Is this enough to serve at a confirmation evening party?

Not2beconfused

I'm bringing parents, godparents and my family out for dinner after my daughters confirmation but have invited the remaining wider family members to the house that evening (6:30pm onwards) to celebrate with the confirmation girl.

I plan on serving sambo's, donuts, cookies, sweets (doing up a sweet table) and pretzels, nacho's + dips and crisps with tea and coffee for back in the house.

Is this ok? Hubbie thinks I need to also serve hot food to those coming only to the house, but I don't want to have to start running around heating up hot food as soon as I get home from restaurant.

Thoughts?

.......

Are people going to your house to drink for the evening? Or are they just going for tea/sandwich for a couple of hours?

You could order a bunch of starters from the local chinese and just put them out on a platter if you dont want to be heating food? Or you could make a big pot of curry and then just cook some rice when people are there and let them help themselves?

Depends on the kind of party tbh.

glack

I would say maybe more actual food rather than snacks. Even those who have been for dinner will get hungry as the evening goes on - say from 7.30 onwards. You have lots of nibbles but things like cocktail sausages, chicken wings etc are handy in this situation but you could maybe have other cold food choices to have a happy medium.

woodchuck

Realistically most people won't have eaten dinner when they arrive at 6.30pm. How long do you want people to stay? A couple of hours or the whole evening?

What you've outlined is a great selection of nibbles, but if you're expecting people to stay for the whole evening, you'd either want a LOT of sandwiches to fill people up (they'll be craving something savory) or else include some hot food in the mix. Cocktail sausages and chicken wings as suggested above is a good idea. Some oven pizzas cut into small pieces would be easy enough too.

Otherwise don't be surprised if people disappear early...

Not2beconfused

Thanks for the responses. Not looking for it to turn into an all evening affair, few hours max and I'm not providing alcohol - I'm thinking along the lines of it being just like a kids birthday party.

The possibility of hubbie and I going out for a drink when everyone is gone home is definitely on the table (as we'll be dressed up anyway )

The idea of platters from chinese is actually a good one, as I can ring it in when needed and just have it delivered. I really just want to be able to lay everything out on the table and let people help themselves, so I can actually enjoy the evening myself and not be fussing around.

Thanks!

Dial Hard

Not2beconfused wrote:

Thanks for the responses. Not looking for it to turn into an all evening affair, few hours max and I'm not providing alcohol - I'm thinking along the lines of it being just like a kids birthday party.

Tbh, OP, I think you'd be better off nixing the evening part altogether. You're inviting people over for... what, exactly? Cold food, no drinks and to be booted out after a couple of hours so you and your husband can go out. I'm not being harsh here, but what's the point?

Not2beconfused

So that the rest of the family children can come and have a party with their cousin who just made their confirmation, as if it was her birthday party.

For her communion we brought the entire two families out for a meal and then a party back in house (nibbles, cake, sweet's and bouncy castle outside) with people back in the house from 3-6pm (hubbie and I went out after that night also), no drink provided then either as it was a party for a child and in this case our daughter is making her pledge, so didn't think alcohol was appropriate even if it's later in the evening than a birthday / the communion party was.

Those coming only to the house at 6:30pm are family members with small kids who will have a set bedtime still - so we know we won't be turfing people out, that they'll naturally head on home to get kids to bed.

Appreciate the response.

tickingclock

I admire you for sticking to your guns. I've hosted many a party in my own home and I'm not one to stress but cleaning before hand and afterwards is extra work not to mention the food.
I particularly admire you not having alcohol when there will be so many children around. I love a drink but often think there can be too much alcohol at these kind of family celebrations in homes.
Enjoy the day

Not2beconfused

Thanks Tickingclock!

I'd much prefer the idea of inviting everyone out for a meal like we did at the communion, but it's just not feasible this year, so to not exclude the rest of the family from celebrating this special day we said we'd do a 'party' at home.

I just assumed that by 6:30pm people would come with full bellies hence no need for hot food, but my hubbie thought otherwise and I wanted to get impartial views of what others would do. (Though I do like the idea that the poster above said about getting platters from chinese delivered when needed as that's easy to do and ppl can pick away themselves)

I am being selfish, I don't want to have to be plating up hot food or worrying about getting food heated up, I want to enjoy the evening and sit and chat and watch my daughter enjoy her day (and not be stressed to the 9's!)

Personally just don't think drinking at a kids party is a good idea.

Thanks so much!

Dial Hard

Not2beconfused wrote:

Personally just don't think drinking at a kids party is a good idea.

In fairness the way you phrased it, namely:

Not2beconfused wrote:

I'm bringing parents, godparents and my family out for dinner after my daughters confirmation but have invited the remaining wider family members to the house that evening (6:30pm onwards) to celebrate with the confirmation girl.

Didn't particularly make it sound like it was a kids' party, it sounded like you were inviting the entire family around, in which case I would expect adults to be catered for as well as children. As long as your guests are all aware that it's a kids' party only then I don't see an issue.

Out of curiosity, though, seeing as you seem to feel quite strongly about it being a celebration for your daughter's confirmation and have referenced the fact that she's taking the pledge, will the meal out be teetotal too?

Miaireland

I agree with the suggestion of ordering starters from the chinese or a couple of large pizzas. Have a stack of paper plates and paper napkins so there is not too much mess.

I would probably cut down on the sweets etc as it probably a bit late for kids to have a load of sugar.

Emtec

Had a similar party last year. My family aren't drinkers so everyone knew it was just a case of dropping the kids around for a play session. Didn't go overboard either however I'd recommend having at least something hot. A big pot of nice soup would be easy to keep hot. Also, cocktail sausages, chicken goujons and spring rolls are as quick and easy as hot food gets. I bought a buffet food warmer in Aldi for about €30 I think. Three big trays of finger food along with the sambos etc. Simple.

_Brian

Not2beconfused wrote: »

I'm bringing parents, godparents and my family out for dinner after my daughters confirmation but have invited the remaining wider family members to the house that evening (6:30pm onwards) to celebrate with the confirmation girl.

I plan on serving sambo's, donuts, cookies, sweets (doing up a sweet table) and pretzels, nacho's + dips and crisps with tea and coffee for back in the house.

Is this ok? Hubbie thinks I need to also serve hot food to those coming only to the house, but I don't want to have to start running around heating up hot food as soon as I get home from restaurant.

Thoughts?

Less donoughts and stuff like that.
Brown bread with smoked salmon, sliced cold meats with some salad hard boiled eggs, these are easily and cheaply prepared in advance, just rip off cling film. We also had a slow cooker full of home made soup, was very popular along with home made brown bread.

Not2beconfused

Gotcha - apologies for the miscommunication. I just automatically associate a celebration for a child's occasion as being a kids party.

Yes - hubbie and I won't be ordering drink, the godparents will have their kids with them (and driving) so they won't be drinking, the 2 grandmothers are teetotalers.

The 2 grandfathers might have a beer but that will be their choice, we won't be ordering drink for the table. Minerals and miwadi all the way for the rest of us

Not2beconfused

Problem is, I've a HUGE sweet tooth so was menu planning thinking what tasty sweet stuff would I like to see on the table

I like the idea of cold meat platters, smoked salmon and brown bread - thanks! Will replace some of the sweet stuff with that (easy have them in the fridge from that morning, ready to go)

Thanks everyone!

glack

Not2beconfused wrote: »

Problem is, I've a HUGE sweet tooth so was menu planning thinking what tasty sweet stuff would I like to see on the table

I like the idea of cold meat platters, smoked salmon and brown bread - thanks! Will replace some of the sweet stuff with that (easy have them in the fridge from that morning, ready to go)

Thanks everyone!

Great idea - also ordering a few pizzas from dominos (or whoever’s nearby) and the Chinese ideas would be an easy way of adding some hot food without you having to stress about cooking or heating anything.

Not2beconfused

I sound so bonkers ..... but I just want to have a chilled evening and let people help themselves to everything laid out.

My hubbie will be saying 'I TOLD YOU SO' when I tell him about all the messages saying we need hot food!

glack

Not2beconfused wrote: »

I sound so bonkers ..... but I just want to have a chilled evening and let people help themselves to everything laid out.

My hubbie will be saying 'I TOLD YOU SO' when I tell him about all the messages saying we need hot food!

Let him sort it, win win!!

Not2beconfused

Yes!!!

.......

If you want it totally chilled and no work on your behalf then definitely use delivery places for hot food and just have cold stuff ready in the fridge from earlier.

Put a message with the delivery to say to delivery round the back and then you can lash all the nice hot food onto trays and appear from the kitchen as though youd cooked it all yourself

Probably your local place do party platter specials.

Birdsong

Not2beconfused wrote:

I just assumed that by 6:30pm people would come with full bellies hence no need for hot food, but my hubbie thought otherwise and I wanted to get impartial views of what others would do.

If the people who are coming are those who were not at the earlier part of the day, then they'll most likely be coming from work so willbe hungry.

On a separate note, I was under the impression that confirmations were a much more low key affair and immediate family only. You might nut get the numbers you think.

Not2beconfused

It's a Saturday confirmation and none of the family work Saturday's (so that's why I was working on the assumption that a light snack was sufficient, as people would surely eat throughout the day before coming to ours). The only people coming to the house are immediate family - we both have very LARGE families.

I think confirmations are a low key affair too - which is why we're only bringing grandparents and god parents out for a meal and then the rest of our siblings and partners and kids are coming to the house when we get home at 6pm. (No friends or neighbours invited). We know we'll have the full numbers as both families (us included) always turn up to celebrate all our nieces and nephews events.

I was treating the home part as a chilled out, catch up for a few hours with a cuppa, let the kids play affair - which was why I was steering away from the hot food fuss.

That being said the points raised above about how I can provide hot food (in case ppl are hungrier than I expect) without going to any effort (Chinese platters and pizza) sound like a good plan.

beertons

Is it not a bit late in the evening for a kids party? Would it not be better to have it around midday the following day?

Not2beconfused

Ideally yes but it wasn't an option unfortunately (some of the family have other things on) so we checked that the late time was ok with our siblings and went ahead with planning it all on the one day.

RasTa

Get rid of the sweet things and sub for the usual fare. crackers, cheese and meats. A few cocktail sausages or something like below

https://www.marksandspencer.com/98-piece-party-selection/p/p21054563?prevPage=plp

Faith

Mod note: The OP has asked for advice about food, not logistics. Let’s try and stick to that rather than worrying about whether it’s necessary to have a celebration or the best time for it . I know everyone means well and timing is relevant to what should be served, but it sounds like she has a clear plan and is happy with that.