween night celebrations then buy, or better still make a large slab of treacle or cinder toffee and break into pieces which you need to bag and award to the winners. Or you could make toffee apples to present to those who triumph…

Some funniest Halloween party games that the kids will love.

Halloween party game 1

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Halloween Who Am I?

When each kid arrives at the party, stick a name tag on their back with the name of something related to Halloween night written on it like (witch cats pumpkin etc.) Each child must guess what it says. This is done by asking other guests ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions about what the paper says. If a correct answer is given, they win a prize.

Halloween party game 2

Pumpkin Bowling Ghosts

Items needed: 3 small pumpkins, 30 empty 2 liter clear plastic pop bottles, 1 tin white spray paint, permanent black marker and a bag of gravel or pebbles.

Spray paint the pop bottles white. Allow the paint to dry and draw a ghost face on each bottle and add some sand or pebbles to weight each bottle down. Separate the kids into teams… line them up and let them take turns at bowling over the Ghosts! The small pumpkins are the bowling balls.

Halloween party game 3

Spooky Walk Items needed: Cut out pictures, craft supplies, music

The spooky walk is similar to musical chairs but not as aggressive (pushing and shoving) Cut out pumpkins, witches, ghosts, broomsticks, scarecrows, cauldrons and ghouls, and other Halloween features and symbols you can think of.. You’ll need 1 item per child participating. Place the cut outs in a circle on the floor. You’ll need some haunting spooky music to play. Have your children walk around in a circle stepping or standing beside or on the picture cut outs while the spooky music is playing, and then at random intervals stop the music and everyone freezes by the item next to them. Then from a hat pick out the name of one of the cut outs that match those on the floor. On every round a picture is removed and the child with no spooky picture to stand by when the music stops will have to sit out the rest of the game. Carry on with until there is only one child left who will be the winner.

Halloween party game 4

Candy Corn Catch

Items needed: Candy corn, plastic pumpkins and string.

Divide the children into groups of 3 teams, 3-4 per team depending on how many kids are at the party. The Candy Corn Catch game will have the players toss candy corns from about 7 to 10 feet away into a pumpkin that will be tied around a team member’s waist. Each player will have the same amount of candy corn. The child wearing the pumpkin can move around to try to catch the candy corn as it is thrown. Once everyone has thrown the candy corn, take the pumpkin and count how many went in so a winner can be picked. This is determined on how many candy corns are in the pumpkin. Pick up any corn that missed the target from the floor to avoid accidents.

When playing games safety is major concern. Some kids are prone to accidents so have a first aid kit close to hand to fix up scrapes and grazes (plasters, bandages, and antiseptic cream.) Have an emergency contact number you can call in case something more serious happens.

Halloween party game 5

The Tragic Witch, Halloween Story Game

Items needed: cooked spaghetti or cooked cauliflower, peeled tomato, peeled grapes, popcorn kernels, baby carrots, spam, pen and paper, bags or basins

To play the game you need to be in a darkened room (not pitch black.)Dim the lights or use candles, think about safety when using candles. Before telling the story about the Tragic Witch who apparently died in an accident…explain to the kids they are to be the investigators. The children will have to identify the remains found at the scene of the accident. In a bag you will have the items mentioned above. The bag will be passed around and the kids without them peeking inside where they will be asked to guess the parts of the witch’s body inside the bag, and write them down.

Witches brain (cooked spaghetti or cooked cauliflower)

Heart (peeled tomato)

Eyes (peeled grapes)

Teeth (un-popped popcorn)

Fingers (baby carrots)

Liver (slice Spam in eerie shapes) the child with the most correct answers wins. You can make the story as gross as you like, however be careful you don’t scare the kids.

Ghoul Food Recipes

Eyeball Eggs

Ingredients:

Hard boiled eggs

Cream cheese

Stuffed olives

Tomato sauce

Remove yolks from halved eggs and mash with cream cheese. Refill the white gap with the mashed mixture and add an olive (eye ball). Dip a cocktail stick in the tomato ketchup and draw squiggly lines on the whites to make them look blood shot.

Witchy Ice Cream

Ingredients:

Mint ice cream (green)

Ice cream cones

Smarties

Strawberry laces.

Scoop a ball of ice cream onto a plate and put strawberry laces on top for hair, use the wafer cone for a hat, and the smarties for eyes & nose and a lace string for the mouth.

Witches Hats

Ingredients:

375g unsweetened cooking chocolate

1 handful marshmallows

15g butter

450g rice crispies

Melt 25g of the chocolate in a basin over a pot of hot water. Add marshmallows and stir until melted then add butter. Add rice crispies to the chocolate and marshmallows and stir to coat evenly. Allow to cool and shape into eight cones shapes. Flatten the large end to make a wide brim. Allow to cool and stiffen. Melt the rest of the chocolate. Dip the cones into the chocolate. Place on tinfoil to cool and harden.

Goodie bags should contain better goodies like a mini toothbrush and tube of tooth paste to clean their teeth after their slap up meal of devilish yummies.

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Children’s Birthday Parties

Children grow up so quickly these days, so it is important to enjoy the youthfulness while they are young.  A birthday party may seem like another job for some parents; however they can mean the world to kids.  Birthday invitations, presents, getting another year older and why not help them celebrate!  I see on TV that some parties are ¼ million dollars with full catering, DJs, decorators…but who are we kidding.  Children don’t understand the value of money fully, they just want to have their friends with them and have a great time, with yummy birthday cake and treats.

Where to have your party?

This will depend on the age of your child and where you live.  Make the most of what you have and work with it.  If you have a great local park with plenty of space, a BBQ in the park with games may be the best place.  As children grow older, the local indoor skate rink or bowling club may be perfect as it is interactive for children and less taxing for the parents.

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What food to serve?

If you are having a birthday party at a venue, do ask if you can bring nibbles and food to celebrate as they may require this to be bought in-house.  Catering is a great way to involve the children, especially decorating cup cakes.  Don’t feel that everything has to be perfect, simply provide plain cupcakes, icing and little decorations and lollies they can decorate themselves.  Children love to be involved and eat what they have made.

Depending on the age of your child, select food to serve that is a treat.  Fruit is a great way to start, and will give them energy.  Junk food can be great; however can be expensive or difficult to heat if you are in the local park.

If you children are turning 18, you may like to hire a professional catering company to serve Finger Foods or a buffet, as alcohol may be consumed.  Finger Foods are great for teenage birthday parties, as you can guarantee that everyone will eat something during the event.

Finger Foods can be placed on tables for guests to help themselves, or hot foods walked around for guests to enjoy.  Consider your catering options and work within your budget and time schedule.

Enjoy your children’s birthday parties, they grow up so quickly! 

Party Tip: Have plenty of bins scattered around so children can put their rubbish in, it will save time and mess. 

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Great Birthday Themes and Catering Ideas                           

As we get older, we become a little more relaxed about having birthday parties and styling a theme to become a real party.  Generally most of us are a little more financially secure than when we had our 18th or 21st.

Today we receive many enquiries for 40th 50th and 60th Birthday Parties.  These are great parties that on occasions work to a theme and have suppliers to suit the evening.  Cabaret Night, Movie Star Night is very popular, with guests generally having clothing and costumes in their wardrobe to suit.

The evening can be welcomed with guests arriving at a particular time.  This works perfectly if you have a gate or partition that guests will have to wait if they are early.  Building the atmosphere is wonderful in this regard, and really gives guests a chance to talk and get excited about the night ahead.

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Providing a drinks table on arrival, with staff to serve is a great way to start a party.  The best cabaret party we have been too had staff dressed in theme, which really was a great talking point.  It allowed guests to loosen into the party and have a few laughs.

When catering to an older crowd, it can be a lot of fun when selecting a menu and caterer to suit.  As guests will appreciate the food supplied, it is up to you to choose the style, quantity and budget to suit.  Mix the service up with Thai Chicken Curry, Stir-fry’s, Beef Stroganoff or simply anti-pesto and fruit platters to suit everyone.

A flamboyant menu does not need to cost a fortune, and if guests are staying late into the night it may be a great idea to offer mid-night munchies to guests.

While having catering provided, with service for 2 hours…do keep in mind that guests will become hungry again later in the night.  Easy to make food that is filling is great to serve once guests have had an intake of alcohol. 

Enjoy your Birthday Party, and don’t be shy to have it your way! 

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The weather outside may be frightful but your winter wedding is sure to be delightful! One of the best ways to incorporate the snowy season in your wedding is through your menu. Some of the best Salt Lake City catering companies share their unique and tasty wedding catering ideas that are perfect for the season.

Soup Shots – Not only are scrumptious soup shots a great way to warm up chilly guests, they give everyone the opportunity to sample each flavor. A few winter favorites include butternut squash with cinnamon croutons, lobster bisque, French onion, or the perennial favorite, tomato with basil.

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Drinks to Warm the Soul – Give your guests a special treat in the farm of toasty beverages, both alcoholic and non-. For the adults, consider serving spiced wine or your version of the hot toddy (often mixed with bourbon). For the kids and those who prefer something non-alcoholic, hot chocolate with whipped cream and apple cider with cinnamon sticks make perfect seasonal favorites.

Winter Entrees – Consider serving warm, winter entrees with a twist. Instead of the old chicken standby, try serving roast beef, lamb, or even Cornish hen. Other great options include seafood like lemon ginger salmon or seared scallops with pineapple.

Enticing Side Dishes – Think comfort foods when it comes to your side dishes. Consider gourmet macaroni and cheese, homemade baked beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, or creamy au gratin potatoes.

Delectable Desserts – The perfect winter desserts are rich and sinful. Velvety cakes, fruit pies, warm cookies, and of course chocolate (e.g. a chocolate fountain with endless choices to dip) all make ideal desserts. Try to stay away from ice cream and sorbet, as they are more suited for a spring or summer wedding.

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Hosting a big event can be overwhelming and a challenging task for even the most organised person. The main thing you need to do to make things easier on yourself is to get organised. You need a list of the people you’re inviting to the event so that you can get a head count. The next thing is to decide on the style of event and the food that you will be serving. This is dependent on the type of event. If it’s a wedding, you might want a served meal but if you are having a birthday or anniversary you might choose a more informal option such as a barbecue.

No matter what the event is, you going to need the proper decorations, serving utensils, dinnerware, drink glasses and other decor such as napkins, candelabras, and flowers and so on. While planning a big event can be stressful, being organised and planning things out thoroughly can help your event be huge success.

Catering Tips

If you are holding a banquet and need banquet catering ideas, here are some things to think about. It can sometimes be hard to get started, but if you keep a few things in mind you should be able to have a great banquet catering experience.

The first thing that you need to think about is what kind of banquet you are throwing. If it is a wedding banquet, you will usually be a bit more formal. A business meeting or corporate awards banquet or recognition ceremony will also lend itself to a more formal atmosphere and menu. If it is a teen banquet or other less formal occasion, you can be a little less sophisticated with your menu.

Before you choose a banquet catering company, it is wise to determine the location of your event. This way, the caterer will have a better idea of how and where they can set things up. If you need to rent additional items like plates, silverware, tables, or chairs the caterer may be able to help you. They cannot help you, however, if you don’t know whether you need these things or not. They can also have a better understanding of how many servers they will need and what kind of set up is required. If you don’t have a location in mind before you choose a banquet catering service, the caterer may have a recommendation.

When you are planning a menu, try to discuss your thoughts with the head chef. Don’t just deal with the banquet catering sales rep or the manager. The head chef can advise you of any specialties that he or she may prepare especially well or what dishes he or she would recommend with a particular main course.

Another great banquet catering tip is to serve small portions of several different courses. By doing this you ensure that your guests don’t get too full and they also remain interested in the food. Focus on presentation to make the food attractive. This way, no one feels deprived by the smaller portions. They are just impressed by the looks of the dish.

Breads are universally expected in banquet catering. To keep guests intrigued from the time they sit down, make the bread basket a variety. Don’t just serve plain rolls. Serve all different kinds of breads. This way everyone’s tastes are satisfied and no one gets bored.

Serve unusual desserts to impress your guests. They don’t have to be overly expensive, but make sure they are pretty and delicious. This is the last food item and your chance to make a positive lasting impression so take advantage of it.

Banquet catering can be a big job, but if you keep some of these ideas in mind, you will be able to wow your guests and have them talking about your event for months to come.

Here are some tips to think about if you are considering hiring an event catering service:

1. It is easier! The caterers will do all the work you just need to tell them how many guests and pick a menu. You probably want to plan on meeting with them about six times before the event to work out the kinks.

2. Hire them ahead of time. Many of the really good catering services might be booked a year in advance and certainly most of them will need a three to six month lead time in order to properly cater your event. Therefore, you’ll need to start looking at catering services as soon as you know that you are going to need one. The further ahead you can book them the better your choices of caterers will be.

3. Sometimes bigger isn’t better. Sometimes the biggest and most expensive event catering services aren’t necessarily the best ones. A lot of the smaller ones may work harder as they are still building a reputation. Plus, sometimes the bigger ones use canned or packaged foods while the small ones will typically make everything from scratch.

4. Network. The event caterers typically have a network of complimentary services like florists, decorators and disc jockeys so if you’re looking for any of these services you might want to ask your caterer who they might recommend. This could end up being easier and maybe even cheaper for you.

5. Do your homework. Before you hire anyone, you want to make sure you do your due diligence. Check all references to make sure that other clients were satisfied with the job of the caterer. Also you want to make sure that they are certified in safety procedures as well as food handling. The certification is done by your local Board of Health and they should just have it posted right in their place of business. In addition, get a copy of their liability insurance to make sure they are covered.

6. Make a visit. Before you make the final deal, visit the caterers in their place of business. Oftentimes they’ll have little samples of their food and you want to take advantage of this to make sure that the production tastes good.

7. Payment. Usually you’ll have to give the event catering service 50% up front to confirm the reservation. The final payment is usually due a couple of weeks before the event. If you need to cancel you want to notify the caterer as soon as you know because the sooner you can let them know the more of your deposit you will get back. Usually, however, if you cancel less than 30 days before the event you probably lose your whole deposit and maybe even a little bit more. It’s always a good idea to read the fine print in your contract to find out what the penalties may be.

8. Budget. When working with an event catering service, you want to understate your budget a little bit so that you have a little wiggle room in case you have to make menu changes or add more guests. Most catered events usually end up costing more than the original quote so you can keep within your budget if you simply understate it to begin with.

Here are some more things you might consider:

– Don’t like what you see on the menu? As the caterer if he can create a custom menu based on your tastes and budget.

– Keep in mind that most caterers charge per person so the cost of the meals will be directly related to how many guests he was invited to a wedding.

– Sometimes caterers charge a service charge. This largely depends on the style of serving. A buffet style might have less of the charge, but if someone is cutting the deal will be something extra. If it will be a sit down meal with waiters and waitresses that additional expense to cover their wages may be added.

– If there is a bar with alcohol and hourly fee for the bartender may be added.

– Can you believe there is a cake cutting fee? Yep this covers the expense of cutting and serving the cake.

– Typically wine or champagne is served for the toast and a lot of catering businesses will charge a pouring fee for this.

No matter which way you look at it, hiring a wedding catering service is good cost you some money but if you shop around you may be able to get a good deal on the caterer that will do a fantastic job on your reception. Don’t forget, this is your big day and you don’t want to squirm too much or you might just get what you pay for.

For more information visit http://www.nusuevents.com.au

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