What to bring to parties? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Zeraph · 08-19-2006, 03:16 PM

Potlucks we call them. When everyone brings something to eat or drink. I'm going to one tonight but can never decide on something good to bring. Price is a concern, so nothing too expensive. The normal advice I've been given is bring what you'd want to eat/drink. Well I pretty much only drink water. I don't like chips much, nor candy much and I can't cook anything serious. So hmmm...

What have you had success with? Especially looking for non standard ideas than just bring another bag of chips or bottle of wine.

saltfish · 08-19-2006, 03:25 PM

From personal experience; Stay away from tortilla chips, pasta salad and cheap wine, everyone brings them!

Be creative...

English chocolates, pita chips with hummus, a fresh baked baguette with blue cheese, vine ripened tomoatoes that were grown in the neighborhood.

Toaster126 · 08-19-2006, 04:21 PM

Apple pie. Every normal person loves apple pie.

Elphaba · 08-19-2006, 04:54 PM

A Deli Tray from a larger grocery store is my staple for the pot luck party. Like you, I can't cook worth beans and rarely have the time to try. Seasonal fruit trays are also welcome and not too pricy. If there is a hostess to this party, you will win major cool points by bringing a few flowers for her table. Those are pretty inexpensive at the grocery, too.

That said, you have been invited and it's your company that is wanted, rather than what you can bring. Just do what you can that is a reasonable expense for you.

maleficent · 08-19-2006, 05:53 PM

crock pot beans are super easy - super inexpensive and super tasty.

Big fruit salad - hollow out a watermelon and the watermelon becomes the bowl add other fruit to it and voila.

Breakfast for the host the next day... a basket of bagels/cream cheese, etc is always a nice gift.

a few bags of frozen shrimp, steamed over garlic and chilled.. served with cocktail sauce.

Meditrina · 08-19-2006, 06:03 PM

Most of the parties I go to are family parties, with alot of kids around. I like to bring either dirt cake or chocolate chip pie. I can dig out the recipes if you'd like.

Brewmaniac · 08-20-2006, 01:45 AM

Here's a good inexpensive, crock pot idea, fill crock with meatballs dump in a can of cream of celery soup(no water)
mix it all around if isn't enough liquid add can of cream of mushroom soup. Use small pretzel sticks instead of tooth picks, so you can eat the handle too! Yum...

passthru · 08-20-2006, 02:41 AM

I like the hummus idea, it's not all that common and most people like it. It's a bit expensive, but if you have a blender it's pretty easy to make. Just use google or something and you'll find many options.

Zeraph · 08-20-2006, 08:51 AM

Thanks for all the ideas. I ended up with a fruit platter.

08-19-2006, 03:16 PM	#1 (permalink)
Zeraph Banned Location: The Cosmos	What to bring to parties? Potlucks we call them. When everyone brings something to eat or drink. I'm going to one tonight but can never decide on something good to bring. Price is a concern, so nothing too expensive. The normal advice I've been given is bring what you'd want to eat/drink. Well I pretty much only drink water. I don't like chips much, nor candy much and I can't cook anything serious. So hmmm... What have you had success with? Especially looking for non standard ideas than just bring another bag of chips or bottle of wine.

08-19-2006, 04:21 PM	#3 (permalink)
Toaster126 Extreme moderation Location: Kansas City, yo.	Apple pie. Every normal person loves apple pie. __________________ "The question isn't who is going to let me, it's who is going to stop me." (Ayn Rand) "The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers." (M. Scott Peck)

08-19-2006, 05:53 PM	#5 (permalink)
maleficent Junkie Moderator Emeritus Location: Chicago	crock pot beans are super easy - super inexpensive and super tasty. Big fruit salad - hollow out a watermelon and the watermelon becomes the bowl add other fruit to it and voila. Breakfast for the host the next day... a basket of bagels/cream cheese, etc is always a nice gift. a few bags of frozen shrimp, steamed over garlic and chilled.. served with cocktail sauce. __________________ Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less.

08-19-2006, 06:03 PM	#6 (permalink)
Meditrina Junkie Location: LI,NY	Most of the parties I go to are family parties, with alot of kids around. I like to bring either dirt cake or chocolate chip pie. I can dig out the recipes if you'd like. __________________ "Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles." ~Alex Karras

08-20-2006, 01:45 AM	#7 (permalink)
Brewmaniac Searching for the perfect brew!	Here's a good inexpensive, crock pot idea, fill crock with meatballs dump in a can of cream of celery soup(no water) mix it all around if isn't enough liquid add can of cream of mushroom soup. Use small pretzel sticks instead of tooth picks, so you can eat the handle too! Yum... __________________ "That's a joke... I say, that's a joke, son"

08-19-2006, 03:25 PM	#2 (permalink)
saltfish !?!No hay pantalones!?! Location: Indian-no-place	From personal experience; Stay away from tortilla chips, pasta salad and cheap wine, everyone brings them! Be creative... English chocolates, pita chips with hummus, a fresh baked baguette with blue cheese, vine ripened tomoatoes that were grown in the neighborhood.

08-19-2006, 04:54 PM	#4 (permalink)
Elphaba Deja Moo Location: Olympic Peninsula, WA	A Deli Tray from a larger grocery store is my staple for the pot luck party. Like you, I can't cook worth beans and rarely have the time to try. Seasonal fruit trays are also welcome and not too pricy. If there is a hostess to this party, you will win major cool points by bringing a few flowers for her table. Those are pretty inexpensive at the grocery, too. That said, you have been invited and it's your company that is wanted, rather than what you can bring. Just do what you can that is a reasonable expense for you.

08-20-2006, 02:41 AM	#8 (permalink)
passthru Addict Location: Portland, OR	I like the hummus idea, it's not all that common and most people like it. It's a bit expensive, but if you have a blender it's pretty easy to make. Just use google or something and you'll find many options.

08-20-2006, 08:51 AM	#9 (permalink)
Zeraph Banned Location: The Cosmos	Thanks for all the ideas. I ended up with a fruit platter.