No Kids Allowed!

As the mom of a 3 year old I don't get out as much as I used to. That doesn't mean that I don't want to have a good time, it just means that my priorities are a bit different than those of a 21 year old. Last Friday I was invited to an event in Seattle that sounded marvelous! Good people, good food, good beverages, etc. I didn't have a baby sitter, so I figured I would forgo this particular party. As it turns out, the event was totally family friendly and my young daughter would have had a great time. By the time I found this out though, it was much too late.
This scene plays out many different ways all over the place. Parents are unsure if weddings, Christmas parties, Birthday parties, etc are going to be "kid friendly" or not, so they make their own decision without consulting with the host/hostess. While, on the other side of the invitation, the host/hostess is afraid to look tacky by announcing that children are not welcome. No bride wants to see her wedding reception reduced to a live reenactment of "Lord of the Flies." The real problem lies in the lack of communication. The host/hostess of an event has every right to restrict the guest count to adults only, and there are many ways of approaching this situation. In my experience, the best way is to spell it out for the guests. While there will occasionally be the guest who will ignore your request for adults only, most people will respect your decision and comply. On the other hand, we have seen a trend lately where the hosts provide childcare in a separate location (not too far from the main venue) in order to make it less stressful for the guests. Another option, if the concern is the mounting food bill, is to have a "kids buffet" made up of childhood favorites like macaroni & cheese, hot dogs, punch, cookies, and even pizza. Most caterers will take care of all of this for you.
We have all seen what happens when parents let their offspring go wild at someone else's expense. It's never pretty, and the fallout can include breakage of rentals, damage to the venue, and even the loss of friendship. The best thing to do is to clarify "the rules" before making plans to attend or not. We all deserve a great event!
Cheers!
Jayme

Oktoberfest!

The month of October has always been special to me. The weather is changing. The air smells "fresher" somehow, and even though the sun spends less time shining down on us, the colors in the leaves make up for that with their bright reds, oranges, and yellows. It's like nature's mirror to the sun. It just feels cozy and festive. All of the really fun holidays are right around the corner (sorry Labor Day... I still love ya) and excitement is in the air.
One of the greatest Holidays (according to my extensive research) is Oktoberfest. Traditionally, this holiday is celebrated over 17 days in Munich, Bavaria Germany and it is characterized by the consumption of mass quantities of food and beer. There are certain beers that are considered "Oktoberfest" beers, however, Trader Joes has a beer named Oktoberfest if you want to play it safe when filling your cooler. According to tradition, the official suppliers of the Oktoberfest celebration in Munich are six breweries consisting of; Hofbrau, Paulaner, Lowenbrau, Augustiner, Spaten, and Hacker-Pschorr.
Now, since we are a catering company, I am going to focus a little bit on the traditional food that is served at Oktoberfest. Here is our custom Oktoberfest menu;

Beer Cooked Bratwurst
Served with french hoagies, sauerkraut with sauteed onions & German mustard

Jumbo All Beef or Polish Dogs
With all the fixin’s

German Meatballs
Tossed in Beef Caper Cream sauce

Warm German Potato Salad
Our version of this traditional German classic

Garden Patch Greens
Romaine, sliced cucumbers, shredded carrots, tomatoes, cabbage & croutons with house balsamic vinaigrette & bleu cheese dressing on the side

Fresh Baked Apple Strudle
Baked until golden

I honestly don't know how anyone functions after consuming copious amounts of beer (and I am not talking about Corona Light here...) and heavy food. Whenever I participate, it becomes Nap-toberfest. They actually have a term for this in Munich. The word is "Bierleichen," which means Beer Corpses... Come to think of it... I think I have my Halloween costume picked out!
Cheers!
Jayme

Keepin' it real

I have been in a reflective mood ever since my birthday on Sunday October 5th. I am not sure that I want to announce my age to the world yet either, so lets just say it rhymes with shmirty shmears shmold.

There really isn't anything to be secretive about anymore. Nowadays a 30th birthday is cause for some of the biggest catered celebrations on our calendars. Life expectancies for both men and women are in the high 70's which means we have MUCH more time to get our acts together and decide whether marriage and kids are something we want to be a part of our lives. 30 has become what 21 used to be, a tangible passage into adulthood. My mom, the subversive hippie that she was, didn't have her first child (ahem... me) until she was 34. While in the 1970's that was "far out," it is much more common today. In essence, as a society, we have pushed back the hands of time to extend our childhood until our 30's. Humankind is pure genius!

Some great ideas for 30th birthdays are 70's themes (specifically the birth year), Memories and guest lists from childhood/high school/college/20's, and Vegas Baby! Which brings up a philosophical question... If you turn 30 in Vegas... does it stay in Vegas?

Cheers!

Jayme

The early Chick gets the worm

This morning I dragged myself out of bed at 8:30. I awoke refreshed and renewed... and grateful. Yes, I got to stay cuddled up in my warm cozy bed this morning while my fellow chicks and "roosters" were up at the crack of dawn setting tables and making things pretty for a breakfast event this morning in Puyallup. Now, if you aren't from around here, don't even TRY to pronounce Puyallup... you will only embarass yourself...

There are some days when prepping, plating, serving, bussing, and cleaning the food, plates, etc sounds like a lot of fun, but there are many more when I am quite content to sit at my computer and perform business analysis, devise marketing strategies and crunch numbers... are you still awake? My point is that catering is not for the weak! It truly takes a special person to get out there and take on the challenge of crazy schedules, intensly hot kitchens, non stop hustling in order to meet deadlines, and doing it all with two large trays, three coffee carafes, and an overfilled water pitcher in their arms.

So, this morning I raise my steaming cup of joe, with two sugars and lots of cream, to the Three Chicks Catering wait staff. Your hard work is amazing and you make this company thrive!

Cheers!

Jayme