A baby shower is a traditional way of celebrating the coming (or the birth) of a new baby and welcoming him or her as a new member of the family. They can be hosted and organized by anybody, usually the close friends/group of friends or relatives of the expectant parents. It was once considered improper for family members to host baby showers (because they usually center on the gift giving), but nowadays it is fine for family members to help (and plan) them.
Baby showers are usually held a month or two before the mother's expected due date (some cultures, however, consider it bad luck to hold baby showers before the baby is born). They are intended not only to welcome the baby but also to help the expectant parents by giving them gifts that they will need for the baby.
Planning for a baby shower can be an enormous task. Everything requires a great deal of planning - from the guest list, to handing out invitations, to the decorations, to the games, to baby shower favors - and, most especially, to the food.
Every party cannot be without food, as they are considered as one of the best parts or the highlight of a party. This applies to baby showers as well.
There are numerous types of food that you can serve during baby showers. Some of them are the following:
? Bread or sandwiches ? Dessert (cakes, cookies, ice cream, etc.) ? Chips or fries ? Pasta ? Pies (pizzas, etc.) ? Salad ? Drinks (punch, juice, wine, etc.)
Below is a list of several tips and guidelines on food ideas that will surely delight your guests and the parents-to-be:
1. The baby shower food that you serve will largely depend on the time of day when it will be held. A baby shower that will be held at noon or at dinnertime usually requires a full 'sit-down' meal, while early afternoon or early evening showers can do with appetizers, salads, and finger foods. In addition, the amount of food that you need to prepare will depend on the number of guests you will be inviting.
2. Have multiple snack trays for serving different varieties of food - you can have one with an assortment of finger sandwiches, another with sliced turkey or smoked chicken, and still another with sliced fresh vegetables served with a dip that you can place in the center of the tray.
3. Try to match your food and keep them in-line with the baby shower's theme (if ever there is any). You may consider serving scones and finger sandwiches if your baby shower theme is a tea party. Or, if you are having a nursery rhyme-themed baby shower, cakes and pies that resemble the characters from famous nursery rhyme (such as Humpty Dumpty deviled eggs).
4. Put some 'life' in the baby shower foods that you will serve. Instead of serving your fruit salad in a simple salad bowl, try presenting them in a melon bowl (or better yet, in a baby carriage-shaped melon server).
5. Decorate your food table by tossing baby pacifier candies, chocolate bars, and confetti all over it.
6. Personalize your eating utensils. Match their colors with the color scheme of the entire party. Consider using disposable cups or plates for easy clean up.
7. It is important to take into account the special diet of the mom-to-be, so try to avoid serving food that the pregnant mom herself would not eat. In addition to her allergies and food aversions, avoid the types of food that are prone to contamination and food poisoning, such as soft cheeses, uncooked meat and (most especially) alcohol.
By following these food tips, you will surely be able to pull off a successful (and memorable) baby shower.
Baby Shower Food And Drinks
One of the components that guests look forward to the most is, of course, the food! Contrary to popular belief, baby shower food does not have to be pricey or expensive to make. This article will provide some easy-to-follow baby shower menu recipes that are sure to awe all your guests. These recipes will make people believe that you spent a fortune on the menu, yet they will cost a fraction of what people generally spend on catering for events like showers.
Some of the easiest appetizers and snacks come already pre-made! Buy refrigerated croissant dough, biscuit dough, and cookie dough. Use baby-themed cookie cutters like diaper and baby bottle shapes, and roll croissant dough in the shape of diapers. You can also use pastel-colored sprinkles for the cookies to add a cute touch. These snacks are easy, inexpensive, and delicious!
Another idea is to make adorable, little baby-themed cupcakes. Buy cake mix and add the other ingredients as directed on the box. Bake in cake cups and decorate with frosting and sprinkles. A couple of drops of food coloring can be added to plain, white frosting to create light, pastel colors. Heart-shaped cupcakes stand out a bit more and look beautiful, but the size and shape of the cupcakes are entirely up to you.
The next recipe is a delicious and colorful salad recipe. This recipe is nutritious yet very appetizing, and will definitely be loved by all the ladies! In one or two large salad bowls, mix 2 to 4 bags of spring mix lettuce (depending on the size of your shower and the number of guests), 1 to two small packages of baby tomatoes, 1 to 2 cups of diced cucumber, 1/2 to 1 cup of shredded carrots, 1 to 2 cans of canned, sweetened tangerine slices, 1/2 to 1 cup of raisins, and 1/2 to 1 cup of caramelized pecans. Serve chilled with honey mustard or a sweet style vinaigrette.
An amazing fruit salad, popular in parts of Latin America is made using strawberries, mango, melon, sliced bananas, grapes, sliced oranges, sliced apple, and sliced pear. You can adjust the types and variety of fruits to fit your taste. Mix all the fruit pieces in a large decorative bowl and generously drizzle with sweetened condensed milk. Add caramelized almonds if desired.
A fabulous spinach dip that can be served at baby showers is really easy to make! The dip can be served with both corn chips and crackers. The recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of real mayo (you can use light mayo if preferred), 1/2 cup of softened cream cheese, 1 package of frozen spinach (cooked and drained), 1/2 cup chopped green onion, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and parsley to taste. Combine all ingredients and serve warm. If desired, you can melt Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese over the dip before serving. Provide an assortment of crackers and crunchy corn chips to eat the spinach dip with.
These easy-to-follow, pre-made recipes will take up almost none of your time, and are guaranteed to bring compliments from all of your baby shower guests and the new Mom and upcoming baby, you are honoring!
Both Gord Shin & Edie Mindell are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Gord Shin has sinced written about articles on various topics from Baby Shower, Time Management Skills. Gord Shin is web designer who loves to build high quality content based website on specific niche topics. Please visit or. Gord Shin's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.
Edie Mindell has sinced written about articles on various topics from Baby Shower, Gift Ideas and Christmas Gifts. Edie Mindell is a Content Writer for . For baby shower gifts, gifts for baby's first birthday, holidays and the perfect. Edie Mindell's top article generates over 90500 views. to your Favourites.