Oh YEAH! Doing anything on a tight budget is my favorite! LOL! We have always had a 'buffet style' lunch for our children's birthdays. I will make a few dishes, ie.: tater-tot-casserole, a pan of tossed salad, chicken tenders/nuggets, homemade veggie tray and chips and dip or salsa. (The chicken can be put into a salad also.) What I had to learn, the hard way of course, is this is just a little for everyone not a full blown, 3-5 course meal. LOL! KEEP IT SIMPLE! People will feel so much better; more comfortable.
I know as a mom you are busy with everything that life throws your way daily; however, it costs so much less if we do things ourselves verses buying it already done. The veggie tray, I keep it to cucumbers peeled and sliced, carrots I buy a bag of the match sticks (they can cut them smaller than I can) and celery I cut into small sticks. I make Hidden Valley Ranch Buttermilk dressing from the packet for a dip and plus I can use this for a salad dressing too. I also make HV packet of DIP you add sour cream to for chip dip. Salsa I just buy a jar of mild salsa. Be sure to cut up enough of each item for a quart size zip top bag to refill the veggie tray when it gets low. I cut mine up the night before so I don't have to worry with it the next day. And I buy store brand chips. Your true friends and family are gonna love you no matter what, right?! LOL!
Tater-tot-casserole is so much better the next day. So I make mine either early that morning or late the night before. You will still have to heat it in the oven before they eat. You could always make it up the night before and put the tots on in the morning before you cook it. That has always been a hit here.
The salad I simply layer, in one of those disposable silver roasting pans or casserole pans that I get at the Dollar Tree, lettuce, cucumbers, onion rings, match stick carrots and cherry tomatoes. I cover and store in the fridge for the next day. Salad dressings ar the HV buttermilk ranch I made, Good Seasons Italian packet I made, small $1 bottle of French and Thousand Island. If my budget allows, I will get a $1 box of crutons too. I cut up some of the chicken nuggets/tenders and put in a dish by the salad.
I get the store brand chicken tenders/nuggets and bake them while everyone is mingling and eating on the veggies and chips. So when the chicken is done it's time to eat. I start them 30mins after the party time. This gives late folks time to get in. :)
We put a balloon on the mailbox for the birthday kid and one on the kid's chair. I cover the table with a colored table cloth from Dollar Tree or WalMart if they are less than a dollar. I get the cake plates (smaller ones) with the design on them that I want. Like a #1 with the bear we did for our youngest son's first B-day. And I get the small napkins to go with the cake plates. Then I pick a color from the design and that's the color plates and napkins I get at the Dollar Tree (or where ever they are cheap). So if I pick blue, then I would get the larger food plates,napkins and cups in blue. I use plastic forks and spoons. And what I don't use this year goes into a plastic zip bag and we use them the next year.
And we are lucky since Grandma makes the cake each year. Does anyone in your family make cakes? What a gift they could give if they would make your child's first birthday cake. Or maybe YOU are good at that.
Don't forget, the focus is on your little one. It's his/her birthday party, right? LOL! Have lots of FUN! They grow up so very fast!
Take Care,
N. :) SAHM homeschooling 3 boys 12, 8 & 2yrs old and married to my Mr. Wonderful for almost 15yrs. I love to help moms, who want to become SAHMs, reach that goal. If you or someone you know wants to become a SAHM, please email me at ____@____.com. Thanks!