Suggestions for family buffet lunch

lessonlearned

Blackcats wrote: »

Lessonslearned - what are mint choc curls and did you make them yourself?
Workingmum - yes tea and coffee are in great demand at these family gatherings. I like the idea of a take home pack too.

I'm sorry I threw the pack packaging out...:rotfl: I got them from Aldi. They were dead cheap, definitely less than £1. They do a range of chocolate, they call it "choceur" or some such. They are like very thin curled discs (a bit like Pringle shape - sorry not very good at explaining). I think they do a couple of flavours (orange and dark plain I think) but I really like the mint ones. They taste A bit like those thin chocolate mint stick things you can get.

Some people don't care for puddings but love to nibble a bit of chocolate with their coffee. Cheaper than After Eights or posh truffles but still a nice chocolate hit for the chocoholics. I do find that my guests are always impressed if I give them chocolate.....it's a cheap little luxury that makes people feel pampered.

Like the Ferraro Rocher advert......."oooh Mr Ambassador you are spoiling us" ......lol.

You can eat them just as a nice little treat or you can stick them in your ice cream as a decoration if you were doing something like ice cream sundaes or wanted to jazz up plain ice cream and make it look posh.

I just bought some salted caramel and chocolate ice cream (yes Aldi's, so not expensive) and had a couple of bottles of caramel and chocolate syrup on the table and people made their own ice cream sundaes.

I think it's all in the presentation.....:rotfl:

I think it's about making things look and taste really great but without breaking the bank, so if you can make it all look pretty then even the simplest spread can feel like a feast.

The curls were in the biscuit/confectionary aisle.

I do think It's difficult to get the quantities right sometimes and it's easy to over cater and be left with piles of food, especially when it's sandwiches and the like. I just don't do sandwiches now (unless Im doing a traditional afternoon tea and even then I only do a few) because I've found they always get left and wasted because they just dry out and then are horrible so I end up chucking them away.

Perhaps that's just my lot though. They seem to prefer what you might call tapas type food.

You can copy the idea of tapas or mezze type eating without having to have everything Spanish or Greek which might be too spicy for some of your older guests. You can anglicise it.

Although they might surprise you...... if you just have things in dishes they can help themselves with what they think looks appetising. You might find they are more adventurous then you think they are.

Btw. If I remember right Chicken drumsticks at Aldi were £1.80 for 10. So two packs would be plenty. 1 each and then those with big appetites could have two and they are fine as leftovers. (nicer than dried up sandwiches.). Lol.

Hope it all goes well. Have fun.

MandM90

Are these the things lessons?

MandM90

Or perhaps these?

PasturesNew

One quick/easy bit of family buffet food that used to go down well in the 1970s was Ritz biscuits with a bit of primula squirted on top from the tube, then "something tiny on top" for colour, e.g. a tiny bit of cucumber, or tomato, or chive clippings.

lessonlearned

Mand......Thanks for that. It's the second one, chocolate waves. They are really yummy. Not tried the latte sticks.......I'll have to give them a go.

Purely for the purposes of research of course. Lol.

nannywindow

As you can see by the ungodly hour I can't sleep at the moment, but I what about baguettes sliced with a few different cheeses,cheddar, pineapple cheese and perhaps a soft cheese with pickles. Or some pate ? For cake lots of fairy cakes/muffins with different toppings and flavours, then you would only have to make a base mix and add what you fancy to it.

Blackcats

THANK YOU
What a lovely bunch you are - so generous with your ideas.
Pickled onion, I used your suggestion yesterday for lunch for 7. Chipolatas From the butchers and fresh rolls from the bakers - pots of tea and coffee and cake. Went down a treat.
Lessons learned and M and M chocolate waves and sticks look yummy and I agree they would be lovely to serve with the last cup of tea of the day. I don't have an A*di near me but will look in L*dls.
Pastures new - you brought back lots of memories with the R*tz crackers. As a child I was the decorator in chief of the crackers for family buffets. We had very conservative taste in food at home so decorations were limited to a slice of tomato which made everything very soggy if applied too soon.
Nannywindow - hope you've had a better nights sleep. Baguettes and cheese/ham/pate are always a winner. I'm going for a picnic soon - weather permitting so I've got suggestions for that too.
I'll post the final menu and review of the event next week!

joedenise

You should be fine with the weather. The forecast looks good for at least the next week.

Blackcats

Yes JoeDenise- weather is looking lovely . I'll be able to open the patio doors and have space for some people to sit outside.

Kim_kim

Blackcats wrote: »

THANK YOU
What a lovely bunch you are - so generous with your ideas.
Pickled onion, I used your suggestion yesterday for lunch for 7. Chipolatas From the butchers and fresh rolls from the bakers - pots of tea and coffee and cake. Went down a treat.
Lessons learned and M and M chocolate waves and sticks look yummy and I agree they would be lovely to serve with the last cup of tea of the day. I don't have an A*di near me but will look in L*dls.
Pastures new - you brought back lots of memories with the R*tz crackers. As a child I was the decorator in chief of the crackers for family buffets. We had very conservative taste in food at home so decorations were limited to a slice of tomato which made everything very soggy if applied too soon.
Nannywindow - hope you've had a better nights sleep. Baguettes and cheese/ham/pate are always a winner. I'm going for a picnic soon - weather permitting so I've got suggestions for that too.
I'll post the final menu and review of the event next week!

My aunt used to buy those ready made flan sponge bases and pastry bases and put fillings in & top with whipped cream, we loved them. You can use those fruity pie fillings or lemon curd or similar.