Pretty Little Hors D'oeuvres - FRESH & FANCY!!!

Let me just say right off the bat... This was a HORRIBLE idea to blog about yummy, gorgeous delicious presentations of hors d'oeuvres at LUNCHTIME! UGH! I am working on a little project for a bride today who is looking for some fun presentations of hors d'oeuvres. This is TOUGH! Hors d'oeuvres are a really hard thing to do WELL! There are an enormous amount of options of pre-fabricated, pre-packaged, frozen, non-impressive hors d'oeuvres out there that most of us see on a VERY regular basis... Crummy crab cakes, mediocre meatballs, salty satay's on a stick, disgusting dim sum.... I think you get the point! I have to tell you... The hors d'oeuvres you choose for your party set the tone for the whole night of feasting... If the hors d'oeuvres are terrible, there are pretty much two scenarios that are going to take place.

# 1. If your hors d'oeuvres are terrible, your guests are going to hit the bar even harder than they had already planned to do to drink to FORGET the terrible food you have chosen to serve them at the event that they have taken time out of their incredibly busy schedules to attend. Thus, if you have opted to choose a "bar package based on consumption" to save money, you are looking at a MUCH HIGHER BILL! YIKES! No one wants that to happen, right? So, please... Do us all a favor and serve some delicious hors d'oeuvres!

#2. Your guests are going to be talking about how bad the hors d'oeuvres are to all of the guests around them and that is just going to create an environment where people just aren't having fun. This is bound to lead to scenario # 1 happening. No one wants a bunch of drunk people at their event because they didn't eat because the food was bad... RIGHT?

Ok... I might have gotten a little carried away with the scenarios but I can tell you that I have seen both happen numerous times and it's just not fun! Hors d'oeuvres are a great thing to impress with! They are small thus INEXPENSIVE! You can order lots of them and make your guests super happy! So, do your research or just pick some from below and you are sure to have a fun evening!

This bride specifically is looking for items that are FRESH!!! What a concept, right??? So, she asked me to do some research for her so that we can present the catering company with some options that might be things people have seen before but have a fun new little twist on them. So, here is what I found... Hope you have had lunch already... :)

Aren't these personalized wooden spoons adorable? I love these! You could use these for soooo many things and what a statement! Here we have several different caviar's served with a dollop of creme fraiche on a wooden spoon. Spectacular!!!

This is kind of a deconstructed sushi - rice, sushi and cucumber wrapped in seaweed served in a little bento box. Adorable! Also, it gives your guests something substantial but also gives them something to eat it in without spilling or making a mess - and it's cool cause it's not served on a plate! Think outside the box... PLEASE!!! It's so fun!



This is great too! A presentation served on a grilled artichoke leaf and topped the crab salad with some caviar and a little flower. GORGEOUS!!!

Ok... I absolutely love this! This is watermelon topped with Feta Cheese Crumbles and fresh mint. I can attest that this is absolutely delicious! You can also present this on a skewer, one of those wooden spoons or even just like this...

And how about caprese skewers... EVERYONE loves a caprese salad! But, it's so hard to eat when not plated! Here is the perfect option! LOVE IT!

This is lots of fun too! To the left... Three types of soup served in fall colors - Beet Soup, Butternut Squash, and Sweet Pea Soup - served in shooters! Sooo cute! Then in the center we have little loaves of bread with a dip in it and fresh vegetables in the dip! It's all about creative presentations... Such great colors!

I LOVE the mini sliders! Who doesn't love sliders... The pickle through the skewer is great too!

These little finger ring plates are pretty fantastic too! HOW FUN!!!

What a great idea of a presentation for a ceviche! Another item people love but is sooooo hard to serve. I have seen it in shooters but this is a lot of fun too!

Ok, I love this sooooo much! I of course love a good crudite just as much as all of you but I am SOOOOO SICK of its traditional presentation! So, how about this! Get little clear glass cups (you might could even use votive holders too) and fill the bottom with ranch dressing and bunch up smaller portions of the vegetables traditionally seen on a crudite and butler pass them! GENIUS!!! I LOVE THIS!!!

This is a much prettier presentation of "pigs in a blanket!" I know we all love them but how much more appealing is this!

This is a gorgeous Asian inspired crab cake! So much more appealing than the frozen ones... It's gotta be fresh or it JUST WON'T DO!!!



And, end your event with these! Butler pass little espressos with little sugar rubbed donuts hanging from the stir sticks! This could even be passed as the cake is being served. You could have a variety of flavors too... SO ADORABLE!!!

So, are you hungry? Do you want to have an hors d'oeuvres party? Are you COMPLETELY CONVINCED that fun FRESH hors d'oeuvres are the way to go.... I SURE HOPE SO!!! For all your guests sake!!! Until next time...