5 Unique Ideas for Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 1, 2012 by admin

Looking for something special to do on Valentines Day and just can’t think of the perfect idea? Whether you’re dating, married without children, or even have a family, here are some tips on cooking ideas and fun ways to spend the day with the ones you love. You can follow them exactly or use them to help you come up with your own special idea, hope they help!

1. Cook Together: Cooking with a loved one is a great way to spend time with them and a fantastic way to bond. With everyone’s busy it’s difficult to sit and eat dinner together on a regular basis let alone prepare the meal together. Pick something that’s a favorite for both of you or something that reminds you of a meal you’ve shared together before. Time spent enjoying one another’s company really helps to remind you of why it is that you love them. Not to mention food always tastes better when you prepare it yourself : )

2. Scavenger Hunt: Lead them to their gift by setting up a scavenger hunt. Make the hints something only your loved one would understand. Think of some of your favorite memories and where they happened and have each clue lead them to a new place. This is a great way to show them that you really care by bringing up old memories. The hints can be serious or funny, lead them to the place where you first told them you loved them or where they tripped over a shoe and sprained their ankle. Give it some thought and make the hints personal and meaningful.

3. Make heart shaped foods: This idea is pretty easy, try to think of foods that can be either cooked or cut into the shape of a heart. Bake a sheet of brownies or cookies and use a heart shaped cookie cutter. For breakfast make heart shaped pancakes and for dinner make your loved one’s their favorite flavor pizza baked in the shape of a heart. Besides using the shape of a heart, try to incorporate the color red into the meal. Make red jell-o or add red food coloring to mashed potatoes. Choose a favorite meal and put one of these special twists to it.

4. For the Family: Put notes and a treat in your children’s lunch boxes so when they get to school they are reminded of how much you care about them. Have the kids make Valentines Day cards for each other, for your spouse or their Grandparents, or anyone special to them. Let them help make dinner bake a special dessert. There are so many great activities to do with kids, just make sure you include them in your celebration to make the day extra special.

5. Keep it simple: It’s the small things that show you really care. It isn’t necessary to spend a lot of money by taking them to the most expensive restaurant in town or by buying them an expensive gift. It’s the little things that are important. Showing them that you care by remembering and making their favorite dessert or renting their favorite move is enough.  Relaxing and just spending time together is a great way to share the day together.

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3 Helpful Guidelines For Eating A Diet-friendly Dessert

Posted on January 6, 2012 by admin

Interested in preparing diet-friendly desserts but still feel the need to satisfy your desire for something sweet?  If so, follow these three guidelines to help you find/prepare a diet-friendly dessert that can end up being just as sweet as a regular dessert!

Picking Out Which Dessert Recipe Is Best For You

The best way to get a diet-friendly dessert on your table is to pick a dessert recipe that is for health or diet-conscious people.  This strategy will always save you the trouble of trying to replace ingredients—especially if you aren’t confident about doing that.  Also, many creators of dessert recipes have already taken the trouble to make their “normal” recipes more diet-friendly.

To find a diet-friendly dessert you should initially seek out explicit dessert recipes that are classified as being low-fat, sugar-free, guilt-free, light, or healthy.  You should also try to look for dessert recipes that are for diabetics, people with milk allergies, and so on—these recipes are usually lower in sugar, carbohydrates, and milk fat.

Furthermore, recent studies have indicated that as new recipe books come out, the number of calories for each recipe increases by half.  Therefore, when seeking out a dessert recipe, acquire older cookbooks as they have the original recipes—ones that have not been tampered with by adding extra ingredients, for example, extra sugar for taste.

Eat Smaller Portions

This goes for every meal…if you eat smaller portions of a dessert you will be able to train yourself on how to eat less and feel full faster during any meal.  In most cases, just a few mouthfuls of any type of sweet should be enough to satisfy your desire for something sweet.

Always remember that moderation is the key to succeeding with any diet.  Consuming one small piece of chocolate dessert won’t make you gain weight—it’s eating more than one small piece of chocolate dessert in a sitting that could make you gain weight!

Use A lot Of Fruits!

Most of the time, having fruits for dessert (prepared in different ways) will be enough to satisfy your hunger for a dessert.  The natural sugars present in fruits are not only good for satisfying your sweet tooth, but are very good for your body and health as well!

You can use fruits as toppings on cakes and pies instead of whipped cream or icing.  You can also serve fruit juices for dessert and even freeze them into some delicious popsicles!

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4 Tips For Self Catering

Posted on December 5, 2011 by admin

Planning a party takes a lot of time especially if you are doing your own catering. Buying the food, preparing the meal, decorating your home, hall, or general organization can be a rigorous endeavor. If it is a big party you might have to rent cooking equipment, tables, chairs, and even a tent!  If you want there to be music and entertainment you may even find yourself seeking out a DJ or band!

Even though planning your own party or event is a lot of work, catering an event can be very easy and preparing it yourself can save you a good chunk of change.

Here are four self catering tips that may make preparing a meal for your guests a lot less time consuming:

1.  Organization:  You need some sort of an “organized system” that will allow you to effortlessly acquire everything you need for your party or event. To do this you can have organized lists, notes, and supplies on a spreadsheet on your home computer.

2.  Write Lists:  When you are doing your own catering, lists are very important!   You should have lists of contact information for all the people helping you with the party, and also a list of all those people who said they were coming.  Also, list out all of the exact the equipment you need to get, and list out all of the food you have to buy as well as supplies like tablecloths, napkins, utensils, etc.  Most importantly do not forget to make a to-do list to make sure you get done everything for the party or event.

3.  Guest Count:  Make sure you have enough food because having too much can be very wasteful. Do this by making sure you have a near to solid number of people who are coming.

4.  Get Disposable Dinnerware:  Things can be a great deal easier if you use disposable dinnerware.  It may not look as pretty, but you won’t have to deal with washing those dirty dishes.

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Popular Wedding Trends

Posted on October 28, 2011 by admin

Like decorations, invitations, the dress, and photography, catering trends change from year to year. When it comes to celebrating your wedding there is nothing more you wish for than an amazing day filled with great food, décor, and entertainment. The choice to go with a smaller and more intimate wedding with individual taste and personalized selections continues to be popular in 2011.

General catering ideas include offering a choice of main courses. This may include keeping the usual plate of potatoes and vegetables while offering a variety of meats and sauces. You can also get rustic by providing guests with a chopping board served with carved meats and sauces to dip into. Another option is to incorporate the wedding cake into the main menu. Not only does this reduce the cost but also minimizes decision making. If you choose to serve dessert why not serve platters with miniature desserts to each table for guests to help themselves? Some popular choices include miniature sherry trifle, chocolate brownies, fresh raspberry shortbreads, roasted rhubarb brule, limoncello panna cotta, miniature apple crumble and miniature lemon meringue. How about having a tier of different types of cheese cake as an alternative to the traditional wedding cake? The options are endless and depend on your likes and dislikes.

Other trends include the decision to have more cocktails and less food. Many couples are choosing to replace the traditional sit-down meal or buffet in favor of a cocktail style reception that allows guests to enjoy their food, drinks, mingling and dancing at their own pace. Some eco-friendly options selected by the groom and bride include producing edible centerpieces to cut down on the waste from the wedding decor. Not only does this option save on decor, but it makes a lasting impression on the theme and color scheme of your wedding. Food displays are as beautiful as they are delicious, and today’s caterer has an array of tricks, props, and equipment to make any food display creative and beautiful to the eye.

Some delectable wedding trends made by the bride and groom are the options to choose bolder flavors for their wedding menus. No more of the same old chicken, fish, steak or pasta options—couples are selecting to go with their favorite foods to give their meal at the reception a personal and inspired touch. This could mean Asian food for the entree and the couple’s favorite dessert instead of the traditional wedding cake. Remember your wedding day is one of the most special and memorable days of your life. Let the decisions you make appeal to your own personal touch and preferences.

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Caterers For A Unique Event

Posted on September 1, 2011 by admin

Although many catering companies mainly focus in on larger events or corporate meetings, many catering companies also offer the option of sending specific meals to a family or individual. There are many ways to use this option, whether you are sending meals to a new mom and dad or someone who is recovering from surgery or a serious illness. It is a great way to let your friends and family members know you care. It can be compared to sending flowers or a card, but in addition to the thoughtful touch you are also giving the recipient something that really makes their life easier.

For Example:

-Catered Meals for New Parents

When a new baby is born, it brings joy, happiness…and most of the time, a ton of chaos!  New parents are usually beleaguered by all of the stress that goes into taking care of a baby in its first few weeks (not to mention the serious lack of sleep they suffer due to late-night feedings and irregular sleeping patterns.) So, that’s why sending new parents a catered meal through a local catering company can be one of the most thoughtful gifts you can give them. It relieves them of having to worry about what to make for dinner so that they can relax and enjoy more time with their newborn. Plus, you save them money by generously buying them dinner.

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Basic Tips To Ensure You Have The Best Caterers For A Wedding

Posted on July 14, 2011 by admin

A wedding should be the one of the most important events in any individual’s life. There are many exquisite moments attached to it which remain unforgettable. Being one of the most coveted phases of an individual’s life, this particular moment should be celebrated with the utmost happiness. However, there are certain aspects which are highly involved in making this moment unforgettable.  One of these aspects is how your wedding is catered. If you are looking forward to hiring a wedding catering service, then you should follow a few requisite steps to ensure that you do not make many—or if any—mistakes.

Initially, the first step in preparing a good menu for the banquet is to get in contact with the catering companies with whom you are considering to hire. You should make an appointment with each them so that you can acquire samples of their food so that you have a better idea of their services before you come to any decision. It is important to consider that tastes can vary between your guests. Additionally, more wedding catering services these days are offering the options of ethnic menus, or providing chefs who specialize in meals from specific parts of the world, for example: Indian, Caribbean, or Chinese food. By examining the tips, you can ensure that nothing goes wrong with your special moment.

Hiring a catering service for your wedding reception gives you a lot of advantages. To be precise, a catering service will often travel to any location for the wedding. This gives you a real feel of self assurance by knowing that they will arrive and carry out all necessary things on time. They will bring everything that they will need for the banquet including tents, heaters, and even ornaments that you may choose to decorate with for added beauty.

All the services provided by wedding catering companies range from mobile services to air conditioning, floral decoration, waiters and waitresses, assembly and disassembly of any collapsible furniture, carpeting and carpets, and a personalization of the menu which ensures that the celebration will go perfectly.

Don’t forget that it is not only good food that makes a successful wedding feast. The floral and fruit arrangements around the table are very important, and will serve to give your menu a touch of originality and distinction. Remember that catering is not only the serving of meals at a nice hall, but it is also used for the drinks that are provided to your guests. For this reason, if you choose to offer a free bar after dinner or lunch, you must anticipate how much it would increase the wedding budget. If schedules and the bartenders’ services have to extend a little bit longer, there is nothing more embarrassing than to throw them off the premises for wanting more drinks to continue the party.

Ultimately, by keeping all these necessary things in mind, you can successfully carry out yours or any wedding ceremony!

Posted in Catering, Cottage Green | 1 Comment

How To Become A “Top Chef”

Posted on June 13, 2011 by admin

One thing that people always crave is good food. With various restaurants springing up, and growth in the food industry, being a chef is a very good career option. With time and experience, one can master the art of culinary, and win hearts.

Common foods found and prepared by chefs are various, but here are just some examples:

A common food found, and often baked in the kitchen is bread. A very useful technique to make good bread is by spreading the yeast properly throughout the mixture. The yeast produces CO2 in the oven that is what produces the pores in the bread. One must also knead the bread dough thoroughly, which will in turn make the final product very soft.

Fried food is also a part of modern-day life. A chef should keep the items to be fried in a dry environment if possible, as the food should be dry when placed into the fryer. Safety should also be considered when a chef works with the creation of fried food.

Common knowledge a chef should know are as follows:

Obesity is one of the major problems in the United States. A chef should know about fat reducing techniques when preparing food items. Lettuce is an excellent natural way of removing unwanted fat. Keeping lettuce on the surface of an oily substance will absorb fats like a sponge. If one requires the lettuce on the following day, it is better to keep it in the refrigerator because excess fat will accumulate and freeze at the surface, thus easily being removed.

A chef should also understand that the type of wood used during a barbeque is very important, as it will impart a distinct flavour and subtle smokiness to the food. While alder is ideal for salmon and fishes, apple and cherry are best for chicken and turkey. The type of wood used in barbequing should not be treated; otherwise it will give off toxic fumes which may be harmful. Also, the marination chosen should not be very strong flavoured or else the light flavour of the wood will get camouflaged.

If a person cannot find stock for making seafood or fish sauces then he or she can do what a lot of professional chefs do. The chef can use a light chicken sauce. Many chefs don’t use fish sauce as they get sour very quickly and are also not hygienic enough to be stored for a lot of time.

Hopefully these tips will prove useful if one is looking to be a top chef, or interested in a possible career as one. Keep looking to this space for more useful tips and hints.

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Planning your wedding- Let Village Catering do your job

Posted on May 5, 2011 by admin

Wedding catering is all about class and service, so naturally when it comes time to really prepare for your wedding catering at your reception you’re going to want to rank very well in these categories.  To ensure you encounter only excellent service, you’ll need to know your wedding catering company’s reputation.  This shouldn’t be hard to obtain, and if it is, you’re using the wrong caterer.  We are not saying to never support new businesses, but your wedding is just not the place to take chances or experiment with new or low budget caterers.  Check all references that your wedding catering company provides you with, and make your decision from there.  You don’t want to get stuck with a mediocre catering company, so do your research!  Your caterer will need a final headcount for all your guests that will be attending, and in order to provide them with this you’ll need to get some invitations back.  Make sure you’ve sent your wedding invitations well in advance, and asked for a swift RSVP, as tardy wedding invitations are the number one reason weddings fail.  Once you have a guest acceptance list made up, make sure you also take into account the food that your photographer, wedding coordinator, and entertainment (DJ or live band) will be eating as well.  Be sure to note these event staff under a different section, as many caterers offer special wedding catering discounts for your staff.

Be sure to ask your wedding catering company about what types of decorations come with their service, as well as a picture of their table displays.  The aesthetic of the whole evening will be crucial, and you’ll want to be certain you know exactly what to expect and how to plan accordingly.  Also ask your caterer if they offer “menu boards”.  Menu boards are a new concept of showing a small picture of the served item with a name and description next to it.  This practice can be very helpful if you are serving items which may feel foreign or unappealing to your guests– we guess it just helps to know.

Village Catering being the Wedding Catering & Caterer restaurant with affordable on a small budget food delivery for wedding dinners, wedding rehearsals and wedding receptions can be your choice to have a successful wedding.

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Catering services can be very helpful for increasing the value of your events

Posted on April 9, 2011 by admin

Events have become a daily part of each one of our lives whether the events are social, corporate or wedding. One cannot manage the event well and make it successful without a good catering service provider. They would make things easier for you, and save your time to get the hard job done.

It doesn’t matter whether the event is big or small, catering helps you to cover all your dining and refreshments requirements, provides food and drinks not only that they are provide professionals like bartenders, waiters etc.

Whether wedding receptions or team building parties, catering can furnish you with comprehensive range of services especially designed for the particular occasion, although you can always alter your package according to your requirement.

A good catering service provider can cater you with diner, buffets and luncheons, and provide you witch refreshments like tea and coffee for smaller events. Also they provide you with facility of choosing your menu. Catering services not only take care of food but also minor details like decoration, venue, or outdoor settings.

You can get the best if you research a little online, which will allow you to see different providers and get quotes, also the way the service would be provided. Caterers believe in freshness of meals and deliver you the best of everything.

Looking for a good caterer is not a difficult job as internet has it all so can just search for one in your location, also you can read reviews from other customers, as well as can get estimates or request for it online.

While you surf online for finding a good caterer you must keep in mind that a good caterer would have experience in the field, and their background that they have served how many people with their catering services.

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Unique catering services in very affordable price

Posted on February 23, 2011 by admin

Currently the scope of catering services has increased all over the world. Today if you intend to arrange a marriage party, wedding ceremony, New Year celebrations or any other type of social gathering you can easily hire the services of a catering company as per your choice and requirement. At the same time, you can decide your own menu, seating tables and chairs, decoration, types of wine, live music band and several other formalities. You can decide the type of buffet also as per your preference. Standing buffet, seating arrangement or finger buffet are some of the current preferences among people. However, one vital aspect that must be considered is that you should not attend to every guest during a social gathering as this might not be possible. A catering company also fancy catering to seventy to eighty percent of guest only. This appropriate figure is the best possible numerical in order to cater the guest in the most splendid manner.

At the same time, you can also decide the type of food and beverage service. You can order for informal service, formal service, silver service and any other type of service as per your requirement and choice. You have to plan wisely the timing of your catering or party. You have to make it sure that the overall arrival and departure timing is appropriate and feasible to the invited guests. The gap between the dinner or lunch and the actual wedding must be accurate in the sense that guests must be able to enjoy the scrumptious food and wedding ceremony in the most precise way. The service staff must be properly dressed and you can also decide the actual theme of the party also. As per your preference about the actual theme of the party the service staff can be adequately dressed in tune with the selected theme.

However, before you may decide to hire the services of a particular catering company certain points must be kept in mind. You have to carefully analyze your current monetary budget and the number of guest’s invited. If the number of guests invited is more then surely the overall expenses may be on the higher side. You have to clearly determine the exact number of guests to be invited. If the location of the party is big then you may have to spend extra dollars owing to the large decorative items that may be used for the place. An extensive and elaborate menu may be charged more by a particular catering company.

The total distance between the location for a wedding and the actual workplace of a catering company may also determine the payment charges. If the distance is less than you may be charged less by a catering company with respect to transpiration costs. At the end of the day, the overall expenses that are incurred may entirely depend upon your preference, choice and requirement. You can easily bargain with the catering company in order to secure the best and the most affordable deal as per your current need.

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