Being Caterers
Tuesday, Jun 10th, 2008 by Janna
Planning parties is a favorite pastime of mine. Call me strange, but, the truth is, I can amuse myself for hours with a notebook and pen, writing out menus and guest lists for imaginary Teas and Dinners and Receptions. So think of my delight when I was asked, would I be interested in planning and preparing the food for a friend’s high-school graduation party? Would I!
First things first — determining the number of guests and the budget. After that, the fun part: planning the menu! Once more, out came the notebook and pen, but with a new feeling of awe and excitement — “This time is for real.”
The Menu
- Homemade bread (white and whole wheat), served with butter, honey and raspberry jam
- Cheese (sliced cheddar and muenster, and rosemary cream cheese spread)
- Fruit (apples and grapes)
- Sliced summer sausage
- Vegetables (carrots, peppers and cucumbers, with dip)
- Olives
- Crackers (Erica’s homemade “Thin Wheat Crackers”, and some store-bought)
- Dessert (Grandma’s “Apple Kuchen”, and peanut butter chocolate chip cookies)
- Beverages (punch, coffee and water)
With one week ’til the party, it was time to get busy! Everything would’ve been a disaster, if I hadn’t had Erica, Amanda and Katelyn here to help me. The girls made loaves and loaves of bread, cooling them and storing them in the freezer, while I baked up four batches of cookies (you can find the recipe for the cookies at AllRecipes.com). We worked together, slicing cheese, rolling out dough for crackers, watching the oven to make sure nothing burnt (very important, that last one!).
When the day of the party came, it was time to put Theory to the test. Parties are as changeable as Minnesota weather — one never knows quite what to expect, until the actual moment — or actual guest — arrives. There are a few tense moments as the first few people fill their plates; and then, relief, as you realize that nothing has been forgotten, nothing is out of place… everything is all right.
Being a caterer-for-a-day lived up to all my expectations. The mental and physical preparation involved, the excitement of last-minute setup… I love it! It’s stressful and the thought of failure is downright scary at times, but still, I love it. The intrepid spirit that tamed the Frontier lives on the the hearts of the Party Planners … Oh, boy. This is what comes of watching too many Westerns.
And P.S. … Congratulations, Reuben! 
You girls did a great job, Janna! We were so glad to have all the worry of food on somebody else’s mind. Thank you–again!
I agree – catering is so fun!
You look as though you did a great job!
Congrats on your real “catering” job..Looks like you did a good job from the looks of your table. Planning and putting together a gathering of
any kind has always been a most enjoyable thing for me and it can be very rewarding. So glad your was a success.
Ms. Dale
It all looks lovely — and (don’t be surprised) but there are plenty of us out here who love to cater and plan parties. Tea parties with plenty of pastries, flowers and sweet treats are my favourite.
Everything looks so lovely (and delicious!). Your love for catering shows in the beauty of your table and the foods you prepared!
Yours in Christ,
Shannon
Oh, my! That is a beautiful spread!! You did a fantastic job with your catering assignment. You really should look into doing this as a business, especially since you enjoy it so much. Believe me, it takes artistic inspiration and creativity to bring everything together just right, and your food preparation looks awesome!
Have you ever heard of raspberry honey? I personally don’t like honey on my bread, so I really can’t tell you what it taste like, but my brothers say its really good. We also have blueberry honey, but again, I couldn’t tell you what it tastes like!
Anyways, you did a beautiful job Janna!
I’ve never heard of raspberry honey… But the raspberry jam in the article above was made using only honey as a sweetener! I really should do a post on it, next time we make up a batch. It’s an easy recipe, and the end product is delicious!