HELP! Food ideas for DD's 2 yr Bday

[patissac]

We just found out the place we're renting out for DD's birthday will not let us have the space until after 2 in the afternoon on a Saturday. Before all this I planned a lunch menu and now I'm stumped on what to serve since this will be after lunch and before dinner. I'm thinking finger foods? We will be indoors and there will be electrical outlets and I plan on putting some crock pots to work. I want unique and traditional fare that appeal to kids and parents so I don't mind doing some extra work. Here is what I have so far:

Crockpot:Asian Pork Meat balls
Chile con Queso
BBQ Meatballs

Fruit Salad
PB&J Sandwhiches
Either Southwest Roll Ups or Bacon Tea Sandwhiches
Individual Bagged Chips
Baked goods: Brownies, cookies, cupcakes
Antipasta Salad
Drinks
Cake and Ice Cream

I wanted to maybe find an Asian Salad to go along with the Pork Meatballs. Something sesamey or peanut buttery. I also am in search of doing some tortellini skewers but do not have the recipe.
I need inspiration please, Thanks so much!

[erin elizabeth]

I hate to rain on your parade a bit here, but do you think that people will eat that much at 2? If I got an invitation for that time, I would not be expecting to really eat. Can you make the party later? If not, maybe cut down a bit? Or maybe your crowd is like my family and they always come hungry

Otherwise, your menu looks great!

[KimKelly]

Just a thought about the PBJ sandwiches.... we take ours and use a butterfly shaped cookie cutter. They were more fun to eat that way!

Hope you have a fun party.
Kim

[heavy hedonist]

Just a thought about the PBJ sandwiches.... we take ours and use a butterfly shaped cookie cutter. They were more fun to eat that way!

Hope you have a fun party.
Kim

Ditto that-- or cut them into fingers or rounds, and roll the sides in chopped honey-roasted peanuts or flaked almonds or (if you don't mind the extra sugar!) mini-chocolate chips.

[Julzer]

I just had my DS's 2nd bday party today and we had it from 10:30am-12:30pm. This is what I served:

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork (did the Coke version)
baked beans
Deviled Potato Salad~ Rachael Ray
Pasta salad
PB&J (Heart cutouts and triangles)
Butterfly baggies filled with Goldfish crackers/pretzels (www.kraftfoods.com)
vanilla and chocolate cupcakes (Cook's Country)
variety of chips
M&Ms in bowls on tables
lemonade, soda, water

At the party, I had a friend ask if I can cater her MIL bday party coming up b/c she loved the BBQ. Hmmmm......that sounds like fun! Hope you have a great party!

[August Mom]

Your food ideas sound wonderful, but I'm concerned about the party time. It is a party for a 2-year-old. Assuming this is a kid party, do you think many of her little friends will come? It seems like 2 p.m. is right in the middle of nap time. And, I agree that I don't think most people coming to a 2 p.m. party will expect to eat much more than cake. How annoying that the place won't let you in before 2.

ETA: For my son's birthday parties, which have always been lunch affairs, I generally go with grinders, melon cubes, pasta salad, a couple of other salads (tomato, mozzarella, basil salad and/or ramen noodle coleslaw), pretzels, veggie tray and beverages. I sometimes put out kid-friendly snacks like cheese & crackers, graham sticks or goldfish. If I were you, I'd stick with finger foods and cut back on the amount of food you serve if the time stays at 2.

[patissac]

The party will be from 3-5. I'm inviting 25 kids who knew a 2yr old could be quite the socialite?! The reason its starting at 3 is because, yes, I have considered nap time, most of the their nap times are 12-2, this will give them time to recoop. I will be doing star cut outs for "All-star" pb&j's since its a Chicken Little theme (I now realize I should have said that earlier for more ideas) and looks like I should be sticking to just finger foods. This is good feed back everyone

Julzer, Can I have that bbq pork recipe? Thanks!

[Julzer]

This is from a thread here on the BB. I must say though, that I didn't make the rub b/c my pork roasts were already marinated. I just put them in the crockpot and poured the coke over. After 10 hours I drained off the coke ad shredded the pork then added it back to the crockpot with some BBQ sauce. This was probably the best homemade pulled pork I've had. This was the first time using coke and I'll always do it that way from now on. Enjoy!

BARBECUE PORK IN A CROCKPOT

I can’t take credit for the recipe. I found it on a 2004 CLBB thread that I can’t locate for you now. The recipe was from krhm.

I can take credit for rating it though. At my house, this Barbecue Pork in a Crockpot was so delicious it earned the “Died & Went to Heaven” rating.

Here’s my comments (in red) & krhm’s instructions:

Served with KFC Coleslaw and Corn on the Cob. Used Hamburger Buns for Pork.

Posted by krhm on 7-13-04
I do barbecue pork in a crockpot that is always a major hit. This is a make-ahead meal too. I buy a big pork butt, trim off the visible fat, then place in the crockpot, season with bbq rub (below), and then pour a can of coke (Coke Classic) over the top. Cook on low 8-10 hours.

Once the meat is done, it will be fork tender and fall apart very easily, so I shred it (removing fat), then return to the cleaned-out crockpot and set it on low. Add bbq sauce (Use KC MasterPiece Original) about ½ hour before serving (the taste is more pronounced that way). (Start with 1 cup).

We usually set up a buffet-style lunch, and I provide a tray with buns and texas toast, and guests can serve themselves however they want…a sandwich or eaten plain. It’s easy and everyone loves it!

Kari

Barbecue Rub: (from the Barbecue Bible by Steven Raichlen)
¼ cup paprika
2 T. dark brown sugar
2 tspns salt
2 tspns Accent (msg, optional, and I didn’t use it) I didn’t use it either
1 tspn celery salt
1 tspn freshly ground black pepper
1 to 3 tspn cayenne pepper ( I use 1…we have small kids who don’t like spicy food) I only used 1 tspn
1 tspn dry mustard
1 tspn garlic powder
1 tspn onion powder

Mix and rub into the meat! For more flavor, you can rub it into the meat the night before you put it in the crockpot. We also use this on ribs.

[NMG]

Hi! I'm having my DD's 3rd b-day party at the end of Sept and this is our menu.........(BTW - the party starts at 4 pm and there are roughly 60-65 people - 10-15 of them kids under 10).

appy's from family (usually have sausage squares, fiesta squares, mini reuban squares, a dip with tortilla chips and a fruit platter with 2 different dips)

Burgers (2 different types from the Sutter Homes Build a Better Burger cookoff)
Chicken fingers (1 plain breadcrumbs and the other type a parm coated from Giada)
homemade mac'n'cheese
german potato salad
spring mix veggie salad (few different dressings)
black bean and corn salad

I LOVE your idea of cut out PB&J's!!

Banana Split Pie (Parents magazine)
homemade cake from Spectacular cakes

[golden1225]

OMG, Pat!!! I can't believe Analicia is 2 already!! WOW - time sure has flown by. What a beauty she is, too!!