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When my daughters were kids and I was working, I had very little time to invite friends and organize parties, and for this reason, I used to organize a large, well-orchestrated snack every year in September, which at the same time gave me a chance to meet friends, have the children meet when they returned from summer vacation, and possibly get acquainted with new moms and classmates. The return to the city and the start of school and work activities is a great opportunity for an invitation that involves young and old alike and is not just a pleasant time for the children; on the contrary, it is the perfect opportunity to get together with friends and have a chat. But what can make it unforgettable? If you are used to receiving with elegance and like to take care of the set-up of your events, you do not have to give it up, even if it is a children's snack. You will just need to adapt the style to the occasion, and keep in mind that it is still always an afternoon event and in the presence of children. By this I don't mean that the table must necessarily be set with balloons!
The Choice Of Tablecloths For The Buffet.
How then to set a table that looks fresh and elegant at the same time? First, let's think about practicality: for the fabric, in the garden as in the house, both linen and cotton are fine, and since this is a children's snack, my advice is to use stain-resistant tablecloths that will save you from tedious and complicated stain-removal maneuvers.
Now you can devote your time to choosing the color palette, avoiding overly formal or classic tables: it can be a single shade in different hues, or two contrasting colors, to be played with floral patterns, mixed with geometric ones, or plain details. Living in the hills, I have always organized outdoor snacks, making the most of the garden, which is still at its best in September, with long afternoons and mild temperatures. If the season allows, my advice is to organize a nice outdoor snack, with a lawn for the kids to run around and set up some games and a space with couches to accommodate moms, would make your snack a perfect event for everyone. If you are in a garden the range of colors and themes are almost endless, but if the snack will be indoors, I would still try to tie in with the colors of your home. Living in the country, I have always loved elegant country atmospheres and have often opted for fabrics with delicate patterns, perhaps played in combination between the two tables Perfect for example the combination of stripes, checks and toile de jouy in color harmony.
Since this is a buffet, for me the rule applies that the tablecloth should be long to the floor, I love overlapping and use an abundant undercloth that covers the entire table and rests slightly on the floor. The abundance of fabric gives a simple, informal look, to which I give my touch by overlapping a square tablecloth placed in a diamond shape. This particular shape enhances any type of table, whether it is a rectangular, round, square or oval one. In the garden, stripes are always perfect, but of course so is a classic square.What will actually give originality and elegance to your setup will be the combination of fabrics chosen and the attention to detail. In all likelihood the children will be around the table very little, which instead will be mostly moms' territory.
A good idea might be to create a buffet table for the children, and another for the moms, differentiating the set-up and the buffet. Any color is fine as long as it is used in an elegant way. Do you like red? Pair a red checked under tablecloth with a stain-resistant red and white toile de jouy tablecloth. Complete with bright red napkins and a beautiful basket of white wildflowers! Do you love green? You could use two or three shades of green mixed together, from Sage to Forest or Moss and set the table with fabrics and accessories in these colors. Prefer more delicate patterns and elegant hues for the adult table, and opt instead for the children's table, for brighter ones and age-appropriate patterns. Stars and polka dots are also welcome, as long as on the same colors. The perfect centerpiece?
A nice disheveled fern in a bright color for the moms' table; I would avoid a centerpiece on the kids' table, however, and opt instead for matching accessories such as bowls and pitchers. If the snack is held outdoors, there may be a need to provide some shade to protect the couch or table area from the still-warm rays of the sun. Tie a simple cut of linen gauze to the four corners and place it on the table, securing it to the nearest trees, or use beautiful umbrellas. If you are particularly glamorous, the latest trends offer umbrellas in different shapes and in beautiful fabrics!
What materials to choose for glasses and plates.
If for the adult table generally the tableware should be ceramic or porcelain, with an elegant style, accompanied by glass glasses, for children I recommend the use of melamine plates, durable and easy to wash, along with indestructible polycarbonate glasses, which you can reuse on many occasions. Always avoid disposable tableware and napkins, which pollute unnecessarily and are never a stylish touch; on the contrary, the use of cloth napkins is always an elegant detail that raises the tone of any table. Choose simple checked cotton napkins on the children's table and play fancy for the mothers': in linen of different shades of the chosen color, striped, patterned in the delicate themes of the Petals line, or in those with ruffles, which look like bouquets picked in the garden! You can play with this effect and place them folded in fabric bread baskets, which for the occasion will become perfect napkin holders and an elegant decoration for your snack table.
What to offer for a snack?
When it comes to food, the snack table offers us many different possibilities, allowing us to have fun and create real, simple and yummy menus for everyone. I have always had a lot of fun coming up with new snack themes, because I am of the idea that just these kinds of invitations give an opportunity to use original ideas. I have collected my ideas here, dividing them by type, but there is nothing to stop you from taking cues and mixing proposals with each other. The only rule is simplicity!
Classic snacks for snack time.
Popcorn, chips and pizzas have always been children's favorites and it's only fair to make them find them...but why not think of something different? A pan of pizza cooks in the oven at home in just over 1/2 hour. So why not have the kids make their own snack pizzas to create a distracting time out of the ordinary?
In this case the game is super simple, determine the pizzas to be made, get the different ingredients and prepare a nice supply of already risen pizza dough. Kids really like to be pizza makers, all you will need is a pile of flour, an apron and some rolling pins: divide them into teams and let each have a task. Who will roll out, who will pour the tomatoes, and who will put in the ingredients. Which pizza will be the best? The one made with 10 hands, 20 ingredients and 1000 laughs of course! All that will be left for us to do is supervise the baking. Again, the complexity of the tasks will vary by the age of the participants, ranging from simple decoration with the help of moms to actual kneading and rolling out and stuffing masterpieces! I for my daughters' little friends had prepared lots of colorful linen aprons and paper chef hats, it 'was so much fun to think of every detail!
If, on the other hand, you prefer to prepare things in advance, I suggest millegusti croquettes, soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, which are always a hit with young and old alike, accompanied by a cool drink. They are delicious both in the classic version, with potatoes, and in the lighter version that includes the addition of vegetables such as stuzzichini. To make them, the basic recipe calls for potatoes to be boiled, an egg, a little flour, some butter, breadcrumbs and the ingredients needed for the béchamel sauce.Once the ingredients are assembled, all you have to do is dip them in hot oil and serve them after drying them with paper towels.
Healthy snacks.
Who said a healthy snack cannot be good and fun for everyone? Here again my trick is to involve children in the preparation, I'm thinking of colorful, fruit-filled smoothies, fruit salads that you can make up as you like, to piadinas or tacos with a variety of fillings.
For smoothies you just need to choose in advance the fruit you prefer, with the caution to avoid too strong flavors that may not please everyone: prefer seasonal, fresher and tastier ones, and never leave bananas out. A few hours before the date you can peel, clean and cut them into small pieces, to which you will then add in the preparation together with the kids of ingredients to make them even more yummy. Some examples? Some hazelnut granola, a crunchy muesli with chocolate pieces, sweet cocoa powder or even sugar sprinkles and a puff of cream. Chopped fruit can also be perfect for letting the little ones compose fruit salads, being guided by their favorite flavors and colors, again perhaps complementing with yummier toppings.
If, on the other hand, you prefer savory, I suggest my favorite solution, that of small piadinas, perhaps stuffed with vegetables and cheese or a delicate ricotta. They are easy to make, allow you to have fun kneading and rolling out, and even the filling then becomes a feast: I always prepare the dough with oil instead of lard, to make them lighter, and I prepare from beforehand many types of vegetables, grilled, raw or pickled, with which to stuff them. Choose light and fresh cheeses, such as squacquerone, ricotta or cream cheese, which are easy to spread and taste.
Sweet snacks for snack time.
There are two things that immediately come to mind when talking about sweet snacks: the first is certainly cakes! Here again, I propose an alternative way to make a cake: get some sponge cake bases, make some custard, chocolate cream and whipped cream in advance. Choose some berries, mini meringues, smarties, chocolate chips, and whatever you can think of to fill or decorate magnificent cakes. Place everything on a table and let the children assemble their cakes. Divide them into small groups of up to 4 or 5 children and start a competition! The best or most beautiful cake, asjudged by a panel of moms, will be the winner.
You can give small prizes for the winners or even just celebrate them and award them with colorful paper bands or medals! I guarantee that this type of activity engages children of all ages, regardless of gender and keeps kids engaged for at least an hour of pure fun with the satisfaction that at the end they will taste all the cakes and the snack will be done! The second great classic for me are tartines, as my grandmother called them, the classic slices of bread topped with cream, butter or jam, as simple as they are tasty. Set up in the kitchen with red-checkered tablecloths and use baskets filled with breads of different types, from Tuscan to baguettes to brioche and cereal breads, to your taste. Create different shapes with the butter, you can use cookie molds and you will get mini portions in the shape of flowers, little animals and whatever you like.
Finally arrange a variety of spreads on the table, homemade jams of apricots, brusche plums, strawberries, cherries, you can put them in sauce boats or cups or in a thousand colored glass jars. What can't miss. A good hazelnut or white chocolate cream but also the simplest sugar! My favorite version of Tartine is just that: bread, butter and sugar, the sweetest memory there is.