|
I wanted to keep it simple, so I stuck with the croissants and coffee theme inspired by the cute cups and napkins. I have an espresso machine, so I printed a couple of copies of the menu for guests to peruse and then asedk them to write their "order" on their paper cups. I then made their drinks one at a time like a Starbucks barista. My guests loved pretending they were in a cafe, and it gave them a chance to mingle and munch while I prepared their drinks.
A few tips:
-
Pre-measure the coffee beans for each guest to save a little time. I placed the beans in little ziplock bags to easily pop them in the grinder for each cup of coffee.
-
Pre-warm your espresso machine about 10 minutes before guests arrive so it is ready to go.
-
Make sure you only offer drinks you are confident making. Spend the week before practicing if needed.
-
Place markers next to each place setting so guests can easily write their orders.
If you don't have an espresso machine, you can easily make your own brown sugar shaken espressos at home. All you need is some cold brew, brown sugar, honey, and cinnamon. Make the cold brew 1-2 days in advance, and then, as you pour out the individual drinks, add about a tablespoon of brown sugar, teaspoon of cinnamon, and a little honey in the individual glasses, then shake or stir it together for a delicious Starbucks copycat.
Not a coffee person? Have your own sparkling water bar! Pick up some bottles of Perrier and your favorite fruits. All you would need to do is to prepare the garnishes and set them out for your guests to make their own fruity waters. Simple but refreshing on a hot summer's day! You could also offer some fruit juices as mixers for guests to make their own mocktails.
For the food, you can make it from scratch or pick up items from a local bakery or grocery store. Costco has delicious croissants in their bakery and frozen macarons. Heat your oven to 350 degrees and pop in the croissants for 3 minutes to give the croissants that homemade touch (it perfectly adds the necessary crisp to the outer layer and brings out the buttery notes in the dough). Trust me, you will never go back to eating them directly from the store again.
|
