Low Country Boil

Party for 10-12 people

It doesn’t get more fun and laid back than a low country boil! Turn up the music, pile on the food, crack open a beer and enjoy!

Menu
Low Country Boil (sausage, shrimp, crawfish, potatoes, corn and onions)

Decorations
Line your table with a red & white gingham cloth. It's cheaper (usually) to buy fabric than an actual tablecloth. Place several layers of newspaper along the center of the table. Download some zydeco music to add to the atmosphere!

Recipes

Low Country Boil
smoked sausage, cut into 2 inch pieces
crawfish
shrimp
red potatoes, whole
corn, cut into 3 pieces
3 lemons, halved
shrimp boil seasoning

OK, so it's easier if you have an outdoor turkey fryer for this part of the job. If you do not, you can use a large pot on the stove and make a few batches or several large pots and cook at the same time. For the outdoor pot, fill 2/3 with water and bring to a boil. Add shrimp boil seasoning (follow package instructions based on the pot you are using), onions and potatoes. After 4 minutes, add corn. Cook 10 minutes, add sausage. Cook 5 more minutes, add crawfish and shrimp. Cook until shrimp are pink. When it's finished, drain and pour onto the newspapers on your table. Squeeze with fresh lemon juice, throw them lemons on top and DIG IN!!

Grocery List
3 links smoked sausage
2 lbs. shrimp
5 lbs. red potatoes
1 pack shrimp boil seasoning
5 ears corn
3 vidalia (or yellow) onion
3 lbs. crawfish (frozen is fine if it's what you can find in your local store!)
6 lemons
2 2-liters soda
1 case beer

Shopping List
Fabric

Approximate cost: $87.31

Birthday Breakfast Party

Why not switch things up and host your child's next birthday party at breakfast? Kids can wear their jammies and start their day with friends!

Party for 12-15 people

Menu
Cereal Bar, Yogurt Parfaits, Doughnuts, Doughnut Cake, Juice and Coffee for the adults!

Cereal Bar
Set up several varieties of cereal along the table. Put pitchers of milk out for kids to prepare. Any remaining cereal can also be used for the party favor activity (see below).

Yogurt Parfaits
In clear cups, layer vanilla yogurt with blueberries and strawberries and granola.

Doughnuts
Pick up about 2 dozen doughnuts from your favorite place.

Coffee/Juice Bar
Offer apple juice, orange juice, milk and coffee for the adults along a drink table.

Cereal Necklaces
Let the kids design some gorgeous jewelry in the morning by lacing their own necklaces from yarn and circle shaped cereal.


Party favors

Personalized Cereal Blend
Set up 4-5 different cereal options in large bowls, each with a scoop. Give the children each a take out container and let them design their own cereal blend to take home. Close the box and label it with their name.

Doughnut Hole Cake
Instead of a traditional cake, why not have a doughnut cake for breakfast? Start with a foam cone. You can find this at any craft store. Cover it with either plastic wrap or, if you're feeling fancy, ribbons. Using, toothpicks, attach the doughnut holes to the cone. Start at the top and line them around the cone until full. It took about 2 bags of doughnut holes to fill the cone. Next, take several ribbons cut to the length of the cone, poke holes through the ends with a toothpick (about a half inch from the top) and attach to the top of the cone. Move the ribbons so they drape down the cake.

Grocery List
2 bags doughnut holes
4 boxes cereal
1 box fruit rings cereal
Coffee
Orange Juice
Apple Juice
Milk
Half & Half
1 lb. Strawberries
2 pints Blueberries
Granola
Doughnuts

Shopping List
yarn
3 spools ribbon (more if you want different colors/patterns)
12-15 take out boxes (one per child)
foam cone
plastic wrap

Approximate cost: $78.00

Burger Bar Cookout

10 people

Setting the scene: The usual backyard BBQ is great, but this is a fun way to pump it up a little with a burger bar! These 3 toppings are easy to make and most can be prepped before your guests arrive. Make sure to blast some music and get ready for a great day with friends!

Menu

Burger Bar- Hamburgers with toppings bar- Grilled Pineapple Salsa, Chunky Guacamole and Southern Cole Slaw, Roasted Potato Salad with Blue Cheese and Bacon, Grilled Corn on the Cob, Brown Sugar Baked Beans, Strawberry Floats, Beer, Bottled Water, Sodas

Recipes

Grilled Barbecue Cheeseburgers

Season ground beef with 3 tablespoons barbecue sauce. Add salt and pepper. Divide into 10 patties and grill to the preference of your guests. Top with cheese.

Grilled Pineapple Salsa

1 Fresh Pineapple

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

1 lime

3 tablespoons red onion

1 small jalapenoo (optional)

Slice fresh pineapple into rings. Brush with a little vegetable oil to prevent them from sticking. Grill each side for about 3 minutes to allow the sugars in the pineapple to caramelize. Remove from grill and cut into small pieces. Combine with finely diced red onion and 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. To make it spicy-add some finely chopped jalapeno.

Chunky Guacamole

5 avocados

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 lime

3 tablespoons cilantro

¼ cup red onion

Jalapeno (optional)

Slice the avocados lengthwise around the pit. Twist to open and remove the pit. Chop the avocados and put into a bowl. Combine with chopped cherry tomatoes, 3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro and the juice of ½ a lime. Add salt and pepper to taste. Again-if you like it spicy, add a little finely chopped jalapeno.

Southern Cole Slaw

Combine 1 bag coleslaw mix with coleslaw dressing of your choice.

Roasted Potato Salad with Blue Cheese and Bacon

5 lb. bag red potatoes

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

8 slices precooked bacon

1 small tub blue cheese

Chop 1 5lb bag of red potatoes. Place on roasting pan, season with olive oil, salt & pepper. Roast in 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Put potatoes in a bowl. Mix with 2 cups mayo, 8 slices chopped, cooked bacon and 1 tub bleu cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Grilled corn on the cob

Remove the husks and silk from the corn. Place directly on the grill for about 15 minutes. Rotate every few minutes and keep an eye on it.

Brown Sugar Baked Beans

2 large cans baked beans

½ cup Vidalia onion

½ cup brown sugar

6 slices precooked bacon

¼ cup barbecue sauce

In a baking dish, combine 2 cans of your favorite baked beans. Add ½ cup chopped Vidalia onion, ½ cup brown sugar, 6 sliced chopped pre-cooked bacon and ¼ cup barbecue sauce. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Strawberry Floats

Place 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream in a tall glass. Top with strawberry soda. Add a straw and enjoy!

Grocery List

3 lbs. ground beef

2 packages hamburger buns

10 slices cheese- cheddar, american, swiss-whatever your prefer

1 pineapple

1 red onion

1 bunch cilantro

1 jalapeno

1 bag coleslaw mix

1 jar coleslaw dressing

1 pint cherry tomatoes

5 avocados

2 limes

5 lb. red potatoes

1 tub blue cheese

mayonnaise (small)

8 oz. sour cream

1 package bacon

10 ears corn

2 large cans baked beans

1 vidalia onion

2 6-packs strawberry soda

1 tub vanilla ice cream

12 bottled waters

1 pack straws

3 2-liters of soda

1 case beer

Approximate cost: $98.00

Pinkalicious Party

Party for 12 little ladies

I think the children’s book Pinkalicious is adorable. For those who aren’t familiar, it’s a book about a little girl who loves the color pink and wants everything around her to be that color! Reading the book got me thinking…could we decorate our house for a “pink party” using things we already have. My daughter and I went to work gathering all of the pink things from the girls’ rooms. Without trying too hard, we filled our mantle, fireplace seat and 2 bookshelves with nothing but pink!

The lesson: use things that you already have to decorate for a great party without spending a dollar. To complete the event- I’ve added some great treats for little ladies, some in shades of pink, and some very girly activities.

Menu

Strawberry dippers with cream cheese dip (tinted pink), Ham & Turkey Roll ups, PB&J finger sandwiches, pink Rice Krispie treats, roasted red pepper hummus with pita crisps, cupcakes with pink icing and sprinkles

Activities

Dress up-gather all of the girly dress up items you have and set up a station for the kids. After each outfit change, have the girls do a fashion show. Play some fun music and have your camera ready. At our house, the girls get more excited with each outfit.

Favors

Each guest gets a pink takeout box filled with pink lip gloss and pink candies.

Grocery List

2 lbs.Strawberries

1 tub Cream Cheese Dip

1 package Bamboo Skewers

1 loaf White Bread

1/2 lb. Deli Ham

1/2 lb. Deli Turkey

1 package Provolone Cheese

1 package Vegetable Cream Cheese

1 package small Tortillas

1 jar Peanut Butter

1 jar Strawberry Jelly

1 package White Cake Mix

2 tubs White Icing

1 package Food Color (red)

1 jar Pink Sprinkles

Pink Candies-bubble gum, starburst, gum drops, strawberry fruit snacks

1 box rice krispies

1 bag marshmallows

butter

Other Shopping List

Pink takeout boxes

Pink ribbon

Lip gloss, nail polish, bracelets...anything girly to fill the take out boxes.

Approximate Cost: $

Little Chef Birthday Party

My daughter loves to cook. When she isn’t helping me make real food, she’s pretending to create some fantastic dishes. She is a chef in the making! For her 4th birthday, we decided to celebrate her love of cooking with a chef party for 10 kids. All of her friends created their own pizza and designed their own cupcake at the Chloe Café (our house).

Party for 10 children


Menu
Individual pizzas (created by kids), rainbow fruit salad, cupcakes (decorated by kids), juice



Activities
When the kids arrive, each receives an apron that also serves as their party favor. Have them decorate them with markers, jewels or puffy paint.

When everyone has arrived, direct them to a table set with pizza crusts and bowls of toppings. After they have finished their creation, put the pizzas in the oven and bake according to package directions.

While the pizzas are baking, the kids can make their own placemats with 11 x 17 paper stickers, markers, etc. Now the pizzas should be ready!

After the kids eat their pizzas and fruit salad, they are ready for their final culinary task…cupcakes! Offer a tray of white and chocolate cupcakes, icing, sprinkles and candies for the kids to create their masterpieces. Divide the icing into a few bowls and add food coloring to customize to the guest of honor’s favorite colors. Sing “Happy Birthday” and enjoy!!

Invitations

We printed invitations on decorative paper from a party supply store. There were several options available with food/pizza type themes.

Recipes

Individual Pizzas

Pizza crusts

Sauce

Cheese

Pepperoni

Ground beef, browned

Any other toppings you would like

Give each child a pizza crust. Place each topping in a different bowl with utensils and allow the kids to build their own pizza. Bake according to package directions.

**Helpful hint: We gave each child their pizza crust on a paper plate with their name on the bottom. We put 4 pizzas on a cookie sheet and drew a “map” of the pizzas based on which child created it. This way, we were certain to deliver the right pizza to the right child. This will help prevent the meltdown that we all know can happen and preserve the good times!

Rainbow fruit salad

Grapes, Pineapple, Strawberries, Blueberries

Place all fruit together in a serving bowl. You could also separate the fruit into individual bowls and allow the kids to create their own salad, too!

Cupcakes

Cake Mix

Icing

Sprinkles, Candies

Bake cupcakes according to package directions. Divide icing into several bowls and tint with food color. Put sprinkles, candies, etc. into small bowls. Give the kids plates and appropriate knives to spread the icing on the cupcakes and decorate according to their liking.

Grocery List

4 packages mini pizza crusts (3 per package)

2 jars pizza sauce

1 package pepperoni

3 packages shredded cheese

1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. strawberries
1 pint blueberries
1 lb. grapes
1 pineapple
2 boxes cake mix-your choice
3 tubs icing- your choice
1 package food coloring
2 bags candies - for decorating cupcakes
2 packages juice boxes (approx 16-20)



Shopping List
25 pieces 11 x 17 paper (you can buy individual pieces at copy stores)
Stickers- for decorating placemats
Markers- for decorating aprons and placemats
Aprons- I searched for "kids aprons" online and found a site offering them for $2.50 each.
Invitations


Approximate cost: $101.00

Celebration Brunch

This brunch was created for my mom on Mother’s Day, but it would serve as a great meal for any celebration.

Party for 8-10 people

This is a very simple and elegant meal! All of the menu items can be made ahead of time, so there is no mess when guests arrive.


Menu
Pecan Crusted Stuffed French Toast, Creamy Hash Brown Casserole with Bacon, Fresh Fruit Salad, Mimosas and Petit Fours

Pecan Crusted Stuffed French Toast

1 loaf baguette bread

2 8 oz package cream cheese, softened

¼ cup sour cream

2 cups chopped pecans

½ cup brown sugar

3 eggs

1 cup milk

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

Mix together the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. In another bowl, mix the brown sugar with the pecans. Slice the bread into about 16 slices. Spread half of the slices with the cream cheese mixture. Sandwich the bread together and set aside.

In a shallow dish, break together the eggs, milk and vanilla. Place the pecans in another shallow dish. Dip both sides of the sandwiches into the egg mixture, then dip into the brown sugar/pecans.

Place the coated sandwiches onto a wax paper lined baking sheet. Cover and freeze for a few hours until firm. Transfer sandwiches to freezer bag and seal. Freeze for up to 1 month.

To prepare- Preheat oven to 350. Place sandwiches (frozen) onto greased baking sheet. Bake for approx. 30-35 minutes until golden, turning once.

Creamy Hash Brown Casserole with Bacon

2 bags frozen shredded hash browns

1 can cream of mushroom soup (I use reduced fat)

1 ½ cup reduced fat sour cream

½ cup milk

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

8 slices precooked bacon, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 Tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Combine the soup, sour cream and milk in a bowl. Toss with the hash browns to coat. Add the onion, bacon and cheese. Add salt and pepper. Place in a greased 9x9 baking dish. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. You can also prepare this the night before, refrigerate and bake when ready.

Fruit Salad

Mix together sliced strawberries, blueberries, strawberries.

Mimosas

Mix together equal parts champagne and orange juice. Serve in champagne or wine glasses.

Petit Fours

Frozen Pound Cake

Powdered Sugar, 1 lb.

Food Coloring

Cut frozen pound cake into 2 inch squares. Line on a wire rack with wax paper below to catch the icing drips. Mix 1 bag powdered sugar with 1 Tablespoon milk. Stir until smooth. Add food coloring until desired color is reached. Dip a piece of pound cake into the icing and turn until covered. Remove with a fork or skewers. Line on wire rack and allow to dry.

Grocery List

1 baguette

2 bricks cream cheese

2 cups pecans

1 small box Brown Sugar

1 dozen eggs (*only need 3)

1/2 gallon Milk

1 oz. Vanilla extract

2 bags Frozen Hash Browns

16 oz. Sour Cream

1 bag Shredded Cheddar

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 medium Yellow Onion

1 package Precooked Bacon

1 lb. Strawberries

1/2 pint Blueberries

1/2 pint Raspberries

16 oz. Frozen Pound Cake

1 box Powdered Sugar

1 package Food Color

1 gallon Orange Juice

1 bottle Champagne

Approximate cost: $68.03

* For the grocery lists, I put the items as you would buy them in the grocery store. I think it's a little misleading, from a cost perspective, to just include the cost of the portion of the ingredients you will use. You can't just buy 3 eggs!

Welcome to Hundred Dollar Parties

I have hosted Hundred Dollar Parties for years without calling it that. For as long as I can remember, I have collected recipes and party ideas. The problem for me is that so many of the party ideas would require a celebrity budget and team of chefs. I want to show that anyone can host a delicious, beautiful and creative event within a reasonable budget. Each of my parties fits within the $100 budget (give or take). The recipes are things that anyone can handle with ease. I am not a chef, just a person who loves to cook!

I want this to be a place for you to go for any event you have…football games, holidays, seasonal activities, celebrations, birthday parties…the list goes on. When you get here, for each party, you’ll find a plan with menu ideas, decorations, favors, and easy to use shopping lists.

I'll also include ideas and tips that I've learned or found along the way!

Thank you for visiting and have fun!