Dinner Party Catering Tips

Planning a successful dinner party should always start with hiring a great party caterer. A caterer is a person that is trained and educated in preparing and serving food to large crowds.

There are generally two different types of party caterers today. These are on premises caterers and off premises. On premise caterers will prepare, cook and serve the food at the same location that the party is being held. This requires a large kitchen so that the catering staff can move around efficiently. Off premise caterers will prepare and cook the food at a different location and then bring it to be served to the party. They often use food warmers to keep the food steaming while it is in transit.

One thing to ask a party caterer is if they offer sit down service or do they offer buffet type service. A sit down service allows guests to remain at their tables and servers (hired by the caterer) will bring them their plates. A buffet style meal allows guests to serve themselves. They have the ability to pick and choose the foods that they like. This type of service is also a bit cheaper than having to pay for a caterer extra for servers.

When talking to a caterer be sure that they are equipped to handle all of your needs. Making a list of everything needed before hand will help with this task. Make sure to use a service that is known for its excellence. Hiring a good party caterer can make any event a success.

Source: Ezine Article

Perfect Halloween Party!

Celebrity party planner Mark Addison shows you how to wow your guests — and totally creep them out at the same time!

"Finger" Foods: Make Ordinary Party Foods into Creepy Bites

1. Witch's Fingers: Coat pretzel rods with honey mixed with a dash of red food dye, and roll them in crushed peanuts. Dip the ends in the red-dyed honey for an extra bloody digit!

2. Skewered Eyeballs: Marinate mozzarella balls flavored with herbs and spices. Attach sliced black and green olives with a toothpick to make the pupils.

3. Brain Cheese: Mold a party cheese log into the shape of a human brain, add pimento peppers for realistic blood clots. Cut tortillas into ghoulish shapes with cookie cutters, then lightly toast and spread the brain food on top!

Make Your Own Costumes

1. "Make-Your-Own Costume Bar": Invite friends over the week before the big party and ask each to bring funky clothes and accessories to mix and match to create unique costumes. This is an inexpensive way to make different costumes from what you already have and have fun seeing what kooky concoctions everyone comes up with.

2. Celebrity Masquerade Charades: Pick your favorite celeb and your favorite movie they were in and dress up like that character. Have a contest with all of your friends and make a party game out of guessing which celeb and character you are.

3. Instant Costumes: If your friends show up without a costume (lame!), be prepared with instant masks. Inexpensive masquerade masks can be transformed with leftover materials from class projects, crafts, and ordinary household items such as markers, hole punches, and my favorite, white out! This is also a great group activity at your Halloween party!

Mad Scientist Drinks

1. Themed Drinks: Enliven bottles with homemade labels to change your favorite soda or fruit drink into tempting poisons and elixirs, such as Rat Poison, Witches Brew, or Truth Serum.

2. "Bloody" Glasses: Coat the edge of drinking glasses using corn syrup dyed with red food coloring, turn right side up and allow mixture to drip down the glasses to serve your creepy concoctions in.

3. Gross-out Factor: Make Jell-O discs and cover drinks to make a skin layer you have to eat before drinking!

Hollywood Special Effects

1. Spookify the Place: Hang shredded black garbage bags in entrance ways and old torn sheets in windows to make your party room look decrepit and abandoned. Shredded black garbage bags make great tablecloths too — just roll everything up in the bags after the party and toss in the garbage! What could be easier?

2. House of Haunts: Ominous shapes and shadowy figures lurking in windows and doorways can be easily created from cardboard covered in black tissue paper. Battery-operated lights hidden in corners will give your room and shadowy figures a spooky glow.

3. Lose a Finger: Creepy specimens in jars will make a gruesome statement on any table. They are simple to create with colored water and plastic body parts in clear glass jars. Add red-colored corn syrup to votive candles for a bloody addition to your creepy collection.

Source:  Yahoo Shine

The Office Party - Catering is the Word

The office party; Are there any two words in the English language that seem like they should further apart then the words "office" and "party"? But alas, everyday, somewhere in the United States there is some type of office party going on. Maybe it's a holiday party, or a teamwork party, or a grand launch, or a retirement party. Everywhere there are people stuffed into some break room forcing a smile and trying to figure out an escape route. While they are not mandatory most of the time, there is only one reason why we brave the uncomfortable and find our way to the break room at the allotted time on the Outlook calendar: Catering. Offices parties tend to have great catering.

May it be Chinese food, subway sandwiches, Middle Eastern fare or tins filled with Mexican food; the office party is known around the business world as a chance to eat some great food on the company’s dime. And since most companies over-order on the phone, there is always enough left over to take home in a doggy bag. This is not done by mistake either; companies know that happy workers mean better quality of work. And while you can't please everyone all the time, the closest you typically going to come is by offering them a smorgasbord of free food.

Food catering companies know this, as do fast food and sit down restaurants. Catering is big money, and that is why no matter if you go to a hole in the wall Mexican place, a chain sandwich shop or a fancy Italian restaurant, catering services are always offered. Places like Corner Bakery, Panera Bread and even El Pollo Loco make their bread and butter on catering. And it's not just large jobs either; it can be as small as a few dozen bagels and a few pots of coffee. The reason why companies love catering is because it costs less to cook and present stuff in bulk. You can charge more for a large side then an individual side, and because it is bulk it costs you less money to make. It's a win-win for them.

If you are in charge of putting together catering for your office you probably know that having a good caterer in your back pocket is a great way to get things done quick and easy. While it may cost a big more, a catering service can get you great food quick. Plus, they'll typically deliver the food and even clean up.

Source: Ezine article and Charley’s Other Brother

Top Wedding Reception Venues around the World

Nuptial ceremony is a special occasion in our lives. It is a beautiful once-in-a-lifetime affair. Success of a wedding ceremony largely depends upon the venue. So, you must be careful while choosing an ideal location for conducting your marriage rituals. Subsequently, a reception venue should also match your preferences and tastes. It is solely responsible for setting the tone of your nuptial party. There are numerous interesting locations in different parts of the world. They offer unique themes and settings for your party. In this article, I shall mention some exotic locations that are perfect for arranging nuptial ceremonies and wedding receptions.

1. Reception Venues in France

Since several years, France has been attracting the interests of many teens and youth. It is considered to be one of the most romantic destinations of the world. Therefore, numerous couples prefer lush green countryside, outdoor patios and manicured meadows for their merrymaking. A French reception offers simplicity along with taste.

2. Wedding Locations in Australia

The Tropical backdrop of Cairns and the spectacular seaside resorts of Sydney are some of the most recognized wedding destinations of Australia. Scenic coasts, moderate weather, azure waters and prosperous vineyards make Australia, a special destination for conducting gatherings and rituals.

3. Wedding Locations in Switzerland

Switzerland offers a perfect setting for conducting a "Dream Marriage". This picturesque nation offers snow capped mountain ranges, alpine meadows, spacious outhouses and luxurious mansions for conducting a fun-filled gathering.

4. Reception Spots in Russia

Russia is rich in traditions and culture. It provides ancient Chapels, artistic artifacts, stunning banquet halls and imperial restaurants for conducting a social gathering. It is an ideal destination for arranging a traditional marriage ceremony.

5. Wedding Spot in United States

The imperial American homeland offers some luxurious options for a beautiful wedding reception. This massive state encloses some deluxe hotels, ancient banquet halls and sea beaches where a nature lover can organize a memorable event.

Thus, you can arrange a fantastic nuptial ceremony or a reception party for your guests, amidst the natural treasures or in one of the stylish banquet halls. But, before selecting a particular venue for organizing your party, you need to consider your budget first. Apart from this, you should prepare a guest list too.

The locations mentioned in this article will surely please your guests. Some of the venues offer special "Marriage Packages", exclusively for the couples. So, arrange a wonderful reception for your spouse and your guests, on these beautiful, exotic locations around the world.

Thanks to: Ezine Articles, Article base, A Taste of Texas Catering and Charley’s Other Brother for help.

Order Food Online When There is No Time

Online food ordering systems are a boon of Internet technology that enables people to order food from restaurants, despite of their busy schedules. Whether a person is at his/her home/office food can be ordered online, all that is needed is a computer system with an Internet connection. Just log on to the restaurant’s website, view their online menu, and choose the food items to be ordered, add them to your shopping cart and pay online. By following these easy steps your favorite food will reach your doorstep.

In today’s hectic lifestyle no one has spare time to stand in long queues or make long calls to order food from a restaurant. This becomes the reason behind the popularity of online food ordering systems. They enable you to order food from any restaurant thereby saving your each and every precious minute.

Imagine that you have become late in returning home after a hectic day in the office and there is nothing to eat in the kitchen. The only thing that comes into your mind is to have your favorite pizza from your favorite pizzeria. But the thought of standing in long ordering row or calling the restaurant and telling them each and every detail disappoints you. At this time online food ordering works for you where you will just have to point and click the pizza and it will be delivered to you within a few minutes.

Not only this, you can also visit the restaurants online even when they are closed. Many Online Food Ordering Systems have the option of recording the visitor’s details. That is, as and when you place an order, the valuable information related to you is added in the customer database so that you are easily identified, next time you place any order. Few systems also offer virtual map of the restaurant, which is one of the unique features of the online food ordering system, and also assist you in reserving a seat if you are planning to dine-in with your loved ones. The transactions are encrypted to provide security of your valuable and personal information. The communication between you and the restaurant owners is also secured offering a peace of mind.

Creamy Pumpkin Strudels - The Weekend Dessert

A strudel is simply a pastry that is made with fruit or cheese, rolled up in layers of thin sheets of dough, and then baked. This creamy pumpkin version uses canned pumpkin and spices. Use frozen, prepared sheets of dough to save time. Pumpkin and spices make this strudel a perfect dessert.

Ingredients:

 * 1 15-ounce can pumpkin
 * 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 12 sheets frozen phyllo dough (18x14-inch rectangles), thawed
* 2/3 cup butter, melted
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1 cup chopped pecans
* 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, cut into 12 slices
* Whipped cream (optional)

Directions:

   1. Preheat oven to 400 degree F. For filling, in a small bowl combine pumpkin, brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.

   2. Place 2 sheets of phyllo on top of one another and brush top sheet with some of the butter. (Keep remaining phyllo dough covered with plastic wrap to prevent it from becoming dry and brittle.) In a small bowl combine granulated sugar and 4 teaspoons cinnamon. Sprinkle a generous 2 tablespoons of cinnamon-sugar mixture over the brushed phyllo. Sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons of the pecans.

   3. Cut the 2 layered sheets of phyllo lengthwise to create two long strips. Place a slice of cream cheese about 2 inches from end of dough strip. Spoon a well-rounded tablespoon of pumpkin mixture on top of the cream cheese.

   4. To shape, fold bottom edge of phyllo up and over the filling. Fold in sides and roll up to encase filling. Place on a baking sheet, seam side down. Brush with some of the melted butter. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Sprinkle with any remaining sugar-cinnamon mixture. Bake for 15 minutes or until phyllo is golden brown. Serve warm with whipped cream, if desired. Makes 12 servings.

   5. To Reheat: Cool strudels on a wire rack. Reheat within 2 hours or place cooled strudels in a covered container. Chill overnight. To reheat room temperature strudels, place strudels on a baking sheet lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes or until center is warm. Reheat chilled strudels using the same method but heat in a 400 degree F oven for 10 minutes.

Source: Yahoo Food

Corporate Companies Choose Barbecue Catering For Holiday Parties

 

Many corporate companies do it up big for the holidays. This is the time of year when companies choose to show their appreciation for their employees by throwing extravagant parties and events. Of course, these parties usually feature fancy food and are often catered by popular area restaurants.

The trend in catered food for the holidays has taken a turn in recent years though. Instead of seven course dinners, event planners are easing up on the formality a bit and instead opting for fun foods such as BBQ restaurant catering. Why break the more formal tradition?

BBQ Encourages People to Socialize:

It's true! Barbecues remind us of family get together, backyard grills and summertime. Something about pulled pork sandwiches and potato salad just makes people want to relax, laugh and have a good time.

Corporate bosses really want their employees to have fun and keep morale high, so they are opting to have more laid back parties where there is barbecue catering and beer, rather than filet mignon and Champagne. The new take on the holiday party is more than welcome by employees who normally dread the more traditional staid holiday events each year.

Get Your Money's Worth and Act Fast:

More and more businesses in recent years have had to start watching every penny spent. Luckily, BBQ restaurant catering is a more cost effective way of catering a party without compromising on the quality of food. Everyone loves BBQ, so employees are always happy, and businesses save money as well. Barbecue catering is considered a win-win choice because really, how many people would choose escargot over baby back ribs? And is there anything better than being elbow deep in sticky napkins and spicy BBQ sauce?

It is highly advised that if a business wants to hire a top BBQ restaurant catering business for their holiday event, they should consider booking the company in late summer at the latest. Since most holiday parties are given on a weekend, holiday dates fill up quickly for barbecue catering companies who are in demand. If a business waits too long to book their favorite barbecue catering company, they may not end up with their first, or even second pick and at this special time of year, no wants to disappoint!

No Clean Up:

Besides being given the pleasure of seeing their employees have a great time while eating amazing barbecue with all the trimmings, businesses also love the fact that they do not have the responsibility of cleaning up afterwards. BBQ restaurant catering companies come to the location of the party, set up all the food, serve the food and drinks and then clean up afterwards. This saves employees from having to clean up, so they really can enjoy their evening off.

Event Planning - Event Planning Is Important!

Today occasions are organized in the best possible way. The hosts want their events to leave an ever-lasting impression on their guests. There is a very tough competition between which event is the best and which event is the worst. So event planning plays the key role in this regard. Without proper planning the event will never become successful.

The guests whom you are inviting would be more interested in noticing the arrangement rather than the main people for whom the occasion is organized. The main arrangements which are noticed the most are location, sitting arrangement, food, lighting arrangement and sanitary. If there are problems with these aspects then your guests might be dissatisfied. So make sure these things are in their perfect state.

It is important that you at least learn the basics about the occasion you want to organize. Then the next step that you should take is that hire an event planner who will organize your occasion in the most appropriate way. But make sure that you give him guidelines about how you want your event to look otherwise he would organize it in whichever way he likes and it does not satisfy you then you might face problems.

Not everyone is great at organizing occasions so accept it or not, it a must to hire a professional and organized event planner who will give your event a perfect touch. America has got some of the most fabulous event planners, so why not take advantage of it. Whether it is a wedding, promotion party or a business conference, with the help of our country's event planners they will be turned into your dream events. 

It is also important that you understand that no matter how small or big your occasion is, it takes some time to plan it. So if you are someone who has a very busy schedule then you should take out some time at least three months before the final date of your event. Otherwise your event would be incomplete and will leave negative impact on the guests.

Secondly the demands of people also play a main role while arranging an event. You should do what is in fashion right now or bring out something new which is unique and inspiring. Or else people will get bored. If you want your event to be exciting, fun-filled or interesting then add music, good lighting or short movies into it whatever would be suitable for your particular event.

Source: Ezine Article, Texas Catering and Michaels Restaurant

Dining Out - Having Fancy Dinners

These days, when you are travelling down the highway, you always see a number of different restaurants or signs that are advertising different restaurants. Although some people do not want to admit it, dining out has become a big part of American life. It used to be when the man of the house came home, the wife had already prepared dinner and it was setting on the table ready for the family to eat. Now, dining has completely changed because now when the man of the house comes home, his wife may not even be home yet because she is at work, and if she is, she is more likely to say; let's eat out tonight.

Dining in restaurants has become second nature when families or busy, or if they want to dress up and go out to a fancy dinner and a night on the town. It is easier to get dressed up and drive to a place where they prepare all of the food for you and just set it on the table for you to eat rather than sit at home for hours in the kitchen trying to make a meal. Even if a family does want to eat in the comfort of their own home, many restaurants offer takeout and delivery to their customers, where a person can come in and pick up the food and take it home or a person from the restaurant will deliver the food right to your front door.

It is also easy for families to do research on restaurants because there are many dining reviews of different establishments available online for anyone to see. These are done by critics who go to the restaurant and have a meal and then write about the positives and negatives on the restaurant so people can easily decide if they want to eat there or not.

Restaurants have also helped boost economies all over the world, often accounting for a big part of the country's revenue. Corporations like McDonald's have brought large economic increases and stabilization to different third world countries that have little to no revenue.

Although most people have not realized and just gone on with their regular routines, dining out has become a big part of the world, and people are eating less at home and more in an eating establishment.

For dining out BBQ, visit A Taste of Texas Catering now.

Choosing Child Friendly Restaurants as Party Venues

Not every restaurant in Gauteng can be considered "child friendly", and when that inevitable birthday comes along its good to be able to go to a website where you can find a whole bundle of child friendly restaurants to choose from. Fortunately many of today's family restaurants have special plans to accommodate a child's birthday party, and those plans can come in many shapes and sizes, from jumping castles to clowns, and trampolines to tree houses.

Before you actually go ahead and make a booking at any of the many child friendly restaurants within easy reach of either New Jersey or Pennsylvania, give careful thought as to how many kids and parents there are going to be at the party. Some venues may have a limit on the number of children and grown-ups that they can accommodate at one sitting, and one of the first things they are going to ask you when you book is "How many children will there be, and what is their age group?"

We've all been to child friendly restaurants where an entire group of waiters and waitresses get together and sing "Happy Birthday to you" along with sparklers sticking out of a rack of spareribs – that's just one of the many simpler ways of catering for children's parties in PA or NJ. But there are many other types of children's entertainment to choose from, and the difficulty is not "where to go?" but rather "Which one do I choose?”

One form of entertainment that always goes down well with kids is the magician – especially when he or she can throw in a number of laughs, and there's nothing better than to be able to see a group of children laughing their heads off. With so many different party venues to choose from throughout the Gauteng region, it's almost impossible to have a children's party that's a failure.

Visiting Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania is one of the popular states in USA. This State is sometimes abbreviated as PA. It has a population of about 13 million people. It has a varied climate. Most parts of Pennsylvania have a humid continental climate. The south eastern part of the state has a warm climate. If you are dating in Pennsylvania you can go to see the water fall, go swimming and visit the national parks. These are just among the few things you can do if you are dating in Pennsylvania. There are so many other things you can do.

When dating in Pennsylvania, you can go to Hershey Museum where you will see how they make chocolate and get to taste them. It is even nicer tasting if you were to watch the process of it being made from the start to the end. It’s a wonderful experience. You can also walk through their galleries and see the great works of art by various artists. You can also go to Vocal Group Hall of Fame and Museum which was built in honor of the great vocal groups. Here you will get to learn about the vocal group music and how they have touched the many hearts of people. The next place you should make your stop is at the Pittsburgh zoo and aquarium. This place has so many animals from many species. Go see the animals and even get to learn more about some of them.

If you are dating in Pennsylvania, you should go visit their parks. Knobbles has one of the best roller coasters in the world that you should go take a ride in. They also have bumper cars and giant wheel. Get into a bumper car and knock each other around. When you get hot from all the bumping and the roller coaster you can go to their pool and swim. This is a great place that is opened on a daily basis. The sandcastle water park is also a lot of fun. They have 15 waterslides that are very nice. Get into one with your date and go down the waterslide. They also have a lazy river that you and your date can go to and float on an inner tube for such a long time. You can go see the water falls at the falling water.

The restaurants are also a nice place to go while dating in Pennsylvania. There are many romantic and casual restaurants that you can go to. You can go to Michael’s Restaurant where they offer nice services to their customers and their food is great. They have nice coloring and lighting that sets a very romantic mood. Another restaurant you can go is the A Taste of Texas Catering where you will find the best pig roast and other meals in town.

Source: Ezine Articles