easy sheva brachos suggestions??? Help!

Ashrei

Tue, Aug 24 2010, 10:37 pm

Hello. We never hosted a sheva brochos before, and will have no help. Does anyone have any quick and easy suggestions for a theme?? It will be early next week imyh.

Also, BT here... Is there a lot to know halachically? Or can we just wash, eat, and bench the special benching w/10 guys. (I can find that benching in an artiscroll zemiros book right?)

Thank you!

mamaleh

Tue, Aug 24 2010, 11:24 pm

Real simple menu that I've used many times for sheva brachos (assuming you want to do fleishig):
1. Fruit cup (mandarin oranges, pineapple, and frozen blueberries) in clear bowl or cup on each place.
2. Hot appetizer or soup- potato or meat knish w/ sauce, meatballs w/ rice, or any kind of soup. You could also do a plated chef's salad.
3. Easy chicken, oven rice, & veggie. If you want simple recipes let me know.
4. Dessert- this depends on your prefferences and strengths. You can do anything from bought ices or ice cream to beautiful confectionary creations.

In terms of halacha, you've got it. Make sure you have wine/ grape juice and 3 cups to use for benching (I've seen people use plastic but some people preffer glass or metal (silver).
You also need a 'ponim chadashos'- someone who was not at the chassuna or any previou sheva brachos. Most people invite a neighbor or friend of the host who might not even know the couple, unless the couple has someone who can fill this role.
Also check whether the Chosson & Kallah want to sit together or don't mind being separate (ie him at mens' table, her at ladies'). There are some rabbonim who require separate seating for sheva brachos so keep that in mind (usually they are fine with the Kallah at the mens' table next to her Chosson) when you plan the seating.

yOungM0mmy

Wed, Aug 25 2010, 10:06 am

Easy Sheva Brochos Menu:
Starter: mixed green and plum tomatoes with dressing drizzled over, and sliced french bread on the side.
Main Course: Morrocan Meat turnovers (KBD Short on Time) and cold meat platter with duck sauce, warm mushroom/potato salad from KBD Short on Time, Green beans baked with oil, sugar and soy sauce (from imamother).
Dessert: ultimate choc cake (Kosher Pallette, also on this site), with hot cherry sauce

mamaleh

Wed, Aug 25 2010, 10:58 am

You could order deli/ sub platters (or lox if you want to do milchig) if you want to do something a little more casual. But I would make sure that's okay with the couple, and I would also let people know when you invite. I have been to BBQ sheva brachos and they were beautiful.

OOTBubby

Wed, Aug 25 2010, 11:03 am

Sheva Brachos is a seudas mitzvah, so what you serve should be something you (and the couple) would feel is appropriate for one.

Also, while what mamaleh wrote about the ponim chadashos is basically correct, it is really preferable for it to be someone who actually knows the couple when possible.

CTSunshine

Wed, Aug 25 2010, 11:34 am

You can def make a casual, pizza, pasta, salad, fries sheva brachos. We made a beautiful sheva brachos for my best friend in my parents house. We came in from out of out of town, so it was so much easier then cooking. We ordered platters from our local pizze shop. We set the table beautifully with flowers, and centerpieces, and served salads, salmon, eggplant parmejan, lasagna, white sauce pasta, and a bunch of other stuff on nice platters... For dessert I think we did choc chip cookies with a scoop of ice cream next to it. It was so easy, and everyone enjoyed.

The sheva brachos that people made for us were all beautiful too.
1 person did an outdoor BBQ which was my fav sheva brachos. It was so fun and relaxed. She had the tables outside and set beautifully with flowers.
Another person ordered chinese food platters from a resteraunt and had it set up buffet style. Everyone sat outside also.
Our Motzei Shabbos Sheva brachos was Pizza, pastas, fries... was perfect for a Sat night when you want easy, fast, fresh, milchigs..

Hope this helped. Gluck!

RachelEve14

Wed, Aug 25 2010, 12:02 pm

Just make sure if you are the supper meal dairy they didn't have a Sheva Brachot at lunch. We had 2 a few days, and although we keep 3 hours and it wouldn't have been a problem, if our minhag was 6 hours it would have been.

elmos

Wed, Aug 25 2010, 10:24 pm

I have done a few some more simple than others I never do any fancy tablescape except sometimes fancy papergoods let me clarify I have pulled sheva brachos together inless than 24hrs when we found out they just werent gona have some I planned.
But a fruitcup, plated salad or boureka is a nice opener if you want an opener
soup is nice depending on the crowd or weather
I usually do buffet or platters mid table for main as I can't stand making plates and seeing food wasted
meatballs , rice , breaded chicken or my all time fav cuz so easy bbq chicken or duck sauce chicken in oven just pour sauce on and bake oven stir fry veggies is nice pigs in the blanket
for milchigs you can do a fruit cup or plated salad
soup
baked ziti, lasagna, eggplant parm, alfrdo , mini pizza, bourekas

salads go well with either meat or dairy btw these are various things I have done at diff times I don't make all this at once norm

OOTBubby

Thu, Aug 26 2010, 5:58 am

Ashrei wrote:

I was going to get lots of challah rolls. Do you think I should get one big challah too?

Probably should get a big one too -- the chosson usually makes the motzi on it, and then it is cut up and passed around. Somehow the pieces from the big one always taste better than the rolls.

chanchy123

Thu, Aug 26 2010, 6:19 am

Designate someone to say a few words, a short dvar torah is expected. If the chosson is learned he might want to speak as well. Again, if you have a learned crowd or people who speak well you might want/need to get more people to speak.

tsiggelle

Thu, Aug 26 2010, 7:04 am

another menu idea

1.rolls and dips/veg salads
2.starters-knishes/soup/fruit- OPTIONAL
3.something like easy chicken, rice , cooked/baked veg

4.pinapple bits /applesauce in smaller cups with a straw/something light

the table setting and atmosphere with 123 or 134 make better impression and better enjoyment then 5 course meals many times

oh, and go with mid table platters or buffet style for easier serving and less waste if applicable

a nice idea is getting laminated cards with birchat hamazon for the guest

you can prepare beforehand a cd/casettes with soft music for the eating and if you want to get the ppl dancing you can prepare separately lively music on different cd/cassettes

just some ideas

mazal tov