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Parties/celebrations

Whether you're planning a birthday or a hen do, you'll find plenty of ideas for your celebration on our Party forum.

Original poster

What FOOD to put in PARTY BOXES?????

32 replies

looneytune · 05/04/2008 16:54

Ds (5) is having his party tomorrow afternoon and originally I was planning on laying the table out with certain foods but after advice on here, decided to do Food Boxes for each of them.

Now I'm not sure what to put in each box??? HELP!!! Especially when it comes to sandwiches as was going to have several fillings on offer. Unless I have those on a big plate and offer round to go with whatever is in their box?

Please help me, I've got my typical pregnancy brain today and just can't decide what to do!

TIA

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JackieNo · 05/04/2008 17:02

I just do cheese sandwiches (in case there are any vegetarians), couple of (pre-cooked, bought from the supermarket ) cocktail sausages, small bag of crisps/mini pringles, carton of drink, little pack of raisins, some sort of biscuit - penguin, or mini roll or similar. Even then half of it gets left.

Original poster
looneytune · 05/04/2008 17:04

Cheers for that When I was going to do laid out food on the table, I was going to have cucumber/carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, grapes etc.....should I bother? i would have preferred to do a selection of food they could help themselves to but I have such limited time for them to eat and then we get kicked out, I had to make it as quick as possible.

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JackieNo · 05/04/2008 17:07

YOurs sounds a lot healthier than mine. Maybe put tomatoes in, but as you'll have to prepare it in advance, you'd have to wrap things like cucumber sticks up to stop them drying out. Mind you, I tend to wrap the sandwiches and sausages up in a little clingfilm parcel, to stop them being too dried out (and that way I can make them in the morning, store them in the fridge, and just add them to the boxes at the last minute).

Hope it all goes well[smiel]. They're amazingly stressful sometimes, aren't they, kids' parties?

MaureenMLove · 05/04/2008 17:17

Nah! Sarnies and crisps is good. Its a party, afterall and a damn sight easier for one in your condition! My advice is, only half a sandwich each. One cheese and one ham. They won't eat any more than that, they really won't and al of them will eat one or the other and you can play swapsies as necessary.

LOL Jackie at your cheese sarnies (in case of veggies) but you put sausage rolls in!

Sparkler · 05/04/2008 17:20

You could always get some small self seal food bags and put some tomatoes/slices of cucumber/carrot sticks into each one if you really wanted too and then add them to the boxes.

I buy these to put in my girls lunchboxes. Bought them in Asda.

Original poster
looneytune · 05/04/2008 17:20

Cheers, think I will do that with clingfilm, at least the party isn't til 3pm I want some healthy stuff in there because it's what I'm used to as I'm a childminder and some mindees will be there who are younger so can't get away with their boxes being just junk (although I suspect everyone elses will have all the healthy stuff left behind ). Will do what you said, sort in morning and put in the fridge. Just need to decide whether to leave the 25 boxes flat packed and just take all food and sort the boxes whilst there or to sort all boxes before we go and then transport 25 ready made boxes?

Stress ....I can do the kids no probs, I'm used to that to a point, it's the rest of it that's stressing me - first time I've done a party of any sort and being 29 wks pregnant, knackered and swollen, I'm beginning to wonder why I chose this year to do my first one!!!

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Original poster
looneytune · 05/04/2008 17:22

Mo - I reckon my ds is strange then The last party he went to he wouldn't eat the junk and was craving more and more sarnies as used to filling up on the other stuff. Honestly, sometimes I wish he'd just be happy with the junk!!

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Original poster
looneytune · 05/04/2008 17:23

Sparkler - will look in the food bag section in asda too to see if they have any - must admit, I hate bloomin clingfilm!!

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pointydog · 05/04/2008 17:24

You could avoid sandwiches altogether and put in cocktail sausages, ritz crackers and cheese sticks or something.

Sparkler · 05/04/2008 17:24

Defintely put all boxes together before you leave home. Put them all into one huge box. Job done. You will have far too many other things to do and you want to have time to enjoy it all too.

MaureenMLove · 05/04/2008 17:25

I know what you mean! DD never, ever drinks a carton drink and is always the PITA at a party who wants a glass of water!

Original poster
looneytune · 05/04/2008 17:27

pointydog - cheers but I really don't mind doing sandwiches and I know most people will expect some kind of sandwich.

Just realised, we only usually use wholemeal bread. Should I do white bread as not all kiddies like wholemeal?

Sparkler - yeah, agree. Just need to find a big box now

What about adults.....should I provide for them? Bottles of pop and nibbles??? I'm so clueless!

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Sparkler · 05/04/2008 17:27

I've done party boxes many times for my girls' parties. I have never put cartons of drink in the boxes. No enough room to start with.
I make jugs of orange squash/blackcurrant/water/milk and let them choose.

pointydog · 05/04/2008 17:28

I always do white but you know your market better.

Original poster
looneytune · 05/04/2008 17:29

Mo - ds ONLY drinks water too (and milk at night). Bless him though, he gets so embarrassed that he won't ask for water so I have to make sure I ask for him!

Decided that as I've already bought the 'Spiderman' cups, I'll do jugs of drink instead of providing a carton. I'll have jug of water and jug some something else....orange squash ok do you think? (as not all kids will have fruit juice from what I've seen)

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Mercy · 05/04/2008 17:29

Tbh I think just laying the food out on the table would be less hassle all round.

Having said that, dd went to a party that had food boxes - irrc each one had a cheese or ham roll, a packet of Hulahoops, a few grapes and a fun size chocolate bar, with a piece of birthday cake afterwards.

Is the party in a hired hall?

Sparkler · 05/04/2008 17:29

Hmmm grown ups . I've never been sure about this one. DH always tells me not to worry about them - after all it's for the kids at the end of the day.
Where is your party being held. We've had parties held in the local church all. Thankfully I have a very good mum who has been my tea/coffee lady and has kept the kettle boiling for all those thirsty parents. Do you have someone that could take that responsibility on? It's very time consuming. As it's still near easter, how about buying a batch load of hot cross buns or a large tin of biscuits. That should keep them going.

Original poster
looneytune · 05/04/2008 17:30

Sparkler - I'll do the same

Pointydog - I only know what my ds and mindees with have but I suspect a lot of the others would prefer white??? Oh, I might get some of that inbetween bread and they can like it or lump it

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Sparkler · 05/04/2008 17:33

There's so much to think about.
And of course, there's also bread rolls!!

Original poster
looneytune · 05/04/2008 17:34

Mercy - I've bought the boxes now after advice on another thread. That way they can tuck straight in. It's not a hired hall, it's a gym club and they get a total of 30 mins for the food then pickup time and of course before they go, I need to hand out party bags etc. I then get 15 mins after the clear everything up before the next party arrives!

Sparkler - no facilities to do tea/coffee so think I'll get some plain plastic cups and bottles of pop/cartons of fruit juice and something simple in case they are peckish and leave it at that. I suspect a lot will leave their kids and collect later so don't want to overdo it.

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Original poster
looneytune · 05/04/2008 17:34

Bread rolls are sounding appealing now....decisions, decisions!!!

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smoggie · 05/04/2008 18:33

Ds (5) had his party last w/e and I made party boxes after feeling sick last year at the amount of waste from having lots of food down the middle of the table.

Each party box contained
1 round of sandwiches (cheese and ham seperate)cut into triangles
1 pkt mini Pringles
Frube yog
Cheese string (I know, but they love em)
Handful of grapes
Choc crispy cake or Cadbury cake bar for older ones
Carton of pure orange or apple juice
I did buy some mini bottles of water as a few didn't like juice.

I made the sanwiches on the morning (3 loaves of invisible crust bread were just the right amount for 30 children if that helps). Then I boxed everything up at the church hall. Kept sandwiches, yogs and cheese in cooler bags until ready.
In hindsight I probably would have put just 3 triangles of bread in each - lots of waste for those, other stuff went down v well though.HTH
Have a lovely time.

smoggie · 05/04/2008 18:33

Ds (5) had his party last w/e and I made party boxes after feeling sick last year at the amount of waste from having lots of food down the middle of the table.

Each party box contained
1 round of sandwiches (cheese and ham seperate)cut into triangles
1 pkt mini Pringles
Frube yog
Cheese string (I know, but they love em)
Handful of grapes
Choc crispy cake or Cadbury cake bar for older ones
Carton of pure orange or apple juice
I did buy some mini bottles of water as a few didn't like juice.

I made the sanwiches on the morning (3 loaves of invisible crust bread were just the right amount for 30 children if that helps). Then I boxed everything up at the church hall. Kept sandwiches, yogs and cheese in cooler bags until ready.
In hindsight I probably would have put just 3 triangles of bread in each - lots of waste for those, other stuff went down v well though.HTH
Have a lovely time.

smoggie · 05/04/2008 18:34

oops sorry

Original poster
looneytune · 05/04/2008 21:57

That's great, very helpful thanks

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