small plates. i'm a picky eater and it gives me options. also, much easier to manage the plate while mingling with guests, unless its a sit down.
also, i would most likely have eaten something small prior to the shower.

Anonymous wrote:17:05- and petits fours for dessert! Tiny little bites that are easy to pop in. Cupcakes are cute but are kind of awkward to eat while sitting around and chatting. You have to take such big bites.

Especially if they're the frosting loaded type. I have yet to find a way to eat over-frosted cupcakes with any delicacy.

definitely small bites. wine was a huge hit at my showers! also - i think it's nice when people are mindful of possible food restrictions during pregnancy (e.g. lunch meat, sprouts, etc.) when meal planning. it's just an extra nice touch!

I have hosted two, and served a bunch of appetizers, with some heavier items that the guests of honor had been craving--ham biscuits for one, and mac and cheese for another. The booze was a BIG hit! Kir Royales and French 75s. Those ladies drank me out of house and home. LOL

I prefer a spread of small bites like others have mentioned. Also, if you haven't already, it's worth asking the mom-to-be if she has any lingering food aversions or issues that you would want to take into consideration. For example, my best friend couldn't stand chicken her entire pregnancy, so we didn't want to make chicken salad that she'd have to smell even if she chose not to eat it. It was a little thing that made a big difference for her.

17:05- and petits fours for dessert! Tiny little bites that are easy to pop in. Cupcakes are cute but are kind of awkward to eat while sitting around and chatting. You have to take such big bites.

Small bites. Mini quiches, stuffed mushrooms, crudite and cheese platter with crackers, maybe some spinach artichoke dip and tortilla chips, mozzarella and tomato skewers, mini croissants with choice of chicken salad or pimento cheese, things like that.

Agree with serviing a lot of finger foods/ appetizers. At my shower we had a ton of people, and we tried to have chairs for everyone but there wasnt a lot of table space. We had finger sandwiches, a fruit tray, veggie tray, salad, cookies, etc. and we had coffee and tea. Also agree with having more vegetarian options than just a salad.

I've been to only one shower where there was a more formal sit-down lunch. I drove 2 hours to get there and didn't like what they served (a gross salad). I was STARVING! Don't do that. Serve a bunch of different things so people can pick and choose what they like. Apps/finger foods are best.

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to actually answer your question - I prefer small bites/appetizers over a full lunch. If it's at your house and you don't have a table set for lunch, it's really a pain to balance your lunch plate on your lap and eat a full meal with a knife and fork. It's much, much easier to eat small bites/finger food if you're mingling or sitting down and chatting with people.

+1

I'm going to actually answer your question - I prefer small bites/appetizers over a full lunch. If it's at your house and you don't have a table set for lunch, it's really a pain to balance your lunch plate on your lap and eat a full meal with a knife and fork. It's much, much easier to eat small bites/finger food if you're mingling or sitting down and chatting with people.

I prefer smaller dishes, mostly because it's easier to have different things that appeal to different tastes. That said, for my shower the hosts got a whole Middle Eastern spread--hummus, falafel, pita, salads, etc., and it was delicious. And as a vegetarian, I'll just put in a plug to have more than salad available. Heck, I'm happy with a good cheese plate!

At a recent non-baby shower gathering at my house (housewarming) I made mini frittatas, a large cheese plate with various sides like olives and pepper jelly, mini-mozzarella, basil, and tomato skewers drizzled with balsamic reduction and olive oil, and a fruit platter with honeyed greek yogurt dip. It was easy to do everything in advance. I agree that chicken salad would also be a nice addition, maybe one with grapes. Or various tea sandwiches. You could also do some flat breads. If you want back up items, Costco and Wegmans have wonderful quiches (Costcos are stonewall kitchen and they're fabulous)

We decided to get mini cupcakes from Georgetown for dessert because they were super adorable and much easier to deal with. I also got some macaroons from a local place. But if you're a good baker, you would probably have more success than I could with that aspect.

Chicken Salad
Crackers and rolls
Salad- a few kinds, maybe pasta and lettuce
Cookies
Cake
Punch.


Done.

I'm hosting a baby shower soon and wanted to see what other folks thought about the food that's served. I'm a pretty good cook and am planning on doing most of it myself, but for all of you attending showers, do you prefer a spread of lots of small bites/appetizers or a more traditional lunch menu with a main dish or two and several sides?

The shower will be at my house at about 1pm.

Thanks!