VeganMoFo VIII: How to Throw a Party Like a BOSS

In seven years of MoFo, an entry has never left me exhausted...until now.

In case you haven't heard, I loves to throw me a party!  My ultimate goal with any party is to ensure my guests have a great time and know how much I appreciate them.  So, when my roommate and I decided to finally have a housewarming celebration, we went all out.  The theme: Stuffed!  Stuffed foods and all that jazz.  It was predominantly vegan (only two non-vegan dishes which are NOT featured here), and I'm the only vegan.  Haha.  And you bet your booties the food was devoured!  Check it:

my favorite dish of the night...stuffed mushrooms!

STUFFED! Menu

Chips and homemade salsas

Veggie tray w/ hummus

Mini Tomatoes Stuffed w/ Kale Pesto Orzo

Pakoras and Samosas w/ Tamarind Chutney

Homemade Bean Gorditas w/ Cabbage and Salsas

Epic Stuffed Mushrooms

Deviled Cukes

Parmela Creamery Kalamata Spread w/ Crackers

Vegan Cocktail Meatballs

Cupcake. Filling. Station.

Beer

Wine

Rum-Soaked Vegan Gummi Bears

Watermelon Tequila Shots

Eden (Gin, St. Germain, Cucumber Simple Syrup, Lime, Club Soda)

my friend made this flyer.  best thing ever.

deviled cukes. used my deviled tofu recipe but replaced the tofu with mostly hollowed out English cucumber.

The biggest surprise of the night was how much these omnivores were loving some vegan food.  My deviled cucumbers went super fast.  And they were insane over those stuffed mushrooms (recipe in a later entry).  I always tell people that if you give people really good food that doesn't claim to replace anything, they will be receptive to it.  Example: Instead of making deviled tofu, I simply stuffed some cucumbers with my deviled tofu spread.  People are more receptive to seeing something they normally eat served in a different way.

yes.  i have pig-shaped everything.  orzo stuffed tomatoes.

My roommate was making homemade salsas, corn tortillas, beans, and throwing together the gorditas. She also brought the delightful samosas and pakoras AND fresh dates, y'all!  We were rocking out in that kitchen.

Now, the cupcake station was my friend's idea!  They were in the dessert room (yes...room).  We were originally just doing cookies n cream cupcakes, but I LOVED the idea of having people stuff their own cupcakes.  I don't have any pictures because my cupcake tower broke so the presentation was lacking.  Sniffle.  There was frosting, pecans, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and sprinkles.  Devoured.

watermelon tequila shots, sucka!

please excuse the paint under my nails.  it refuses to move.  oh, and hey gurl...boozy gummies!

Every good party has to up that booze game.  First and foremost, have PLENTY of non-alcoholic drinks for the designated drivers and people who don't drink.  Second...don't bore people.  Responsible drinking can be fun and even delightful.  The tequila shots were found online.  The premise: soak watermelon, salt limes, skewer.  The gummi bears were suggested by a friend.  I recommend soaking in something like Malibu.  As for the jello shots...they are a recipe I came up with and they FORKING RULE!  Recipe coming tomorrow because I'm still recovering from this party and all the dancing.

I'll leave with some pictures of friends I drunkenly took after demanding that people start dancing.  Haha.

not pictured (the ten people standing beside me, the people in the living room, the people in the dessert room, the people outside).  like a boss.

my kinda party guest!

Special thanks to Isabel (my roommate), Roy (our fantabulous deejay for the night), and Gina for being the first house guest, kitchen helper, and providing me with so many photos!  Woo!

VeganMoFo VIII: Celebrating Rainbows, Mothertrucker!

There was absolutely no doubt in my mind that my first Celebration Saturday was going to be about Pride.  My early twenties were a blur of gay clubs, drag queens, white parties, and so much greatness that I am truly thankful for the friends who opened my eyes to such an embracing LBGTQ community.  In fact, I began to own the term pansexual in my late twenties because I just do not feel gender or sexuality falls on a binary spectrum.  The point I'm trying to make is that I freaking love Pride.  So, here is how I would throw the best Pride party of all time.  Baby, baby!

super easy and really delicious

PRIDE MENU

Red Course: Bruschetta and Garlic-Rubbed Baguette

Orange Course: Sweet Potato, Sausage and Kale Soup (see notes below)

Yellow Course: Lemon Sorbet palate cleanser

Green Course: Caesar Salad w/ Polenta Croutons (see notes below)

Blue/Indigo/Violet Course: Blue Potato Gnocchi

DRINKS

Skittles Vodka

DESSERT

Unicorn Poop Cookies

MOVIES

But I'm a Cheerleader, Trick, Death at a Funeral, Wizard of Oz (cuz...rainbows)

SOUNDTRACK

"Ice Cream Truck" by Cazwell, Flintstones theme song, "Work Bitch" by Brit Brit

polenta croutons are the best croutons!

Okay.  So a few notes.  I halved the soup recipe and used homemade seitan sausage to replace the meat.  Additionally, I subbed vegetable chicken-flavored broth for the chicken broth.  The soup is delicious and super easy.  As for the salad, I recommend using one of  Isa's caesar dressing recipes (here, here, or the one in Appetite for Reduction).  Plus, I think the croutons would be better baked.  Either way...so good on salads.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna dream of unicorn turds while singing "Como Te Gusta Mi Pinga?" all day.

Vegan MoFo III: Party Time. Excellent!

Earlier this week, I told you I'd give some party themes that I've done in the past.  Tonight was supposed to be Food Network Friday so I veganized this recipe by Melissa d'Arabian.  The changes I made were good, but they could be better.  So I figure now is a good time to talk about themes.

The first party I ever threw had an extraterrestrial theme.  My friends and I were 19 and we had this insane idea to decorate a friend's apartment like another planet, charge people 5 bucks for cover, and make costumes mandatory.  We ended up making a lot of money.  More than we spent on the party.  This was also the time that I realized it is never a good idea to put even one drop of Everclear into the punch.  I witnessed at least 7 mental breakdowns that night.

Over the years, I've learned to make smoother punch and taught myself how to turn a simple idea into something new and exciting.  Here are some of my favorites.

Cocktail Party.  I did this for my bridal shower.  This can be really fun with signature drinks and all that.  It doesn't have to be alcohol related.  Make some virgin drinks and pair them with appetizers.  This is definitely perfect for the holidays.

Pink and Red.  One year I did this during Valentine's Day.  The colors are entirely up to you.  It only involves having plenty of decorations in that color and maybe a food item or beverage that matches the theme.

Prom.  My favorite!  My ex-best friend's birthday is two days before mine.  So for our 22nd birthday we decided to throw the prom we never had.  The theme: Celestial Dreams.  We spent all week making stars and other decorations.  We even had party favors that every guest got.  I had my husband make a playlist of songs from '96 to '00.  It was so awesome.  We even sat up a punch bowl and snack table like every high school dance has.

Luau or Caribbean Getaway.  So easy.  Just make some tropical food and buy some leis.  Also, I've done a Caribbean thing and served coconut rice and jerk seitan before.  I like doing things like this when it's cold outside so I feel like I'm getting out of the dreary weather.

Wine and Cheese.  There is something about these parties that make people feel so adult.  They just start acting all regal and stuff.  Maybe it's just me.  The only thing I know less about than cheese is wine.  I'm doing this tomorrow though.  Is it a party if there are only three people?  It's going to be fun either way because I love making a meal out of appetizers.  It's probably the easiest of all the themes.  Get some cheese, get some wine and throw in some grapes or olives.  Put I'll kick you in your shins if you swirl and sniff.

Game Night.  Most people think cards when they think game night.  If it's not Phase 10, I'm not playing it.  Game night to me is all about the board games.  I once spent days thinking of a tournament for game night with the final face off being a Super Mario death match, but only 5 people showed up.  3 of them were related to me.  I like doing snacky foods.  Chex mix, flavored nuts, pretzels, cookies, brownies, root beer floats, etc.

Other themes that I want to use for a party: 80s prom, karaoke, dinner and a movie, and a costume ball.

This holiday season be sure to think outside of the box.  We've all consumed cheap champagne while singing "Auld Lang Syne" before.  Yawn.  Why not do it in a Flashdance leotard while listening to Madonna's "Like a Virgin?"  I'm just sayin'...

Vegan MoFo III: The Ultimate Party Necessity

Okay.  I'm just gonna throw this out there.  A party isn't a party without some hummus!  Last year my dear friends Shaggy and Keli got married.  They had two or three kinds of hummus at their pre-ceremony snack table (how cool is that?).  One of the hummuses (hummi?) was jalapeno cilantro.  Oh my gooodness.  So great!  So I made some tonight.  I'll try to post the recipe tomorrow because I ran out of olive oil and want to make sure the flavors are right.  Plus, I just really want to make it again.  It is quite creamy and delicious, if I do say so myself.  See the pic:

 

I suppose I should explain a little more about this week. I keep saying fall and holiday foods, but that doesn't really express what I mean. This week is all about food that reminds me of family togetherness and food that will raise the roof on any holiday party/gathering.

Last year, I told you about my love of Festivus. I really want to celebrate this year. However, unless a bunch of Californian vegans just suddenly appear at my doorstep I only know one person in this city. I might invite some of my LA friends if we don't make our way back to Texas for the holidays. We'll see how it goes.

Now, my love of hostessing began with my parents. When I was young they would throw these killer parties for just about every holiday. That's kinda where my people watching began. Oh, the debauchery!  I did learn a thing or two about throwing a party, though.

Tips to An Awesome Party

1. Have a plan.  Writing down what food you want to serve, the amount of people you expect, and a budget to make things run smoothly.

2. Send out an invite.  This builds anticipation and gives you a minimum of who to expect.  Even if somebody flakes, a slacker who didn't RSVP will show.  C'mon!  It's easy to do in a facebook/myspace/twitter world.

3. Always expect the unexpected.  Things will go wrong.  Whether it's some fool puking in your trashcan or way more guests showing up than you thought.  Just breathe.  Everything will work out.

4. Save money by making stuff from scratch.  There are very few things I don't make from scratch.  I always make dips, little appetizers, punch, and desserts though.

5. Punch is the way to go.  Punch will save you money and it will also help people to regulate their alcohol intake.  I try to have a sangria at every gathering.  I often make a nonalcoholic drink too.  My friends are super diverse so I try to accomodate everybody.  Even if I don't have virgin punch, there is always plenty of sodas, juices, and water.

6. A theme is great and not as hard as it seems.  Themes are fun!  They can make a simple thing seem out of this world.  I'll tell you more about some themes I've done later this week.

7. Save time by making things ahead.  On the rare occasion that I'm able to do this, I kinda love myself!  Makes things super easy.

8. Have music.  If it was up to my husband, we'd play hip hop 24/7.  I like to throw some funk, soul, Motown, and cheesy 90s boy bands in there.  I love it when people start dancing to the music.  That's when you know a party is "off the heezy."

9. Play a movie in the background.  This is something I learned from my days in Comedia-A-GoGo.  Pick a movie with crazy visuals or a really slapstick comedy and play it on mute with the captions on.  It's great entertainment for the wallflowers.  I try to pick the most insane independent movie in my collection.  Actually, I usually pick 2 or 3 and switch them out during the night.

10. Have each room serve a different purpose.  This is something I learned from my friend, Regan (of Comedia-A-GoGo).  Each room always has a different vibe.  There's usually the movie room, the food room, the drinks/chill/music room, and we always have something set up outside...usually a bonfire.

11. Enjoy your party!  This is definitely the most important tip of all.  Don't get stressed.  Just enjoy the people around you.

Sorry that this was a novel!  I just love parties.  Coming up this week: a very "smokin'" movie Monday, miniature Thanksgiving, ice cream in the cold, desserts that will bring a potluck to its knees, a Parisian Food Network Friday, and some cheezy goodness.