Stylish budget bday tea at home for 13 year old daughter

[Millicent2022]

Am looking for some
Motivation please! Want to do a special tea for dd at home after school on her bday with her 5 best friends.

Would love some ideas to make it really special for not much money please) thanks !

Is she a foodie? If not I would say takeaway if her choice in front of a movie would be ideal for that age.

Not massive foodie although loves vegetarian sushi (don’t get delivery of that around here though, could I do it myself maybe?!)

She and her friends are into crystals retro things etc

I'm doing my DM an afternoon tea. I have been collecting really cute teacups/cake plates etc from charity shops. Going to get some really cute little cakes/sandwiches and do some strawberries and cream and things like macaroons to make it feel extra special

@goget

I'm doing my DM an afternoon tea. I have been collecting really cute teacups/cake plates etc from charity shops. Going to get some really cute little cakes/sandwiches and do some strawberries and cream and things like macaroons to make it feel extra special

Ah that’s so cute !

Should add that have Covid at the mo so prob won’t have a time to do much other than online ! 🤪

Could you do a make your own sushi bar and then chocolate fondue?

@Doidontimmm

Could you do a make your own sushi bar and then chocolate fondue?

Ah that’s a good idea ! With the rolling mat thingies?

Yes! If any of them don’t like sushi they could make their own pizza instead?

You sound a lovely mum.
If you are moving towards perhaps the preparation being an activity for them then I’d suggest making scones as well?
Prep the dough before hand and they can roll and cut their own.
Have a selection of toppings (different jams) in little ramekin dishes.

Don’t forget drinks, I’d order really nice paper straws. Perhaps posh squash and still plus sparkling water to make a change from pop. And/or some unusual juices, possibly hot chocolate unless doing a chocolate fondue already.

Some will like ‘healthier’ options even at a party so I’d suggest some really good fruits for the fondue if you do one.

@Millicent2022 a woman I know vaguely just organised a sushi party for her son. It centred around a ‘sushi train’ from Amazon which she sold on fb afterwards.
It was a massive hit apparently - see photos

If you haven't made sushi before, it's a hard skill to learn. Afternoon tea on the other hand is easy if you can bake, or just buy in. Get some naice crusty bread and do open sandwiches. You could have egg mayo with cress, smoked salmon and cream cheese, ham and mustard, cucumber and cream cheese, coronation chicken, prawn mayo. Bake a Victoria sponge and decorate with fresh strawberries, buy or bake scones and get jam and clotted cream to serve. You could get a bottle of none alcoholic fizz and serve it in champagne flutes.

Afternoon tea I would go for.
Can do variety so if 6 people something they all like.
It’s basically sandwiches cut twee, cake and scones. With tea or sparkling non alcoholic fizz in fancy glasses.

You can buy most ready made ie Ocado online and get delivered if not up for baking. Large cake sliced, brownies into butter sized pieces, ready made scones and clotted cream, tray baked sliced etc.

For sushi the best option is self service, make a large bowl of sushi rice, buy sheets of nori (seaweed) cut them into 4 squares, put out platters with different toppings eg cucumber, avocado, pepper strips, crab sticks, smoked salmon, prawns, only use raw fish if you can source sushi grade from a fishmonger.

They make their own so no need to learn to make it! My kids have done this from tots.

I also tend to serve gyoza (Morrisons have good vegan ones), chicken skewers and shiitake mushrooms with soy and ginger to go with it.

The sushi train looks fab, but I agree that sushi might be a bit hard to make well if you're doing it for the first time.

If they like Asian food and you fancy something a bit different, what about Vietnamese spring rolls? You could have a spread of different fillings and they could roll their own at the table? Very easy and quite delicious!

Afternoon tea sounds lovely too though!

Make waffles with ice-cream, fruit, syrup, sauces etc and they can choose their own toppings?

The other thing that my friends and I used to love when we were teenagers was cheese fondue! And/or chocolate fondue. Also raclette parties!

@AlexaShutUp

The sushi train looks fab, but I agree that sushi might be a bit hard to make well if you're doing it for the first time.

If they like Asian food and you fancy something a bit different, what about Vietnamese spring rolls? You could have a spread of different fillings and they could roll their own at the table? Very easy and quite delicious!

Afternoon tea sounds lovely too though!

Are they like bao?

Pancakes would be cheap? They could choose their own toppings - fruit, marshmallows, sweets, syrups, ice creams.

If you have a slow cooker you can use it as a hot chocolate station - chuck in a tub of hot chocolate powder, a bit of double cream, a jar of Nutella and top it up with milk, leave it for a few hours. They could use similar toppings for that?

This is all so amazingly helpful !!

I actually
Need a new waffle maker (I make loads as eat keto !) and mine broke

Can’t decide between sushi and afternoon high tea ... I think they are all sort of mad about sushi and it’s trendy for them so maybe DIY sushi !!

@LikeSilver

Pancakes would be cheap? They could choose their own toppings - fruit, marshmallows, sweets, syrups, ice creams.

If you have a slow cooker you can use it as a hot chocolate station - chuck in a tub of hot chocolate powder, a bit of double cream, a jar of Nutella and top it up with milk, leave it for a few hours. They could use similar toppings for that?

Ooo love he hot choc idea !

@onepieceoflollipop aw thanks xx

Love the sushi train so cool !

Are you sure that there isn’t anywhere local to get sushi from?

I live in a nationally acclaimed backwater town (Ben Bradley MP) and even we’ve got a fresh sushi takeaway place locally and also a YO! Sushi concession in our big Tesco. Those Inari Pockets are yum!

You could order them all a nice set of chopsticks off a Amazon to eat with as a party keepsake.

@ZealAndArdour

Are you sure that there isn’t anywhere local to get sushi from?

I live in a nationally acclaimed backwater town (Ben Bradley MP) and even we’ve got a fresh sushi takeaway place locally and also a YO! Sushi concession in our big Tesco. Those Inari Pockets are yum!

You could order them all a nice set of chopsticks off a Amazon to eat with as a party keepsake.

Don’t think so (deepest rural SW) but will check again !

I'd go down the afternoon tea route, especially if they like retro. Sushi is amazing unless you don't like sushi which quite a few people don't.

Mini scones with jam and clotted cream. Mini sandwiches. Look at Jane's Patisserie for an easy cheesecake recipe but make it in a square tin and cut into little bite size squares. Mini sponge cakes (make individual ones in a muffin tin). Macarons (maybe someone could pick up some from Aldi for you). Some sort of Pukka tea for variety.

Maybe a non alcoholic cocktail as well.

Are they like bao?

No, they're like little rice paper wraps. Very tasty and good for a crowd as people can choose their own fillings.

I dont think it matters really if they cant make the sushi to a good standard I think the fun will be in the trying.