When we left off back in the summer, we had set our theme, talked about a budget, and given just some general tips. Now comes the fun part!! The menu!! As a true lover of food, this is always one of my favorite parts in any entertaining. Food and baking is my love language for sure. It became a way for Eric & I to get together and create, it became something that people looked forward to, and now a days, it is something we are known for. In short, if I'm cooking for you, consider it a hug!
Alot of times, when you set your theme, your menu becomes quite obvious. There are times though that you can really get creative and think outside of the box, or put a fun twist on something traditional. The popularity of grazing tables and charcuterie boards is continuing to grow, and the varieties are endless. These are hands down my favorites for a few reasons, the top being that they look beautiful. The second, is the clean up is a breeze. Take whatever you do not want, and either bag it up, or toss it. It's that simple.
Are you seeing how the flow is starting to really take shape, and make it simple? Let's say that you want to tackle a small dinner party for 6 and you have a budget of $125, or roughly $21 per person. Now.. before you say " Jen.. that's too high", I am asking when was the last time you went out to a nice dinner and spent less than that per person? You haven't.. you know it. The average steak is going to be more than that in a good restaurant. A perfect menu is going to be something you can present well, and something you feel comfortable making. For this demonstration we are going to use one of my favorite meals... and I even added eggs, oil, and seasonings to my grocery list, so in theory, you will probably be cheaper than this, because those are things you would normally have.
* Steak- New York Strip
* Roasted Lemon Asparagus
* Roasted Parmesan Potatoes
* Caesar Salads
* Brownie Trifle
*Red & White Wines - 19 Crimes Reds & Josh
I ran this grocery list through Food Lion, mainly because they are everywhere. You can certainly go to Publix, or Aldi. It's all about what works for you. We love local beef, so if I was making this, I most likely would get it from the farm we deal with. In any case, my point was to show you, that for less than it would cost ( per person) to go out for 6 people you can have a damn good meal. Your presentation and plating can make all the difference in the world. But that's a story for Part 4! By the way.. my total was $128.06 ( tax & Instacart fees).
