parties

party planning

Move Over Caterers, Make Way For Food Trucks

The food truck craze first took the nation by storm in 2009, and now, two years later, it shows no signs of stopping.

The food truck craze first took the nation by storm in 2009, and now, two years later, it shows no signs of stopping. In fact, as the world is introduced to more and more specialty food trucks (think beyond tacos to grilled cheese sandwiches and cupcakes), the trend is evolving.

The latest role of the food truck is that of party caterer. Instead of hiring a caterer to do all the cooking for a birthday party, engagement dinner, or anniversary, many people are letting food trucks do the work. It's hassle-free and you won't end up with any dirty dishes to clean at the end of the evening!

I was at a 30th birthday on Saturday, and they had a popular taco truck cater. The hosts rented the truck for the night, so guests didn't have to worry about paying for their orders. If you're considering hiring a food truck to cater your next event, read on for my pointers.

Cooking Basics

A Fun Way to Serve Pizza

Lots of pizzerias serve their pies piping fresh from the oven.

Lots of pizzerias serve their pies piping fresh from the oven. Instead of placing them on a hot plate, they'll set them on top of a special serving platter. But at a recent eatery, I discovered a fun and affordable way to offer a hot pan of pizza at home: on a can of tomatoes! This ensures that the table won't get burnt and that the pizza is elevated above everything else, making it the focal point of the meal.

Do you have a fabulous serving tip? Share with us below.

Come Party With Me

Come Party With Me: Picnic in the Park — The Look

Pack up all your party supplies for a picnic in the park!

Pack up all your party supplies for a picnic in the park! Instead of using a normal picnic blanket, bring a festively printed tapestry ($189). Put the nonparishable foods, like the Polynesian snack mix and chocolate chip cookies in a large farmers market basket ($49) along with cotton napkins ($8) (they're more environmentally-friendly), paper plates, and plastic wine glasses. Fill colorful Chinese takeout containers with chicken wings, Summer rolls, and cucumber salad. An acrylic pitcher with a lid ($16) ensures that no pink lemonade spills while in transport to the party spot. Throw in a frisbee for some fun and you are ready to go! Click on the images above to shop these items.

Tips

How to Host an Engagement Party

Wedding season kicked off earlier this week, and once you've gotten engaged, it's time to start thinking about an engagement party.

Wedding season kicked off earlier this week, and once you've gotten engaged, it's time to start thinking about an engagement party. The first step is to decide whether or not you want to have one. Traditionally, an engagement party was thrown for the couple to announce their engagement to friends and family, but these days, most people already know about it. To see my suggestions for planning the perfect engagement shindig, keep reading.

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Come Party With Me: Picnic in the Park — Menu

The weather has finally warmed up in San Francisco, and I'm sure things are starting to do the same in your neck of the woods.

The weather has finally warmed up in San Francisco, and I'm sure things are starting to do the same in your neck of the woods. Why not celebrate by inviting friends to join you for a meal in the open air? A picnic in a local park is a great way to relax, enjoy delicious food, and engage in provocative conversation. Instead of serving a traditional menu, I've got a meal that's full of Asian-inspired flavors — along with one classic but crowd-pleasing all-American dessert.

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Come Party With Me: Spring Dinner — The Look

If you're entertaining friends at a Spring soiree, you need a setup that's as fresh as the produce you're incorporating in the meal.

If you're entertaining friends at a Spring soiree, you need a setup that's as fresh as the produce you're incorporating in the meal. With rustic touches and a nod to the crisp green asparagus in this vegetarian lasagna and the ruby-red strawberries in the bruschetta appetizer and berry curd cake, I've put together some seasonal party must haves that are sure to be a hit. For your entrée, serve guests on these pretty De Vincennes dinner plates ($24), and for dessert, scoop vanilla ice cream into these berry-red Latte Bowls ($20). Don't forget to decorate your table with these ceramic fruit baskets ($20-$38) filled with flowers. To shop the rest of the look, click on the images above!

Come Party With Me

Come Party With Me: Spring Dinner — Menu

Even if the weather isn't reflecting the season quite yet, the markets in Northern California are showing signs of Spring.
Spring Dinner Party Menu and Recipes

Even if the weather isn't reflecting the season quite yet, the markets in Northern California are showing signs of Spring. What better way to celebrate than by inviting friends over for a delicious meal? I've looked through our recipes and created a menu that's perfect for entertaining at this in-between time. It features the beloved produce of the season (strawberries and asparagus!) and the majority of the dishes are vegetarian, but more importantly, they can be made in advance, which is a must in my book for any successful dinner party.

St Patrick's Day

Be the Life of the Party This St. Patrick's Day

Have plans to hit up the bars this evening in celebration of St. Patrick's Day?

Have plans to hit up the bars this evening in celebration of St. Patrick's Day? Don't forget your green food coloring! Wrap the little bottle in a napkin and place in your purse. Then when you get to the bar, use it to dye beers or cocktails green. Not only is it a fun way to get in a festive frame of mind, but it's also a great conversation starter.

Source: Flickr User Fatback[Dale]

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Come Party With Me: St. Patrick's Day — The Look

Shades of green are the perfect foundation for a St. Patrick's Day tablescape.

Shades of green are the perfect foundation for a St. Patrick's Day tablescape. Set the table with green chargers and white plates. Top with green napkins and shamrocks. Serve the Irish cheddar on a wooden cheese board ($15-$30) and place a clear ramekin ($2) with the smoked salmon mousse close by. Cook the traditional corned beef and cabbage in a slow cooker ($130) and offer the pot de cremes in festive champagne coupes. Fill a bucket with beer bottles and let guests pour it into their own Guinness glasses ($16). Don't forget a beautiful bouquet of white and green flowers. Like the above items? Click to shop!

Poll

Which Stylish Beauty at Fendi's Bash Is Most Fab?

At last night's Fendi party in Paris, there was enough fashion to create a runway show just from the clothes off people's backs.

At last night's Fendi party in Paris, there was enough fashion to create a runway show just from the clothes off people's backs. We took our top four looks — model Anouck Lepere in all white, Alexa Chung in a safety-pin mini, model Isabeli Fontana in red, and Jessica Stam in nude — and ask you, which gal is most fab?