By Katie Hurley
You know that holiday party you’ve always talked about having but it just doesn’t seem to make it on the calendar? Now is the time. Don’t let another holiday season pass you by without inviting friends over to toast the holidays and the coming new year. Don’t get bogged down by the planning – often the most memorable parties are those that come together at the last minute without weeks of fretting over the details.
Here’s a plan to put together a great party with a few simple steps and some great appetizers and drinks from Bayview and Ralph’s Thriftway stores. Short on time? If you don’t have time to call and invite all of your guests, consider using a free email invitation, such as Evite or Punchbowl. Guests will receive their invitations right away and can RSVP electronically, and you’ll receive notification of each response.
Select the beverages you want to serve. Signature cocktail? Beer and wine? Full bar? If you want to keep things simple, a signature cocktail plus beer and wine pleases most drinkers. Offer a selection of non-alcoholic beverages like sparkling water, which can be dressed up with lime wedges and a splash of cranberry juice, and Ryan’s All Natural Honeycrisp Apple Cider. Bayview and Ralph’s Thriftways offer a wide selection of hard ciders, which are rapidly growing in popularity. Festive seasonal flavors such as Angry Orchards’ Cinnful Apple and Apple Ginger ciders will be on sale for $7.99 at both stores through the end of December.
For the food, select a menu that can mostly be done ahead of time so you aren’t preparing food during the entire party. Rosemary Roasted Cashews or Spiced Pecans can be made days ahead and stored in an airtight container. Look for cashews and pecans in the bulk foods section where you can buy exactly the quantity you need for your party.
Bayview and Ralph’s both have an excellent selection of cheese to put together a cheese plate. Choose a couple of your favorite cheeses or assemble a cheese plate with a theme such as Spanish cheeses like Manchego and Iberico, along with some Spanish chorizo, Marcona almonds, something sweet like quince paste or dried apricots and some Matiz crackers. The plate can be assembled in minutes just before your guests arrive.
Gourmet crackers such as Flats Rosemary Cranberry crackers are attractive, flavorful and sturdy, so you can add toppings to them and serve on a platter. Try them with a dollop of fig jam or one of Ila’s spicy jellies like Cranpena, topped with a few blue cheese or goat cheese crumbles.
In the cheese case you’ll also find party items that are ready to serve, like cranberry cheese balls and herbed goat cheese rolls. A wheel of Brie en Croute with caramelized onions just needs a few minutes in the oven and it is ready to serve it along with apple slices and crackers. To keep the apples from turning brown as they sit, combine 2 t. of lemon juice with 1/3 c. of water and dip the apple slices in the water before placing them on the plate.
The olive bar in the deli offers a good selection of olives, marinated sweet peppers and olive tapenade. All of these items are nice complements to cheese, crackers and nuts. A ready-made antipasti collection is also available in the deli – just peel off the lid and serve with toothpicks.
Sliced deli meat, cheese and rolls is an easy option when you want to provide more substantial food. Boar’s Head turkey and ham, sliced cheddar and Havarti and a flavorful condiment such as Kozlik’s Amazing Maple Mustard can be served with a basket of small dinner rolls so guests can make their own sandwiches.
Smoked salmon and chilled prawns are great appetizer options that can be prepared ahead of time. Serve Kanakanak smoked wild sockeye salmon with whipped cream cheese on crackers or cocktail bread. Cook shelled, deveined prawns, chill in ice water and then drain them. Serve them on a platter with a bowl of cocktail sauce for dipping, or make individual shrimp cocktails in cocktail glasses or small glass bowls. Make wasabi cocktail sauce by combining 1 c. chili sauce, 2 T. fresh lemon juice, 1 T. wasabi paste and ¼ t. Worcestershire sauce. Spoon sauce over chilled prawns and garnish with a spear of Unbound Pickling’s Northwest Pickled Asparagus.
A simple self-serve dessert will be easy for you to serve and perfect for your guests to enjoy as the party winds down. A variety of colorful petit fours will be hard to resist, as will plates of Bayview’s own homemade fudge in flavors like red velvet, chocolate mint and cookies and cream. To keep it simpler, serve attractive, individually wrapped candies like Seattle Chocolates in mint, coffee or one of the other amazing flavors like San Juan Sea Salt.
Everything you need to host a great appetizer party is available at locally owned Bayview Thriftway and Ralph’s Thriftway. Stop by and sample some of the specialty holiday foods at Bayview on Saturday, December 14 from 11 am to 3 pm during the “Taste the Holiday Spirit” event.
Bayview Thriftway
516 W. 4th Ave., Olympia
360-352-4897
Ralph’s Thriftway
1908 E. 4th Ave., Olympia
360-357-8011
