Yum Under the Sun

On Valentine's Day, my honey and I went to Half Moon Bay, CA for some fun under the sun. What we found instead was "yum" under the sun. The gastric highlight of our day was supposed to be our dinner at the Crab Landing, but instead, it was our simple lunch on the beach.

So that got me thinking...What was it about that meal that made it so good? And how will that help me in my event planning?

We stopped by a locally owned grocery store to gather materials for our picnic lunch on the beach. After perusing what the aisles had to offer, we decided on a simple fare of Columbus Peppered Dry Salame, fresh mozzerella, and braided sourdough bread fresh from the bakery next door. To wash it all down, we bought a bottle of 2008 Moselland Mosel Reisling Qualitatswein, which we chose solely for it's cat shaped bottle, and some styrofoam cups (fancy plastic stemware was not available). Et voila!

A feast for our bellies!

What makes this meal great was the quality and freshness of the cheese and the bread. Salami is great because it is salami. =P The wine was a happy surprise. It was light, fruity, and crisp. The only problem was that we didn't buy two bottles. But I digress. I think these simple mini sandwiches are great for any impromptu picnic or meals during roadtrips. If you happen to be on a roadtrip, pick up the ingredients at a locally owned grocery selling local goods to better experience the area you are travelling through. Just don't drink and drive.

PS-I kinda just gave you a teaser for my next post!

Nostalgialicious Potluck PahTAY

This will be a pictureless post, as it was inspired pretty much at this moment when my boyfriend insist I look up Schoolhouse Rock videos on YouTube while we munch on saltine crackers and Easy Cheese. It could be the Conjunction Junction song, but I think it's more my drawing happy faces with the Easy Cheese on the saltine crackers that got me thinking: "Dude, what if we had a potluck where people bring in their favorite snacks when they were kids?" RIGHT???

For some reason, thinking of all my childhood delights thrills me, making my heart beat a little faster in anticipation. It takes me back to a time when nothing mattered, except the next adventure I would partake in. Everything was an adventure back then...except chores. =P I think any party that could capture that particular spirit of childhood would make a good party.

So here it goes:

THEME: Revisiting your childhood, being nostalgic

FOOD: Make your favorite childhood snack and ask your guests to bring theirs as well. Some of my favorite snacks when I was a kid include: (you guessed it) Easy Cheese and saltine crackers, Laughing Cow Cheese with bananas, and toasted sliced bread with condensed milk...yum. The more unique the better.

DRINKS: Keep with the childhood theme. Ovaltine, Hawaiian Punch, Tang. It would be interesting if you challenge your guests to make a good alcoholic beverage out using one of those drinks. If you're really productive, you can even hold a contest with judges and prizes. Or, the prize can be winning itself. You can also prepare Jello shots, which are in keeping with the whole theme.

MUSIC: Play music from when you and your guests were in elementary school. For me, it was Selena and Run DMC. Ahh, those were the days...

All in all, I think this is a fun, easy party idea that can be thrown at the drop of the hat. Impromptu soundtracks can easily be made with Pandora or Grooveshark online. Snacks are snacks because they are easy and fast to make. Also, your guests can bond or break the ice with playground war stories. Thinking about it, this sounds like a party even the Eventless Planner can afford. =P