Luncheon for Chirstening

For both of my kids, we did lots of salads that you could make the day before (garden, potato, macaroni, etc.), a couple big jars of applesauce, baked beans, and for the sandwiches, for the first party (for my first born) i bought a bunch of chip chop ham and threw it in a crock pot with some BBQ sauce. everyone loved it!! for the second born's party I made mini sandwiches (like tea sandwiches cut into 4's)...we did chicken salad, egg salad, ham and cheese and PB&J. that went over great too and the salad portions we made the day before and assembled the sandwiches in an assebbly line. just put out cookies and a veggie tray for people to munch on until the sandwiches are ready. people will be patient!! hopefully you have some family members/friends that can help out :) don't be afraid to ask for help, either. sounds like you're a busy gal as it is!

Could you have a neighbor or family member rush back after the Christening to get the food out? That way you can take pictures and linger at the church with friends and family and not feel rushed.

I've been in your situation before. Everyone assumes that making the food yourself is the "cheapest" way to go, but . . . you have to consider the cost of the food, finding the time to shop, and the time it takes to prepare everything (it always takes longer that anticipated). Seriously consider outsourcing some of the work.

Assuming the luncheon is late morning, order a few different types of quiches (grocery store, Let's Dish, etc.), fruit salad (grocery store, a resturant or Chick-Fa-La), and pickup an assortment of muffins and/or bagels (grocery store, Sams, Costco, Dunkin Donuts, etc.). Everything is easy to heat-up/display/serve and they will all make your table look colorful. Another trick I use is having larger pitchers/decanters of water and lemonade with floating lemon and lime slices (wash the lemons and limes well). It's super simple, but addes extra color. Everyone thinks you do a lot more than what you really do!

If you're having an afternoon luncheon, consider arranging a variety of salads (chicken, tuna, etc) on beds of lettuce (you can do this before you leave and put them in the fridge). People can make mini-sandwiches. You can also have pulled pork. Fruit salad is still appropriate. Or have Greek or pasta salad. You can add a few dips or a hummas tray with fresh cut veggies, chips, or a bread bowl.

The key to entertaining is presentation. If the table is simple and elegant people will think you did more that what you really did. Use all white serving dishes, but accent with napkins, plates, and a vase of colorful flowers in the middle of the table.

Focus your time and energy on the baby, yourself (I was a nursing mom too), and cleaning the house (that will stress you out enough).

Good Luck.

Make something in the crock pot (BBQ meatballs?) and have everything else ready to go & in the fridge. Maybe add a green salad, a fruit platter, cake, bread or rolls, etc.
Do you have a warming drawer in your stove? You could do pasta & keep it in there while you're at the ceremony.

one of my all-time favorite events was my older son's 1st Communion. I was 7 months pregnant, on light-duty to boot. Finances were tight, because we were still paying off the hospital bills from the loss of our daughter & our older son's hip surgeries. & I mean $$ was TIGHT!

Sooo, I planned a menu which accommodated 50+ people (the size of just our immediate family!)....& used minimal $$. I was adventerous in my choices, & served several 1st time dishes. It was a success....& 16 years later, I'm still using those recipes!

My Mom & I spent the entire day prior prepping food. I had cleaned the house the week before....taking it one room at a time. I had spring flowers from my garden in vases....& lit white candles. Our great room presents itself well....& it showed. The menu was updated Farmhouse!

Food: **we ordered fried chicken (it used to be cheap at WalMart...we live in a small town- no other choices). My DH ran & picked it up while I setup the rest of the food after Mass.
**I had a crockpot of green beans (#10 can, <$4), seasoned with onions & bacon. (You can also make this sweet/sour using vinegar & sugar.)
**Pasta salad made from scratch. Cheaper than cheap! Tri-color noodles, bottled Zesty Italian dressing, fresh-squeezed lemon +zest, & all green vegies: broccoli, cucumber, green pepper, celery, & some pepperoncinis. Totally different mix....accentuated by the lemon! Oh, & I added grated Parmesan to it.
**Hot Pepper Mix: a mix of fresh vegies, including the leftovers from the pasta salad. Made with jalapenos, cloves, & apple cider vinegar. Uniquely different & completely yummm.
**Corn Relish: a combo of fresh cabbage & frozen corn. Made with a sweet/sour mustard dressing. Very German in heritage. You either like it or hate it!
**a huge pan of mashed potatoes, made ahead of time & warmed. A requirement for the older relatives & the young ones. :)
**fresh bread from my MIL! Something we all fight over!
**a fruit salad & fresh cookies....+ a store sheet cake (a gift from my Dad).

Having those sides....the lemon pasta salad, hot mix, & corn relish....elevated the basics of green beans & mashed taters. It was all very inexpensive to make, easy to do, & presented colorfully on the table! The dessert table also drew people in....

Good Luck & I wish you Peace....& fun! Geez, we missed our family Easter due to a sick dog. I'm needing to do a party! Come on, Mother's Day!

My sister-in-law makes these great 'pinwheel' wraps! These are made ahead of time (even overnight) and kept in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve them...

You just need some kind of sandwich wrap (any flavor), 2 or 3 kinds of lunch meat, 1-2 kinds of cheese, shredded lettuce, and diced tomatoes (if desired)... Then to keep the wraps together, she mixes sour cream, cream cheese, and any kind of spice that you like (She uses dill... I've used salt and pepper or Mrs. Dash... anything you like)

You mix up the cream cheese/sour cream mixture and spread it on the top 1/3 of the wrap. Place 1-2 slices of meat, cheese, a bit of lettuce and tomato... Then roll it up using the cream cheese mix as a 'glue.' You can wrap it in saran wrap and keep it in the refrigerator a few hours (or overnight). You don't have to overfill these... you get decide how thick or thin these will be.. They can be little appetizers, or the main meal like a hoagie...

When you're ready to serve, just slice it up in 1 inch segments and they look awesome, are light and delicious, etc..

Other ideas-
1. Soup station- There's an awesome baked potato soup mix that I've gotten at Shoprite... Black Bear? I add some sour cream and cream cheese... add a bag of steam and mash potatoes (red potatoes w/ the skin)........then have cheddar, bacon bits, and chives to add as condiments... You can make it on the stove and then have it in a crock pot...Guests can 'dress it up' as they like.

This would work with any kind of soup if that's too heavy.... I've made Campbell's minestrone before and dressed it up w/ Barilla tomatoe/squash noodles........etc...... and some chunky tomatoes.

2. A 'fancy' punch- You can make a punch out of just about everything! My favorite was a peachy, mango/passion fruit punch I made using some sprite, peach flavored seltzer, passion fruit and mango pulp (Usually in the hispanic foods aisle), some chopped up peaches, and a little bit of sherbert (peach, orange, or whatever flavor you'd like).

3. Cupcakes are awesome because you don't have to worry about cutting a cake... they are portable......... There are some gorgeous cupcake liners at the craft stores. (Bring a coupon to get a good deal)

4. You can make a really great salad using broccoli slaw (near the cole slaw in Shoprite), add diced or shredded carrots, some craisins (I like the cherry flavored), cherry tomatoes............chopped up celery (totally optional), and then the dressing I like is a mixture of honey, mayo, white wine vinegar, and a touch of mustard. It's like a tangy honey mustard dressing. but- you could use whatever you have on hand and let people dress it themselves. I made mine in a salad spinner so I could spin it every hour or so to re-mix the dressing.

5. Have a few munchies ready to go as soon as you get back to the house to give yourself time... Chips and dip are always a hit...........you can also have a plate of cheese slices, pepperoni slices, and crackers ready to go. Take the cheese/pepperoni out of the refrigerator........open the crackers and you're ready to go.

You can also mention to some of your really understanding and helpful guests that you're looking for ideas. Someone may offer to bring something! You could make it a pot luck!

Good luck!

We always ask close friends and family within driving range to bring a dish. Not only does it help us out, but they really enjoy being able to help with the special day. These can be all sorts of make ahead foods - cookies, cupcakes, Jello salad, bean salad, dips for crackers or chips, cheese tray, etc.

As for timing, stop worrying about it. Folks will mill about after the service, have a few photos and eventually make it back to your house. When they get to your house, they will want to go to the bathroom and get something to drink. If you have a tub of beverages on ice (or making a big cooler of ice water or lemonade is cheaper than bottled drinks), they can help themselves when they get there. Have some veggies or snack things for right away, then take your time getting out everything else. I suggest making a list of things that people can do to help (getting stuff from the fridge, putting food on trays, stirring things in crockpots, replenishing drinks, etc.) and asking someone you trust to oversee those assignments. You need time with your baby and to enjoy your guests and others are more than willing to help, just as long as they know what to do.

Congrats on your little one and his special day :)

Congratulations on the christening. Enjoy every minute of it.

Over the years, I've found people eat less and less, so keep it simple. And as long as you have bottled water and lots of homemade chocolate chip cookies (made ahead and frozen), everything else seems to go well!

make it simple.

make up a tray of ham or turkey sandwiches on hamburger buns
trays of lettuce, tomatoes and cheese
veggie tray
fruit tray
crock pot of baked beans
cake
your good to go and all you have to do is pull it out of the fridge. put the pop in a cooler with ice before you leave for the church

When both of our daughters were christened, money was tight for us too. We had a restaurant nearby that had a brunch buffet that ended up being cheaper than trying to do it at home. That being said, if you don't have that option, ask friends for help. I'm sure they wouldn't mind helping you get every thing ready and put out once you return to your home. Have a few things that are ready to go the min you get home so then you can take your time bringing out the rest. You could even ask a friend or two to go directly to your house after the service to start getting thing ready while you have pictures, etc.. Maybe you even have a very good friend that would either watch the baby so you can clean, or would help you clean house to get ready. I know I would do it for my friends, and they would do it for me too. That's what friends are for! I hope you get to enjoy the day!