Can I get some entertaining advise?!
Can I get some entertaining advise?
My birthday is in a couple of weeks and I invited my friends and family to my house for the day. I live 2 1/2 hours away, so they will be traveling a long way to see me. I'm now panicking about how to entertain them for the afternoon until dinner. What food and drinks can I serve for lunch? What can I do to keep everyone entertained? There will be about 15-20 people ranging in age from 10 to 50.
Answers:
What a great idea, it's like a family/friend reunion.
For lunch the best thing is to just buy a coldcut tray, make a few salad and one soup. The homemade salad and soup will be a nice touch. If you need recipes for these I can definitely provide some easy recipes. For drinks I would do the usual, soda, water, coffee, tea. If you have a particulary fun crowd offer wine and beer. Definitely do not start hard liquor yet. I am assuming that you already have a nice dinner planned. You don't want your lunch to upstage your dinner.
Entertainment can be a little more tricky. They key is to have 3 options. Schedule something outside, perhaps a scavenger hunt or volley ball game. Both are cheap and easy to organize. A card or board game. Just pick one, if there are too many it will be difficult to organize a single game. And have a movie for those who aren't joiners. That way everyone has something to do. Don't forget all the people who will simply want to mingle and talk. Also, make sure everyone brings a camera or your have placed disposables around your home so people can take candid shots!
Well if it's age 10 to 50, stripping is out of the question.
Do you know any magic tricks?
Have a nice day.
pictionary, charades
eat lemonade, cookies, finger sandwiches.....
Play sum music like RBD and have alot of food. Make sure everyone is talking and decorate the place!!! Separate people by age because it wont be fun if old people and little kids are in one room!! Litlle kids should get a room to play in, old people to talk and average people to dance and have fun!!! Do this and the day will be Magical!!!!
I don't think you really need to "entertain" them. They're all coming for your birthday and as long as you are comfortable and make them feel comfortable everything should just flow! I'm sure there will be plenty of talking!
Do you have a backyard for the kids? Maybe badminton or volleyball or baseball or something? If you don't have that kind of stuff, maybe you can ask them to bring some things. Kids get bored pretty quickly no matter what they're doing.
I'd make lunch super easy and have meat and cheese trays, bread, condiments, pickles, chips, olives. Don't kill yourself, it's your birthday!
Red, the best entertainment is good company where a variety of good finger foods are always in sight... along with a variety of drinks. Choose music that's not too loud but is audible. Also, try to have different areas to sit. Some people like to go off with just a couple of other people to talk and visit. They don't like being locked into a group setting. For the kids, just toss out a soccer ball, football, basketball, jump rope, and a couple of hula hoops. This is what we do when we have family reunions, and we never hear from the kids.
Why don't you do a quiz! Do a general knowledge quiz then everyone can join in with questions about television programmes, films, music, food, travel, news etc.
You can serve nibbles and things like crisps, nuts, etc while dinner.
Good luck!
Set up a finger foods buffet table with a punch bowl for drinks. Use plastic or paper plates and utencils for easy clean-up (with a trash receptacle nearby, hidden of course :))
Maybe buy some checkers or chinese checkers games, a few decks of cards, Trivial Pursuit or something else fun for all ages and sit together, play, and visit for the afternoon.
Here are some hor'deurve style recipe ideas for the buffet to please the age 10 to 50 crowd:
Finger Sandwiches
1/4 cup softened butter
3 ounces crumbled Roquefort cheese
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1/2 cup chopped watercress
12 slices white bread (or light wheat bread)
Combine butter, Roquefort cheese, chives and watercress; blend thoroughly.
Trim crusts from bread. Spread mixture on 6 slices of bread; top with remaining bread slices. Cut each sandwich into thirds.
Makes 1 1/2 dozen.
Teatime Finger Sandwiches
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
6 slices dark rye or pumpernickel bread, toasted
1/2 cup sliced pimento stuffed olives
1/2 cup chopped pecans
12 slices cucumbers
1 package alfalfa sprouts
sweet creamy butter
Spread a thin layer of sweet cream butter on one side of each of the slices of bread.
Cream together the cream cheese, olives, and pecans.
Spread mixture on 3 slices of bread.
Put 4 cucumber slices on each of the 3 slices, then top off with the sprouts.
Place the remaining bread on top, and slice in half, then slice each half widthwise again.
You should end up with a dozen or so long finger sandwiches-- enjoy.
Raisin Finger Sandwiches
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped pecans
raisin bread
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and mayonaise until smooth.
Stir in pecans.
Spread on raisin bread .
Great for kids!
Finger Lickin' Drummettes
3 lbs chicken drummettes
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon garlic powder
n pan, heat all ingredients, except chicken, until sugar is dissolved. Cool.
Marinate chicken in sauce overnight.
Arrange in shallow pan, single layer, pour sauce over chicken and bake 1 to 1 1/4 hours at 350o. Turn chicken at least once.
Scottish Eggs
12 hard-boiled eggs, well chilled
2 lbs sausage meat
1/2 cup flour
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups panko
1 cup vegetable oil, frying
Peel eggs.
Divide sausage into 6 equal portions.
Roll each egg in flour then wrap the sausage around each egg.
Dip sausage-wrapped eggs into beaten egg and roll in Panko bread crumbs.
Heat oil to 350F and cook each egg for 4-5 minutes or until sausage is cooked and browned.
Drain on paper towels and serve warm or cool.
Party Punch
2 (46 ounce) cans fruit punch
2 cups orange juice
1 cup sugar (to taste)
1/2 gallon Cherry 7-Up
1 package frozen strawberries
Mix fruit punch and sugar in punch bowl; stir.
Add 7-Up or substitute and frozen strawberries last, stir gently.
Better to have fruit punch chilled or a few ice cubes can be added.
Put in strawberries, still frozen, helps keep punch cool.
Get chips and make dip and put a few cookies and brownies and fruit out for snacking. Yum!
don't separate any1! that dude is a jack@ss! its family! just be yourself and have lots of food laid out! you will be fine and the day will be fine as well. your in my prayers and god bless you and the family! happy birthday !!!
A social gathering of friends and family is generaly enough entertainment. Just make sure you have plenty to eat and drink and everyone will be happy.