Food Ideas

Although food preparation is probably low your party list, it is still important. A responsible host will not only offer a mix of non-alcoholic drinks, he/she will offer food as well. Here are some food ideas that are cheap and easy to serve at your parties:

Hogs in a Sleeping Bag

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut kielbasa into 6 (4-inch) pieces. Cut puff pastry sheets into thirds (6 strips).Roll each piece of kielbasa in puff pastry and place on a baking sheet. Beat egg in a small dish and brush generously over pastry. Bake until pastry is golden brown and puffed, about 20 minutes. Serve with mustard, barbeque sauce, or jam, if desired.

Finger Foods

Create various cheese and cracker, vegetables, and fruit trays to serve at your party. If you don’t have time to do it yourself, these trays can also be purchased at your local grocery store.

Easy Salsa Dip (no cooking)

Let cream cheese come to room temperature. Put in bowl and beat with mixer or spoon until it's fluffy. Stir in salsa. Serve with chips or veggies.

Food Trays

Cut up vegetables, fruit, arrange up cheese and cracker platter and serve them at your party.

Puppy Chow

Melt peanut butter, margarine and chocolate chips together in the microwave or on the stove. Put powdered sugar in a paper sack. Put cereal mixture in and shake until well coated. http://www.recipecottage.com/microwave/puppy-chow.html

Caramel Corn

Place the popped popcorn in a very large bowl. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Stir in the corn syrup and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue cooking for another 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add the baking soda and vanilla. Pour half the syrup over the popcorn and stir gently. Stir in the nuts and the remaining syrup. Spread the caramel corn onto waxed paper, cool, and break into pieces. http://www.greatpartyrecipes.com/caramel-popcorn-recipe.html

If guests ask offer to bring anything, say YES!

Mocktail Recipes

Safer Sex on the Beach

  • 32 oz cranberry juice
  • 32 oz pineapple juice
  • 8 oz club soda
  • A few drops of peach extract to taste
  • Serve with an umbrella
Another Safer Sex on the Beach
  • 1 oz peach nectar
  • 3 oz pineapple or grapefruit juice
  • 3 oz orange juice
  • Pour the juices into a glass of full ice
Mocktini
  • 60 ml tonic water
  • 15 ml lime juice
  • 1 ml lemon juice
Party Punch
  • 12 oz lemonade
  • 12 oz pineapple juice
  • 12 oz orange juice
  • 16 oz ginger ale
  • Orange and lemon slices
MoonShine Jello Shots
  • 1 package Sparkling Mandarin
  • Orange Jello
  • ¾ cup boiling water
  • 1 ¼ ginger ale
  • ½ cup grenadine
Pina Colada Perfecto (one serving)
  • 1 jigger (shot) cream of coconut
  • 2 jiggers pineapple juice
  • 1 ½ jiggers club soda
  • Mix over ice.
Citric Tonic
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • Tonic water
  • Pour over crushed ice and garnish with a cherry.

Houdini Cocktail (The alcohol has escaped) (2 servings)

  • ½ pint strawberry ice cream
  • 1 cup milk
  • 4 whole strawberries
  • 4 tsp. bottled grenadine syrup
  • Beat ice cream and milk until foamy thick in blender, pour in glasses. Pour 2 tsp. grenadine syrup from spoon down inside each glass (forms a bright crimson layer at the bottom).
  • Garnish with strawberries.

 Shirley Temple (one serving)
  • 1 serving of ginger ale or 7-UP
  • 1 jigger of grenadine
  • Fill highball or old-fashioned glass with ice cubes and ginger ale or 7-UP. Add grenadine. Garnish with orange slice and cherry.
Maiden Mary
  • 1 cup tomato juice
  • 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 dash Tobasco sauce
  • Pepper
  • Salt
  • Mix all ingredients together in shaker, pour over ice and garnish with celery stalk.
Mock Champagne
  • 7 oz lemon/lime soda
  • ½ cup apple juice
  • Lemon slices
Mock Pink Champagne (1 ½ quarts or 10 servings)
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 6-ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate
  • 1 6-ounce can frozen grapefruit juice concentrate
  • 1 28-ounce bottle chilled ginger ale
  • 1/3 cup grenadine syrup
  • Early in day, mix sugar with water in saucepan and boil 5 minutes. Cool. Add frozen juice concentrates. Refrigerate. At serving time add ginger ale and grenadine syrup. Stir lightly.
Prohibitionist’s Martini
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup lime juice
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 12 oz. ginger ale
  • 2 cups water
  • Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice, strain, and garnish with mint sprigs and lemon slices.
Sangrita’s Sobriety
  • ¼ cup orange juice
  • ¼ cup tomato juice
  • Juice of ¼ lemon
  • ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 ½ teaspoons of grenadine syrup
  • Dash of Tobasco sauce
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Combine all ingredients and ice cubes in cocktail shaker. Shake well, strain into cocktail glasses.
Thin ‘N Tonic (1 serving)
  • ¾ cup quinine water
  • Ice cubes
  • Lime slice
  • Pour quinine water over ice cubes in glass. Squeeze juice from lime slice into drink; then add slice.
Courtesy of WESELL, the Office of Health Education Wesleyan University