I am throwing an asian/spa-like theme baby shower. I need food ideas?!?!
I am throwing an asian/spa-like theme baby shower. I need food ideas?!?
I am wanting something easy and affordable. The guests will be hungry as most of them will have just gotten off work. The seating will be couches, no tables. So something easy to eat. If at all possible I would like to make it myself. I am kind of wanting something more relaxing and spa-like than asian. Thanks for your help! Also, if you have any fun ideas about decor or games or anything let me know!
Additional Details9 months ago
Oh, another thing....the party will have around 20 guests.
Answers:
9 months ago
Oh, another thing....the party will have around 20 guests.
Interesting concept.....
The first thing that came to mind is sushi....but if you can't afford it to order in, then you could make your own versions of it. Depending on where you live, you could visit a Japanese store and pick up all kinds of fun little finger foods.
Here are some other easy ideas for you, though. How about a tea party?:
Appetizers:
You can take peeled cucumbers, cut them into 1 inch slices, hollow out the centers a bit and fill with different fillings (tuna salad, cream cheese, etc.).
Edamane (soy beans) are popular Asian appetizers
Take wonton wrappers (found in any grocery store) and fill with a variety of fillings. Cream cheese with crab meat is a popular filling. Then fry them in a pan. Serve with sweet and sour sauce.
Main course:
Tea sandwiches. You can prepare simple sandwiches on white bread, but use cookie cutters to cut out shapes in them (since it's a baby shower, why don't you use baby themed cookie cutters). You can display them beautifully on platters with fresh flowers. Provide tea (decaf for the mom-to-be) complete with cream, sugar, honey, etc... to put in it if desired.
Desserts: Green Tea Ice Cream......or a traditional baby shower cake would be appropriate.
For games, I'm sure you can incorporate chop sticks into some kind of game. Perhaps passing a "baby" (made of mini marshmallows) around the room using only the chop sticks and eliminating winners as they drop the "baby"?
Good Luck on your shower....sounds like it will be wonderful!
teriyaki chiken pieces with toothpicks
http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/5920...
http://www.kingofprussia.com/kontiki/jap...
http://www.biteofasia.com/japan/jpmenu.s...
So how about spring rolls and egg rolls (can be purchased frozen and popped into the oven) and a couple of Asian noodle dishes (two that spring to mind are sesame noodle and a lighter one using thinner vermicelli type noodles and a lime and ginger dressing - check out recipes online - they're easy to make - or pick them up from a grocery store deli - both types are served cold)
Have sushi (not with raw fish... but California rolls and some of the cooked shrimp ones) If you have a Costco or Sam's Club they have a very affordable party sized platter available.
Do a vegetable platter with grape tomatoes, fresh mushrooms, snow peas, broccoli florets, baby carrots and celery sticks, etc and then scatter a few baby corn and water chestnuts over the whole platter to keep with the Asian theme (one can of each, drained, should do it) and a simple dip or two.
Do a fruit platter with pineapple, seedless grapes, melons, strawberries, whatever is seasonal and won't turn brown if you cut it up ahead of time :)
Make sure you have jasmine tea... fortune cookies... almond cookies... if you're industrious make little teacakes with toasted sesame seeds on top... hang paper lanterns (can be handmade or purchased at PartyCo/Party Palace etc) get some chopsticks for guests who enjoy using them, just have them at the buffet table... and for a game you can play "Pin the Diaper on the Buddha Baby" where you would just find a large poster of a chubby baby and pin on a newborn sized baby diaper. (Of course Mom gets the rest of the bag of diapers) :)
Another nice shower game is name the baby, where you put the alphabet down the side of the page and another row down the middle. Everyone has to come up with a boy name and girl name for each letter of the alphabet and the first one to fill their page wins. (The prizes are small baby items... can be purchased at a Dollar Tree... and they are all given to the Mom) :)
Cucumber salad
orientaltrading.com for themes
Rice game-uncooked rice in a bowl w/tiny baby pins-the size of a grain of rice, blindfold guests one at a time and in 30 seconds have them try to pick out as many pins as possible. Try it it's harder than you think.
Asparagus Wrap
10 Asparagus Spears
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1 tablespoon Reduced-Calorie Mayonnaise
10 slices Bologna (large)
Trim the bottom end of the asparagus and blanch with boiling water.
Blend the mustard and mayonnaise in a small bowl. Divide and spread the mustard mixture evenly on the large bologna slices. Wrap one asparagus spear in each bologna slice. Place the slices in a single layer on a round microwave platter or plate. Cover lightly with paper towels. With the microwave on MEDIUM, cook for 1 minute or until hot; rotate the plate one-half turn after 30 seconds.
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Meatball Hors d'Oeuvres
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 large egg
grated Parmesan cheese -- to taste
parsley and oregano -- to taste
onion and garlic powder -- to taste
milk -- to moisten
---Sauce---
1 12 oz can favorite beer
1 24 oz bottle ketchup
Mix hamburger, breadcrumbs, egg, seasonings and milk together. Make small meatballs. Place meatballs in a shallow baking pan and bake for 40 minutes at 350°F. Mix ketchup and beer in the crockpot and start to heat. You can put the raw meatballs into the sauce and simmer for several hours. I like to
bake the meatballs first to get out most of the grease.
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Deviled Eggs
12 eggs
1/2 cup salad dressing or mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons onion -- finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh chives -- snipped or dried
1 teaspoon parsley -- snipped or dried
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
For perfect eggs with no green center(caused by over cooking) place 12 eggs in a large pan and cover with 3" water. Do not use hot water. Place on burner over medium high heat and immediately start timing for exactly 20 minutes.When eggs begin to boil hard turn heat to medium. Cracking eggs while still hot makes the shells easily slip off. Slice in half and scrape out yolks into a mixing bowl.
Blend remaining ingredients well and fill egg halves. Sprinkle with additional paprika, chill well.
I was actually give this recipe by another Answers user the other day and it sounds really good!!! Have fun with the shower
Little bundles of bacon wrapped asparagus - they are so pretty on a plate!
Take the asparagus spears and place them in a zip lock with a little olive oil and some herbs/seasoning (not too much!), make sure they are well coated. Take 3 or 4 spears and tie them together with a piece of uncooked bacon. Place the bundles on a cookie sheet and cook at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or so and they're done!
sushi..... it's cheap and easy to eat.
Appetizer:...baby blanket roll
Take normal white thin sliced bread, slice edges off and then cut down the center (vertical) so you have 2 rectangles. Peel fat cucumbers and then slice thinly lengthwise. Place a layer of cucumber on each bread half piece. Sprinkle with a lil salt and white pepper. Roll up tightly and tie with a long chive (herb) or microthin strip of green onion. Option: You can add a thin spread of mayonaise or creamy dressing but then that is not spa cuisine.
Beverage: chilled herbal teas with a chopstick as the stirrer.
For entertainment: Why not have a masseuse available to give neck/shoulder or hand and feet massages. Have some aromatherapy or scented candles going on. Make everyone take their shoes off when they come in and greet them with a wet warm or ice cold scented washcloth. Have some new age whatever music playing at the beginning of the shower.
For Favors: scented candle or oil or massage oil or scented hand cream or scented natural herbal soaps wrapped in soft wash cloth tied with raffia.
Game: a guest gives a neck and shoulder massage to another blindfolded guest, who has to guess who it is while others give some kind of hints. This one needs to be developed, I just thought of the idea now. Could be lots of fun if its a coed shower!
Concentrate on games that involve the senses of touch, feel and smell I guess, makes it spa-like.
Can ask a local spa to put together a sample package and split the cost with them, its marketing for them. Could hire the masseuse from them too!
We just did this for my 40th birthday. We had chicken satay w/peanut sauce, fresh rolls, shrimp wrapped in bacon, pot stickers w/different sauces for dipping, we went to the Thai restaurant and purchased the shrimp chips....the little rice potato-chip like chips they serve? I also marinated cubes of tri tip beef (you could use any) in a teriyaki sauce and grilled those. We just served those on a platter (had to make sure we included some cow). You could even get a Chinese sampler of frozen pieces.....they also have dim sum now frozen. this would be easy for you and that way you could just concentrate on a couple main dishes? We had the same situation of seating on the sofa and chairs. I wanted everything to be edible by finger/fork and no fuss. I made the fresh rolls (a bit labor intensive but so good) I purchased the round rice paper. You run those under water for a second and they soften. I filled them with fresh basil, avocado, scallions, I cheated and used broccoli slaw, shrimp (cut in half so not so bulky - you can leave this out) and cucumber slices (thin). roll them up like an egg roll - I did experiment and you can make these the day prior just keep them covered in fridge. I had just a bottled peanut sauce for these. I made chicken pot stickers and put them in a huge bowl. You can serve steamed or just boiled served with a chili sauce. The sauces are thick so it is not like they need to dip into a self contained dish. They can just put a dollop on their plate. The chicken satay.....I sliced the chicken in strips and marinated in the peanut sauce. You can certainly make these ahead and reheat....I have done it. Put the chicken on skewers and grill.....or you could broil. Oh the shrimp wrapped in bacon that had marinated in Teriyaki - I just broiled those. I also purchased fortune cookies which was fun. I don't know how spa like this is outside of the fresh rolls but it is all fairly healthy and has great flavor. I hope this helps and your shower is a hit!
Go to your nearest deli and by the Chicken salad that has the nuts, grapes, apples, etc. That dresses up the chicken salad. Then make mini sandwiches on different types of bread. I know this doesn't sound too Asian, however when I am at a spa, I usually get a similar lunch. You can fill up with vegetables and fruits in pretty displays.