Kid Party Menus

‘Tis the Season for Kid-Friendly Pumpkin Fondue

Mr. Pumpkin isn’t always sweet.  Sometimes he can be savory and sassy!  (Not sure why I made the pumpkin male….)  From lattes to pies to muffins, many of the seasonal pumpkin recipes are sweet.  Here’s a savory one to add to your fall collection.  I’ve always loved fondue.  Uhhhh….except for that time when my sister and I made fondue for a baby shower and we decided that any old kind of dish and open flame would do to serve our cheese fondue.  That was all well and good until the dish busted wide open with a loud and startling “bang” just as the church ladies were sampling their first very-full cups of blue punch.    Oops.  We referred to the dish that day as Fon-DON’T!

I promise this recipe is a definite Fon-DO!  It’s kid-friendly because there is no alcohol and has a cheese sauce base instead. My most important tip for fondue:  use good quality cheese.  You won’t like the outcome with the cheap stuff.  Been there.  The breads I like to use are jalapeno cheddar and pumpernickel, in case you’re wondering.

Lunchtime Play Date Menu for New Classmates

I recently hosted a lunch and play date for several of the boys (and their moms) who will be in my son's second grade class this year, as a way to help him get ready for the school year.  It was also a good way to spend some time with the moms I'll be seeing this year in class.  These kinds of menus can be fun and low-stress, with a combination of prepared and homemade foods.  I placed the kids' food on a lower level table so they could graze at-will during the play date.  Most of the food was eaten off plastic toothpicks.  They also had paper plates and napkins available, and places to sit if they chose.   The mom food was served on a higher bar area.  The moms also enjoyed dipping into the kid munchies which is just as it should be!   Beverages were water and Turkey Hill lemonade served from my son's pop-up lemonade stand.  There wasn't a lot of food left over so I think everyone enjoyed themselves.    Here's what I served:

Kid Table
-Fruit tray with clementines, watermelon, strawberries and grapes
-Salami and mozzarella cheese skewers
-Hebrew National frozen pigs in a blanket with ketchup
-Veggie tray- carrot sticks and cherry tomatoes from the garden with Ranch to dip
-Chocolate Pumpkin Nut Bread or Mini Muffins
-Store bought cookies
-I also had peanut butter, jelly and sandwich thin bread available for the making if kids didn't like the food being served (we never opened it)

Mom Table
Ham & Cheese Party Sandwiches
-Triscuits with Boar's Head Horseradish Cheddar
-Tarragon Chicken Salad,  baby greens and store-bought sandwich rolls