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Refreshments for a meeting


JSD

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If you were going to have a meeting at your house in the evening, after dinner, with a small group of people, and the purpose of the meeting was not about food, what would you serve for refreshments?

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I'd serve a good decaf coffee with a rich aroma that filled up the house, an assortment of homemade cookies some of which, I'd hope, would be new and unusual to the crowd, a cheese and fruit plate. I'd open a couple bottles of wine....one white, one red. In addition, I'd have some nonalcoholic beverages waiting in the fridge....waters, soft drinks.

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

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serious meeting + serious co.workers = serious stiff drinks (gin and tonics with snazzy gin and fresh lime juice and other "classic" refreshing summer drinks (make a fresh juice lime.aid for a non-alcoholic alternative)

not.so.serious meeting + adventuous co.workers (with the added benefit of an outdoor patio herb and vegetable garden) = more exciting herb infused drinks (lemon verbena/mint infused ice tea or lemon verbena/mint infused simple syrup into a lemonade - oh boy!)

not.at.all serious meeting + any kind of co.worker + a chance to get everybody giddy (added benefit: ice cream machine) i could go on and on here but the "float" can make refreshments turn into an affair all it s own!

traditional: oh yum, the micro-brewed rootbeer and homemade vanilla bean . . .

the off beat? homemade cardamom ice cream in cassis lambic beer. . . .

the refreshing? a fruit sorbet in micro brewed ginger beer . . . oh i could go on and on!

good luck!

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Stale cheeze doodles and tap water. I've been trying to discourage these pesky bldg. board of directors meetings, but I think I'm gonna have to rent a rottweiler for the ocassion.

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Stale cheeze doodles and tap water.  I've been trying to discourage these pesky bldg. board of directors meetings, but I think I'm gonna have to rent a rottweiler for the ocassion.

Oh GREAT! Now, I'm gonna have to offer a selection of gourmet dog foods as well!

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

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Jaymes, Very nice ideas, thank you.

For the others, I probably should clarify: these are people I like, the meeting is NOT work related, they are not coworkers, and it's just for fun.

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For fun and people you like, I'd match the foods and beverages.

You probably already know what they enjoy, be it pizza, subs,

sloppy joes or in the sweets department. It's tough to dislike

crudities, cheeses and pop-in-the-mouths but un;ess you

are going late into the night, watch out for too much after dinner.

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I've found that if it's AFTER dinner (unless you want to make it earlier and FOR dinner) and if the purpose is NOT food (unless you'd like to change the focus and make it FOR food) you're better off keeping it simple.

If you're assuming (as it appears from your question) that they've already had dinner, I'd suggest you offer them a few typical "post-dinner" items, but be sure they're as good as possible; ie, really wonderful coffee, terrific and unusual cookies, great cheeses. Maybe some vanilla or coffee ice cream and an assortment of liqueurs or cordials to either sample, or pour over.

You want your guests to be comfortable and at ease and I have personally found that if you "overdo it," beyond what that particular occasion seems to naturally call for, you sometimes overwhelm and intimidate them. There are several negatives to that, one of which may be a hesitation on their part to ever offer to do the hostessing themselves.

:biggrin:

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

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Wanted to add one last thing....

If this is a real hard-partying crowd that is likely to be still hanging around at two or three in the morning, after drinking and talking and laughing all night, be sure you've got stuff in the fridge to whip up an impromtu breakfast.

I always had a couple dozen eggs and some frozen chopped green peppers, onions, and a bag of frozen french fries I could chop up and add to the eggs while scrambling them. And a couple packages of refrigerator biscuits as well.

None of that may impress you as gourmet fare but, let me tell you, at three in the morning, when you and your guests are bleary-eyed, drunk and hungry, it's quick, easy, and looks pretty darn good.

And makes your tummy feel much better the "morning after."

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

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In addition to the great things mentioned so far, even though it's not about food, I would also have something like a sliced french baguette with a good quality pate, and a few thin slices of proscuitto, or dry coppa (or similar) in case anyone has to work late and doesn't have time to have dinner before going to the meeting. Plus sometimes, pate, brie and french bread just tastes better than cookies & ice cream (to me anyway), even after dinner, but then I might just be weird. :smile:

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In addition to the great things mentioned so far, even though it's not about food, I would also have something like a sliced french baguette with a good quality pate, and a few thin slices of proscuitto, or dry coppa (or similar) in case anyone has to work late and doesn't have time to have dinner before going to the meeting.

That's a great idea. I agree -- paté is always good. And proscuitto, as you suggest, maybe wrapped around melon balls.

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

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It is summer guys, so maybe something fruity would well behoove you. I would freeze some watermelon overnight and then blitz it in the blender and add some Vodka, like Ketel One.

Another favourite of mine is blitzing raspberries, passing them through the sieve to get the seeds out, adding lots of limejuice and topping this off with Bacardi and some spritzer water.

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