When I was growing up, it was much simpler. Services at synagogue, maybe a separate fancy party, and I knew one kid with yet even another party for kids at his house. My brother and I only had a meal at shul after services, and that was fine. Growing up, no one lived more than a few counties away.
Nowadays, we've got out-of-town guests. And so we've got more meals and an entire weekend to plan and provide. And this is fine. It makes for a nice family simcha (happy event). I tend to do a lot myself or to "know how to shop." Even if budget wasn't limited, I must say I honestly can't understand spending so much for a party, when there are bigger things, like retirement and college, which need to be funded...
So, let's talk about Friday night...
After Friday night services, we'll serve dinner at shul to the out-of-towners and my husband's family who live nearby. I'm ordering in Kosher Chinese food and looking for a good pareve (non-dairy non-meat) ice cream (a.k.a. frozen dessert) to serve afterwards. I just ordered a case of fortune cookies (!), since the Kosher Chinese place doesn't have. I'll actually split with someone who's daughter is having her Bat Mitzvah the weekend after my son's. My brainstorn for centerpieces--takeout boxes (free from caterer) with tissue paper ($1?) , fortune cookies (paid for, but if the aterer had had, I would've asked hi for them), chopsticks (free from caterer) and a little fan ($2.95/dozen, courtesy of Oriental Trading--BTW, if you take your catalog to Party City, you get 10% off and you don't pay shipping).
For my oldest son's Bar Mitzvah's Friday night meal three years ago, we ordered from a Kosher Publix. $7 or $7.25 per person for salad, quarter chicken, string bean casserole, and noodle kugle. It was delicious, actually. And I had them make a pareve sheetcake with my son's picture on it...The price has gone up a dollar or so since then, but I decided I wanted something different this time.
The Chinese food runs quite a bit more per adult (meal will include beef dish, chicken dish, veggie lo mein, white rice and fried rice, but no eggroll, in order to keep costs down here), but I'm getting platters of wings and tenders with dipping sauces for the kids, and that's low enough to help offset the rest.
It should be a nice meal, a nice way to start the weekend. Foodwise, we're winding up with an international menu as the weekend goes on.
More in my next post... (Oh and I have to tell you about how I'm making the invitations myself...)
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