We can't spend every moment worrying about counting calories or our cholesterol levels. Food is not just fuel for the body, it is also an enjoyment of life. Sometimes, nothing is better than a theme party that centers around food. One terrific theme party idea is "A Night of Rich Decadence."
The purpose of the evening is to relax, to enjoy and to sample as many different desserts as one's heart (and stomach) desires, and to indulge in the ultimate in rich, creamy, sweet, chocolate and delicious. For any foodie, a dessert party is a treat for the senses.
Invitations
You can provide desserts, or you can also send invitations announcing a "dessert potluck." Be sure to let your guests know that it's a desserts-only get together to ensure that they won't come expecting shrimp cocktail, salads or main courses.
In your invitation, ask guests to list their food likes, dislikes and allergies. Nearly everyone loves dessert, but not everyone can handle milk, and some people have peanut allergies. You can make your best crème brulee, but make sure you have plenty of alternatives.
Party Prep
Then pull out all the stops. Set out your best tablecloth, buy fancy napkins and use your best cutlery, china and goblets. Each dessert is put out on separate plates, and guests are encouraged to try everything that appeals to them.
When preparing for the party, check and double-check to make sure you have an adequate supply of plates, forks, spoons, glasses, serving pieces and napkins. If you are using any disposable items, set out plenty of wastebaskets so guests don't leave plates or food around the room. Also set out club soda. Fruit jams and chocolate leave terrible stains on clothes and carpets, so you want to be ready if a guest has a spill.
For drinks, offer a variety, depending on the individual tastes of each guest. Coffee and tea are always excellent complements for desserts, as is champagne. Fresh flowers, candles strategically placed throughout the room and soft music add to the ambience of the entire evening's festivities.
When it's time for the party, place the desserts on a table, buffet-style. Guests often browse around the table, conversing and laughing with one another as they munch on cookies and sample this kind of cake or pie and consider what to try next.
Just let guests know you'll be enforcing one simple rule: Leave diet concerns and worries about dress sizes (or pant sizes) outside the door. It is not the occasion to lament the problems that food brings but a night to enjoy the pleasures that food has to offer.
 | If you are trying to come up with a creative activity for another birthday party that will be memorable, fun and inexpensive, consider a fondue party. |
 | Today's fondue has a long and interesting culinary history. Many cultures take credit for dunking pieces of meat, bread and even fruit into hot pots, and the earliest example of fondue is documented in Homer's Iliad, where he describes a mixture of wine, goat's cheese and flour. |
 | Consider hosting a fondue party the next time you're planning a get-together. Fondue parties cut down on your prep time, and the food is delicious. If guests don't know each other that well, the act of communal eating offers an immediate conversation topic. Here's how to do it right. |
Dinner parties are a very hot trend and a great way to get together with all of your friends on a regular basis. But do you and your friends have a serious sweet tooth? Do you get more enjoyment out of the desserts than the dinner? |
Dessert fondue is going mainstream, especially with the rise in appeal of chocolate fountains, exquisite miniature desserts, and plenty of options to use melted chocolate in unique ways. Making a dessert fondue is a great idea when you've got some entertaining scheduled for the evening; this elegant and fun dessert can serve as a centerpiece at a party or buffet, and will definitely have your guests talking! |
