i think we will have 10 adults and 5 kids. Hoping the weather is good and we can set up outside and the kids can run around and play in the cubby house. Otherwise, the tables will fit longwise inside.
We have a few non/selective meat eaters, so need to cater for both. Guests are happy to bring food along too.
So far, we are thinking of cooking meat on an outside spit (red meat + chicken), mushroom moussaka or similar, roast potatoes (maybe pumpkin) and get people to bring salad and/or dessert.
I love the idea of making decorations/table things with the kids. We have two fold up tables (and can borrow more) so can make long table so we can all eat together.
Love the esky idea, and will have to use that because our fridge is not that big. i am quite conscious of food hygiene, so want to keep the things that need to be cold cold.
Love the idea of jumping in the pool, but alas i don't think the shell pool will be big enough.
We are not big (alcohol) drinkers, but will have to think about whether we get some, or get someone else to bring it. No-one coming is a big drinker actually, but i'm sure a cold beer might be appreciated. Thought i might make fruit punch too, pretty simple and it feels a bit fancy even if it is not.
Slice or rum/bliss balls might be nice and easy to make beforehand. Or maybe overkill? will have to see what desserts people want to bring.
DO you usually have an entree? Mum has been doing prawns but she doesn't eat them and so doesn't get the difference between dodgy ones and really nice ones, so it is hasn't had the impact she was looking for (but noone has told her yet). i don't think i want to do soup. Maybe nibblies (cheese/dips etc) would be better, because i am assuming there will be a wide range of when people arrive.
I want to have some food that we can feed kids, even if others not here/not ready because they are all under 4 and without food get cranky.
Loving hearing all the different ways that people have done things!
We don't have an entree as such, just pickings (often while unwrapping pressies) because, as you say, people tend to rock up whenever they darn well feel like it....grrr! So, the cheese plate, rum/bliss balls could come out then - keeps the kids and hungry adults happy. Sometimes we do smoked salmon on Melba toast with cream cheese and chives, or dip and lavosh bread bikkies (just bake pieces of oiled lavosh bread for 10 mins - can be done a few days before too). We try to do everything cold so the oven doesn't heat the house and we're not reheating. Have done mini quiches or pizza pinwheels before, but then we're in the kitchen while everyone else is relaxing and it's no fun at all
It's always BYO alcohol to share as my family enjoy good wine. Then we watch my side of the family and DH try to keep the good stuff away from MIL, who skulls it, despite saying she doesn't drink. Funny watching my Dad try to convince her they're drinking the same thing when they're totally different colours, lol! We provide soft drinks/fruit punch.
Forgot to say that if we do it all, we get the rest of the family to chip in some money as it can be expensive. It also saves us worrying about getting food poisoning from MIL's potato salad that gets made the day before, but transported for 45mins in a hot car because she can't be bothered putting it in an esky! Pity, as her potato salad is awesome, but we only eat it if we're going to her, lol! Or worrying that people don't bring what they say they will (my brother is a 'forgetter' and my in laws say one thing and bring another, so we've had times where we've had three garden salads and nothing else).
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