4th of July Party
If you love tasting parties as much as I do, why not throw a traditional 4th of July party centered on an all American recipe contest. It’s easy to pull off if there are a variety of foods to taste and vote on—we are a democracy after all! Start with a online invitation from MyPunchbowl and challenge your friends to make their favorite chili, rib, potato salad or apple pie recipe. I use MyPunchbowl’s potluck feature to coordinate with guests to ensure there are enough challengers for each group.
To really pull off this great 4th of July party planning idea, decorate your yard with red, white and blue tasting stations. Instead of having just one food table, have a station for each item being tasted. You’ll be able to move guests around your yard (no kitchen clumping!) like never before. Don’t forget to have a starting point for plates, napkins and cutlery and an ending point for condiments, salads and drinks that you provide.
When I’ve hosted tasting parties in the past, I printed cute score cards ranging from 1 (not a fan!) to 5 (give me more!) and everything in between. Guests rate each dish and before party’s end, tally up the score cards to share the winners with the group. Don’t forget to have prizes on hand for the best of the best—your favorite cookbooks, grilling gear, or even a chef’s hat or two.
The day after the party, forward the winning 4th of July recipes to everyone along with an online thank you and any memorable photos or video you want to share from the party (you can use MyPunchbowl to send a thank you note or share photos). This will be an unexpected touch that will get them excited about next year.
Enjoy planning.
Penelope
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