OK Need some help here>>>>> long..

M

marg-in-pa

Well-known member
The infamous Inlaws are having their annual holiday party on Saturday.. They called me on Sunday to let me know ( was that nice of them or what?) Anyhoo... they asked me to go over there yesterday to plan the menu. OK so I have some nice ideas and was planning on making Susie's beef wellington tarts as one of the appetizers. Well they had other plans. Instead of the roast beef, turkey and ham that they usually want me to make, they have decided to have sandwiches, OK I'm cool with that, and I start bouncing off some nice ideas for sandwich fillings like roasted red pepper and fresh mozzarella, rare roast beef with a red onion confit and things like that. Well no, that was, and I quote " Too fancy for them" so they tell me that they are going to make finger sandwiches, and they are going to make.. and are you ready for this??....

egg salad, tuna salad, cream cheese and olive, and the dreaded liverwurst! ( who makes that stuff for a party any more???, it's not even retro, it's just gross!!) all on white bread with crusts cut off, of course. So now they tell me I am being "hired" to make the cheese tray, the fruit tray and the veggie tray ( they like dip) and 2 appetizers that are not too fancy, and a "beautiful" cake of some variety. I hate baking cakes. Now with that menu, what does one make for appetizers? All that kept popping into my head was onion dip with potato chips pigs in a blanket and something nasty with canned meat. I thought about cutting up some twinkies and ho-ho's as dessert, and placing them on a doily to make it look fancy. I know I sound really mean, and well... I'm not trying to be, but I really can't imagine that their sandwich platter will meet with much success. However you can't tell them that, they won't believe you, and I want to make something that people will not grimace at, or want to go home and order a pizza which is probably what most of them will do, with that selection. Plus my ego does not want anyone thinking that this was my idea, in all the years past, I did all the prep and 99% of the menu planning. I bounced off things like fondue, maybe some bar-b-que in the slow cooker if they wanted to kepp it simple, and those suggestions were met with big NO's.

So now I need some suggestions on something to go with liverwurst, other than an eager dog. yuck.

 
Marg, maybe I am old fashioned but....

If your in-laws are sponsoring the party maybe let them serve whatever they want to. Yes, those sandwiches are very out of date but so what? People will eat whatever is in front of them- and if they go home and order pizzas later, oh well;) It is not a reflection on YOUR cooking tastes or abilities.

I would make a couple simple dip things to start with- maybe a hot artichoke dip (baked so nobody can see how "complicated" it is) with crackers or rounds of bread and maybe good old fashioned chili/cheese dip with tortilla chips. I don't think you need to have apps that "go" with liverwust. My advice is to pretend you are in the 1950s, just let it all happen and try to get through it:)

 
Here's a retro dip that would go well with finger sandwiches...............

KNORR SPINACH DIP

1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed (do not use fresh)
1 1/2 c. sour cream
1 c. mayonnaise (I use Hellmann's)
1 (4 oz.) pkg. Knorr vegetable soup mix
1 (8 oz.) can water chestnuts, finely chopped
3 green onions, finely chopped
Loaf of pumpernickel bread

Squeeze spinach until dry. In medium bowl, stir together spinach, sour cream and soup mix. Add finely chopped water chestnuts and green onions. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Cut slice from top of round loaf of pumpernickel bread, hollow out loaf to leave shell to contain dip. Use bread removed from shell and top slice to cut into bite size pieces. Butter inside of bread shell, fill loaf with dip and place on platter and surround with bread pieces and variety of raw vegetables. Then...GET OUT OF THE WAY!!! After the dip is eaten, enjoy the dip soaked bread shell as well.

 
I had thought of the artichoke dip, because I don't really know....

anyone who does not like it. I can eat it every day. I love it.
As far as them sponsoring the party... Well..what they give me as far as money goes, and what it actually costs... Let's put it this way, they are forking over 50's money for a 06 party. smileys/smile.gif which is for their friends and neighbors. Keith never had the heart to tell them that the $ they shelled out for all those years paid for the paper products, the cheese board and the fruit. We paid for the rest. This year they gave me $50.00 to take care of what I was assigned to do. Oh, and I am not a guest per se at this soiree, I am the chief cook and bottle washer, guests are discouraged by my MIL from coming into the kitchen while I am in there because mixing with the help is frowned upon. It's only my love, and sweet memories of Keith that make me still do this for them.

 
Happy New Year, Marg! Personally, like those sandwiches! (well EXCEPT liverwurst smileys/tongue.gif!)

If your in-laws' crowd would enjoy that fare, then I would also include those yummy little mini gherkins (sweet) and pimento-stuffed olives on the veggie/relish tray.

As much as I love to cook and try new things, sometimes trying to guess what everything is going to taste like can get old and you just want some comfort food!

Jazz up the egg salad with a sprinkle of dill.

Hidden Valley Ranch dip says "home" to me with a plate of carrots, broccoli, celery, grape tomatoes, cauliflower. I have a recipe for a dip that uses cottage cheese that makes the dip nice and thick rather than runny.

What about deviled eggs?

For a beautiful cake, what about red velvet? Cream cheese icing (I have a recipe if you wish).

I had a great appetizer yesterday:

8" long sesame breadsticks
wrap each with a slice of bacon (like a barberpole)
bake on foil at 350 for 30-35 minutes
Roll in grated parmesan
These were awesome and simple. And who doesn't like bacon?

Ham, cream cheese and green onion roll ups. Very 70s but they still disappear first on tables.

These are all good old standbys that have stood the test of time because they are actually pretty good!

Don't get me wrong, for lunch today I had fresh mozzarella, roasted red peppers on baguette bread!

Good luck!

Debbie

 
Here's a dip I got from Bonnie at Epi>

that I am honestly tired of making except everyone asks me if I'm going to have it on the table. It's the Buffalo Dip that I'm sure you remember Marg. It's always the dip people hover over and it amazes me that their palate doesn't go for the more creative appetizers. Oh well, I think we all know people like your in-laws who will never try innovative and finer foods.

 
I was thinking deviled eggs too, but Debbie beat me to it. A few other ideas...

Am I right in assuming this is not only a plain-and-simple menu, but also specifically a 50's one?

How about:

rye dip in a hollowed-out rye bread round. Chipped beef in sour cream-and-mayonnaise dip, served with rye bread peices cubes (or is that a northeastern thing only) - also contains onion flakes, parsley, dill weed, and salt

a vegetable platter with ranch dressing (whatever you do, don't call them crudites!) ;o)

mini-ruebens (Ritz crackers topped with corned beef, sauerkraut, 1000 Island dressing, swiss cheese, melted) - or even a rueben dip?

something similar to Chex mix (cheese doodles, mini-Chex squares, nuts, corn chips)

swedish meatballs, or ones made with grape jelly (forgot what you call them)

ham squares with pineapple chunks and maraschino cherries (how "50's" is that?!)

tuna mousse with cucumber slices (yes, really was a craze in the 50's I hear - see foodgeeks.com)

Enjoy - sounds fun! Really, it does. Not fondue, though? That one screams "50's" to me, no? Oh well.

 
Marg, let me tell you a story.....NFR

Resentment only builds if you let it.

I have very naive inlaws. We live in a place that is very expensive to get to and especially at Christmas time. Even though we ask the inlaws not to come over this period (we always need to find them a place very close by to stay because it doesn't work to have them sleeping under the same roof as us) they always manage to set it up so they come for 3-5 weeks (we ask them to stay for only a week) directly over the most expensive time to stay on this island. Getting them a condo or rental house costs twice what it normally does and we are the ones that must pay for it. They do not shell out anything for food, drink, shelter, rental car or activities while they are here. They do not initiate anything but wait for us to entertain them even though we own and operate two busy businesses. They even go as far as to sit at the table at a certain time and wait for dinner to be served. We end up having to spend thousands for their stays (in modest places!) when they come. We show them when they can come and why they should not come over high season dates. It doesn't sink in. We cannot have them staying with us- I won't go into details about it. Suffice it to say that both my husband and I would committ hari kari if they did. We are just told when they are coming..."surprise! We made airline reservations!"

At first, the first few times I got really whacked out of shape over it all but as the years progressed, I let the resentment go and just racked it up to who they are. I realized a while back that if I let it really upset me I would spend my life being resentful instead of living it. They are who they are and nothing is going to change them. My Husband got really upset and resentful with them and told them not to come one year- they have not returned. That was 8 years ago and he has not seen them since. He is an only child and it is such a shame. Even though they are difficult, they are still his parents but both the parents and my husband are so stubborn they won't give in.

If you can make peace with your situation it won't get worse. Write off the money you spend on food as a charitable contribution smileys/smile.gif

 
Wow, Cathy, every one that thinks they have difficult in-laws should read your story.

You are so right to let it all go or you'd be miserable for at least 6 months of the year. Good for you.

It is sad for your DH and his parents. Hopefully they'll reconcile before it's too late.

Debbie

 
How about "Sweet &Sour Hot Dogs (recipe follows)

You could also use Kielbasa (smoked-precooked)slices, which would save a cooking step, and would be good with this sauce. Let us know how this all turns out. It is amazing how much nerve some people have.

Hot Dogs - Sweet & Sour

½ cup prepared mustard
1 cup grape jelly
1 pound frankfurters

Boil frankfurters, drain, cool and slice
diagonally into bite-size pieces.

In a saucepan, combine mustard and grape
jelly. Heat over very low heat, stirring constantly,
until mixture is hot and well blended. Simmer until
sauce slightly thickens.

Add sliced hot dogs to sauce and heat
thoroughly.

Serve in chaffing dish or fondue pot to keep
warm. If sauce gets too thick - add a little water or
splash of wine.

 
Dawn, great retro suggestions. I like the grape jelly/meatball one

We made these with equal amounts jelly and BBQ sauce. Also used the same sauce with those mini smokies. Yummy in their own way and use those colored picks with the fronds on top! How about veggie pizza--made with packaged biscuits and ranch dressing and chopped up raw veggies and eaten cold? that was popular a ways back. You could "fancy" them up a bit with a sprinkle of fresh dill.

 
Cranberry Ambrosia Cake--festive/fancy rec:

this was posted not too long ago and I don't have the name of the person(sorry). I have not tried it yet, but will definitely make it for next holiday season.

Cranberry - Ambrosia Cake
(Makes 1 – 4 layer cake)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1 pkg. white cake mix
2 large eggs
1 – 8 oz. container sour cream
1 cup water
1/3 cup oil

Mix together the above and place in 4 greased round cake pans.

Bake 15 to 17 minutes.

Cranberry Ambrosia Filling
1 ½ cups sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 cup frozen cranberry juice (concentrate, thawed)
1 – 8 ¼ oz. crushed pineapple in syrup
1 (12 oz) container cranberry orange relish
2 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. orange rind, grated

Stir sugar and cornstarch together. Stir in cranberry juice, pineapple and relish. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat. Add butter and orange rind. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 8 hours.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 – 8 oz. cream cheese
½ cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
1 to 3 tsp. milk

Mix the above together. Place filling between cake layers and on top. If you want, you can place toasted almonds around the side of the cake.

 
Hit the wrong key again. Here we go;

Take thick sliced bacon, put on baking sheet, bake 400 degrees until half cooked.
Remove from oven, roll in brown sugar, put back in oven and continue cooking until crisp. Be sure to watch so it will not get over done. Cut into bite size pieces.Actually this tastes very good dipped in applesauce. Just a thought.

 
Marg, I seriously LOVE egg salad AND liverwurst >>

Maybe the sandwiches won't be as badly received as you think, (though a lot depends on the quality of the bread. Can they be talked into cocktail rye for the liverwurst?)

I jsut posted a really good and easy fresh herb ranch dip at post 315. For dessert I would just do lemon bars and cookies. Or there's a chocolate sour cream bundt cake in the "Favorites" section, originally posted by Josh at Gail's. I made it last Easter and it's good, moist and pretty easy.

I once offered to do a vegetable platter for a neighbor's party and had planned a really beautiful combination. The day before, they dropped off the vegetables (those dried-out pre-cut bagged things from Costco) and the platter (one of those Tupperware sectional ones). Apparently they thought I was only volunteering the labor. What can you co? Their party turned out to be pretty fun despite the mundane food.

 
REC: Carolyn's Cheese Puffs--very inexpensive and quite good...

Carolyn's Cheese Puffs

1 loaf bread -- white (unsliced)
3 ounces cream cheese
1/4 pound sharp cheddar cheese -- grated
1/2 cup butter
2 egg whites -- stiffly beaten

Trim crust from bread and cut into one inch cubes. Melt 2 cheeses and butter on top of double boiler until the thickness of rarebit. Remove from heat and fold into beaten egg whites. Dip bread into mixture - place on greased cookie sheet.

Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes.

Makes several dozen appetizers.

 
REC: Manly Meatballs...

Manly Meatballs

Recipe By :Alan Richman

1 pound ground chuck -- (not leaner beef)
3 scallions -- finely minced (use most of the green)
4 tablespoons dark soy sauce -- (or regular soy sauce, if that's all you have)
1 teaspoon firmly packed brown sugar -- (a rounded teaspoon, if using regular soy sauce)
1 baguette -- or ficelle (a small diameter French bread), - about 20 inches long sliced about - 1/2-inch thick (if the bread has a large diameter, cut the slices in half just a bit bigger than the meatballs)

In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients, except bread. With your hands, mix and knead thoroughly until the meat is a fine paste. Make balls the size of smallish walnuts. Place baguette slices on a baking sheet and place one meatball on each. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes in a preheated 450-degree oven until done to taste (Richman says "until just cooked through." I like them still rare.). Serve hot.

Yield:
"40 pieces"

 
I've been thinking - more...

I must've been hungry because all I could think of was appetizers since my early lunch. 'Came up with more savory ones:

BLT squares (or BLT dip with crackers/bread)

Deviled ham on rye bread cubes

Angels on horseback (bacon wrapped around shrimp)

I also remember flowered bread slices that I made from crescent roll refrigerated dough for a baby shower a few years ago. I saw the idea at Gail's - made them by putting the dough in shaped bread tubes - then you slice them and they come out very pretty but simple. Then you spread them with flavored cream cheese or whatever you want.

Mini quiche squares

Little (1") potato cups with onion dip inside (pre-"potato skin" days)

Tortillas spread with cream cheese and Knorr's vegetable soup mix, rolled, and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices (pinwheels)

Mini cream puffs filled with the tuna, ham, chicken, shrimp salad that you mentioned in your post

Various Ritz crackers hors d'oeuvres - look on the back of the box, they have lots of simple, pretty ones

I also jotted down "SS" but can't think what this might have been - if anyone has a clue, please fill me in! ;o)

And if you are thinking "sweet":

Cracker Jacks in a big bowl?

Bridge mix in a bowl?

M&Ms in a bowl?

Enough?

 
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