Beach Party

Hogs N' Heifers

Mexican Fiesta

Wine Anytime

Margaritaville

If you can’t make it somewhere warm, bring the tropics to you!

A selection of seafood: snow crab, shrimp platters, crab cakes, seafood pizza,
OR

Grill hot dogs, sausages and hamburgers, and serve with all the condiments.

Cold slaw

Baked beans

Potato salad

Macaroni Salad

Fruit kabobs

Lounge chairs, beach blankets and beach balls instead of balloons. Holding the party outside? If you have a sandbox, place fake crabs and other beach sea creatures in the sand. Have a wading pool so the kids can cool off. If you're holding the party indoors, cover the walls in blue ocean-coloured paper on which the children can draw fish.

Get yo' Limbo on! Have a Twist off! Build sandcastles! Start a conga line!

Rent Frankie Avalon & Annette Funicello movies and play them on the inflatable movie screen! There are so many possible beach activities...

For sides, serve mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, warm cornbread muffins and a salad dressed with a tangy citrus vinaigrette.

Have bowls of sweet-and-salty trail mix or chips and salsa to snack on while the meal is cooking

Toasted marshmallows or s'mores make a great dessert, whether you cook them over an outdoor fire, your fireplace or a fondue pot flame.

Beef jerky with dipping sauce

Deviled eggs

Roy Rogers (serves 1)
Salute classic cowboy Roy Rogers with this non-alcoholic favorite. Serve in jelly jars to give them that country flair.

4 ounces ginger ale

2 ounces lemon-lime soda

1 teaspoon grenadine
orange wedge, for garnish

Fill a tall glass with ice cubes, then pour ingredients over. Stir well and garnish with an orange wedge.

 

Horseshoes is another great way to get everybody involved. You'll need a lawn, two stakes and some horseshoes for this one. Place the stakes in the ground 40 feet apart on a relatively flat surface. For kids, you may want to buy rubber horseshoes and shorten the distance.
Have a Pie-eating contest... think Stand By Me

DECOR

Use gingham or bandanna fabric for tablecloths, napkins and other fabric needs. Use potted cacti for centerpieces.
Put up ”Wanted” posters of your guests in the bathroom
Decorate it with hay in bales or scattered all over the floor, and some cactus plants, fake or real. Instead of streamers, use lassos and ropes to create garlands.

You don’t have to be a fan of country music to enjoy this party ... play some new country rock like ... hmmm...I got nothin. But I do know that stuff like Johnny Cash never goes out of style!

 

Sombreros, Piñatas, Chilli pepper decorations
Place flower arrangements or plants in sombreros for a table piece.
Scatter brightly colored flower petals on the tables around centerpieces or candles.

Chicken or Beef fajitas
Taco Bar
Margaritas
Dos Equis Beer
Mexican coffee
Hot sauces, Salsas and Guacomole,
Con Queso Dip
Nachos
Stuffed Jalapenos

Hey...Macarena! Blast this catchy little tune when everyone has indulged in mas tequila and see who gets in the spirit!

Vent some pent up rage on an innocent pinata. Fill it with alcohol minitures and watch the mad scramble when this bad boy breaks!

Keep the kids busy painting Maracas or set up a game of Mexican Kickball. It’s a traditional game played in Mexican villages where each team member kicks a ball (no hands!) around an obstacle course and the first team that completes the course wins!

The course could involve going round logs, tables and chairs, up a slide, around a tree, through a tunnel, kicking over a low net, through a paddling pool...

Have a Salsa tasting contest. Have your guests prepare their best salsa and blindfold the guys to see which one they like best! The winner gets a bottle of Jose Cuervo!

I love wine. I love trying new wines and enjoying old favourites. Anytime I can get my friends to come over I insist they try out my “monthly wine” and serve my favourite tapas menu.

DECOR

Ask your florist to design flowers in a champagne bucket or in a cluster of wine bottles.

Decorate passing trays with flowers. When serving champagne, pierce a flower blossom and several berries with a cocktail pick and lay it across the top of the champagne glass. (see edible flowers)

Place groups of flowers and candles of various heights around the room. Ceramic, marble or fabric-covered wine coolers also make decorative flower vases. (If using terra-cotta, line the inside with a plastic bag to hold the water.) Floating candles and fragrant blooms in a crystal bowl make a simple yet elegant centerpiece.

A few interesting conversation starters might include cosmos, roses, lilies, anthuriums, orchids, freesia, lisianthus, callas, ranunculus, tulips, iris and gerbera daisies.

Cheese and crackers plate complete with dried apricots, berries and smoked oysters

Hot Stone dinner:

Marinate various cuts of chicken, beef and pork in your favourite sauces (I prefer to mix things up with a sweet/spicy, honey dijon and a basic rub), an assortment of marinated vegetables like peppers, portabello mushrooms and - if you really need a carb fix - pre-cooked baby potatoes marinated in a yogurt/butter/dill marinade. The beauty of this meal is that you can enjoy good conversation while everyone prepared what they want at the table. Pick up a Hot Stone at Stokes.