My recent party planning hullabaloo (I love that word) has led me to start this thread. Do you throw the kind of parties that people talk about for years? Best party memory? Any party throwing tips or yummy hors d'oeuvres recipes that you would like to share?

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2002

Answers

Alrighty then, I guess I will start.

My epiphany for last year's 4th of July party at our house sprung from the memories of years past when the biggest part of the next day's cleanup consisted of dumping out 1/2 full beer cups which broke my heart. So, last year, I pre-made drink cup labels for everyone that would be there. Now, we would always try to encourage people to write their names on their cup by hanging a Sharpie pen next to the keg but, alas, it didn't always work, etc. But with the pre-made labels, a lot of them on which I put the person's nickname rather than their real name, the process of finding their name on the label sheet was easier and more fun. And, the next day....I swear, not one 1/2 empty beer.

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2002

This was served at a shower that was thrown for us last weekend and it was fabulous.

CHEESE SPINACH PLATE & TRISCUITS

10 oz. sharp cheddar, grated and mixed with 3 oz. quatro fromiaggio, grated (or use parmesan)...Sue used Romano 1 C. pecans, chopped 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2-8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened 1/3 C. chutney 1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 1/8 t. each oregano, pepper, cumin, nutmeg, basil, celery salt 1/4 t. garlic salt, 1 T. beef bullion granules, a dash of Tabasco

Combine softened grated cheeses with pecans and onion. Put 1/2 in bottom of 9" pie plate. Combine 8 oz. cream cheese with chutney. Blend and spread over cheddar mixture. To dried spinach add the other 8 oz. cream cheese and the seasonings. Blend well and spread over chutney and cream cheese. Top with other 1/2 of cheese mixture. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or microwave for 5. With small knife, spread on triscuits.

-- Anonymous, June 07, 2002

My quickest party recipe is also the one that is the most requested.

Chipped Beef Ball

3 packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese (block style) 3 packages of chipped beef 4-5 spring onions

Finely chop the spring onions and chipped beef (this is really easily done in a food processor). Reserve approximately 1 cup of the chipped beef. Mix the cream cheese, spring onion and chipped beef (minus the 1 cup in reserve) together thoroughly and shape in ball form. Roll ball in reserved chipped beef to coat the exterior. Cover, and chill in refrigerator at least 1/2 hour. Serve with crackers.

The cool thing about this is that you can get creative with the shape of the ball...I have done in the form of a football for Super Bowl parties, a heart shape for a Valentine's get together, etc.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2002

I was at a party for the fight on Saturday, and had a YUM dip thing, which I will be adding to my repertoire. It was super-easy too: a block of softened cream cheese, covered with a raspberry-chipotle sauce, served with wheat crackers.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2002

PG, were you at a party at my mother's house?? That's one of her standbys.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2002

Ooh - that reminds me of somethig that I serve at every get together - a brick of cream cheese covered with Pickapeppa sauce (sold in the condiment aisle near the A1) served with Triscuits.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2002

On the cream cheese kick...the other easist evah. 1 block of cream cheese with salsa poured over it and covered in shredded cheddah...nuke 1 minute & eat with tortilla chips.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2002

hee. No, I don't think I was. Unless that was your mom's house where we were all screaming epithets at Mike Tyson and playing $5 a number.

Mmmmmm, the Pickapeppa. I won't say that I have eaten a whole brick of cream cheese covered with Pickapeppa.

But, if I did, which I am not saying -- it would have been with Wheat Thins because I despise Triscuits.

Our family cream-cheese thing is a layer of cream cheese, covered with cocktail sauce and crab meat. Not Krab-with-a-K, just regular lump crab meat.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2002

I'm telling y'all, the best is the cream cheese block coveren in Crabtree and Evelyn Mango Chutney. You cannot beat it. Sweet and just spicy enough.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2002

Hmmm. I have a hard time thinking about the Crabtree & Evelyn product being edible. I would try to use it as a face mask then run through the streets screaming "the burning... O God, the BURNING...!!!!"

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2002

We do the cold brick of cream cheese with fancy cocktail sauce and little baby shrimps warmed up and poured over it. With Ritz crackers. But I also have love for the breath-killing beef 'n onion ball.

Pineapple -- I am so jealous of your Tyson/Lewis fight party! We are so loathe to spend any money on Crazy Mike, we watched the fight on Pay-Per-View without being able to SEE anything since we had not actually PAID for the pay per view. It was kinda like listening to the fight on the radio, if the only radio you had was a tiny transistor with low batteries.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2002

Aidan, I wish I could have claimed hosting duty. But, never having been to a fight party at someone's private home before, I didn't really know the deal with the Pay-Per-Viw and the undercards and the betting and all that -- a couple I know hosted it at their home. I would definitely do it myself next time. It was lots of fun.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2002

My fave, even more than raspberry chipotle, is onion jam. Caramelized onion goodness.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2002

Hmmm. I have a hard time thinking about the Crabtree & Evelyn product being edible.

How unfortunate. C&E Fine Foods and Comestibles, baby. They used to push them really hard, before they felt (wrongly) like they had to compete with the evil that is Bath & Body Works and other cheap knock- offs of the same ilk.

Sigh. Don't get me started. Just enjoy their teas, biscuits, relishes, preserves and chutneys any chance you can get. (Also, the C&E Lemon Curd is unbeatable.) Would I ever lead you wrong?

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2002

No! No! and again, NO! But where would I find such things? Sadly, the only Crabtree & Evelyn shops we have in Austin are in malls, which are places I don't go. Educate me -- I am ready to learn.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2002

I do pop out at parties. It's very embarassing sometimes. The idea of curing my problem with horse devours is an interesting one. Thank you.

Pop

-- Anonymous, June 11, 2002

PG, I often find C&E tidbits at places like TJ Maxx, Marshall's, and Ross. Check the shelves in the back of the store, where they keep the china, glass, and bed linens. Another place for things like that is Gourmet Garage, but they might just be a South Jersey place.

-- Anonymous, June 11, 2002

I do pop out at parties. It's very embarassing sometimes. The idea of curing my problem with horse devours is an interesting one. Thank you.

Obviously, not a fan of "I Love Lucy".

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2002