5 minute party menus: Easy entertaining all year long

I love the idea of entertaining and hosting parties but as my kids get older, I find myself doing it LESS rather than more. Everyone we know has jam packed schedules so it can be really hard to coordinate anything. Then if we magically pick a date, the thought of planning a menu, prepping all that food, and the cleaning involved before and after is just all so very overwhelming. 

I started to realize that the thing getting in the way of entertaining was . . . ME. Why do I put all this pressure on myself?? I love to cook so that means I feel all kinds of pressure to serve up fancy dancy from-scratch dishes if I’m going to entertain but that is ridiculous. My friends and family are just as happy with some store bought chips and salsa if it means they get to come visit. 

So how does a Type A Perfectionist like myself come to grips with serving up store-bought goodies instead of homemade ones?? It’s all in the SERVING and PRESENTATION!!

You guys, I am so so excited to share with you the coolest product for entertaining I’ve ever seen — the tableware by Nora Fleming:

Right before Mother’s Day in May, I was shopping for gift ideas for my mom at my favorite local boutique. The store has the sweetest home goods and personal items so I knew I’d find something special. When I walked in, they had this crazy display of little holiday objects that caught my eye. I picked one up but couldn’t figure out what it was with its little rubber stopper on the bottom. The sales lady explained it was a holiday “mini” from the Nora Fleming line of dishes. 

Gorgeous classic white stoneware or melamine pieces each have one tiny hole that is a perfect fit for the rubber stopper of a seasonal ceramic mini. You can collect the minis for all holidays and themes and rather than storing 10 different holiday platters, you just have just the one and swap out the accent as needed. BRILLIANT!

Look at how easy it is to swap out a simple white square candy dish with seasonal treats and festive holiday minis:

My mom always made our house feel so special for each change of season. Every holiday, big and small, was made special by her thoughtful decorations. I knew immediately this was the perfect gift for her. I gave her a square baker dish just the right size for cookie bars or brownies knowing she loves to bring dishes over for the kids at holiday gatherings. I included a sweet spring flower for May but now she can collect the minis for all the other holidays. It makes the perfect thing to add on for her birthday, Christmas, etc.

What makes me extra excited is how the plain white dishes make the food the hero of the table. The minis just add a little bit of festive party flair without being overly distracting. I pulled together the EASIEST ever summer party menu using the platters as inspiration:

Simple Summer Party Menu Using Grocery Store Staples:

Nothing on this list took more effort than chopping or stirring. Most of it was just a matter of putting on the pretty platter.

1. Tomato Bruschetta Dip with Crostini: I found the fresh bruschetta dip in the grocery store fridge section near the prepared fresh salsa. The crostini came from a package in the bakery section. It’s an elevated version of chips and salsa. 
2. Sliced cheese, sliced salami, fresh tomatoes, and crackers: Everything was pre-sliced when I bought it. I washed the tomatoes and then just opened the containers and put it in the pretty 4-square melamine dish.
3. Fresh pea pods, carrot sticks, and veggie dip: I mixed my own dip with sour cream and our favorite seasonings, but you could easily just swap with your favorite store bought dip. I served it in the little trio dish with a spoon for the dip.
4. Fresh watermelon “fingers”: Do you know how to cut a watermelon? I used to just cut the triangles, but wanted something special for the platter. I followed the instructions on how to cut a watermelon for kids here and it was so much easier than my usual method.
5. Red, White, & Blue M&M Cookie Bars: Ok, the girls and I made these from scratch. {OMG SO GOOD and so worth it!} BUT, you could easily just grab adorable store-bought festive cookies or brownies and use them instead! No one needs to know but who cares if they do, it’s so pretty on your table now!
6. Red, White, & Blue Chocolate Covered Pretzels: They had these right in the candy aisle of our store.

The menu has salty, sweet, fresh & fruity, and crunchy crispy, everything you need! The perfect balance between healthy options and special party treats. If you think about planning your menu that way, imagine how easy it would be to swap it out for all the other seasons of the year!

Use the plain white Nora Fleming platters and fill them up with seasonal fresh basics from the store. I thought it would be fun to help inspire you with more ideas, check out the full year of party menus below!

A Full Year of simple party menus for easy entertaining:

Let’s start with the next season in line, I know how popular parties are from October – December.

Simple Halloween Party Menu:

1. Bright orange fresh cantaloupe cubes with slices of deli ham on toothpicks
2. Spicy cheddar cheese dip with pita crackers
3. Fresh carrot & celery sticks with buffalo dip
4. Spicy nut and nibbles mix from the bulk section of the store
5. Sliced apples (tossed in pineapple juice to keep them from turning brown!) and caramel dip
6. Peanut butter cookies from the bakery

Simple Christmas Party Menu:

1. Whipped cream cheese stuffed strawberries
2. Chocolate brownie bites with a Junior Mint candy attached with a frilly toothpick
3. Pretzels and spicy hot mustard
4. Spiced pecans (I love this pumpkin pie flavored recipe here.)
5. Baked brie served alongside fresh grapes and crackers (Easier than you think! Great instructions here.)

Simple Spring Party Menu:

1. Fresh pineapple, spinach, and blueberries for a simple salad, poppy seed dressing in a pitcher on the side
2. Lemon bars from the bakery
3. Strawberry mango salsa with cinnamon pita chips
4. Goat cheese and asparagus crostini (no baking, just assembly)
5. Candy dish of brightly colored jelly beans

Feeling inspired yet? A simple stroll around the deli, bakery, and cheese department of your grocery store and I bet you could come up with even more ideas. 

One last sweet idea, check out the fun Nora Fleming pillows they have now, too! Same concept as their dishes, you swap out a decorative panel held on to the pillow by 4 classic buttons. My patio set can go from summer to fall in a pinch and we can have our party indoors or outdoors. 

If you’d like more information about the Nora Fleming collection or want to find a store that sells it near you, you can check them out on their web site right here. 

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Thank you to the team at Nora Fleming for providing the dishes for review in this post. I was so excited about the product I purchased several pieces on my own before reaching out to partner with them for this feature. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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