A Baby Shower Menu Can Help You As A Hostess

If choosing the right foods are overwhelming to you, take my advice....

Make it easy- You can choose the effort level you put into the food.

Keep it simple- Choose meals that can be made ahead of time or buy it pre made.

Break it down- Baby Steps. No need to conquer Mount Everest by starting at the top!

Follow the example of the baby. Start with a roll, sit when you’re ready, crawl in time, get your footing down and take one step at a time!

Here are some things to think about as you put your meal together.

The time of day the baby shower is held will also help to determine the kind of menu to serve at the baby shower. If your shower is held at noon on a Saturday, your guests will be expecting a lunch along with the shower. A shower held later in the afternoon should be okay for a casual menu.

You can have the sit down meal at any time of day. See the etiquette section for more details on this.

Think about the kind of meal and seating you would like to provide for your guests.

Casual style meal

Any buffet style meals or light appetizers that do not require table sitting would fall under this category.

Make sure there are enough chairs for your guests to sit on while they eat. You do not necessarily need tables for casual dining.

The plates need to be sturdy enough to accommodate your guests. If there is anything being served that needs to be cut with a knife, a full sit down meal is required. If you want to have casual dining, keep your food simple.

The casual baby shower menu will consist of a drink and finger foods or appetizers. You can also serve some type of dessert to go with the menu.

Sit down meals

The sit down menu will have all the items listed below in the basics of a baby shower menu.

1. Elegant setting meal- Use circular tables with assigned seating. The guests will be served.

2. Buffet style meal- You can use circular or long tables with or without assigned seating. The guests will serve themselves.

Table ware- Depending on how casual the meal is can determine how nice the tableware is. It can range from plastic table covers and plastic utensils to linens and nice silver ware.

Place cards- Cute place cards not only direct the people to where you would like them to sit, they also serve to help with the overall decoration.

Favors-Favors can add a beautiful touch to a sit down designed meal. The favor can be set in front of each plate as a decoration and they can take the favor with them.

There are certain basics that usually are included in the meal of a baby shower.

Drink- Always have some kind of drink available for your guests. It can be as simple water, soda, punch, or root beer float. There are some great recipes to use in the baby shower punch section.

Appetizers- These can be served at the beginning as guests are arriving. They also can be served during the present opening time or at the very end of the baby shower.

Appetizers can be simple as chips and salsa, vegetables and dip, pretzels, or a salad. They can also be more filling like chicken wings, stuffed mushrooms, deviled eggs, or pigs in a blanket.

Side dish- A proper side dish can be a great filler item to help conserve the amount of other food offered. Women love to eat, especially when it is healthy and they did not spend the effort making it. A potato dish, vegetable dish or salad can help to fill your guests tummies without making them squirm too much about calories.

Dessert- Aha! The only thing most people will chance breaking a diet to try. Dessert is the cherry on the cake at a baby shower. The perfect balance is found when 1 or 2 desserts are offered. Any more than that might take away from the lovely meal you have prepared.

Main dish- the anchor of your meal. Chicken is usually used because it is inexpensive and easy to work into your theme. Lasagna and fettuccine are good meals that are inexpensive and feed a lot of people for the price.

A barbeque can provide great flavored meats and give the guys a chance to show their stuff.

Think of foods that will compliment each other. You do not want to serve foods that will leave everyone's stomachs turning. Especially if they have not dared to start eating it yet!

Don't underestimate the power of a salad. They are easy to make and have a way of rounding out a light or sit down meal.

The two biggest foods to avoid in your baby shower menu: