Baby Shower Foods
 

I've looked over this recipes section of the site and can tell that there are some wonderful cooks here. And I've added a few recipes to my recipe collection that I want to try too.

As most of you know, I'm planning a baby shower for my SIL who is expecting in June. My goal for this shower is something simple, yet elegant and not outrageously expensive. I want the majority of the money I have to spend on the shower to be spent on the baby not the shower itself.

I know that there can not be any salt water fish, raw egg, artificial sweetners, or a lot of dairy. I'm making strawberry cupcakes with a white chocolate pudding frosting (it's a recipe that uses pudding and only 1/4 cup of confectionary sugar to make icing). Each cupcake will have 1/2 a strawberry on top of it that is drizzled with dark chocolate. The other thing I'm planning is a raw veggie platter with a vegetable dip. The guest list is only about 12 people, so not a huge shower. I'm looking for easy finger foods and a simple punch. Any ideas or recipes? I haven't made punch in probably a decade.

Ali

This punch was served at my DDIL and son's wedding, and at her baby shower. You can freeze some gingerale and fresh fruit in an ice ring for garnish. When it's around, I can't stay out of it! :D

Susie's Almond punch

5 pounds granulated sugar
2 ounces of vanilla extract
2 ounces of almond extract
4 teaspoons of lemon juice
4 cups water

2 liter bottles of gingerale

Combine all ingredients, except gingerale, in roaster. Bring to boil. Tends to bubble... keep stirring. Boil
it till it turns clear. Pour it into a glass jar. Chill, at least overnight.

To make the punch:

1 cup of syrup to two liters of ginger ale

*Note: to make 1/2 of the receipe use 5 cups of sugar

My favorite punch is so easy and fruity and everyone loves it. It is just pineapple juice and lemon-lime soda (like 7-Up or Sprite). Use a little more soda than juice, just keep tasting it until you get it the way you like. You can put it in a punch bowl with large ice pieces or even add scoops of sherbet. It is very light and refreshing.

Another punch recipe (from my much younger days):

Fruit sherbet (if you can find raspberry, it makes a lovely pink punch)
Chilled Ginger Ale

Spoon the sherbet into punch bowl, smooshing it as much as possible. Pour ginger ale over the sherbet and stir. The amount of each just depends upon how sweet you want it to be (more sherbet will make it sweeter).

My daughter seems to be the baby shower queen for her grown daughters friends and one of the things she does is strawberries that have been dipped in chocolate. Takes a little time, but they look great on trays and everyone loves them. You can get the chocolate to melt at places like JoAnn's, Hobby Lobby, sometimes Wal-Mart and other grocery stores.

mltquilt

I always did two punch's. One with Champagne and the other plain. I also serve chicken salad on small croissants.
Presentation is important. I always used crystal plastic or glass dishes. You can also have fresh fruit salad, or
put fresh fruit on small wood screws.

There will be no alcohol at the baby shower because some of the women who will be coming, including the mom-to-be, will be bringing their adolescent daughters. Also, there are women who will be coming who greatly frown upon alcohol in any manner. They would make good prohabitionist.

I do like the idea of the strawberries dipped in chocolate.

My ex daughter-in-law always made ham roll ups (made with pickles) and I was amazed how huge of a hit they were. Another hit for finger type foods are the little weinners in BBQ sauce, meatballs, (these can just stay in a slow cooker for hours with no issues), decorations for the tables are the little cake pops.. I really love these. I am so excited, because we have a shower happening real soon here..

I threw a wedding shower two weeks ago. I made an asian pasta salad with grilled teriaki chicken, I cut the chicken breasts on the bias so that eating on your lap would be easier. I was delighted to hear "mmmmmm this is great" from several ladies

Here are 2 easy, 2 ingredient punch recipes: Mix equal amounts of lemon lime soda and white grape juice, or white peach/grape juice. Second recipe 1 liter of lemon/lime soda and 1 can frozen cranberry juice (not diluted) Both are very refreshing punch recipes.

For an appetizer, slice a very firm link sausage in 1/2 lengths, cook 2 hours on low in a mixture of grape jelly and picanter sauce, equal amounts of each, with enough sauce to cover the sausage. Fix a few days ahead of time so you can get scoop out the congealed fat and reheat. This sounds gross, but it is delicious. I like to prepare it with hot picante sauce.

Deviled eggs are inexpensive, but labor intensive. If you use a piping bag with a fancy tip on it, you have beautiful results.

One can of sweetened condensed milk (Eagle Brand) mixed with 1 6 oz can frozen orange juice (undiluted) and some orange zest is a great dip for fresh fruit.

I always like a tray with deviled eggs, cubed cheese, olives, pickle wedges! YUM!!

For my DIL's shower, I made sugar cookies in shapes of baby bottles and pacifiers. She was having a girl so things were in pink. We made BBQ pork sandwiches with a crock pot recipe and homemade coleslaw. You could make Tortilla roll ups which wouldn't cost that much. Look on the net under some blog spots for some great cooking ideas.
Try using Foodgawkers.com you'll go crazy lots of EYE CANDY!!! Good luck

Make one package of Hawaiian Punch Fruit Juicy Red according to directions ( I use 1/4 cup less sugar)
1 can frozen 5 Alive citrus punch OR Awake citrus punch (I usually let this defrost just a bit so it is easier to mix)
1 - 2 liter bottle Squirt.

Mix all three together in a punch bowl. This punch is a little tart and very refreshing. It can also be made with Splenda instead of sugar and diet Squirt.

Many women in late pregnancy have blood sugar problems. It might be best to bypass anything with a ton of sugar. Fresh fruit is always appreciated, and a relatively innocent dip can be made with 1 (8 oz.) pkg. Neufchatel cream cheese (or fat free, if you prefer), 1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow cream, and 1 pt. fresh strawberries, whirled in a food processor or blender. It's pink and tasty, and the dairy ingredient is spread pretty thin. If you know the baby is going to be a boy, it's just possible this would work with blueberries, but I haven't tried that, and it might be more gray or lavender than blue. :eek:
A great idea I saw one time is a centerpiece made of a watermelon cut to resemble a baby buggy. It's a budget item in that it's both decoration and food. It was hollowed out and filled with a variety of melon balls, berries and other fruit. Wheels were cut (thick!) from oranges and then anchored at the sides with skewers to stabilize the watermelon. It's hard to find refrigerator space for something this big when you're planning for other food, so that might be an item to delegate to a volunteer helper if you have one, or possibly store it overnight in an ice chest with plenty of ice. You can prepare it the day before, but drain the chilled fruit and fill the watermelon just before party time. Try a Google image search for "watermelon baby carriage" - several versions come up.

Will you please share the recipe for the icing that uses pudding and confection sugar?

Easy and yummy foods.
Chicken salad on croissants... several quiches,
You can find "brownie bites" (little round brownies) top each brownie with a dollup of cool whip, top with a fresh raspberry and then drizzle chocolate on top. Looks like you spent hours on them.

PUNCH
Mix Country time lemonade (raspberry or strawberry) with Vernor's Ginger Ale instead of the water and cut up a lemon to take the sweetness out of it...Looks great with all of those lemon slices floating.

Second PUNCH
Mix 1 large container of Hi C punch with a 2 liter of sprite.
Add vanilla ice cream to the bowl....mmmm!

Oh, the icing recipe. I found it in a Family Fun magazine a year or so ago, but can't find it on their website now. It's super simple.

Mix 1 package of Jello Instant Pudding (regular or sugar free) according to package directions
Beat in 1/4 cup confectioners sugar

Spread on cake. If serving the cake later, store in refrigerator.

I intend to pipe it onto the cupcakes, stick 1/2 strawberry in the center or each cupcake, and then drizzle dark chocolate over the strawberries. I think it will be cute and elegant, and it covers decorating the cupcakes because cake decorating isn't one of my strong points.

Hi..., Baby shower recipes that will take a little more time you can plan for the different items such as salads, cookies. Mostly I used to make the salads which good in taste and I also use icing sugar for much more taste.

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