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Taking the stress out of
preparing bridal shower food
(ARA) - If you're planning a bridal shower, you want
to make it a relaxing, fun time for everyone - and
right at the center of the fun is good food. If
you're feeling anxious about what to serve and how
to get it prepared - especially with everyone
nowadays paying so much attention to what they eat -
relax. You can serve delicious and healthy food
without hiring a professional chef or spending a
week in the kitchen.
Here are some time-saving tips and recipes from the
Simply Organic test kitchen to help you get the food
under control and host a simple but sensational
shower for the bride.
* Share the work. When guests ask if they can
bring anything, say "yes." And don't be afraid to
ask them to bring something if they don't contact
you first - most guests are eager to help. Get
others to prepare dishes you either don't really
enjoy making yourself or you know they do especially
well. You can even have each guest bring a dessert
or appetizer and share the recipes with the new
bride. Doing the food as a group is fun, and it
helps build the joyful spirit of the occasion.
* Keep it healthy. There's a good chance a
lot of your guests are trying to eat healthier. Why
not go that route and make it delicious too? You can
provide great-tasting, nutritious snacks that also
go easy on artificial additives, salt, fat, sugar
and other potentially unhealthy ingredients. For
guests with special diet restrictions, gluten-free
baking mixes are now readily available for easy,
worry-free baked treats.
* Take some shortcuts. For enticing, freshly
made dips without fuss, use high quality organic dip
mixes. Just add a creamy dill, French onion,
guacamole or ranch dip mix to equal parts low-fat
cottage cheese and non-fat plain yogurt and mix in a
blender or food processor until smooth. Serve with
fresh veggies you can buy already cleaned and cut up
at the store, and you get a lot of healthy snacking
with very little prep time. Or use pre-blended
mulling spice to create flavorful cider, punch or
other beverages without a lot of work.
* Remake everyday favorites. One way to
combine simple and special is to take
easy-to-prepare favorites and dress them up with
special festive seasonings. Try distinctive
seasoning blends like curry or Italian seasoning. A
seasoned sugar combination like lemon sugar or
cinnamon sugar will add a gourmet touch to your tea.
Or add a touch of a spice like tarragon or a chili
powder seasoning blend to your usual deviled eggs,
and you'll instantly have something out of the
ordinary.
* Shop smart. Make your shopping list well in
advance. That way you can pick up everything in one
trip - and eliminate any last-minute sprints to the
grocery store. You can even order some ingredients
online. For example, Simply Organic offers a wide
range of all-organic products online to enhance your
shower food - everything from spices, seasoning
blends and baking extracts to easy-to-make mixes for
dips, dressings and other snacks - and they'll ship
them to your house within a few days.
Here are two of the many easy-to-prepare, healthy
bridal shower dishes from the recipe collection at
www.simplyorganicfoods.com.
Spicy Chicken
Dip
Ingredients:
3 cups cooked and finely diced chicken
1/4 cup low fat yogurt
4 finely diced Roma tomatoes (approximately 2 cups)
1 package Simply Organic Guacamole Dip Mix
1/2 cup shredded cheese
2 tablespoons finely diced jalapenos
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, stir chicken and yogurt
together. Add tomatoes and Guacamole Dip Mix; stir.
Blend in shredded cheese and jalapenos. Refrigerate.
Chef Suggestions
Serve chilled with chips or crackers. For a less
spicy version, substitute green olives for
jalapenos.
Turkey &
Cheese Meatballs
Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey
1 package Simply Organic Roasted Turkey Gravy
Seasoning Mix
1/4 cup Simply Organic Pancake & Waffle Mix
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup shredded cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, combine all
ingredients until evenly distributed. Shape into
1-inch balls. Place in a single layer on a greased
baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
Chef Suggestions:
Serve with a side of barbecue sauce or Simply
Organic Ranch Dressing.
Courtesy of ARAcontent |
