Have opportunity to introduce caterer to McD recipe!

[S B]

As most of you know, (from the old board) my step-daughter is getting married. (Wedding was rescheduled from this past Sept. to this coming May.)

Now, instead of having the reception at a restaurant, they are going to have a catered meal in a large room that a lodge is letting them use. Of course, my step-daughter is planning on having feast-style SAD food, but she knows I will not eat that…..and she knows how STUBBORN I can be about it!

Therefore, last night she asked me to tell her what I would like to have to eat at the reception and that she would have the caterer prepare it for me, so I can join in on the festivities, too. (That was so nice of her!) The meal will be buffet style, so I assume “my food” will be on the buffet table along with the other stuff, so (if this be the case) there might be a slim chance that a few others might get curious and sample some of it! I HOPE!!!

The best thing of all is a GOOD COOK and NOT “Disaster-in-the-Kitchen-SB” (me) will be making it -- so I know the recipe(s) I choose will turn out RIGHT!!!

Now, I am wondering what recipe or couple of recipes to give to her. I want it/them to be delicious and totally McD-legal and totally or, at least, mostly MWL-legal, too! However, I want it/them to be VERY EASY to make so as not to be a burden on the caterer. I like the taste of almost anything but I would like for that “HEALTHY McD STUFF” on the buffet table to look inviting and taste good to SAD eaters, if possible.

Any recipe suggestions?

One recipe that I am considering is Susan V’s delicious Eggplant Creole (on the FatfreeVegan site) served with plain whole grain brown rice -- but the thoughts of getting tomato stains on my good dress do pop into mind…..

Thanks!

By the way, my search in finding a woman’s style dress pattern in my size -- the size of a 10 to 12 year old child -- was successful and I have the dress all made and ready to wear. It is slightly toned-down blue-green in three shades -- medium, light, and dark (with no other colors). It has a delicate print in the form of bunches of “light” small flowers in little bunches outlined in “dark” on a “medium” background. There are enough flowers in the design to make the dress look feminine but not enough to make it look gaudy.

My husband says that he would prefer for the material to be a little more green than blue-green, but that the slightly toned-down blue green is “green enough” to be warm a warm color (which my dark brown hair and dark brown eyes need). However, he says that the dress looks very good on me and that he likes it a LOT -- so we are BOTH very happy with it! (The original solid green silky material was too hard for me to sow on it because is was so delicate and frayed too easily -- so I used a different choice of material.)

[Steve]

I had two catered affairs for my kids for special birthdays. For each one I had a salad made. The first one Burman's Perfect Salad (healthy heart) bombed because it had to chill overnight and it froze in the caterers frig (colder than mine) so that they had to remake and it did not have time to do its thing. The second one was the oriental salad and in this one the key is to put the dressing over the salad at the last minute. They did this hours too early and it was not good. We also had cheeseless pizzas (alongside the regular pizza) which went over very well.
For pot lucks at work I have brought Vegtarian Chilli from the Maximum Weight loss book and that always goes over well.

Good luck.

[S B]

I thougt caterers were better in the kitchenn than I am! Sounds like some of yours messed up as badly as I would!

Now, I know that I DEFINITELY need a very easy to understand and very easy to make recipe to give to the caterer!

Thanks!

[LindaB]

Hi everyone - Most caterers are good in the kitchen although unfortunately you don't require a degree to be a caterer - just a desire to cook for people! So, as a caterers wife, I have to say that it is refreshing to hear that one is willing to accomodate you. It amazes my husband when he hears about mistakes like the ones you mentioned and he chalks that up to inexperience in handling a situation. I hope that you can find a really interesting McD recipe that will hold well (ie. it will be on the buffet over a heat source) and that others try it. That would be really exciting if some of the guests ask about the dish. I like the ideas you came up with! I hope that the wedding goes well for you, your daughter and your whole family. P.S. your dress sounds wonderful!!! LindaB.

[momof4]

Here are some things that are good for making ahead, and you should be able to come up with McDougall versions if you don't already have some:

Potato Salad
Coleslaw
Roasted Vegies
Baked Potato bar
Taco salad bar
Rice Pilaf
Tabouli
Couscous dish
Chole (a delicious chickpea Indian dish--many of those dishes can be made very low-fat or non-fat)
Lentil Dal
If the caterer agrees, and there's a Great Harvest bakery nearby, they do make delicious breads and rolls. They use an egg-wash on some of their breads (which they can omit for you), and they do use honey. But it's fresh-ground whole wheat and very moist and delicious bread, and even my husband (who loves the white stuff) likes it.

I realize that for a buffet, a baked potato or taco "bar" would really mean having the items grouped together, but I still think it'd work.

Whenever I went to military functions with my husband, I was always served last because I requested a vegetarian meal (I wasn't McDougalling then, so they were lacto-ovo). People would look at me so sadly, as I waited for my dinner to be served. Without exception, when mine did arrive, I heard comments like, "Wow, I wish I would have ordered that! It looks so good!" My plate would be LOADED with lots of colorful vegies, and they'd have a sad looking piece of meat, a few vegies, and a baked potato. Hopefully some guests will enjoy whatever the caterer makes, esp. if it's not labeled vegetarian!