COED BABY SHOWER IDEAS:
Early Nov to Early Dec.
NOTES from Rose's Shower:
- Deck it out with Baby Bath Punch bowl: frozen blocks of ice w/flowers in the middle
- Alternating heights for food display
- Coord. colors
- Cascading balloons on string. Or the pom poms.
- lots of chairs for seating.
Brandy likes elegant, Tea-Like setting. I'll have a Sunday Tea Brunch for her.
- She loves lamb?
- tea sandwiches: cucumber, watercress, spread, bread
Planning Your Tea Party - A Step by Step Guide
- Select a date and send out your invitations.
- Purchase your tea and related accessories.
- Review recipes for tea time sandwiches and treats.
- Plan your menu. Include both savory and sweet food. Here is a sample Tea Time Menu.
- Set a beautiful table.
- Design an easy rose centerpiece.
- Brew and serve a proper pot of tea.
- Relax and enjoy your guests while musing on the merits of tea. Try reading the leaves for amusement. Turn to Tea Quotations and Reading the Leaves for inspiration.
INVITES: find out what animal Brandy likes.
Games fit for guys, too
***One of the cutest games I ever played at a couples shower was "Make a Baby." We each got small pieces of two different colors of Play-Doh and were told to make a baby. When the time was up, we all had to put our babies on a platter, and the expecting couple came back in the room to pick their favorite baby. Some of the babies were pretty hilarious.
— Fergus
***The game the guys loved best was the Diaper Olympics. I had two infant-sized dolls that needed a pretend diaper change. We divided the group in half and did a relay race. You had to take the baby, rush to the table, pull the diaper off, use a wipe, powder, and diaper again, and then take it to the next person in line. It was good practice for the guys — and boy, did they need it!
— Mary
***One of the cutest games I ever played at a couples shower was "Make a Baby." We each got small pieces of two different colors of Play-Doh and were told to make a baby. When the time was up, we all had to put our babies on a platter, and the expecting couple came back in the room to pick their favorite baby. Some of the babies were pretty hilarious.
— Fergus
***The game the guys loved best was the Diaper Olympics. I had two infant-sized dolls that needed a pretend diaper change. We divided the group in half and did a relay race. You had to take the baby, rush to the table, pull the diaper off, use a wipe, powder, and diaper again, and then take it to the next person in line. It was good practice for the guys — and boy, did they need it!
— Mary
These simple guidelines can help you plan a coed party:
- Make sure plenty of men will be there in addition to the expectant father.
- Make the invitations guy-friendly: Don't call it a Jack and Jill baby shower. And go easy on the pink.
- Invite the couple to register for baby gifts at their favorite store.
- If you plan to hand out party favors, realize that most men don't find the jellybeans in a baby bottle all that adorable.
- Games? If you do have them, choose ones that dads-to-be and their friends will enjoy. (For inspiration, see our readers' ideas below.)
- When it's time to open gifts, make sure the couple opens them together or takes turns.
- Bring on the food!
Deviled Egg Sandwiches
3/4 cup soft butter or cream cheese
20 slices bread of your choice
4 or 5 hardboiled eggs
8 ounces canned sardines in oil, oil reserved
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
Spread 1 side of each slice of bread with butter or cream cheese. Place all the remaining ingredients except reserved oil in a food processor. Whirl until a spread is formed, adding reserved oil and/or mayonnaise to bring it to spreading consistency. Spread the mixture evenly over 10 slices of bread, top with the other 10, remove the crusts and cut into tea sandwiches. Makes 40 quarters or 30 finger sandwiches.
Seafood Tea Sandwich Recipe
Shrimp, crab, or lobster may be used in this tea sandwich recipe, or any combination thereof.
3/4 cup soft butter or cream cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
20 slices bread of your choice
2 cups finely chopped crab, shrimp or lobster
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine the butter and chives and spread the mixture onto one side of each slice of bread. Mix the remaining ingredients together in a small bowl, then evenly spread the mixture over 10 of the bread slices. Top with the other 10 slices, remove the crusts, and cut. Makes 40 quarters or 30 finger sandwiches.
Smoked Salmon Sandwiches
1 cup soft cream cheese
20 slices bread, your choice
1/2 cup capers
12 ounces thin-sliced smoked salmon
Juice of 1 lemon
Black pepper
Spread the cream cheese on one side of each slice of bread. Dot with capers. Arrange the smoked salmon on 10 of the bread slices and brush with lemon juice. Pepper generously. Top with the other 10 slices, remove the crusts and cut. Makes 40 tea sandwiches or 30 fingers.
Cucumber Tea Sandwich Recipe
Cucumber sandwiches are still the quintessential tea sandwich recipe. No tea party recipe page would be complete without them.
1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced very thinly
Salt
3/4 cup soft butter
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
20 slices bread
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pepper to taste
Lightly salt the cucumber slices and place them in a colander to drain for 1 to 2 hours. Then combine the butter and garlic and apply to one side of each slice of bread. In a small bowl, stir together the lemon juice, olive oil, and pepper. Add the cucumber slices, coating them well. Arrange the cucumber on 10 of the bread slices, top with the other 10 slices, remove the crusts, and quarter. Serve immediately. Makes 40 tea sandwiches.
Variation: Tomato Tea Sandwich Recipe
Prepare as above, substituting about 2 pounds of seeded, thinly sliced tomatoes for the cucumber. You do not need to drain them as you would the cucumber slices. These can be messy, though, so it's best to arrange the tomato slices so that each slice touches a portion of the outer spread to keep the filling from slipping.
Almond Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Spread:
Combine 3/4 cup butter, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves or 2 tablespoons dried basil.
Filling:
1 cup finely chopped cooked chicken meat
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup slivered almonds
Salt and pepper to taste
20 slices bread, your choice
Combine the filling ingredients. Spread each slice of bread with a thin layer of the butter mixture. Add the filling to half the bread slices and top with the other half, buttered sides in. Remove the crusts and cut the sandwiches as desired. Makes 40 tea sandwiches.
Pepper Cheese Sandwiches
Spread:
Cream together 1 cup soft butter, 2 teaspoons brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.
Filling:
1 1/4 cups Stilton cheese, finely grated
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons brandy
1/4 cup, more or less, heavy cream
20 slices bread, your choice
Combine all filling ingredients except the cream in a small bowl. Gradually add the cream to bring the mixture to spreading consistency. Spread a thin layer of the butter mixture to the edge of one side of each piece of bread. Top half the slices with the filling. Place the remaining bread slices on top, remove the crusts and cut as desired. Makes 40 tea sandwiches.
Pineapple-Cream Cheese Sandwiches
3/4 cup soft butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon or nutmeg
20 slices bread of your choice
11/2 cups soft cream cheese
1/2 cup pineapple, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
Salt and pepper
Combine the butter with cinnamon or nutmeg and spread the mixture over 1 side of each slice of bread. In a small bowl, cream the cream cheese, if necessary, and stir in the pineapple and nuts. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over 10 slices of bread and top with the other 10 slices. Remove the crusts and cut. Makes 40 quarter tea sandwiches.
Hummus in Pita Bread
This is not a traditional tea sandwich recipe, but it exhibits the same features. Any small-portioned, savory (not sweet) sandwich or appetizer may be served with or instead of the traditional tea sandwich.
1 cup canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), liquid reserved
1/3 cup tahini paste*
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 or 2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
12 mini pitas
Chopped olives and tomatoes, optional
*You can make your own tahini paste in a food processor or blender by grinding toasted sesame seeds. Toast the sesame seeds over medium heat until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
In a food processor, puree the chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, paprika, and garlic until smooth, adding a little of the reserved liquid if the mixture seems too thick. It will be slightly grainy. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the pita pockets in half and fill each with about 2 tablespoons of Hummus. Top with chopped olives and tomatoes, if desired. Makes 24 tea sandwiches.
For fun, serve a variety of tea sandwich recipes or a combination of sandwiches and appetizers. Figure that your guests will consume about 4 tea sandwiches apiece, or the equivalent, depending on the party menu.
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