Another DVOM bar mitzvah --- help wanted!

amother

Hyacinth

Sun, Feb 11 2024, 10:47 am

DVOM wrote:

Love love love the idea of an open house/BBQ.

Details please!!!

Honestly, it was a very long time ago & I was a little girl but my mom used similar plans for other events over the years (engagement, meet the grandchild, graduation, etc)

here’s what I remember:

They set up a buffet table outside-the plan was if weather was bad to set up inside.

There was a mixed music tape (long-time ago) playing- not too loud but it gave a party feel.

I think they decorated the yard-balloons & streamers-just to add to the atmosphere.

My mom made bbq type finger food but she did it in advance (I don’t think the grill was going during the party). If you have someone to man a grill during the party go ahead, but my parents wanted to be able to socialize.

I remember chicken wings (I would do drumettes), meatballs (one of my mom’s specialties, even though it’s not really bbq), baked beans (in a crockpot-I have her really easy recipe to upgrade canned ones), homemade cole slaw, veggie platters, a carved watermelon boat (my dad’s specialty) with fruit salad. I’m sure there was some type of cake/cookies but my mom wasn’t a big baker so probably not much. There might have been other things, but not much. The idea was lots of food but not too many different things so it was easy to set up.

I think less food choices also means people stay for less time so it never gets overwhelmingly crowded (especially if rain forces you to do it indoors). Everyone comes, says mazel Tov, eats a little & leaves. Almost like a weekday kiddush.

There can definitely be some dancing at various times, if you want & have space.

I think they stayed away from burgers/franks so they wouldn’t need to deal with washing/bentching (which I think is smart). Just remember, the more choices, the longer some people stay, so if you have a lot of people & not too much space, keep the # of choices low.

You could do chicken cutlets, steak, kabobs if you have a grill going (or in advance) and you could easily add more salads, fries, etc.

Hope that’s helpful! (I’ll post again if I remember anything else)

amother

Ebony

Sun, Feb 11 2024, 12:55 pm

amother Magenta wrote:

I'm planning a breakfast for my son iyh. What did you have by yours? Any tips?

This will be on his bo bayom and the day he puts on tefillin since we dont put on early.

It was summer in Israel, so we did it in the garden after doing Hanachat Tefilin at the Kotel.

We had:
Bagels
Homemade gravlax
Assorted cheeses and spreads and crackers.
Greek salad
A tossed salad with crispy sweet potatoes and maybe another salad, can't quite remember
Crudites
Shakshuka
Quiche
Fruit platter
Pastries, mini eclairs and cookies
Coffee - hot and cold
Water, juice etc

I think that's about it.

My son's bo beyom was actually Shabbat, and we did an entire Shabbat instead of an evening affair. The next day we had a pizza party at his school- the kids loved it.