Please can you cast your eye over the food I have planned for an event?

[CommonerTrulyReigns]

It's a family celebration, and we have offered to host it in our garden.

I was thinking of doing a simple bread and cheese supper it will be at 8ish, so I think most will have eaten a meal, so I'm trying to just do a nominal but interesting, nibbly snack.

So, loaves of various bread for people to cut themselves.

Various cheeses.
Souped up olives.
Homemade slunbush tomatoes.
Homemade chicken liver pate.
Homemade mackerel pate.
Posh crisps.
Proper butter.

The celebration cake for pudding.

Although my DM has offered to make an Eton Mess/Pavlova/Posset sort of thing, but I think just the cake will be sufficent.

Do you think that's ok?

Or would you do actual puddings?

Anything else you can think of to compliment?

Thanks everso.

tbh, I'd either provide more food, or make it clear that you are providing 'nibbles'. If I was invited to eat at 8, I'd assume it was dinner-sized portions iyswim.

(sounds lovely though)

I think the bread, cheese and extras sound lovely - a good selection. I do think another dessert option, other than the cake I mean, wouldn't be a bad thing. Thinking along the lines of your DM's suggestions, offering the components of Eton mess for people to make up their own pudding/add to your cake could be a very nice touch.

I do think rambleon has a point about the timing, though - if it were me, I'd expect fairly substantial portions of your various options available. 8pm isn't very late and I don't think everyone will have eaten beforehand!!

Oh yeah, I will be telling prople that's it's a bread and cheese supper, thanks.

Do you think I need puudings?

Oh bugger - I was trying to get away without massive catering!

I have DS's birthday party the next day to cater for as well.

Fair enough! Yup, I'd still have a pudding option on offer in addition to the cake. It really does all sound very yummy though!

go for the pudding...why not, everyone loves a pudding at a party..
other than that, don't forget your pickles, chutney, etc

it's fine CTR, sounds lovely..
just explain it's nibbles, not 3 course meal.

What about just adding some salad and chicken pieces or similar?

It sounds nice, but at that time if night I would expect something a bit more substantial.

My failsafe for large events is nigellas ham in cherry coke with new potatoes.

Ok, let's expalin a little more.

There's a church service at 6 for a child's baptism, and then back to our garden to raise a glass and cut the cake.

More than 50% of the group will be children so that's why I think that it doesn't need to be too substantial, as I'm assuming that most would feed their DC before the service iyswim?

But now I'm worrying that the fayre isn't very child friendly.

[oh sucks]

But I like the idea of a ham, tthanks trixy.

Ham/chicken pieces would be a good idea I think, my DD would eat the bread out of your list.

bother

pasta salad? potato salad, cous cous salad etc, if they oin to baptism then yours they wont have had time to eat?

houmus and cucumber sticks for kids :p
potato wedes home made and baked?

Oh - well, I think if most people will have been out of their house since around 5/5:30 I would think they would need 'dinner' not nibbles. Why not get everyone to 'bring a plate'?

Hmmm, you're right Chipping.

bother bother and trice bother.

Ok then, as above with potatoes, salads, hummus, ham, chicken, wedges?

And no flocking puddings.

(but I know I will cave on this point)

Gah.

Could you not take your DM up on her offer of pudding? I like to do things myself but there are times when offers of help can be very useful!!

I would definitely expect something a bit more substantial in that case as no time for dinner beforehand.

How many people will be there?

Bring a dish is brilliant. I'd def do that.

Chaos - it's going to cost quite a lot for you to do it all - why not (as I said earlier) get everyone to bring a plate?

Let your Mum make a pudding (or two).

Thanks for all your input everyone.

I think I'm pretty much set on what I listed above plus a ham and chisken pieces.

And set the jungle drums going for puddings.

40!!!

Hotdogs. Sausages done in the oven an hour or so in advance and kept warm in tin foil. Ketchup. Done.

And crisps if you're feeling like you want complexity.

The fussy/veggy/ whatever ones can have bread rolls.

Mini milks for pudding.

There you go. Carbs, protein, and at least one of your five-a-day from the ketchup and strawberry flavouring in the mini milk