Frugal Party Foodby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 18 Nov 2008 05:14 AM
This past Saturday, we threw a nice-sized birthday party for my daughter, who by the way, insisted that we call her princess the entire time. Originally, we were going to pick up some pre-made food at our local pizza restaurant. The restaurant is a favorite one of ours for a nice inexpensive meal when we eat out or take out. However, I was truly shocked by how much getting food for 20 people would cost: $180. Potentially add the cost of a fancy birthday cake (princess wanted a castle cake), appetizers, snacks, drinks etc, and we could blow our entire grocery budget for the month. I thanked the owner of the restaurant, and we went ahead with other plans. Here is what we did. One day during the week I made up 24 individual pizza crusts, par-baked them and put them in the freezer. For the party, the kids made individual pizzas using the crust plus pizza sauce and bulk shredded cheese. I placed them in the oven and served them when done. It served as both an activity and as food. I baked the cake the night before and then assembled and decorated it the morning of the party. My daughter helped, and she thought that was the best part. It cost us only the price of a couple of boxed cake mixes and frosting (both purchased on sale). I used Halloween candy for decorations, such as making a door and windows from Hershey Bar segments. Leftover cake batter was turned into cupcakes. To save on individual ice cream bars or sandwiches and still have convenience, I bought gallons of ice cream on sale and placed individual scoops into aluminum cupcake papers the night before and then stored them in the freezer on a cookie sheet. For the adults, we had the following: Pasta and sauce, and meatballs, both of which I cooked the day before. We also had fried chicken we ordered from the local grocery store, which was cheap and tasty. I made a salad from fresh ingredients. Extras such as bread and inexpensive snacks were also served. How do you save money on party food? Click here for more articles by Mary Ann Romans. Frugal Kids Birthday Parties: Ways to Save Inexpensive Gifts You Can Make Practical Gifts for a Frugal Family Practical Gifts for a Frugal Family Part 2 Stocking Stuffer Picks from the Dollar Store Create Beautiful Gift Certificates Online Frugal Random Acts of Kindness
Just look to the right of this blog and find the subscription center (it looks just like this picture, although you'll have to find the "real" one just above the category listing ). Click on "Subscribe via Email". You'll be instantly subscribed and the email address that you registered at Families.com with will receive an instant notification whenever we post a new Frugal Living Blog! Don't miss a thing - subscribe now! Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments veebee26 (25) 18 Nov 2008 02:22 PMWe make home made pizza if we're serving adults. Once the dough has risen it's only about 20-30 minutes for adding ingredients and cooking. Bake instead of buy sweets (such as your cake). We do buy chips and soda and that is usually the bulk of the cost.  Mary Ann Romans (26791) 18 Nov 2008 03:49 PMYes, I learned that after making the pizzas with the kids, the adults were just as interested!  deedee1231 (4030) 19 Nov 2008 09:28 AMI was invited for dinner last weekend, the hostess served ham and beans, fried potatoes, and home-baked corn bread. It was a wonderful meal, and I am sure she didn't spend much. I would not have thought to serve ham and beans for company but it was a lovely evening and I actually now think it was the perfect meal for the evening! Mary Ann Romans (26791) 19 Nov 2008 09:52 AMBeans can even be made in the crock pot. it is a very frugal meal. gracet (63) 07 Jan 2009 09:35 AMA dish I like to serve when I'm having a lot of guests is baked ziti. It's easy to make and goes a long way. Serve it with meatballs and sald and home made garlic bread! I also bake it right in a large disposable tin to make the cleanup easier and faster. I like baking the cakes myself too and the kids love it when you get creative with the decorating! Mary Ann Romans (26791) 08 Jan 2009 07:13 AMBaked Ziti is a great dish for giving away, too. Whenever someone is sick or has a baby, I reach for that recipe. It reheats well and is inexpensive to make--thanks! Community Tags frugal living, frugal food, frugal party, frugal meals Discuss this article
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