Forums: January 2011 Kickstart Forum: 1st Birthday Party - Entertaining?
Created on: 01/07/11 11:21 AM Views: 2537 Replies: 15
peasandrice Joined: 12/29/10 Posts: 77	1st Birthday Party - Entertaining? Posted Friday, January 7, 2011 at 11:21 AM My youngest son's 1st birthday is Feb 1st. I am planning a small get together with about 15-ish people. Most of them are meat eaters and half of them are used to southern style comfort food, the other half is used to Mexican food. I have no idea what to make! It's past the kickstart, but I still want to plan a vegan party. I need to practice the items a few times in advance to make sure I can pull them off. I'm not a very experienced cook. I need suggestions, tips, etc. It doesn't have to be as healthy since it's for a party, but I also don't want to get fat practicing... Also it would be great to wow them with vegan food - if you know what I mean?
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cch22 Joined: 09/08/10 Location: New York State Posts: 1000	RE: 1st Birthday Party - Entertaining? Posted Friday, January 7, 2011 at 11:54 AM Hi.. I think i would go for a mexican style... chips and salsa & picodeguyo (vegan) Lay out all the fixings for tacos.. no fat beans, hamburger (if you want-or not), tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream (you don't have to have it) hard and soft shell.. let them make their own.. of course you can also serve refried no-fat beans from a can w/some veggies added. I can give you an awesome chocolate cake recipe.. with chocolate frosting.. everyone will like...
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Bugsmom Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2072	RE: 1st Birthday Party - Entertaining? Posted Friday, January 7, 2011 at 11:59 AM peasandrice wrote: My youngest son's 1st birthday is Feb 1st. I am planning a small get together with about 15-ish people. Most of them are meat eaters and half of them are used to southern style comfort food, the other half is used to Mexican food. I have no idea what to make! It's past the kickstart, but I still want to plan a vegan party. I need to practice the items a few times in advance to make sure I can pull them off. I'm not a very experienced cook. I need suggestions, tips, etc. It doesn't have to be as healthy since it's for a party, but I also don't want to get fat practicing... Also it would be great to wow them with vegan food - if you know what I mean? I'd do a big pot of chili (veggie chili with lots of beans), veggie corn bread with a couple spreads (vegan margarine, pumpkin and/or apple butter, fruit jam, etc), as the 'entree'; then have hummus, baked pita chips, crudite (celery, carrots, bell pepper slices) and maybe some nice fresh fruit cut up as well to snack on. Look up some vegan chocolate cake recipes (there are some really moist, tasty ones out there) - baking is one area that really does need some practice when moving away from butter and eggs. Good thing with something like chili is that it can sit in a crockpot or on the stove on low for hours and be just fine, and it can be prepared a day or more ahead and just re-heated that day. Hummus, likewise, can be made ahead. A couple years ago, we had vegan cupcakes for DS' birthday (chocolate with PB filling!) made for us by a vegan baker (she's trying to get a vegan catering/baking business going). They were yummy! So, if you can, look around your area to see if there are any local vegan bakeries/bakers who can provide a cake at a reasonable price (or just bake it yourself if you're a confident baker) --Deb R
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peasandrice Joined: 12/29/10 Posts: 77	RE: 1st Birthday Party - Entertaining? Posted Friday, January 7, 2011 at 12:15 PM Thank you both for the ideas! I like the chili idea, although I don't have any idea how to make a vegan chili, I'm sure I can find one though. Any recipe ideas would be appreciated! I do have a good sized crock pot so that would help. A friend of mine makes really good cornbread, I could get the recipe and adapt it, Earth Balance would probably take care of the butter. She also makes really good lettuce wraps that are vegan (not on purpose lol). I could have those as the 2 main foods. A spread of dips and a fruit plate would help and not be too hard. I would like to do it totally vegan, so it might be tricky to work around the sour cream/cheese issue. The vegan versions would stand out to those not used to them. I'll have to think on that one. Cch22 - what is your cake recipe? I am fairly good at baking w/out eggs and dairy (and gluten! although that won't be an issue this time). I'm one of those people that bakes, but doesn't cook, although I am trying to branch out. I am thinking of making a vegan peanut butter ice cream to go with it. There is a recipe in the Veganomicon I plan to try. One person has a very severe onion allergy and another one has an assortment of vegetable allergies, so I will need to get a list. I might not be able to have everything be good for everyone, but if there are at least a few things each person can have that would be fine, I hope.
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Bugsmom Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2072	RE: 1st Birthday Party - Entertaining? Posted Friday, January 7, 2011 at 12:41 PM peasandrice wrote: Thank you both for the ideas! I like the chili idea, although I don't have any idea how to make a vegan chili, I'm sure I can find one though. Any recipe ideas would be appreciated! I do have a good sized crock pot so that would help. A friend of mine makes really good cornbread, I could get the recipe and adapt it, Earth Balance would probably take care of the butter. She also makes really good lettuce wraps that are vegan (not on purpose lol). I could have those as the 2 main foods. A spread of dips and a fruit plate would help and not be too hard. I would like to do it totally vegan, so it might be tricky to work around the sour cream/cheese issue. The vegan versions would stand out to those not used to them. I'll have to think on that one. Cch22 - what is your cake recipe? I am fairly good at baking w/out eggs and dairy (and gluten! although that won't be an issue this time). I'm one of those people that bakes, but doesn't cook, although I am trying to branch out. I am thinking of making a vegan peanut butter ice cream to go with it. There is a recipe in the Veganomicon I plan to try. One person has a very severe onion allergy and another one has an assortment of vegetable allergies, so I will need to get a list. I might not be able to have everything be good for everyone, but if there are at least a few things each person can have that would be fine, I hope. Hmm that does complicate things - hubby's chili is cooked beans (black, white, pinto, any combination), onions, bell peppers, corn, and if we've have some on hand, mushrooms, along with diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Tomato, unfortunately is one of those highly likely veggies if someone is allergic to veggies. On the other hand, some folks react only to raw veggies, not cooked. One option is to have diced onion on the side, like they do in some restaurants when they serve chili. Corn bread usually has eggs in it, so check the Veganomicon's recipe (since you've already got that cookbook handy anyhow) - we had it last night with chili. --Deb R
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cch22 Joined: 09/08/10 Location: New York State Posts: 1000	RE: Choco cake recipe Posted Friday, January 7, 2011 at 1:02 PM Vegan Low-Fat Chocolate Applesauce Cake 2 cups unbleached white Flour 1 cup Organic Sugar 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch 3 teaspoon Baking Soda 1/4 teaspoon Salt 1/3 cup Dark Special Cocoa (or reg cocoa if it's all you have) 2 cups Applesauce 1 teaspoon Vanilla Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 8x11 cake pan. Or two 9inch rounds. Note: Because this cake is a bit heavy, layered cake pans are not recommended. Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add applesauce & vanilla and mix well until batter is smooth. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until done. You can always tell that a cake is finished baking by sticking a toothpick in the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, then your cakes is done baking.
	Edited 01/07/11 1:03 PM Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
cch22 Joined: 09/08/10 Location: New York State Posts: 1000	frosting Posted Friday, January 7, 2011 at 1:07 PM Vegan Chocolate Fudge Frosting 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate 3 tsp vegan margarine 1/4 cup hot unsweetened soy milk (some recipes call for water instead..see what you like) 2 cups powdered sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract In a microwave on low power (3), melt the chocolate & vegan margarine together. Add the vanilla & stir. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the hot soy milk. Slowly stir in the sugar until the frosting is creamy. You may not need the entire 2 cups of sugar.
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mollyhorn Joined: 03/03/10 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 582	RE: 1st Birthday Party - Entertaining? Posted Friday, January 7, 2011 at 1:09 PM Vegan Chili! This one is really easy, too. It's basically: cut up some veggies, dump some cans, and cook! http://fatfreevegan.com/blog/2011/01/02/thick-tex-mex-chili/ Use some of the vegetable broth to sauté the veggies, so that you don't have to use oil. I don't like jalapeños, so I use a small can of those green peppers instead, New Mexico Green Chiles. I'm from Texas and we like Chile Powder, so I use 2-4 Tbsp instead of the 1 tsp. the recipe calls for. Molly Horn
	Edited 01/07/11 1:11 PM Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
cch22 Joined: 09/08/10 Location: New York State Posts: 1000	Cornbread Posted Friday, January 7, 2011 at 1:12 PM Here are two recipes. Make either or combine them. Easy Cornbread Muffins 2 cups Cornmeal 2 cups Oat Bran 4 tsp Baking Powder 2 cups Unsweetened Apple Juice Preheat oven to 350 Sift cornmeal, oat bran, and baking powder together. Add apple juice and stir just till mixed. Spoon batter into 18 non-stick muffin cups; bake 30 min or till lightly browned Calories 95, fat 1g, sat .2, protein 3.1, carbs 22.3g, sugar 3g, fiber 2.2g, iron 1.4mg Cornbread Muffins 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour 3/4 cup White Flour        3/4 cup Polenta or Cornmeal 4 Tbsp Sugar           5 tsp Baking Powder 1/2 tsp Salt (optional) 1/3 cup Applesauce & 2 Tbsp Applesauce       1/2 cup Water 1/2 cup Lowfat Soymilk Mix dry ingredients together. Mix wet ingredients in another bowl. Add wet to dry & stir well. Bake at 375 for 30 min or till golden brown. Note: I made a third recipe by using the cornmeal & oatmeal & baking powder from the first. Then used Sugar, ¾ cup applesauce, ¾ cup soymilk and about ½ cup water from the 2nd one. Next time I might try using honey instead of sugar.
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cch22 Joined: 09/08/10 Location: New York State Posts: 1000	another chili recipe Posted Friday, January 7, 2011 at 1:18 PM Best Vegetarian Chili In the World 1 Tbsp Olive Oil       1/2 Medium Onion 2 Bay Leaves          1 tsp Cumin 2 Tbsp Dried Oregano       1 tsp Salt Chopped: 2 Stalks Celery       2 Green Peppers 2 Jalapeno Peppers    3 Cloves Garlic 2 (4oz) cans chopped Green Chile Peppers, drained 2 (12oz) packages Vegetarian Burger Crumbles 3 (28oz) cans Whole Peeled Tomatoes, crushed 1/4 cup Chili Powder       1 Tbsp Black Pepper 1 (15oz) can Kidney Beans, drained 1 (15 oz) can Garbanzo Beans, drained 1 (15oz) can Black Beans 1 (15oz) can Whole Kernel Corn Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in onion, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, and salt. Cook & stir till onion is tender, then mix in celery, green peppers, jalapeno peppers, garlic & green Chile peppers. When vegetables are heated through, mix in crumbles. Reduce heat to low, cover & simmer 5 min. Mix in tomatoes. Season with chili powder & black pepper. Stir in all beans. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, simmer 45 minutes. Stir in corn & continue cooking 5 minutes before serving. Top with red onions, jalapeno slices, and/or sliced black olives.
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Bugsmom Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2072	RE: 1st Birthday Party - Entertaining? Posted Friday, January 7, 2011 at 1:22 PM I can't believe I forgot the garlic in hubby's chili! Oh, and he also uses either ancho and chipotle spices separately or he uses a 'fiesta' spice blend that has no sodium - most chili powders, commercially, have tons of salt added. Along with that is the cumin and such spices. --Deb
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peasandrice Joined: 12/29/10 Posts: 77	RE: 1st Birthday Party - Entertaining? Posted Friday, January 7, 2011 at 3:02 PM Thank you all so much for the recipes! I'm writing them down now so that I can do some experimenting over the next few weeks. It's awesome that they are healthy too. I usually cook dried beans in a slow cooker w/ "Edward & Sons Not-Chick'n Bouillon Cubes" because they are vegan, onion free and taste really good. It will probably be hard to pull this off without onions, but I'll see what I can come up with. I called the person that has the veggie allergy and he said no: fresh fruits (canned is ok in small amounts, but baked doesn't work, including things things baked with applesauce), avocados, carrots, and soy(this frightens me). Exceptions are tomatoes (yay!) bananas, green leafy things and broccoli, potatoes, and corn. I think he has an issue with coconut, but I forgot to clarify. Peanut butter is ok. I think I will still have a fruit/veggie tray for other people, I will just try and make the chile, corn bread, cake and ice cream good for everyone. Maybe I could come up with a seitan sausage for the chile to avoid soy. For the cake I will need to replace the applesauce, someone suggested a banana for chocolate cake once, I could try a mini experiment cake (hubby would love to test!). Thank you all again so much for the ideas and recipes! I don't entertain much, but I want to start doing it more. It's easier than traveling to everyone else's house on holidays and eating 3 different meals where almost nothing is vegetarian (let alone vegan now...).
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Bugsmom Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2072	RE: 1st Birthday Party - Entertaining? Posted Friday, January 7, 2011 at 3:07 PM peasandrice wrote: I called the person that has the veggie allergy and he said no: fresh fruits (canned is ok in small amounts, but baked doesn't work, including things things baked with applesauce), avocados, carrots, and soy(this frightens me). Exceptions are tomatoes (yay!) bananas, green leafy things and broccoli, potatoes, and corn. I think he has an issue with coconut, but I forgot to clarify. Peanut butter is ok. I think I will still have a fruit/veggie tray for other people, I will just try and make the chile, corn bread, cake and ice cream good for everyone. Maybe I could come up with a seitan sausage for the chile to avoid soy. . If you want a meaty texture to the chili, get some portabella mushrooms and chop them up a bit. Or, sometimes we just roughly mash on some of the beans (do a double batch of beans, chop some, leave some whole). Oh, another possibility is to use the Veganomicon black bean patty recipe and then once the patties are cooked, crumble them into the chili for a ground meat like texture. The recipe doesn't use soy at all. I can't do tofu and tempeh and such (too much soy doesn't play well for me) so we never use it in any of our cooking. --Deb R
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veggies4me Joined: 01/05/11 Posts: 172	RE: 1st Birthday Party - Entertaining? Posted Friday, January 7, 2011 at 5:47 PM I ran out of eggs once for a recipe (before the vegan days) and goggled to see what could replace eggs. I was really suprised to see the list of what you could use. Of course applesauce is used in recipes to replace the eggs, but I see you are dealing with an allergy. They also suggested things like arrowroot or cornstarch. In certain amounts for each egg. You might want to see what you can find. I remember being very successful when I experimented. In fact I have a favorite cookbook with health quick and easy meals my family loves (Lickety-Split Meals by Zonya Foco,RD) and I just adapt them to be vegan. I highly recommend them for busy families.
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veggies4me Joined: 01/05/11 Posts: 172	RE: 1st Birthday Party - Entertaining? Posted Friday, January 7, 2011 at 5:48 PM I ran out of eggs once for a recipe (before the vegan days) and goggled to see what could replace eggs. I was really suprised to see the list of what you could use. Of course applesauce is used in recipes to replace the eggs, but I see you are dealing with an allergy. They also suggested things like arrowroot or cornstarch. In certain amounts for each egg. You might want to see what you can find. I remember being very successful when I experimented. In fact I have a favorite cookbook with health quick and easy meals my family loves (Lickety-Split Meals by Zonya Foco,RD) and I just adapt them to be vegan. I highly recommend them for busy families.
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catbear Joined: 01/04/11 Posts: 76	RE: 1st Birthday Party - Entertaining? Posted Sunday, January 9, 2011 at 3:18 PM Here is another idea...have a vegan "carne asada". Have portabella mushroom "fajitas", with corn tortillas, salsa, guacamole, and finely diced onion and cilantro. For sides, roasted corn, pinto or black beans, and grilled veggies like squash & onions. Have cut up fruit/veg like jicama, pineapple, cucumber, oranges etc. with Trechas for appetizer. That's my standard vegan party fare here in south Texas and it is great!
	Edited 01/09/11 3:19 PM Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom

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