Four Recipes for Lightly Colored Non-Alcoholic Punch

Here are four recipes for lightly colored non-alcoholic punches made with club soda or 7-Up.

Light Punch 1
Mix together and freeze: six cups of water, one cup sugar, ninety two ounces of pineapple juice and two 12 ounce cans of both frozen lemonade concentrate and frozen orange juice concentrate. Place the frozen mixture in a very large punch bowl. Pour 7-Up or club soda to create an icy mixture that will turn slushy.

Light Punch 2
In a large punch bowl, pour two cans each of frozen orange juice concentrate and frozen lemonade concentrate. Add eight cups of water, two cups of grenadine syrup, an amount of lemon juice equivalent to three lemons and twelve cups of 7-Up or club soda. Slice and garnish with lemon and orange slices.

Light Punch 3
Chill and add forty six ounces each of both pineapple and orange juice in a large punch bowl. Carefully add eight cups of 7-Up and stir slowly in to avoid losing all the carbonate bubbles. Add four cups of your favorite lightly colored sherbet. Garnish with strawberries.

Light Punch 4
Blend in a large punch bowl, two quarts of white grape juice, eight cups of 7-Up and 4 cups of club soda.

Beverages for Parties - Hawaiian Coffee Punch

Hawaiian Coffee Punch

2 cups strong coffee, chilled
2 cups Hawaiian Punch
1 pint vanilla ice cream
1 quart strawberry soda
Pineapple cubes, for garnish

1.Place half the coffee, punch and ice cream in a blender. Blend on high speed for 30 seconds.
2.Place the remaining coffee, punch and ice cream in a punch bowl. Add the blender mixture and the strawberry soda. Stir gently.
3.Add pineapple cubes

Desserts for Parties - Ice Cream Cupcakes

This is a really easy party snack recipe for a child´s party.

1 box of flat-bottomed ice cream cups (12 - 24)
1 box cake mix
1 can frosting

Prepare cake mix according to directions. Fill ice cream cups to just below the top. Place cups in a muffin tin. Bake in oven until golden brown. Remove. Let cool and frost. Decorate if desired.

They are delicious and kids love them.

Desserts for Parties - Ice Cream in a Bag

An easy dessert recipe for parties that kids can make on their own. This soft-serve ice cream can be eaten right out of the bag. Each bag makes 1 serving.

2 tbsp sugar
1 cup half and half
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup Kosher or rock salt
Ice cubes (enough to fill half of a gallon-size bag)
1 pint-size ziplock bag
1 gallon-size ziplock bag
mix-ins (chocolate chips, sprinkles, etc.), optional

1. Combine the sugar, half and half and vanilla in the pint-size bag and seal
2. Place the salt,ice and the pint-size bag in the gallon-size bag
3. Seal the gallon bag
4. Shake the bags for about five minutes or until the ice cream mixture in the smaller bag hardens to the texture you desire.
5. Remove smaller bag, add mix-ins if desired and serve.

For chocolate ice cream, try adding a teaspoon of chocolate syrup in the smaller bag before mixing.

Beverages for Parties - Flavored Ice Cubes

Add some pizzazz to your party punch and iced drinks with flavored ice cubes.

Freeze lemonade, cranberry juice or grape juice in ice cube trays and add them to your drinks.

Quick & Easy Mini Pizzas Snack and Appetizer Recipes

For a delicious snack and appetizer recipe, try mini pizza snacks!

8 oz. premade pizza doug
7 tbsp butter, softened
2 tbsp fresh herbs
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 large tomato
8 each stuffed green and pitted black olives
10 mushrooms
4 whole baby corns
4 oz. mozzarella
16 basil leaves

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F)
2. Remove pizza dough from package. Cut dough into 3/4" thick slices
3. On floured surface, using a rolling pin, roll out each dog slice to a 4" diameter circle
4. Finely chop herbs. With whisk, mix herbs, grated lemon peel and lemon juice into softened butter
5. Line baking sheet with baking parchment. Place pizzas on parchment and brush with butter mixture
6. Slice tomato, green olives, corn and mushrooms. Arrange toppings attractively to cover pizza
7. Place slices of mozzarella on each pizza and top with pitted whole black olive
8. Place in middle rack of oven and cook for 15 - 20 minutes.
Makes 8 mini pizzas

Snack and Appetizer Recipes - Hot Dog & Bacon Roll-Ups

2 pkg cocktail franks
Brown sugar
1 lb bacon, cut into the middle

1. Wrap a piece of bacon around cocktail frank.
2. Stick a toothpick through bacon to hold.
3. Place one layer of hot dogs in bottom of crock pot and cover with brown sugar.
4. Repeat until all the cocktail franks have been used.
5. Cook 3 to 4 hours.
6. Serve warm.

Easy Party Snacks - Koolaid Popcorn

2 c Sugar
1 c Light corn syrup
2/3 c Margarine
2 pk Koolaid
1 ts Soda
Boil the sugar, syrup and margarine together for 3 minutes. Stir in soda and Koolaid. Pour over 6 quarts of popcorn. Bake at 225 F for 45 minutes,
stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and break up immediately.

Dinner Party Recipes - Maryann's Enchilada Casserole

This is my mother-in-law's dinner party recipe and it is one of our family's favorites. It's easy to make and is delicious!

2 lbs ground beef 2-3 tsp chili powder
1 med. onion, chopped 12 corn tortillas
1 8 oz. can of tomato sauce 2 cups grated cheddar
1 can cream of chicken soup 3/4 cup milk
2 garlic cloves, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

1. Brown beef, onion and garlic. Add tomato sauce, chili powder, salt and pepper. Heat thoroughly.

2. Line a greased, shallow casserole dish with tortillas. Cover with meat mixture.

3. Combine soup and milk. Pour over top.

4. Sprinkle grated cheese over all.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Desserts for Parties - Lemonade Ice Cream Pie

Lemonade Ice Cream Pie dessert for parties

Makes 2 pies

Two – 6oz ready-to-fill graham cracker pie crusts
½ gallon Breyer's vanilla ice cream
1 12-oz can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 16-oz tub frozen whipped topping, thawed
Lemon slices and fresh mint for garnish

1.Place pie crusts in the freezer
2.Put softened ice cream, lemonade concentrate and ¾ of the whipped topping into a large bowl. Stir until blended. Spread ½ in each pie crust.
3.Top each with remaining whipped topping. Freeze just until topping is firm, then cover airtight with foil or plastic wrap.
4.Freeze 4 hours until hard.
5.Serve garnished with lemon slices and mint.

Party Breakfast Recipe - Baked French Toast

4 slices cinnamon-raisin bread
3 eggs
1/3 cup apple juice or cider
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Applesauce (optional)

Place bread slices in a shallow baking pan. In a medium bowl, beat together the eggs, cider, sugar and vanilla until blended, and pour it over the bread. Let stand, turning once, about 5 minutes, while you preheat the oven to 375 degrees. When the egg mixture is absorbed, place the slices on a lightly greased baking sheet and drizzle with any remaining liquid. Bake about 10 minutes. Turn slices. Continue baking another 10 minutes, or until the bread is puffed and golden brown. Serve with applesauce or powdered sugar.
Makes 2 servings.

Party Dessert Recipes - Red, White and Blue Berry Bowl

Red, White and Blue Berry Bowl for a party dessert recipe idea:

4 cups boiling water
Red fruit gelatin, any flavor
Blueberry flavor gelatin
2 cups cold water
8 oz. nondairy whipped topping, thawed
4 cups pound cake, cubed
2 cups sliced strawberries

1. Thoroughly dissolve each flavor gelatin (in separate bowls) in two cups boiling water, per package directions. Stir 1 cup cold water into each bowl.
2. Pour into separate 13-by-9-inch pans; refrigerate until firm.
3. Cut gelatin into 1/2-inch cubes. Layer blue gelatin cubes, whipped topping, cake, strawberries, whipped topping, and red gelatin in a large, clear serving bowl.
4. Garnish with remaining whipped topping.
5. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until ready to serve. Serve in large wine goblets.

--From Pick-A-Party Cookbook by Patty Sachs

Here´s a heavyweight fruit snack

Take a city chicken stick and snip off the point. Be careful it doesn´t put your eye out!. Take different fruit slices of different diameter and create your own barbell! Oranges, limes, kiwi and strawberry are very colorful!

Come Over for My Famous Chili

Gather around the chili pot for an impromptu party. All it takes is a good recipe and casual atmosphere. Give your friends big bowls and let them serve themselves. Set out such popular chili toppings as grated cheddar, jalapenos, crackers, rice, chopped onions, even cornbread. Keep it simple and fun. This will spice up your party-hosting skills as well as your friendships.

Party Dessert Recipe - Apple Volcanoes

Here's a nice refreshing party dessert treat:

Apple Volcanoes
2 apples
2 large marshmallows
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup chocolate chips
1 chopped nuts
2 tbsp shredded coconut, optional

1. Wash apples. Remove stem and core out apple with spoon. Enlarge the hole slightly.
2. Press marshmallows in center of cored apple to fill bottom.
3.Spoon peanut butter into apple to fill the top.
4.Mix in the nuts.
5.Spread peanut butter over top of the apple.
6.Sprinkle top with chocolate chips and coconut.

Desserts for Parties - U.S. Flag Parfait

Get into a stars and stripes mood with this easy to make 4th of July inspired parfait for a dessert recipe idea:

1 cup sliced strawberries
1 cup blueberries
1 container vanilla yogurt
Parfait or Sundae-style glasses

1. Place a layer of blueberries at bottom of glass (1/3 of the way up)
2. Add a layer vanilla yogurt (middle)
3. Add a layer of strawberries (top)
4. Top with a dollop of whipped cream

Beverages for Parties - Homemade Lemonade

4 Lemons
1 c Sugar
1 qt Water


1. Peel lemons and put rinds into a bowl. Place peeled lemons aside.
2. Cover the rinds with sugar for a half hour.
3. Boil water, pour over rinds and sugar. When cool, take out rinds.
5. Squeeze lemons, strain and add to sugar mixture.
6. Chill and serve ice cold.

Party Dessert Recipes - Marshmallow Bunnies

Marshmallow Bunnies dessert for parties

This is a cute idea for an Easter party treat.

5 large marshmallows
1 8-inch piece of shoestring licorice, ribbon or string
10 miniature marshmallows
2 tbsp canned white frosting
Assorted candies for decorating

1. Stack 2 large marshmallows, securing with some frosting, for each bunny. Tie licorice, ribbon or string around middle of each marshmallow to separate head and body sections of bunny.

2. Cut remaining large marshmallow into quarters lengthwise; using frosting attach 2 quarters for ears to each bunny head.

3. Attach 4 miniature marshmallows for bunny paws and 1 for cottontail to each bunny with remaining frosting. Use assorted candies to make faces. Let dry.