Ideas for Baby Shower Menu Planning

Preparation is a crucial component of a successful event and that is particularly accurate when it pertains to the baby shower menu. The food is a central element of the get-together and particular consideration needs to be given to the menu. The following recommendations can make it simpler on you before, through, and after the shower.

Preparation and baking time for each dish needs to be carefully planned out. Neglecting this crucial planning of the baby shower food menu can mean disaster. A uncomplicated way to make certain you won't run out of time is to create a list of each recipe and note the preparation and cooking time for each one. You may desire to add in a little spare time for preparation on each recipe because it can sometimes take you more time than you imagine, especially when you are trying to make a number of various food items at the same time. It is also a wonderful idea to mark down if the recipe needs to be served warm or if it should be served cold. It is a terrific idea to choose several recipes that will refrigerate well for one or two days. This way you can prepare some of the food items ahead of time. You will have to create a prioritized listing of each menu item that needs to be prepared the date of the party. You ought to as well have a schedule arranged of what time you have to begin making every item. If you require an spare pair or two of hands in the kitchen to help you, ensure you check with pals well before the get-together.

Trying to make a recipe you have never made before is not a great idea when preparing a baby shower food menu. If you just can't resist, do not test on your gathering guests. Experiment with the recipe before the party and record down what you learn. Write down how much time it required of you to prepare the item, the amount of time to bake it, how favorably the item was received by your test audience, and if the food kept well in the refrigerator. When you have this list finalized you can come to a decision if the food was excellent enough and if the time involved in preparing and cooking can fit into your schedule. If you make a decision to try out a new recipe on a test audience be sure it is people that will give you an frank answer about the flavor. Don't be tempted to leave out the test audience piece. Don't rely  on your taste buds alone. What you are keen on might not please to a broad enough audience and you could end up with food that your visitors do not enjoy.

It is critical to know the size and kind of pan or dish that you need for each food item. You may find that you require 3 dishes of the identical size but you just have one. If you must have extra pans borrow the others or decide on alternate menu items. You likewise may be able to cook some of the menu items a day or two ahead of time and put the food into a alternate pan so maintain that in mind. Do not overlook that cleaning up is one more element of baby shower menu planning. Work out what number of various dishes and utensils you will need to make use of for making every menu item. If there is a menu item which is likely to stretch the resources of your kitchen and create a large mess, consider preparing something more easy. If it is a food item that can be cooked a day or two ahead of time keeping it on the menu is all right provided you are prepared for the clean up.

Cheap Baby Shower Food Ideas

Food is sure to be at the top of your list when planning a baby shower. It is typically the most expensive part of the shower so cutting costs in this category will have the most impact on your budget. Here are some cheap baby shower food ideas to help you save money.

Making Your Own Platters
Buying a tray of fruit, vegetables, or cheese and crackers is always more expensive than making a platter yourself. For a fruit or vegetable platter, get items that are in season and on sale. In the winter items like apples, oranges, and bananas are likely to be cheaper. A little lemon juice on the apples can help to keep them from going brown on the tray. There are many simple recipes available to make your own fruit or vegetable dip. For a cheese and crackers tray, it will be more cost effective to make a cheese ball than to buy several different kinds of cheese. Most cheese balls can be made a day or two in advance, this sometimes even helps the flavors set better.

Salads
Salads are another good inexpensive baby shower food idea. A nice garden salad with lettuce and a few other vegetables like small tomatoes, cucumbers, and cabbage mixed in makes a healthy and simple dish. A pasta salad is another easy idea that doesn't have to cost a lot of money. Making your own chicken or tuna salad and serving it with small buns is a good entree dish for a lunch shower and is less expensive than getting a tray with deli meats.

Ways to Use Your Theme for Baby Shower Menus

Using your theme throughout the shower, even with baby shower menus adds a more festive flair to the shower. No matter what your theme is, there are ways to make foods that fit with it.

Using Theme Shapes
One way you can do this is by using shapes related to your shower theme when making or serving the food. For example, if your shower theme is butterfly related, you can make the vegetables on the vegetable tray create the shape of a butterfly. Using a butterfly shaped cookie cutter, you can also cut butterfly shapes out of slices of cheese.

Using Theme Colors
Use the colors for your theme in the foods that you prepare. This will be easier for some themes than others. If your theme is baby boy, you will find a tough time finding naturally blue foods. Keep in mind that food coloring can be added to many things to change the color. You can also use foods that have complimentary colors. In the case of blue, having green and yellow items for your baby shower menus works out well. Just be sure to use those colors in your decorations as well.

Matching the Theme
In some cases, the menu choices will be obvious like with a tea party theme. Tea, cookies, and finger sandwiches are perfect matches for this theme. If the theme is sports related, tailgating type food items would be a good match.