High School Graduation

Use the guest of honor's high school colors to decorate the location of your graduation party. Cover the tables with nice tablecloths and fill scalloped white serving trays with the food. Stack paper napkins near the buffet.

Set out pitchers of water and pomegranate soda. Sprinkle graduation hat confetti on the tables and tie several metallic balloons to the mailbox or front door. Place vases filled with fresh flowers in between the serving platters.

If you have any sporty games, like ping pong or shuffleboard, bring out the supplies and get everyone involved in a tournament.

Source

At a party like a high school graduation that celebrates someone underage, be sure to have a plethora of nonalcoholic drinks on ice. Fill large buckets with canned or bottled sodas, and place pitchers of water — flavored with citrus, cucumber, or mint — on the tables.

Instead of juice, make pomegranate sodas. Their rosy hue and bubbly texture is festive and fun. The recipe calls for a maraschino cherry garnish, but since cherries are in season, set out a bowl of fresh cherries and let guests embellish the sodas themselves. For the recipe, read more

Nothing says high school graduation like a classic sheet cake with "Congratulations Class of 2009" scrolled across the top in loopy, frosted letters. While you could order an insanely sugary cake with too-sweet frosting from Costco or Safeway, why not take the time to make your grad a homemade confection? This recipe for a rich, dense chocolate cake is simple, straightforward, and sure to be a crowd-pleaser. It calls for a fudge-like frosting, but if you have another icing you prefer, use that instead. Get the luscious recipe when you read more

This week I'm planning the ultimate high school graduation party. Most high schools host a grad night after the ceremony where students get to celebrate together one last time. To ensure that they won't miss the festivities at either the grad night or their family's gathering, throw the personal party in the days following the graduation. The majority of graduates will have some sort of get together, and guests may be party-hopping, so take that into consideration when selecting a menu. Instead of offering a formal, sit-down dinner, opt for heavy appetizers or a casual, make-ahead buffet. This menu consists of comforting, simple, kid-friendly party food.

You can't go wrong with classics like seven-layer dip with tortilla chips and ranch dip with crudites. Pressed mozzarella and tomato sandwiches get more flavorful over time, and beef sliders with cheese and spicy mayonnaise are hearty enough to satiate the football players. For these crowd-pleasing recipes, read more