Menu for Saturday's Dinner Party - What Do You Think?

swampwitch

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We have a fair amount of dinner parties so all our friends have eaten my menus twice at least, so I've tried to come up with some different dishes this time. We just bought a new BBQ so I have to use that.
I make everything from scratch; the refried beans and guacamole in the dip, the garbanzo beans, the rib marinade and the cookies: everything.

Appetizers or Starters:
Seven-Layer Dip (refried beans, guacamole, New Mexican salsa, sour cream, chopped tomatoes, queso blanco which is Mexican cheese, green onions) Served With Corn Chips
Fruit & Cheese Skewers (chunks of fresh pineapple, apple, strawberries, blackberries, mandarin oranges, alternating with aged white cheddar and monterrey jack)

Drinks
Wines, red and white
Beer
Fruit Juice Sweetened Spriters
Coffee and Tea

Main Course
BBQ Ribs (both pork and beef in spicy sauce)
Garbanzo Bean (Chick Pea) Salad
Macaroni & Cheese (for the kids)
BBQ Vegetable Kabobs (new potatoes, cubed sweet potatoes, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, green peppers, fennel bulbs, small white onions, zucchini, butternut squash)

Desserts
Mexican Lime Cornmeal Cookies
Some Other Dessert being brought by a guest

We are having six adults and three kids. One adult is a vegetarian. Does it sound good? Any suggestions?
 

natalie_ca

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The menu sounds very yummy. But ribs for 6 adults and 3 kids will be awfully expensive.

How about BBQ chicken, pork chops and maybe some kind of beef kabob with green peppers and onions? Or maybe a fish dish?
 

jennyr

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It sounds great to me! One good idea for dinner parties is to never serve a menu which is consists of nothing but dishes you have never made before - it can be too stressful and the potential for disaster is too great. I got caught that way once when I was quite young and served three horrible courses. Always have at least one course which you can do easily and then if things go wrong with something else you can all laugh about it.
 

cat mommy

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Originally Posted by SwampWitch

We have a fair amount of dinner parties so all our friends have eaten my menus twice at least, so I've tried to come up with some different dishes this time. We just bought a new BBQ so I have to use that.
I make everything from scratch; the refried beans and guacamole in the dip, the garbanzo beans, the rib marinade and the cookies: everything.

Appetizers or Starters:
Seven-Layer Dip (refried beans, guacamole, New Mexican salsa, sour cream, chopped tomatoes, queso blanco which is Mexican cheese, green onions) Served With Corn Chips
Fruit & Cheese Skewers (chunks of fresh pineapple, apple, strawberries, blackberries, mandarin oranges, alternating with aged white cheddar and monterrey jack)

Drinks
Wines, red and white
Beer
Fruit Juice Sweetened Spriters
Coffee and Tea

Main Course
BBQ Ribs (both pork and beef in spicy sauce)
Garbanzo Bean (Chick Pea) Salad
Macaroni & Cheese (for the kids)
BBQ Vegetable Kabobs (new potatoes, cubed sweet potatoes, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, green peppers, fennel bulbs, small white onions, zucchini, butternut squash)

Desserts
Mexican Lime Cornmeal Cookies
Some Other Dessert being brought by a guest

We are having six adults and three kids. One adult is a vegetarian. Does it sound good? Any suggestions?
Can I come?
It sounds yummy!!
 

gailc

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Have you ever bought flour or corn tortillas and made your own chips. You brush the bottom of a cookie sheet with veg oil and whisk together oil with salt,ground cuman,cayenne pepper (or spices of your choosing) and brush one side of the tortilla with this mixture. Stack the tortilla and cut in strips or wedges. Place in single layer on baking sheet. Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 375F. The chipswill need about 12-15 minutes in oven and switch racks about halfway through coooking.
These are mighty tasty!!

The menu sounds great though!!
 

cococat

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I think I want to be your friend!
How yummy!!!
Count me in, husband plus one cat
I don't eat ribs - but my husband makes up for that.
 

whuckleberry

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That sounds delectable (and impressive that you're making it all!). Hand me a plate of ribs and veggie kabobs, and a spritzer, please!
 

monaxlisa

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Yumm!! Think you have room for one more?

Chickpeas are the best, mmm. Whenever I make ribs I smother them in sauce and wrap them up in tin foil, then cook them on the bbq for an hour or two (turning of course) and when they come out theyre soo tender!

(That Chip recipe sounds really good too, cant wait to try it!)
 
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swampwitch

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Thanks for the input! I usually cook all Tex-Mex, or traditional BBQ with potato salad, beans, fruit salad, etc. so I'm trying to shake things up a bit.


Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

The menu sounds very yummy. But ribs for 6 adults and 3 kids will be awfully expensive.
I got a really good deal on the ribs a few weeks ago, and stuck them in the freezer. Since then, they have been calling out for a dinner party!


Originally Posted by mews2much

Sounds good to me except for the Chick Pea Salad. Most People will like that though.
Now, now, you should try it before you say you don't like it.


Originally Posted by jennyranson

It sounds great to me! One good idea for dinner parties is to never serve a menu which is consists of nothing but dishes you have never made before - it can be too stressful and the potential for disaster is too great. I got caught that way once when I was quite young and served three horrible courses. Always have at least one course which you can do easily and then if things go wrong with something else you can all laugh about it.
That's great advice! I found that out the hard way once, too.


Originally Posted by Cat Mommy

Can I come?
It sounds yummy!!
Sure you can come! You'll have to take a plane or a boat to get here, though.


Originally Posted by GailC

Have you ever bought flour or corn tortillas and made your own chips. You brush the bottom of a cookie sheet with veg oil and whisk together oil with salt,ground cuman,cayenne pepper (or spices of your choosing) and brush one side of the tortilla with this mixture. Stack the tortilla and cut in strips or wedges. Place in single layer on baking sheet. Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 375F. The chipswill need about 12-15 minutes in oven and switch racks about halfway through coooking.
These are mighty tasty!!
Those sound great! But like a lot of work!

Originally Posted by silvionc

OMG!! Can i be your friend!
You bet!

Originally Posted by cococat

I think I want to be your friend!
How yummy!!!
Count me in, husband plus one cat
I don't eat ribs - but my husband makes up for that.
You are already my friend, silly. Bring some good wine.


Originally Posted by whuckleberry

That sounds delectable (and impressive that you're making it all!). Hand me a plate of ribs and veggie kabobs, and a spritzer, please!
You guys won't see me around TCS much for the next two days.


Originally Posted by MonaxLisa

Yumm!! Think you have room for one more?

Chickpeas are the best, mmm. Whenever I make ribs I smother them in sauce and wrap them up in tin foil, then cook them on the bbq for an hour or two (turning of course) and when they come out theyre soo tender!...
You don't precook them? Interesting... I always loved chickpeas when I was a vegetarian so they are especially for my veggie friend. And I'm grilling the vegetables for her, so she'll have something with BBQ taste.

You are all invited, but be warned that I've never cooked dinner for more than 23 people at a time.
 

sweets

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Fruit & Cheese Skewers (chunks of fresh pineapple, apple, strawberries, blackberries, mandarin oranges, alternating with aged white cheddar and monterrey jack)
If you put the fruit/cheese skewers on a HOT grill for a short time, the heat will release some of the sugars and make them even sweeter!
 

carolpetunia

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Oh my gosh. Mexican Lime Cornmeal Cookies? I've never heard of such a thing, but it sounds completely dreamy... oh pleeeease, can you share the recipe?
 

taurus77

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In keeping with the mexican food theme, the only other thing I could think of would be a dessert. I take small flour tortillas, spray them with butter spray (or just brush with butter if you don't mind the calories), and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Lay them over an oven-proof bowl and bake until crisp--they will keep the shape of the bowl which you could fill with ice cream, pudding, berries romanoff (sour cream, grand marnier, cinnamon and honey mixed with fresh berries). But, that's alot of work. Either way, you should try it some time.
 

monaxlisa

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Originally Posted by SwampWitch

You don't precook them? Interesting... I always loved chickpeas when I was a vegetarian so they are especially for my veggie friend. And I'm grilling the vegetables for her, so she'll have something with BBQ taste.

You are all invited, but be warned that I've never cooked dinner for more than 23 people at a time.
Nope, I dont precook. The idea of the foil is to make a little bag so you fold up the edges several times and it just steams and simmers in all the rib juice, turn once every 30 mins and when its done you can pull it off the bone with a fork.

Originally Posted by KittenKrazy

In that case, can I come help cook? I'm used to cooking for 250+...........
250+! Wowie!
 

theimp98

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it is to late to say,
make it MCD or pizzahut night?

or better yet, make them bring there own dinner?

lol
 

xlaydeextaniax

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Originally Posted by SwampWitch

We have a fair amount of dinner parties so all our friends have eaten my menus twice at least, so I've tried to come up with some different dishes this time. We just bought a new BBQ so I have to use that.
I make everything from scratch; the refried beans and guacamole in the dip, the garbanzo beans, the rib marinade and the cookies: everything.

Appetizers or Starters:
Seven-Layer Dip (refried beans, guacamole, New Mexican salsa, sour cream, chopped tomatoes, queso blanco which is Mexican cheese, green onions) Served With Corn Chips
Fruit & Cheese Skewers (chunks of fresh pineapple, apple, strawberries, blackberries, mandarin oranges, alternating with aged white cheddar and monterrey jack)

Drinks
Wines, red and white
Beer
Fruit Juice Sweetened Spriters
Coffee and Tea

Main Course
BBQ Ribs (both pork and beef in spicy sauce)
Garbanzo Bean (Chick Pea) Salad
Macaroni & Cheese (for the kids)
BBQ Vegetable Kabobs (new potatoes, cubed sweet potatoes, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, green peppers, fennel bulbs, small white onions, zucchini, butternut squash)

Desserts
Mexican Lime Cornmeal Cookies
Some Other Dessert being brought by a guest

We are having six adults and three kids. One adult is a vegetarian. Does it sound good? Any suggestions?
i think it sound's great!
 
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swampwitch

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Hey, guys, the dinner went well! There are always unexpected things, though. What I learned:

1. Special-Edition 24 month aged White Cheddar will crumble if you try to skewer it. Since we couldn't skewer it, we served the cheese chunks in a bowl beside the fruit kabobs.

2. It is not easy to use a coal BBQ in near-freezing temperatures with a super-wicked north wind blowing. Use a foil tray to start cooking the ribs, then put them on the grill when turning them. Some of the ribs were a little bit cajun style, but over seven pounds were eaten!


Originally Posted by KittenKrazy

In that case, can I come help cook? I'm used to cooking for 250+...........
WOW!

Originally Posted by Sweets

If you put the fruit/cheese skewers on a HOT grill for a short time, the heat will release some of the sugars and make them even sweeter!
What a cool idea!

Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

Oh my gosh. Mexican Lime Cornmeal Cookies? I've never heard of such a thing, but it sounds completely dreamy... oh pleeeease, can you share the recipe?
They were O.K., but not great.

Originally Posted by Taurus77

In keeping with the mexican food theme, the only other thing I could think of would be a dessert. I take small flour tortillas, spray them with butter spray (or just brush with butter if you don't mind the calories), and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Lay them over an oven-proof bowl and bake until crisp--they will keep the shape of the bowl which you could fill with ice cream, pudding, berries romanoff (sour cream, grand marnier, cinnamon and honey mixed with fresh berries). But, that's alot of work. Either way, you should try it some time.
I'm going to try that this summer with fresh berries!

Originally Posted by theimp98

it is to late to say,
make it MCD or pizzahut night?

or better yet, make them bring there own dinner?

lol
Ha ha, you are funny Bruce!

Originally Posted by xLaydeexTaniax



i think it sound's great!
I'm ready to do it again this weekend, LOL!
 

jennyr

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I am so pleased it all went well - but I know about the weather problems! I invited people last weekend hoping for BBQ weather to 'christen' my new built-in BBQ, but we ended up eating in the kitchen as it poured down outside, and I had to cook everything in the oven. Roll on summer.
 
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