A Bridal Shower Heavy On Love, Easy On Budget

Put Me on a Budget, Just Shower Me with Love

Even with a down economy, love prevails. This summer many a blushing bride will take the walk down the aisle. And many family members and friends will find themselves in the position of hosting a bridal shower or luncheon in honor of the bride-to-be.

I am here this first week in June to help all you hostesses out. I will be presenting ideas, menu, and recipes for a Beautiful Upscale Bridal Shower for Under $75.

To buffer the cost here, I advise you to give the party with a friend or another family member – you not only get to split the costs, but you also have someone to share in the fun of planning and giving the shower. Naturally, you can substitute less expensive items on the menu to cut costs and appeal to your guests.

This is a pretty elaborate menu with five appetizers, two luncheon items, two desserts, and a signature cocktail. Use what works for you. This Bridal Shower Luncheon is to spur your own creative juices to create a unique Bridal Shower Luncheon of your own.

First, it’s nice to greet your guests with a signature cocktail, in this case, the Blushing Bride, a beautiful bubbly concoction.

Appetizers are little bitty bites with great big flavors, easily eaten when socializing with the girls.

Games to be played will cost you very little. Décor and/or serving dishes can be used for double duty at the shower and as your shower gift to the bride.

A light luncheon takes place before the gifts to the bride, while the party concludes on a sweet note with miniature sweets and coffee or tea. A lovely time had by all --- including a very appreciative bride!

Elegant Beautiful Bridal Shower Menu

Signature Cocktail
The Blushing Bride

Appetizers
Fresh Tomato Berry Bruschetta
Smoked Salmon Teasers
Lacy Cheddar Crisps
Shrimp Cocktail Shots

Luncheon
Cups of Chilled Avocado Soup
Chipotle Ranch BLT Pasta Salad

Sweets
Angel Dusted Cream Puffs
Miniature Chocolate Cheesecakes

Iced Tea, Lemonade, and Coffee

Before we get to the recipes, let’s talk about the theme of the party and the décor. One particular shower party theme I like is the “Around the Clock” Bridal Shower. Each person receiving an invitation is assigned a time of day and buys something for the bride for that time of day, which can produce some interesting ideas -- remember to let everyone know it’s all in good fun and to use their imagination --- remember the line, “it’s 5 o’clock somewhere”……..you get the idea!

Also, let me say that it is very stylish to mix different pattern dinnerware and glasses, so use what you have on hand and borrow the rest from friends. One exception is little clear plastic cups for the avocado soup, since it is so pretty in a clear container and you might not have small clear bowls or glasses to use for the soup, but you can use those cups for drinks as well.

As far as décor goes, look around the house and yard and see what you find --- different containers with fruit or flowers from the garden are lovely and you can even dig out some silver and gold tree ornaments and garnish and use those on the table as well. Even if your shower is a luncheon, small candles are still beautiful flickering in the daylight.

Since it’s an “Around the Clock” bridal shower, if you have a unique clock or two, you could incorporate those on your table. Use your imagination and you will come up with all kinds of things. Want some pretty dishes or platters to show off your food --- purchase those for the shower and use them as your gift to the bride -- a gift with memories already attached!

Games can also be very simple and fun, and prizes inexpensive --- Jungle Jim’s has beautiful inexpensive flowering plants in the garden center – set of four Impatiens for only $1.29 – tie a ribbon around them or place in an inexpensive pot --- display on your table for a splash of color there also. You could also put a combination of chocolate and vanilla fortune cookies in a colorful bag or container --- Jungle Jim’s sells them in bulk and you can get a couple dozen for a couple of dollars!

You can do a word scramble of words pertaining to weddings --- first one to get the most correct in five minutes is the winner. You can do Bride Trivia, where you have written down questions about the bride – first one to get the most correct in five minutes is the winner. You can also go around the room and offer one valuable piece of advice or a toast for the bride --- here the bride is the winner and gets to choose the best piece of advice.

The drinks and appetizers can be served in the beginning, and after the games, the luncheon will be a breeze as both recipes are served cold and come on individual cups and plates – easy to balance if you don’t have a lot of tables. Serve the soup first, followed by the salad. Again, you don’t have to sit everyone at tables – easy to serve and eat!

Have the bride open the gifts starting with the earliest time of the day and just have fun!!

The shower concludes with the miniature desserts and coffee and tea. A beautiful Bridal Shower all on a Budget --- who would know!!!!

As always, write down all the ingredients that make up your Menu and your Party so you can price them out and keep on budget!


Recipes

The Blushing Bride

2 oz. Passion Fruit, Mango, or Orange Juice, chilled
3 oz. Sparkling Wine or Champagne, chilled or
Sparkling Water or even Lemon Lime Soda, chilled
½ Tsp. Grenadine

In a champagne flute or tall glass, pour chilled fruit juice first; then gently pour in the cold champagne, adding the splash of grenadine last, which will produce the blush in the drink.

Makes one serving.


Fresh Tomato Berry Bruschetta

1 Baguette or loaf of Cuban bread
1 large Clove of Fresh Garlic, minced
1 Tab. Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tabs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ Tsp. Salt
Pinch Freshly Ground Black Pepper or to taste
¼ lb. Ripe Strawberries (about 1/3 Cup chopped)
1 lb. Ripe fresh tomatoes (about 1 Cup chopped)
Fresh Basil or Parsley or Mint leaves (about 2 tsp. chopped)

For the Crostini:

Turn on the broiler. Cut off the end of the baguette or Cuban bread, and slice about 24-30 thin slices – about ½ inch wide – reserve the remaining bread for another use. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and toast in the hot broiler 3 inches from the heat source until golden brown, about 1 minute. Remove, turn the slices over, and toast until golden brown on the second side, about 45 seconds. -- Watch these closely or they will burn. Remove the toasted bread from the baking sheet and let cool to room temperature. These toast slices can be stored at this point for up to 24 hours when placed in an airtight container.
(If you prefer, you can brush the bread slices with some extra virgin olive oil prior to broiling.)

Vinaigrette:

Peel the garlic clove and mince finely or put through a garlic press. Place the garlic in a small bowl and add the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Whisk well to blend and set aside at room temperature until ready to serve. (You can add a dash of crushed red peppers to spice it up if you like.) You can store the vinaigrette for 24 hours ahead of time covered.

Rinse the strawberries and drain thoroughly. Remove the leaf caps of the strawberries and cut the berries in half.

Place the strawberry halves on a cutting board and coarsely chop into small pieces. Put the strawberries in a mixing bowl.

Core and seed the tomatoes. Chop into a small dice. Add these to the strawberries. Rinse and dry the herb you’ve chosen to use and finely chop. Add to the mixture. This mixture can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 8 hours.

Before serving, whisk the vinaigrette again and add to the strawberries and tomatoes, tossing gently. Arrange the Crostini on a platter and add a couple teaspoons of the bruschetta mixture on top of the bread slices. Pass the platter within 10 minutes to prevent the mixture from making the crostini soggy.

Makes 24-30 Bruschetta


Smoke Salmon Pleasers

¼ Cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
1-2 Tab. Fresh Dill or Chives, chopped
8 oz. Cream cheese, softened
½ Tsp. Finely grated Lemon zest
1 Tsp. Freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
36 Whole bite size Kettle Potato Chips or Terra Chips
3-4 oz. Thinly sliced Smoked Salmon, sliced into bite size pieces

Beat the softened cream cheese til fluffy – beat in lemon juice, zest, and herbs. Add a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Process until smooth with flecks of herbs. Scrape cream cheese into a small zipper-lock bag. Squeeze it down to one bottom corner, and snip ¼ inch off corner. Set aside.

Top each chip with 1 or 2 pieces salmon. Pipe a dollop of cream cheese, and garnish with a small parsley leaf or piece of dill or chopped chives. Serve immediately. Makes 3 dozen.

Lacey Cheddar Crisps

1 – 6 oz. package Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Adjust oven racks to low and middle positions and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper Spoon about 1 tablespoon cheese onto one sheet, then spread into a round with you fingertips so that cheese is more or less in a single layer. Repeat with remaining cheese, keeping cheese disks about 1 inch apart. You should get about 12 wafers to each large sheet. Bake until crisps stop bubbling, 9 to 10 minutes, switching sheets after 5 minutes if they appear to be cooking unevenly. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 2 dozen. (I doubled the recipe for this shower.)

For peak freshness, make the crisps no more than 2 days before serving, but stored in an airtight tin, the crisps will keep fore at least 1 month.

Make Parmesan Crisps by substituting grated Parmesan cheese for the cheddar.

PLEASE NOTE: Because shredded cheddar cheese available in packages is less moist and oily than freshly grated, it is preferable for this recipe.

Shrimp Cocktail Shots

1 lb. Cocktail Shrimp, 31/40 size or larger, shelled, deveined, and Cooked – tail left on
1 jar or recipe of your favorite cocktail sauce
Disposable Shot Glasses

This is all about the presentation and makes passing Shrimp Cocktail easy and fun. Add a small spoonful of Cocktail Sauce into each shot glass (disposable shot glasses make clean up easy) and top with Cocktail Shrimp – tail side up. You can garnish with parsley or cilantro leaf if desired.

Basically, for Cocktail Sauce, I usually add fresh horseradish to ketchup with a splash of Worcestershire Sauce and a little salt and pepper to taste ---- Yummy!


Chilled Avocado Soup

2 Large Avocados, peeled and pitted
2 10 ½ oz. cans of low sodium, low fat chicken broth (approx. 21 oz.)
Juice of 1 lime, about 2 tablespoons
1 Tsp. Ground Cumin
1 Tsp. Ground Coriander
Pinch Cayenne Pepper or to taste
Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

Optional Garnish:

½ Cup Fresh Tomato Salsa
½ Cup Sour Cream
Chopped Fresh Cilantro

Place the peeled avocado, chicken broth, lime juice, spices, salt and pepper in a blender and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Chill.

To serve, pour the soup into cups or bowls. Top with a dollop of sour cream, a spoonful of salsa, and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Makes 8 servings.(I doubled the recipe for this shower.)

You can use left over soup as a dip for tortilla chips or as a condiment for wraps.

Wonderful velvety texture in this soup and the salsa gives it a little kick and a little chunk!

Chipotle Ranch BLT Pasta Salad:

1 16 oz. package of rotini (swirls) pasta
1 lb. Bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 head Romaine Lettuce
1 carton Ripe Grape Tomatoes, halved
1 ½ Cups Ranch style dressing whisked
with 2 tsp. chopped Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

Sliced green onions for garnish

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook just until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a deep skillet over medium heat until browned and crisp. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. When cooled, this crumbled bacon will keep in an airtight container at room temperature.

Rinse the lettuce and allow to dry. Tear the Romaine lettuce into bite size pieces, bag, and refrigerate until serving time.

In a large bowl, stir together the dressing with the Chipotle peppers (taste and adjusting seasonings). Add the cooled pasta and the tomatoes and toss gently. If you like you can also add the chopped onions instead of using as garnish at this point. Refrigerate until ready to serve (up to 12 hours).

When ready to serve, toss the pasta with the bite size pieces of romaine lettuce and the crumbled bacon. Garnish with sliced green onions and additional bacon if you desire.

Serve immediately.

Serves 20 luncheon size.


Miniature Chocolate Cheesecakes

8-10 Oreo cookies, crushed – about 1 cup
1 Tab. Butter, melted
2 oz. Semi-sweet Chocolate
8 oz. Package of Cream Cheese, softened
¼ Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Large Egg
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

Line 1 ¾” mini-muffin pan cups with paper liners. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Blend Oreo crumbs with the melted butter in a small bowl. Press a scant ½ tsp. of crumbs into the bottom of each muffin cup.

Melt chocolate in a 1 cup measure. Beat the cream cheese in a medium size mixing bowl at medium speed until smooth. Add sugar and beat. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add the melted chocolate and beat at low speed until blended. Then, beat at high speed for 1 minute until mixture thickens. Fill the muffin cups ½ full.

Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes. Cool on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from muffin pans and cool completely. Refrigerate until ready to serve. I usually garnish with a tiny dollop of whipped cream and a chocolate chip or fresh raspberry.

(You can also add some espresso powder to cheesecake mixture to produce a mocha cheesecake mixture.)

Makes 2 ½ dozen (I doubled this recipe for the shower.)


Angel Dusted Cream Puffs

Puffs:
1 cup Water
½ cup Butter
¼ tsp. Salt
1 cup All-purpose flour
4 large Eggs, room temperature

Cream Filling:
1 3.4 oz. package French Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix
1 ½ Cups Cold Milk
Splash of Vanilla and a drop of almond extract (optional)
1 Cup Whipped Topping

Please note: you can use chocolate pudding mix and fold in grated chocolate or lemon pudding with lemon zest or pistachio pudding mix --- whatever you like.

For the Puffs:

In a medium saucepan, bring water, butter and salt to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir until a smooth ball forms and does not stick to the pan. Remove from the heat; let stand 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue to beat until dough is well blended and mixture is smooth and shiny.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown, and dry and firm to the touch. Transfer to wire racks. Immediately cut a slit in puffs to allow steam to escape. When cool, split the puffs open and remove tops. Discard soft dough from inside. Fill cups with cream, placing top back on after filling. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Before serving dust with confectioner’s sugar (angel dust).

Makes 32 mini cream puffs

Serve your favorite Arizona tea – gallon size on sale at Jungle’s and make a delightful pot of coffee with Jungle Jim’s flavored single pot mixes!



Tally for Elegant Beautiful Bridal Shower Luncheon

Seaview Sparkling Wine $10.99
(Cristalino only $8.99)
Mango Nectar $3.89
Total for Blushing Bride Cocktail $14.88

½ loaf Cuban bread $1.15
Tomatoes $2.00
Strawberries $1.00
Parsley or basil $.39
Clove of garlic $.10
Total for Bruschetta $4.64

4 oz. Smoked Salmon $6.99
Cream Cheese $1.19
Dill, parsley $.39
Kruncher’s Kettle Chips $2.39
Total for Smoked Salmon Pleasers $10.96

2-8oz. Shredded Cheddar $3.00
Total for Lacy Cheddar Crisps $3.00

Cocktail Shrimp – 31/40 ct. $6.99
Cocktail Sauce $1.89
Total for Shrimp Shots $8.88

4 Avocados $3.96
3 cans of broth $3.30
2 limes $.50
Total for Avocado Soup $7.76
(garnishes optional)

16 oz. box of Pasta $1.19
Head of Romaine $.79
1 lb. of Bacon $2.50
Carton of tomatoes $2.00
Ranch Dressing $1.79
Chipotle Peppers $.44
Green Onions $.39
Total for BLT Pasta Salad $9.10

Oreos $1.63
2 Cream Cheese $2.38
4 oz. Semi-sweet Chocolate $1.99
2 Eggs $.15
Total for Mini Chocolate. Cheesecakes $6.15

½ Cup Butter $.39
Cup of Flour $.22
4 Eggs $.30
Box of Pudding $.99
½ Cool Whip $.50
1 ½ Cups Milk $.39
Total for Cream Puffs $2.79

128 oz. of Arizona Ice Tea $2.59
Jungle Jim’s Coffee $.99

2-4 packs of Impatiens $2.58
(for décor and game winners)

Grand Total Including Drinks And Prizes for Games $74.32


Well, there you have it an Elegant Beautiful Bridal Shower on a Budget --- hope this gives you some ideas for your own and some great recipes to boot!!! Double your pleasure and halve your expense by giving this shower with a friend.

JUNGLE JIM’S MARGIE POTTS