Throwing a baby shower and you don’t know what to serve? Here are a few ideas to keep your guests full and happy. They are all make ahead so it is easy!
Lavender Lemonade
5 cups water
1-1/2 cups sugar
6 to 12 stems fresh lavender – organic
2-1/4 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
1. Bring 2-1/2 cups of water to a boil in a two-quart saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium and add the sugar, stirring until dissolved to create a simple syrup. Add the lavender stems and then remove the saucepan from the heat. Cover the pot and allow the mixture to cool for about 10 minutes.
2. Remove the lavender stems from the syrup and use a fine strainer to remove any small pieces.
3. In a large pitcher, combine the lemon juice, remaining water and lavender syrup and stir well. Chill and serve over ice.
2 cucumbers
pitcher of water
1. Properly wash the cucumbers. Peel the outer skin and slice as thinly as possible.
2. Add the cucumber slices to a pitcher of water and chill for 2 hours prior to serving.
Frozen lemonade concentrate, 1 – 12 oz can
Frozen orange juice concentrate, 1 – 12 oz can
Frozen limeade concentrate, 1 – 12 oz can
Ginger ale, 1 – 2 liter bottle
1 bottle champagne or nonalcoholic sparkling cider
Sliced oranges, lemons, or limes
Punch bowl
1. Chill the champagne and ginger ale overnight.
2. Thaw the frozen concentrates.
3. Add the concentrates to a punch bowl, stir in the ginger ale. Just prior to guests arriving, add the Champagne (do not stir). Add the sliced fruit as garnish.
Chicken Salad Sandwiches
6 oven-baked chicken breasts
1 cup mayonnaise
1 apple, cored and finely chopped
1/4 cup almonds, chopped
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
3 hard-boiled egg whites, chopped
fresh dill to taste
pinch of pepper
salt to taste
Hawaiian sweet rolls
1. Chop the cooked chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.
2. In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover and allow the flavors to blend in the refrigerator for an hour or overnight.
3. Spoon dollops of chicken salad on sweet rolls.
Grilled Salmon Salad
1 – 2 pounds grilled salmon (de-boned and skin removed)
3 cups spiral pasta
1 cup light sour cream
1 cup light mayonnaise
1 cup chopped orange and yellow bell peppers
3/4 cup chopped and drained tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 large bunch fresh dill
salt and pepper to taste
Steps:
1. Using a fork flake the grilled salmon into bite sized chunks. Chill.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the sour cream, mayo, peppers, tomatoes and onion.
3. Prepare the pasta al dente style. Drain. Rinse with cold water. Lightly toss with olive oil if the pasta is sticking. (When the pasta is cooked al dente, there should be a slight resistance in the center when the pasta is chewed.)
4. Toss the pasta and sour cream mixture, add the dill and fold in the salmon. Sprinkle the top with fresh dill.
5. Chill until you serve. Delicious as a leftover.
Spinach Dip and Pita Chips
2 cups real mayonnaise
Frozen spinach, cooked and drained, 1 – 10 oz. package
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 packages pita chips
1.Combine all ingredients and chill several hours, or overnight.
2.Serve in a bowl. Place the bowl in the center of a dinner plate and line the edges with pita chips.
Fruit Kabobs & Cream Dip
1 cantaloupe
1 honeydew melon
1 watermelon
strawberries
grapes
light sour cream, 16 oz container
2 tablespoons brown sugar
melon baller
skewers
1. Properly wash all the fruit.
2. Use a melon baller to scoop out balls of melon from the cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon. Remove the stems from the berries.
3. Thread the fruits onto skewers and stack in the center of a platter. Cover with cling warp and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
4. Mix 2 tablespoons of brown sugar into the container of sour cream. Add a little more if you have a sweet tooth. Store mixture covered until you are ready to serve.
5. For serving fill a small bowl with the sour cream dip and stack the fruit kabobs on a platter. Use a small spoon to drizzle the dip onto the kabobs.
