As finals week for college students comes to an end and high school seniors are counting down the last month until graduation, all they are thinking right now is…Let’s party!
Clearly you know the graduates aren’t really interested in how this party is planned. They just want one to have their friends and family around, oh and of course to get presents! It is usually the parents that get stuck with the choices that need to be made. Below are some ideas on how to make a graduation party simple, yet fun.
Location
Most graduation parties are casual and held in the backyard. If you don’t have the room, and your graduate is open to having a joint party, see if one of their friends would be interested in hosting the joint party at their home. If not, then you can always look into renting a hall. It will give you the space you need, and still give you the ability to bring your own food/beverages to keep cost down. If you want something a little fancier, a dinner or brunch at a local restaurant is always nice too.
Themes
The standard theme for high school and college graduation parties is usually school colors. For high school graduations, you can even use the colors and additional flair of the college your graduate will be attending in the Fall. If you want to get creative, you can always incorporate some personality of the graduate into your theme. For instance, if this is a college graduation party, you can base the party’s theme on their major. Graphic design graduates can have their work displayed throughout the party to add a personal touch. Film graduates can have a red carpet party full with movie posters, movie set items and even a showing of the graduate’s work. For general business or marketing majors, you can make “Fun Facts about the Graduate” charts and graphs to put on display. Something inspirational that you can do for any party is creating a “The Graduate will be successful because…” board and have your guests leave a message for them. It’s a great way to boost their confidence as they are now breaking into the “real world.”
Food
So you have your theme set and now you are concerned about food. Most parties consist of lots of family and friends. For the family you want to make sure you have enough “real food” meaning chicken, pasta, hamburgers, hot dogs, etc. For the kids/friends, finger foods are the way to go. It’s so difficult to get a solid headcount for these types of parties because friends tend to pop in and out during the party. My suggestion hit up Costco and stock up on finger foods/appetizers. The kids really don’t care about the chicken marsala and pesto pasta…they want the fried, finger foods…you know, the good stuff. This will also be a great way to keep the food cost from going completely overboard.
Gift ideas
Ok, so you are browsing the “Things Remembered” catalogue and just love the precious, sentimental gifts they have. My advice, chuck the catalogue and get out your check book. Most graduates, whether high school or college, always need one thing…money. If you are not comfortable giving money, then try and find something that they can actually use or enjoy. For example, high school graduates going away to college need pretty much everything to get their dorm room in order. If you are not familiar with their taste/style, a gift certificate to Target or Bed Bath & Beyond is great! One of my favorite things to do is buy a large Rubbermaid storage container and stock it with goodies that they can use in their dorm room.
And remember, TSP is here to serve you. Don’t feel like dealing with the set up/clean up? Give us a call and we’ll be happy to help so you can enjoy the party with your graduate!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Taking the "Big Booty" out of BBQ
May is finally here and that means BBQ season! I don’t know about you, but if I have to eat another plain hamburger, hot dog or piece of BBQ chicken, I think I may be sick. Here are a few recipes and tips to spice up your traditional backyard BBQ and trim down your booty.
Just because you’re having a BBQ doesn’t give you an excuse to stuff your face with fat. Sure I’d love to have a bacon cheeseburger every weekend, but lord knows my booty doesn’t need that! There are plenty of tasty, less fattening options that you can consider. For instance, try my
Stuffed Turkey Burgers:
1 package ground turkey meat
½ package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
Fat free crumbled feta cheese
Sun dried tomatoes (not in oil), chopped small
Take ground turkey and place in bowl. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, 1 egg and Italian breadcrumbs. Mix thoroughly. Next separate the meat into 8 thin burgers, turning edges slightly upwards on four. Place chopped spinach, feta cheese and chopped sun dried tomatoes on top. Then take remaining 4 thin burgers, place on top and pinch edges together. NOTE: Use caution because the meat is thin and can easily separate. Grill about 6-8 minutes on each side. Serve with a bed of mixed greens or on a whole wheat bun. SERVES 4
Need a quick and easy appetizer to start your BBQ off, that’s better than the typical chips and dip? Try my homemade Bruschetta.
6 fresh tomatoes or 2 cans diced tomatoes
1 red onion
Fresh basil
Grated parmesan cheese
Toasted breads
Chop tomatoes and onion into small square pieces and set aside in bowl. Add chopped basil, grated parmesan cheese, garlic powder and olive oil to taste. Chill for a few hours. Serve with toasted Italian bread slices. SERVES 6
Now onto everyone’s favorite side dishes...a tub of mayonnaise disguised with a few pieces of macaroni or potato…better known as macaroni and potato salads. There are many different versions of macaroni and potato salad that you can make that can be tasty and much less fattening. Skip the mayo and replace with Dijon or honey mustard for starters. For my side recipe, I’m going to recommend something a little outside the box. This one comes from a friend from TX. I never liked chic peas much, but trust me this salad is cool, refreshing and tasty. A great burst of flavor and protein to enjoy with those burgers.
Susan’s Summer Salad
1 can garbanzo beans (chic peas)
2 cucumbers peeled and chopped small
1 yellow pepper chopped small
1 can black olives
1 red onion
6 garlic cloves
Fat free feta cheese
2 Tomatoes
Drain chic peas and set aside. Peel and chop cucumber, yellow pepper, black olives, red onion and tomato into small squares. Mix all ingredients with chic peas, sprinkle with feta cheese. Add finely chopped garlic cloves, a few teaspoons of lemon juice to taste and a splash of olive oil and mix well. Chill for a few hours and serve.
SERVES 8
Ok, now it’s onto the most important meal…dessert. For your standard healthy option, fresh fruit is always best. For those of you who need your chocolate fix, I recommend “No Pudge Brownies.” You can find these in your local supermarket near the brownie and cake mixes. Their secret…they use just the brownie mix and fat free vanilla yogurt. They come out fudgy and delicious without too much guilt!
So you’re ready to go with some new ideas to add to your traditional BBQ without adding to the number on your scale. My suggestion, the above recipes are easy, but time consuming. Make these items the night before, cover and refrigerate. Don’t want to deal with the set up, serving and clean up that day? Call TSP and we’ll be happy to serve your BBQ!
Have some healthy BBQ options of your own? Comment with the recipe details below, we’d love to hear them!
Just because you’re having a BBQ doesn’t give you an excuse to stuff your face with fat. Sure I’d love to have a bacon cheeseburger every weekend, but lord knows my booty doesn’t need that! There are plenty of tasty, less fattening options that you can consider. For instance, try my
Stuffed Turkey Burgers:
1 package ground turkey meat
½ package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
Fat free crumbled feta cheese
Sun dried tomatoes (not in oil), chopped small
Take ground turkey and place in bowl. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, 1 egg and Italian breadcrumbs. Mix thoroughly. Next separate the meat into 8 thin burgers, turning edges slightly upwards on four. Place chopped spinach, feta cheese and chopped sun dried tomatoes on top. Then take remaining 4 thin burgers, place on top and pinch edges together. NOTE: Use caution because the meat is thin and can easily separate. Grill about 6-8 minutes on each side. Serve with a bed of mixed greens or on a whole wheat bun. SERVES 4
Need a quick and easy appetizer to start your BBQ off, that’s better than the typical chips and dip? Try my homemade Bruschetta.
6 fresh tomatoes or 2 cans diced tomatoes
1 red onion
Fresh basil
Grated parmesan cheese
Toasted breads
Chop tomatoes and onion into small square pieces and set aside in bowl. Add chopped basil, grated parmesan cheese, garlic powder and olive oil to taste. Chill for a few hours. Serve with toasted Italian bread slices. SERVES 6
Now onto everyone’s favorite side dishes...a tub of mayonnaise disguised with a few pieces of macaroni or potato…better known as macaroni and potato salads. There are many different versions of macaroni and potato salad that you can make that can be tasty and much less fattening. Skip the mayo and replace with Dijon or honey mustard for starters. For my side recipe, I’m going to recommend something a little outside the box. This one comes from a friend from TX. I never liked chic peas much, but trust me this salad is cool, refreshing and tasty. A great burst of flavor and protein to enjoy with those burgers.
Susan’s Summer Salad
1 can garbanzo beans (chic peas)
2 cucumbers peeled and chopped small
1 yellow pepper chopped small
1 can black olives
1 red onion
6 garlic cloves
Fat free feta cheese
2 Tomatoes
Drain chic peas and set aside. Peel and chop cucumber, yellow pepper, black olives, red onion and tomato into small squares. Mix all ingredients with chic peas, sprinkle with feta cheese. Add finely chopped garlic cloves, a few teaspoons of lemon juice to taste and a splash of olive oil and mix well. Chill for a few hours and serve.
SERVES 8
Ok, now it’s onto the most important meal…dessert. For your standard healthy option, fresh fruit is always best. For those of you who need your chocolate fix, I recommend “No Pudge Brownies.” You can find these in your local supermarket near the brownie and cake mixes. Their secret…they use just the brownie mix and fat free vanilla yogurt. They come out fudgy and delicious without too much guilt!
So you’re ready to go with some new ideas to add to your traditional BBQ without adding to the number on your scale. My suggestion, the above recipes are easy, but time consuming. Make these items the night before, cover and refrigerate. Don’t want to deal with the set up, serving and clean up that day? Call TSP and we’ll be happy to serve your BBQ!
Have some healthy BBQ options of your own? Comment with the recipe details below, we’d love to hear them!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
