Recent Posts

• Chips and (7 Layer) Dip

  

  One of the most important things for any party is the menu. Whether you are having an elaborate meal or just serving appetizers, guests appreciate having good food to nibble on while they mingle. The ideal appetizers should be easy and inexpensive to prepare, and they also need to taste great.

  Chips are easy (just open the bag) and inexpensive but served by themselves, they are also boring, You can get a container of salsa to serve with the chips, and but unless the salsa is something really special, it is unlikely to be a source of much praise. Luckily there are many other kinds of dips you can make or buy.

  Mexicali or 7 Layer dip is a favorite for parties. It doesn’t actually have to have 7 layers, there can be more or less depending on your preferences. You can purchase premade layered dip in stores; however, it is not difficult to make yourself and it tastes much better if it is homemade.

  Here is the recipe I grew up with:

  Mexicali Dip

  In a large flat bowl, layer the following:

  2 nine ounce cans bean dip (smashed flat)
  3 ripe avocados mashed and mixed with 2 tablespoons lemonade
  ½ cup sour cream mixed with ½ cup mayonnaise and 1.25 ounces taco seasoning
  Grated cheddar and jack cheese (enough to cover the entire bowl with a thick layer)
  Chopped olives (1-2 small cans)
  Chopped green olives (1 bunch)
  Chopped tomatoes

  Serve with corn chips.

  This dip can be made a day or two in advance and kept in the fridge until the party. Be sure that if any perishable foods are going to be kept out for any length of time that they are kept at a cool temperature so they do not spoil. Placing the dip bowl over a tray of ice may be a smart idea during warm weather. You can purchase an inflatable buffet tray to fill with ice and set up on a table for a nominal cost. Another option is serve smaller portions and keep the remainder in the refrigerator or ice chest until the food that was served has been used.

  If you want to serve warm appetizers, making nachos  is another great way to serve chips at a party.

• Ice Cream Bars for an Ice Cream Cart

  

  If you are planning a large warm weather event, like a fair or a concert, selling ice cream bars is a no brainer. When people get hot, they are going to want to cool off, plus ice cream is a delicious treat. People even buy ice cream when the weather is cold (or else all the ice cream shops would close for the winter).

  So what kind of treats can you put into an ice cream cart? Pretty much any kind of frozen ice cream bar or popsicle will work. Check with bulk grocery stores such as Costco or Cash ‘n Carry to see what is available locally and watch for sales at local grocery stores. Sometimes grocery stores will have sales on ice cream bars that make them even cheaper than the bulk stores.

  Here are some ice cream bars and frozen treats that you can consider selling in an ice cream cart:

  Ben and Jerrys
  Bars (chocolate dipped ice cream): Cherry Garcia, Fudge Brownie, Half Baked

  Blue Bunny
  Bar (stickless): Big Alaska, Nutt’n Better
  Bars (with sticks): Bananas and Cream, Banana Pops, Blueberry and Vanilla Bean Frozen Yogurt, Bom Pop (cherry, lime, raspberry), Caramel Ice Cream, Carmello, Chocolate and Vanilla Bean Frozen Yogurt Swirl, Chocolate Caramel Cashew, Chocolate Ice Cream Sundae Crunch, Chocolate with Almonds, Cookies and Cream, Chocolate Raspberry, Chunky Mango, Chunky Strawberry, Creamy Coconut, Double Chocolate, Double Dutch Fudge, Double Fudge, English Toffee, Fudge, Fruit Burst Bomb Pop (watermelon, lemon and green apple), Heath, Jolly Rancher, Lemonade Bomb Pop, Lucas Chamoy (chamoy and chili), Lucas Pelucas (tamarind and hot chili), Orange Dream, Orange Sherbet Tubes, Pina Colada, Root Bear Float, Slush Pops (cherry, grape, orange), Sour Power Bomb (watermelon, orange, green apple), Star Bars (milk chocolate and vanilla ice cream), Strawberries and Cream, Strawberry Ice Cream (chocolate coated), Strawberry Ice Cream Sundae, Turtle (chocolate, caramel, and pecans) , Twin Pops (cherry, lemon-lime, orange), Twirlix (chocolate and banana), Vanilla Bean, Vanilla Fudge, Vanilla Ice Cream Crunch
  Cones: Bunny Tracks, Caramel Lovers, Classic Sundae, Chocolate, Chocolate Lovers, Cookies ‘n Cream, Strawberry Shortcake, Vanilla
  Sandwiches: Big Bopper (chocolate chip cookie) Birthday Party (cake), Chips Galore (chocolate chip cookie), Double Strawberry, Milk Chocolate, Mint Grasshopper, Mississippi Mud, Neapolitan, Peanut Butter Fudge Chip, Rocky Road, Vanilla Bean

  Good Humor
  Bars (ice cream): Candy Center Crunch, Choco Dipped Vanilla, Chocolate Éclair, Cookies and Cream, Ice Cream on a Stick, Mounds, Oreo, Reeses, Strawberry Shortcake, Toasted Almond, York
  Cones: King Cone, Triple Chocolate Brownie Giant King Cone, Vanilla Chocolate Giant King Cone, Sundae Cone
  Ice Cream Sandwiches: Vanilla, Neapolitan, Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich

  Haagan-Dazs
  Bars (chocolate dipped ice cream): chocolate and dark chocolate, vanilla and milk chocolate, vanilla and dark chocolate, vanilla and almonds, coffee and almond crunch, raspberry and vanilla milk chocolate
  Frozen Sundaes: Vanilla Caramel, Vanilla Chocolate

  Klondike
  Bars (chocolate dipped ice cream): Original, Caramel Pretzel, Dark Chocolate, Double Chocolate, Heath, Krunch, Mint Chocolate Chip, Neapolitan, Oreo, Reeses, Rocky Road
  Choco Taco: Original, Chocolate, Peanut Butter
  Sandwiches: Classic Vanilla, Chocolate, Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookie, Oreo, What the Fudge? Brownie

  Magnum Ice Cream
  Bars (chocolate dipped ice cream): Almond, Classic, Dark, Double Caramel, Double Chocolate, Mint, Mochaccino, White

  Popsicle
  Popsicles: Cherry, Grape, Orange, Airheads, Banana, Banana Mania, Big Stick Cherry Pineapple, Firecracker, Jolly Rancher, Jolly Rancher Awesome Twosome, Lemon Lime, Marvel Super Heroes, Rainbow, Rootbeer, Scribblers Pops, Slow Melt Dora the Explorer, Slow Melt Mighty Mints, SpongeBob Squarepants Pop Ups, Sour Patch Kids, Sugar Free Healthy Bunch, Sugar Free Tropicals
  Creamsicle
  Fudgsicle
  Yosicle: Duos, Layerz, Torpedo
  Sno Cone

  Now that is a list to make someone hungry for ice cream! Hope all of the options inspire you and help you plan out the perfect items to sell in an ice cream cart at your event.

• Planning a Family Reunion

  

  My family is large, but they have always been very close. My grandmother hosts monthly birthday parties for whoever is available to attend along with holiday parties at Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. Since I moved out of state, I have not been able to join the family for most of the parties, but I do make a point to see as many people as I can whenever I visit. My grandmother is turning ninety this year, so we are going to have a big birthday party for her. While most of the family lives nearby, this is a party that those that live out of state will be traveling in for. After all, people don’t turn ninety every day.

  Every family is different. Some are small, some are large. Some live close together, and some live far apart. Some visit regularly, and some only visit on a rare occasion. For small families who live close together, planning a family get-together can be a pretty simple event. The larger the family and the further apart they live, the more complicated it can be.

  Perhaps the first thing you need to decide on when planning a reunion is when you are going to have the reunion. The earlier you pick a date, the less likely people will have already conflicts. The more people you are including, the harder it will be to pick a date that everyone is happy with, but if you pick the date early enough, most people should be able to work their schedule around to come. Is the reunion going to last a few hours or a few days? If people are traveling a long ways or don’t visit often, they will probably want the visit to last a while. On the other hand, if everyone is in town and they see each other often, a short party may be sufficient.

  After you have determined when you are having your reunion, you need to determine where you are going to have it. If people are coming from all around the globe, the party does not need to be in your home town. Consider finding a central location or a destination where everyone would like to visit. For instance, since I live in Portland and my parents are in Reno, sometimes we visit in Klamath Falls which is about half way between us.

  If you are planning on having your reunion in Portland, consider where you are going to hold the party. Is the whole reunion going to take place at the same location or will there be multiple locations? If you are having an outdoor event such as a picnic for your reunion, be sure that you have appropriate shelter, or rent tents to protect guests from the rain.

  If guests are traveling for a multi-day reunion, you will probably want to have all the guests stay in the same hotel. Hotel’s often have meeting space available for events and many hotels have restaurants that offer catering services. Restaurants can be a great place to hold events too and the food is sure to be a success if you pick a good restaurant.

  How are you planning on keeping the family entertained? Perhaps guests will want to take a tour of the area as part of the reunion and visit attractions like the Oregon Zoo and the Portland Art Museum. Pick activities that allow guests to visit. If there are children involved, don’t forget about them when you are planning. After all, if the kids are entertained, they are less likely to be causing trouble. Bounce houses and other inflatables can be fun options for events.

  There are lots of other details that will need to be planned with any event, but hopefully this has started you thinking about how you want to plan your own family reunion. Be sure to contact Clowns Unlimited with all of your party rental and entertainment needs.

  -HL