Help! M.i.L.75 B.D.Dinner

Food 101 Forum

Can you help me??My Mother in Law is having her 75th birthday, My Sister in Law is Bringing the cake and Baked Potatoes.
My Aunt in law is Buying the Steaks and the Rolls,and the condiments for the potatoes. The rest is up to me...
I have to have this all set up by Saturday,so if I get started on Friday I should have it all ready to bring to her house.There will only be 11 people (3 children and 8 adults) so I don't have to worry about large dishes, But I have to do this right because its IMPORTANT that this is a Memorable Birthday..
I've made a menu, But its missing something, and I can't figure out what it is....
Stuffed mushrooms:Artichoke hearts,Chicken Breast,Spinach,Green Onion,Garlic, Various Spices, Saute in butter, then stuff, place a little butter on top then bake at 350 for 15 minutes..This I can make this friday night and bake them at her house.
Vegetables to dip:Carrots, Celery,Cauliflower,Broccoli and Mushrooms.
Ranch Dip.
Steak saute mix.
Broccoli and cheese, Asparagus.
2 Bags of chips, Dip, Salsa..
2 6 packs of soda,6 Pack of beer, a bottle of wine.

I've never had to do something like this, and I want to Impress, I keep looking at the list and it still looks like I'm missing something..
any suggestions??

Hi Ducky
Relax, I think you'll impress the family just fine. If you go into the recipe thread, there are plenty of ideas for appetizers that you can bring for the celebration. But honestly it sounds like you have the appetizers taken care of. The main course is already covered too with the steaks and stuffed chicken. If you want to add a couple of side dishes in addition to the potatoes, you can steam up some broccoli or sautee squash & zuccinni with butter and pepper. But really, I don't see anything missing from your menu.
I think maybe you'd feel better if you added a fruit tray or fruit salad in addition to your SIL's cake...but I could be wrong. How many people will be there?

Not Stuffed Chicken, Its stuffed Mushrooms..
But the Fruit is a good Idea...
Only 11 people. 3 children and 8 adults..
Now get this,, My dearly Beloved decided to throw a fit,and talked himself,(ME) Into providing the Steaks too..
"Relax" I found myself sitting on the curb of the store in tears cause of stress.. I haven't broke down in years.. The worst part of that is that one of the parents of my daughters' classmates was going into the store and saw me..She didn't approach me, but was shaking her head when she caught my eye...
I'm thinking of adding Deviled Eggs to the list..
Should I buy the little Plastic toothpick like thingies for the Veggies?

WHOA Ducky, I don't think that food is your only problem here... I think you're putting entirely too much pressure on yourself with this. (And in my personal opinion, that other mother from school is rather heartless to simply shake her head instead of offering you a sounding board)
Is this your first time creating a spread for the family? My sister was nervous her first time, but now she prepares Thanksgiving and Christmas meals for 20 - 30 visiting in-laws. YIKES! But not really...she enlists the help of family and we all pitch in to make it a memorable event. You shouldn't be taking all of this onto your shoulders. Talk to your SIL, I'm sure she'll be more than happy to help you out.
So let's look at this objectively...
Stuffed mushrooms...This I can make this friday night and bake them at her house.
Absolutely prep this Friday night! Place it all in the baking dish, ready to go and cover with plastic wrap.

Vegetables to dip:Carrots, Celery,Cauliflower,Broccoli and Mushrooms.
Ranch Dip.
This is a simple prep item too, you can save money and make it yourself, or do the easy thing, (which for you right now, I highly recommend) and buy the premade veggie platter that they have in the grocery produce department. You can do the same with the fruit as well. Prep everything the night before, wrap in plastic and simply lay out on Saturday.

Steak saute mix & Steaks
Are you grilling the steaks or frying them? Maybe you could manufacture a fit of your own and volunteer your husband for the task of grilling the meat. That will relieve you of another worry and teach him not to toss more onto your plate unless he's ready to step up and work a little.

Broccoli and cheese, Asparagus.
Neither of these veggies takes a long time to cook, you could cook them and place them in a dish early Saturday, and reheat them in the microwave later.

2 Bags of chips, Dip, Salsa
Enough said on these babies, toss both in bowls and you're done!

2 6 packs of soda,6 Pack of beer, a bottle of wine.
Stop at the 7-11 on your way there, get some ice, toss everything into a bucket or cooler, so everyone can help themselves.

Baked Potatoes
Is she baking them before she comes over or while she's there? If it's the latter, you can toss these puppies into the microwave too, poke a few holes in them with a fork, nuke for 4 minutes or until tender. lay out a spread of potato fixings and let everyone make their own.

And finally, the following dip recipe can also be made the night before and baked the following day. I made it for my girlfriend's bachelorette party this last weekend and for my sister's parties. It's an instant hit, the prep work takes about 30 minutes, but it's totally worth it. I was bombarded with requests for the recipe, I hope you and your family likes it!

Hot Spinach Dip
2 (10oz.) packages of frozen, chopped spinach
2 (8oz.) packages of cream cheese (softened)
2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 small onion (finely chopped)
1 (14oz.) can of artichoke hearts (chopped)
2 (10oz.) cans of diced tomatoes with chilies (drained)
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder

* Drain and squeeze out excess moisture in spinach leaves.
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir well. Spoon mixture into a greased 2 ½ quart baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with melba toast rounds, corn chips or your favorite crackers.

Remember that time spent with family is a celebration, not a prison sentence. Take it easy, have fun and enjoy it!

Thanks I'll try the dip... The Steaks will be BBQd by my love and his Brother. Its not just The party getting on me, Its everything, I have a party for 15 little girls at the park on Friday for my little girl, But that I can handle. This Party for my MiL has to be done right, My SiL is suposto be helping, Buy Like I said all she is doing is buying the cake and baking the potatos.. The work is suposto be shared between us, But some how I got stuck with it... Don't get me wrong, I'd do anything for my MiL, But if anything goes wrong,,, I'll be the one to get the blame...

O.K. I Lied,,, "I'M COPING TO IT PEOPLE!!"
I was trying to blow it all out of proportion so I didn't look like a wuss for breaking down in tears..
I am not throwing a large party for my little girl.
I'm making cupcakes tomorrow night so she can share her birthday. with "ALL" her friends. I will also be "Making her a cake cake." I also have grab bags for her whole class..
They contain: 1 or 2 pixisticks,Tootsie Rolls 1 per bag,some goo we found at K-mart,Big suckers,a squirt gun, color book or activity book, pencil and Magnifying glass. I also have a 24 pack of juices.
There are 20 kids in her class. And 4 extra bags.
Her Grandma is taking her out after school on Thursday / Tomorrow, So they can go "SHOPPING" My Beloved is taking her out on her Birthday / Friday to Toys R Us to pick and choose what she wants, That way I can do all the prep work.
I'm hoping he will take our little boy with them, so he won't be hanging all over me while I'm cooking. I'm going to go shopping Friday morning.to pick up everything I'm going to need for my M.i.L's party.. See I can handle it.. Sorry for Lying...

I didn't think you were lying at all Ducky, I freak out sometimes when the weight of the world is cast onto my shoulders too. But more often than not, when I break it all down and look at each problem individually, it's not nearly as bad as I thought it was. I didn't realize that you were setting up a celebration for your girl and her friends too.
Once upon a time in a September a few years ago, my sister had to host parties for 5 straight weekends; for birthdays and her husband's clients. The client parties had about 100 people or so attending, while the birthday ones ranged from just a few close family members to 20 little girls camping out in the living room for her daughter's sleepover. (I always tell her to limit the number of guests at a sleepover to preserve her own sanity, but she never does) After all the mayhem that fall, we were all ready to slip into a weeklong coma. But we pulled together to get through it.
When you're prepping for the meal, just remember to delegate when you need help. If soemthing goes wrong, fix it, replace it or move on. If the steaks come out tough or over done, delegate responsibility with humor; "That would be your son's doing, I didn't marry him for his cooking skills..." But also praise for work well done, and the same will be said for you. "Honey you did a great job, these steaks are wonderful! I officially nominate you as the BBQ handler from here on out."
I know you'll be busy this weekend, but I do hope you'll post again once all is said and done and let us all know how it went.

O.K. I'm back... The dinner was great, and the spinach dip worked nicely.
My M.i.L. didn't have a very good time tho..
The party started to go down hill when my Brother in law(a weight lifter) came to her house so messed up that couldn't walk straight. He has lost alot of weight in the last 2 weeks, he looks emaciated... His face and body was so sucked up that it looked like he is dieing. Then his step son decided to steal my M.i.Ls' sisters' husbands' cell phone.. He hid it under the seat of my B.i.Ls' car... Then he started to cry and yelling that he didn't know how it could have got into his fanny pack..I was waiting for him to blame it on one of my kids so I could slap him..
So even tho the dinner went off without a hitch, the party was ruined... ( I keep thinking to myself, "It could be worse" but I don't know how).... At least my two little ones were on their best behavior.
At least my "dearest" is still in a good light with his mother.....
And I figured it out,, Next time we are going to take her out to eat at a nice quiet restaurant.. Because there is no way in heck I'm going to go thru this again... Thanks for the Dip Recipe, I put it in my file....

WHOA! Your BIL sounds like a piece of work, extreme weight loss and showing up wrecked to his own mother's party might be a tell tale sign that he's not just drunk but on drugs. His step son sounds like a real winner too... Thank God your kids remained courteous and respectful of their Grandmother.
I agree with you, next year make reservations at a nice restaurant. No fuss, no muss, let the staff cook and clean everything. And if your BIL shows up like that again, you could always have the management remove him.

OH NO!! My B.i.L. will not be invited if we go to a restaurant. If he wants to do something for his mom next year, He can do it on his own.
Thanks for your help... I'll catch you on the forum...
Duckyone