Small Bites … More Adventures in Downsizing
Jan Kinzel
’Tis the season for weddings, showers and celebrations! A year or so ago, Kathleen, a lovely young daughter of our friends, was preparing for her wedding. I so wanted to have a bridal shower for her…she had been in my children’s choir years ago and had even won my “top Banana” award one summer at music camp! Fretting about the lack of space to hold such a gathering, a thought came about using one of the amenities afforded us at our condo: a twenty‐seat movie theater. That’s where Kathleen’s bridal shower was held. “The Father of the Bride” (the very funny Steve Martin remake) was shown. It was a unique shower and one that will definitely be remembered!
Had it not been for downsizing, I wouldn’t have thought to use this format for a bridal shower. Since electrical cooking appliances are not allowed in the theater, creative food planning was absolutely necessary! I mustered a group of girlfriends and together we prepared some delicious food. Since our guests would be dining in their theater seat with no table, it was imperative to have the food easy to eat. We made two salads, with the guests able to choose one or the other. We put the food in Chinese food containers and placed them in color coded shiny gift bags: yellow for chicken salad, pink for shrimp salad. The guests could choose the type of salad they preferred by picking the color of the bag. Also in each gift bag were a croissant, a big homemade soft ginger cookie, a small bottle of sparkling lemonade and a chocolate truffle. Of course, we had bridal themed napkins and straws. The guests held the gift bag on their laps and dined with no mishaps! Small bottles of sparkling water and Starbuck’s coffee Frappuccino’s® were also available.
Curry Chicken Salad
6 Large Chicken Breasts, seasoned, baked, skinned, boned and pulled into shreds, set aside.
4 Stalks Celery, including leaves, medium dice
½ Bunch Cilantro Leaves, snipped into small pieces
6 Green Onions, both white and green parts, cut on the diagonal
1 Mango, medium dice
½ Cup Golden Raisins
Toasted Coconut Flakes
Toasted Sliced Almonds
Dressing
1 – 1 ½ cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup Major Grey’s Chutney
2 Tablespoons curry seasoning
Mix the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside. Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Gently stir in the dressing making sure everything is coated. Chill thoroughly. To serve, top individual portions with a couple of pinches of toasted coconut and toasted almonds.
Shrimp Salad
Shrimp – 2 pound bag frozen, deveined, shelled, tails‐on – 20 to 25 per pound
Garlic flavored extra‐virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon (zest before cutting for juicing)
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt
Freshly ground Black Pepper
3 cups cooked mini pasta shells or mini bow ties, cooled and tossed with a little garlic flavored olive oil
6 celery stalks, medium dice, including the leaves
Fresh dill snipped into small pieces
Dressing
¾ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
On a baking sheet lined with non‐stick foil, spread the shrimp in a single layer. Drizzle with the garlic flavored olive oil and toss to coat each shrimp. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake at 400 degrees until the shrimp just turn pink. Remove from the oven. Remove the tails. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Set aside to cool. Distribute dill and half of the lemon zest evenly over the shrimp. In a large bowl, combine the mayo, sour cream and mustard. Add the celery and pasta. Gently stir in the shrimp until everything is well coated with the dressing. Top individual portions with a pinch of lemon zest and a small dill frond.
Soft Ginger Cookies
I recommend going online to Food Network and find Ina Garten’s “Ultimate Ginger Cookie.” It’s a delicious cookie and definitely worth it!
Truffles
Purchased from Godiva Chocolates.
TIP: Think outside the box –It’s so cliché – but so mind expanding.
Go to this link for an enlightening exercise regarding outside the box! brainstorming.co.uk/puzzles/ (or type in on your search engine: nine dots creative thinking puzzle number 1).
…they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God. Acts 2:46‐47
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