Cooking party invitations for all the chefs in your life. Sounds fun and yummy. We’ve got what you need for your invitations and we’ve also got some great tips for you to make your cooking party go smoothly and be a success.

* If you are doing one big uniform meal, assign your guest certain groceries to purchase and bring with them. This keeps the costs down for you.

* If you are doing different food themes (Mexican, Italian, Chinese, etc.), then assign one person to be in charge of each theme and have that person assign the grocery list within each group.

* Whatever dishes, pans, or utensils you don’t have that you need, assign someone to bring instead of you buying. Keep the costs down.

Cooking Party Invitations

Why not whip up some invitations that you’ve created and personalized to match your cooking party theme? You can easily and for free through Events Listed. With over 60 multi media tools available for you to completely personalize your web page, it’s the perfect recipe. You create the web page first so it can act as your invitation. for help visit www.classic-dessert-collection.com. All of the tools are in a simple to use Web 2.0 environment, ready for you to completely personalize your page to your cooking party theme. Include pictures, videos, audios, surveys, and more. Pop in video of Rachael Ray or Gordon Ramsey. Add some music and even put up a timer that counts down to the party.

Be sure to post the date and time of the cooking party and any special instructions for your guests, such as “no MSG.” Just kidding. You can also post a poll for your guest to vote on which dishes they’d like to create. How about adding a map and directions to the cooking hot spot?

Party Invitations-All Eyes On the Guest List

Once your page is complete, you then invite your guests to go to your page by sending electronic emails with electronic links to your page. They click the link and arrive on your page. They’ll have eyes on the guest list and they’ll be able to respond to your invitation as well as seeing how others have responded. They’ll be able to see who’s ready to cook, who has 86ed themselves, and who hasn’t responded yet.

Your guests can also start networking together online as soon as they wish and you can even promote more networking by cross referencing other cooking unique party online groups. Get great recipes and cooking tips right there on your own web page.

Take advantage of the task manager to assign who is bringing what groceries and/or cooking supplies and post what group they are in. Send out preset, automated email reminders about the party date and time as the date draws nearer. You can check it out from www.bread-machine-cookbook.com. What about posting a budget for each person or each group right on the web page and manage it from there? There’s so much you can do with you web page, why not do it? It will make your life a lot easier. And again, it’s free, from Events Listed. Spot on!

Let’s say you are having a dinner party, but you are a vegetarian and you aren’t sure what you want to include on your menu that will make everyone happy. Well, the truth is that you most likely won’t always be able to please everyone. However, you can make a great vegetarian menu that most of your guests will love and they may not even know that they are eating a totally vegetarian meal.

What should you include on your vegetarian menu? You should have a variety of foods that can be satisfying to a variety of people, but that doesn’t scream “VEGETARIAN”. Why is that? Well, even if your guests don’t know that you are a vegetarian, they should not face your dinner party with fear that they will have bland, tasteless food. Impress them and show them that meatless meals can be fun, beautiful, and delicious!

Here are a couple of suggestions for a vegetarian dinner party menu:

Small Dinner Salad

Fresh Asparagus Soup

Vegetable Cutlets

“Fried” Brown Rice

Bananas Foster

You could also try this vegetarian menu:

Easy Tomato Soup

Fresh Tomatoes with Mozzarella and Basil

Spaghetti Bolognese

Garlic Bread

Tiramisu

Another terrific vegetarian menu can circle around a Mexican theme:

Spicy Tortilla Soup

Bean Burritos

Refried Beans with Spicy Salsa Topping

Cheese Enchiladas

Chiles Rellenos

Sopapillas

Coming up with a vegetarian menu that will support your lifestyle but also please your dinner guests isn’t really difficult if you think about it. Just keep in mind what you like to eat and what you are good at cooking. Then make a menu that includes the following courses:

Appetizer

Salad/Soup

Main Dish

Vegetable

Dessert

It’s really that simple. Most menus include all of these components, and just because you want to make a vegetarian menu doesn’t mean you have to give up taste and presentation. If you present your meals with flair and prepare them with love, you will find that having a vegetarian dinner party with a menu that appeals to everyone attending is not as difficult as you might think.

Just sit down and think about what you are able to cook well and that your family enjoys. Chances are good that if your family enjoys the vegetarian menus that you present to them daily, your dinner guests will enjoy it as well. Be creative, be innovative, and be confident that your menu will please both your vegetarian friends as well as your meat eating friends as well.

Ah the 70s, between disco dancing and polyester, it was an interesting time. So why not throw a party for your friends who remember the 70s and may still have a few disco moves still in them? Or, you can throw a party for those who never lived in the 70s but always wanted to.

To stimulate your memory of the 70s, let’s look at what was going on. The 70s were mainly about disco dancing and leisure suits. It was a time of shag carpeting, avocado green appliances, macramé and paneling. The music of the 70s was coming from people and bands like Donna Summer, the Bee Gees, Earth Wind and Fire, Gloria Gaynor, Lionel Richie, Peaches & Herb, and The Village People.

How do you decorate for the 70s? Simple things such as hanging beaded curtains at the front door to create a disco ball from Mylar can really make a room. Black lights, psychedelic posters and lava lamps are quick and easy too. Happy face posters, candles or incense also are small details you can add.

As for food, look around at yard sales for old fondue pots and place them in the middle of each table. Each pot serves your meal as well as works as a centerpiece. To really get your guests mingling, put a different type of fondue at each table and serve different types of cheese fondue as your appetizer. Cook up spicy chicken, Mexican, or teriyaki fondues as the main course. Add chocolate fondue for your dessert. The addition of finger food and buffets are also nice for your guests. Vintage types of foods such as Frito’s, deviled eggs, Jiffy Popcorn and Ding Dongs are fun. Vintage candy also brings back memories for people like Abba Zabba, Boston Baked Beans, Big Hunks, Sixlets, Pop Rocks even Ding Dongs! For drinks how about Dr. Pepper, Tab, RC Cola or even Grape Crush?

Do you enjoy games at your party? Musical chairs can be played to the funky sounds of Sly and the Family Stone, Donna Summer, the Commodores, La Chick, K.C. & the Sunshine Band, and Kool & the Gang. You can invite friends to dig out their favorite record or eight track tapes and hold a contest for best dance music. Of course you will need an eight-track player and record player to play your guests vintage music.

Other games could include charades or even using the Ouija Board.

And last of course, you want to emphasize your guest’s costumes. During the 70s there was carryover from the 60s, so encourage guests to bring their best bell-bottoms if they don’t own a disco dress. Other types of clothing wore during the 70s included brightly colored scarves, big sunglasses, platform shoes, floppy hats, halter/tube tops, jewelry in the shape of a peace sign, tie dyed clothing and big hair. You can vote for the most creative or most unique.

A 70s themed party is sure to please everyone and even bring back a few interesting memories. So go all out and have lots of fun.

Halloween can be a day of fun for both young and old. It is also one holiday that is designed for parties. Spooky themes, fun costumes, and plenty of treats make it a good time for all ages.

It has been said that in the past Halloween was reserved mainly for children. There would be costume parties at school, and then an evening of trick-or-treating and other fun. However, more and more adults are starting to take part in the spirit of the holiday as well. After all, who doesn’t enjoy getting dressed up in a fabulous costume and eating candy? Plus, this also makes Halloween a family holiday, since both parents and kids alike can dress up, decorate the house or yard, and participate in the holiday fun.

The history of Halloween parties

Halloween started out as a Celtic holiday known as “Samhain” which celebrated the end of summer. The Celts believed that on the night of Samhain, the souls of the dead would come back to visit the living. Along with them, dark spirits like goblins and witches would also come out. Fires would be lit to keep these dark spirits away, and the Celts would dress in masks and costumes as part of the festivities. Food and lanterns were often left out as gifts for the dead. Over time, these customs turned into the holiday festivities that we know today.

Kids parties

Themes for kids Halloween parties can generally be kept pretty simple. Most kids get excited over dressing up and eating sweets, and there is plenty of room for creativity. Consider having games like bobbing for apples, decorating treat bags, and costume contests for all of the little ones. Of course, food is usually a required part of the fun, and you can get very creative that way. Caramel apples and popcorn balls are fun fall treats, and you can often use a little imagination and food coloring to turn everyday treats into something festive.

Adult parties

While adult parties can still involve costumes and food, you may have to up the ante a little bit when it comes to expectations. Costume contests can still be a great way to encourage guests to get creative and come dressed up. For more mature themes, you can create a Day of the Dead celebration, and celebrate the holiday Mexican-style with authentic foods and treats. Or, you can do a costume ball and play music all night long and serve fine desserts.

Planning ahead

You do not want to leave your Halloween party plans for the month of October. If you start planning ahead of time, you can not only come up with a spectacular theme, but you can find everything you need. Watch for sales and stock up on party supplies like paper plates and cups. Look for fun new recipes to try so that you can wow your friends. And of course, don’t forget to look for a costume – by shopping early you will be able to find the best selection and the best prices.

If you are planning a holiday party, you already know that food can be one of your biggest expenses. However, you can plan the perfect party and still cut food costs. You don’t even need to consider serving expensive appetizers and beverages to throw a great party this holiday season. A little imagination, creativity, and effort can make your festivities a truly memorable occasion.

Here are some of the ways I’ve learned to save on the cost of party food over the holiday season without sacrificing fun or quality:

Snacking Is Classic – Sticking with classic holiday season snacks may be the perfect thing for your party. Traditional foods at casual holiday gatherings include fresh vegetable trays with an assortment of creamy dips, as well as trays of cheese and sausage. Don’t buy pre-made veggie trays. Instead, buy vegetables in bulk and wash and cut them up yourself. They’ll be less expensive and better quality when they’re fresh cut by you. Buy cheese and sausage the same way. The little extra time you spend cutting up your own snacks will be worth it both in money and in what your snacks look like, and taste like. Buy nuts in bulk and put in pretty and festive little dishes around the room. If you can afford an assortment of olives, that’s a nice touch next to the sausage and cheese trays.

Frugal Thirst Quenchers – Most every holiday party would benefit from serving an inexpensive but pretty punch. A punch bowl is very festive and it goes a long, long way. Use frozen juice concentrates in any combination you like, throw in some bubbly soda pop, some ice, and you’ve got yourself a great centerpiece. You should also have an assortment of soft drinks in big bottles as well as fresh water in pitchers. For a casual holiday gathering, your guests can help themselves as long as you have cups and ice available. If you have someone serving your guests, just keep filling their cups and you’ll be hailed as a great host!

Finger Foods For Mingling – If your holiday party guests will be moving about, finger foods are a great way to go. You can create very inexpensive but filling finger foods with very little effort. Start with the classic vegetable tray and dip. Get a good variety of vegetables and make your own dip in order to save money and show you care about your special guests. Wash and cut your own vegetables to ensure quality and to save money. Some simple, small sandwiches are always welcome. Keep in mind that people will be walking around, so no sandwiches that involve two hands and a bib! You can buy big bags of frozen boneless chicken wings that are already seasoned and are relatively inexpensive. Those look great on a bed of kale or romaine lettuce with wedges of lemon alongside. Just stock up on festive napkins and paper plates and your mingling party is set to go!

Culturally Inspired – What if your holiday party has to be a sit-down dinner? Every culture has some kind of dish that is designed to feed a large gathering inexpensively. An Italian inspired meal could include a couple spaghetti dishes, perhaps a tomato sauce and an olive oil and garlic sauce. Be sure to include lots of crusty bread and a fresh antipasto platter on your holiday table. An Asian inspired dish may include a stir-fry of fresh vegetables with ginger and cashews or almonds for crunch. Serve over sticky rice to complete the meal. If you like Mexican food, try some big plates of Nachos, Chilies Rellenos, or Share A Potluck – If you thought potlucks were just for church gatherings, think again. This holiday party planning option is catching on big time. This holiday party is usually a casual gathering of folks who know each other pretty well, and if not, you’ll get to know each other better. The host of the party needs to provide a main dish, but everyone else, in order for it to be a true potluck, brings whatever they want. Now, if someone asks you what you should bring, you can use the opportunity to request a specific dish, but I like the surprise, myself. Ask everyone to bring a copy of their special holiday recipe, unless it’s a well guarded family secret recipe, of course!

Enchiladas. Have lots of chips and salsa to round out the meal. Give some thought to your own background. Maybe some Red Beans and Rice and Blackened Catfish is where you’re coming from! Have some fun with it and your holiday guests will, too!

Traveling Party – These holiday parties work particularly well when several people within the same circle of friends is celebrating the same holiday season. If you have three families in the same neighborhood, each family takes a portion of the party and hosts it at their house. One family starts out with hors d’oeuvres and beverages, the second family with the main dish, and the third family with desserts and coffee. You want to get together on the menu so that the three families are on the same page when it comes to the atmosphere of the party. The food should be casual as people will be coming and going. This kind of holiday party is never a sit-down dinner and should always be served buffet style. Try to plan a specific block of time for each “course”, knowing that you’ll need to be a bit flexible to allow for the flow of people-traffic through each house.

Dessert Time – If your holiday party is later in the evening, or if your guests are the type who like to eat dessert first, this plan is for you. Some inexpensive angel food cake can be all gussied up to look like, and taste like, an expensive gourmet shop dessert quickly and easily. Melt some chocolate, even cheap candy bars will do, and stir in some cream and a pad of butter. When it’s nice and thin, pour it over slices of cake on dessert plates. Garnish with some fresh mint leaves or sprinkles of fresh edible lavender. Try drizzling some thin powdered sugar frosting, flavored with any citrus extract you like, over the slices of cake, then topping with some fresh carnations or even lilacs. The petals are edible and pretty! Or just grate some orange or lime zest over the frosting to give it a bit of flare. Do this in front of your holiday guests to really make their mouths water and come off looking like a real chef!

If you can’t afford expensive catering for your holiday party, you need to get creative with your menu and your plan. It’s really not that hard to come up with frugal and fun ways to save big money on your holiday party budget. Give it a try!

Fall marks the beginning of football season and if you’re like most red-blooded American males, during this time of year you’ll most likely be camped out on your couch in front of the television with a few of your friends to watch you favorite teams play.  This, of course, gives you a pretty good excuse to have even more fun by throwing an awesome party.  And what better theme to have for your party than a Mexican fiesta where you can impress your friends with your Mexican cooking skills and techniques.  At the same time, a Mexican fiesta theme would definitely be a hit with your friends as the party atmosphere is very laid back and stimulating, filled with brilliant colors.

For your Mexican-themed party, you can decide to serve many kinds of Mexican food and since you and your friends will be in front of the television so you don’t miss any of the action and the drama of the game, you need to choose foods that are easy to eat. For example you could serve foods such as tacos, nachos with salsa, burritos and maybe even tamales.

For drinks and dessert, you could definitely serve margaritas and perhaps Mexican wedding cookies.  Aside from being finger foods, all of these dishes are very easy to prepare so you won’t have to spend too much time for both the cooking and preparation process.

Another great way to have fun at a Mexican fiesta party theme is to have a taco bar.  Just lay out all the ingredients that you need (like ground beef, lettuce and jalapenos) to make a taco and watch your friends have fun assembling and eating them.

If you want to have your Mexican fiesta party in your backyard, grilling would be the best way to go.  You can opt for simple grilled recipes such as corn on the cob drizzled with butter, lime juice and cheese to make it much more delicious to eat.

Large onions called knob onions, which are usually found in Mexican markets, can also be grilled with jalapenos and served with carne asada.  This is a traditional dish that your friends would definitely enjoy eating at your party.

You can also grill meats like chicken and beef and when partnered with salsa, these would surely be a hit with all your friends.

Lastly, to make the foods that you serve at your Mexican fiesta party even better, you can serve homemade salsa dips, which you can easily make at home. These would add a new dimension of flavors to all your foods.  In fact, here is a homemade salsa recipe that you can try out and include in your Mexican fiesta party menu today.

California Heat Salsa Recipe

10 Large fresh tomatoes chopped
6 Jalapenos chopped
3 Habenaro’s (for flavor) finely chopped
1 Large white onion finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
lots of black pepper
salt to taste

Combine all ingredients and let sit over night.

With the economy in such a slump it may be difficult to take the family out for a nice Mexican dinner. So why not prepare your own and a fiesta right in your own dinning room. You can set it up buffet style so there is need for a waiter/waitress.

Grab some festive “Mexican theme” sturdy paper plates and napkins and the only clean up will be the pots and pans you used to prepare the dishes. You can even pick up a few inexpensive decorations at a party store or dollar store such as; maracas, red, white and green balloons, and a sombrero for each family member or guest.

Here are my favorite recipes for quick and easy Mexican food. Keep in mind not all Mexican dishes have to be spicy hot, I prefer mild but you can adjust the recipes by simply adding a few tablespoons of your favorite “hot” seasoning to all of these dishes.

FAJITAS

Ingredients

4 cups of meat (beef, turkey, chicken, steak) your choice – cut it into bite size pieces.
1/2 cup oil
1/3 cup onion
1/3 cup peppers (diced)
1/3 cup tomatoes (diced)
1/3 cup taco seasoning

- Add the oil to the pan and let it get warm.

- Saut?he onions, and peppers for 5 minutes.

- Add meat of your choice, sprinkle the taco seasoning over the meat as it cooks, and cook until meat is done.

- Mix in the tomatoes and stir the mixture.

- Serve with shell of your choice.

RED BEANS and RICE

Ingredients

3 cans red kidney beans
3 cups white rice (cooked)
1 onion (diced)
2 jalapeno peppers (diced) – optional
1/2 pound salt pork
2 tablespoons of oil
2 cups of water

- Add the oil to the frying pan.

- Caramelize the onions and peppers about 10 minutes

- In a medium sauce pan and the 2 cups of water and boil the salt pork for about 20 minutes.

- In another medium sauce pan add the 3 cans of bean (with the juice), simmer for 30 minutes.

- Drain the beans in a strainer till all the liquid is gone.

- Put the beans back in the sauce pan and add the salt pork, onions and peppers and stir.

- Continue cooking for 10 minutes, remove the alt pork (you can leave any pieces that fell off.)

- Get your cooked rice out and warm it up then pour the bean mixture over the top of it.

BURRITOS

Ingredients

1 pound of meat (your choice)-cooked
1 medium onion (diced)
1- 12 ounce can of refried beans – warmed up
2 cups of shredded lettuce
1 cup of fresh tomatoes (diced)
2 cups of shredded cheese (any type)
1 cup of sour cream 1
Jar of taco sauce or salsa
1 – 8 count package of soft flat tortilla shells

- Preheat the oven 325 degrees and warm your shells for 10 minutes.

- Lay out all your ingredients, place the meat in the center in an even layer, and then add your beans and the other ingredients in a layer format.

- Wrap your burrito – tuck the ends in and roll the shell. – You can use sour cream, guacamole or salsa to dip the burritos in if you would like.

No Mexican dinner party is complete without an authentic beverage and dessert.

AGUA DE MELLON OR CANTALOUPE JUICE

Ingredients

2 quarts of water
1 whole cantaloupe
1/3 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of water
1/4 of ice cubes

- Pour the water into a 2 quart container

- Cut the cantaloupe in half, scoop out the seeds

- Cut the melon into small pieces

- Using a blender place the melon pieces, 2 tablespoons of water and 1/4 of ice in the blender and blend for about 2 minutes, until it is a liquid consistency.

- In a 3 quart contain pour in the melon mixture and the 2 quarts of water.

- Add the sugar and stir well.

SOPAPILLA CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Ingredients

2- Frozen pie crusts (defrosted)
1- 8 ounce package of sour cream (softened)
1/4 cup of melted margarine or butter
3 tablespoons of chocolate coco
1 cup of sugar

- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

- Place one pie shell in a 9 inch pie dish

- In a large bowl combine the softened cream cheese, melted margarine/butter, chocolate coco and the sugar. Mix well.

- Pour the bowl of mixed ingredients into the pie shell.

- Place the other pie shell on top and make 3 or 4 small slits in the tops crust to allow the steam to be released.

- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the pie shell is a nice golden brown.

- Let cool.

All of these recipes serve six people. Serve and enjoy your at Mexican themed dinner party!

It doesn’t have to cost you a lot of cash to make your BBQ memorable. Remember — most people expect burgers and potato salad. So any different food is good. And if you follow our cheap barbecue party ideas you can impress your guests for very little money.

First off I must state that there is certainly nothing at all wrong with burgers and potato salad. I love them both and all weekend griller’s barbeque parties should have a good selection of these and other basics. But just a few other cheap barbecue party food ideas during planning can save your food — and your parties — from boring repetition.

Here are five cheap and easy food ideas you can try immediately to make you next barbeque party memorable and fun:

1) One word — Condiments! Everyone has ketchup and mustard. Occasionally you see a lonely bottle of Tabasco. But for very little money or effort you can add a rainbow of variety to your table and impress your guests. Visit a specialty store or good supermarket and pick up some bottles of unusual barbeque sauces or hot sauces for the table. Do not just paint the meat on the grill — give your guests a choice on the table. Today’s barbeque and hot sauces come in a wide variety of flavors and heat levels and there is something for (almost) everyone. Consider the food you are serving and other sauces that may complement it. If you are serving pork consider a white BBQ sauce or horseradish sauce. If you are serving fish consider a sweet barbeque sauce or a Vietnamese or Japanese fish sauce.

2) Salsa — Not just for corn chips anymore! Several years ago salsa took over the number-one-selling condiment spot in America from ketchup but most people still think of it as just a dip for chips or a covering for Mexican foods. Salsa is — and can be — so much more. Consider visiting a Farmers’ Market or specialty supermarket the day of the BBQ and picking up a fresh salsa. Or better still,yet spend an hour or so the night before the party and make a batch of homemade salsa. It’s really very easy. And don’t just stick with the basic tomato/pepper salsa — be brave and try a fruit or a veggie based salsa. Choose your salsa based on the meat and vegetables you will be serving and invite your guests to cover these foods for a new taste experience.

3) It’s almost embarrassing how much good will and praise a simple salad will gather. As cheap barbeque party ideas go, this is one of the best. Everyone does potato and macaroni salad. Ask your neighbors to bring a dish and you’ll probably get 3 of each. You can impress everyone to no end by making up a colorful and easy pasta or fruit salad that not only looks great but tastes great, too. Add some grilled items into it at the last minute for a very special touch.

4) Sides — Go beyond the salad! So you’ve brought your beautiful (though cheap) salad. But now think beyond to other side dishes. What springs to mind? If you are like most people – corn on the cob comes to mind. There is nothing wrong this. But to really impress your guests think of adding one or two other unusual sides that will complement the main course. And remember that sides don’t have to be just veggies. Think of the possibilities of fruits, shellfish and even meats.

5) Desserts – Why not use the fire? Okay, you gotta have desserts. You’ll probably want something cool (homemade ice cream, maybe?) and some sweets to keep the kids happy. But since the fire is still warm why not consider really wowing your friends by making an additional dessert or two on the grill. Make homemade ice cream (always a reasonably cheap choice) AND grilled dessert to go with it and you will be considered a party god for many years.

Since most barbeque parties feature the same basic foods, these cheap party food ideas will help any weekend griller to impress their guests. Do it well and your neighbors will invite you to every party and beg for an invitation to yours.