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1. 

   0 votes

   amybyrd21 (5/31/10)

   When we did My in laws 50th we bought veggies that did not need that much cutting up. Celery, and baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, then we cut up some peppers and put cheese cubes on there too.

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2. 

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   Penny (5/31/10)

   What a great reason for a party...congrats! I cater a lot and here's what I do: For 75 people you will need about 3 18" inch platters or 4 pieces (2 oz.) of veggies per person (about 22 1/2 lbs. of vegetables). You can prep most vegetables ahead of time, but mushrooms should only be prepped the day you will use them. Bell peppers can be prepped up to 2 days in advance, and zucchini can be prepped up to 3 days in advance. Most other veggies can be prepped up to 4 days in advance. Prepare fresh vegetables (except mushrooms) at least the day before the party. Wash and cut vegetables in desired shapes and sizes. Rinse in water which has lemon juice, Fruitfresh or a little vitamin C powder added. Arrange in food storage bags, add several ice cubes; seal bags. Store bags in refrigerator vegetable crisper. Drain and change ice daily until used. Some green veggies, like asparagus, snow pea pods and green beans should be blanched to make them more tender and preserve their bright green color. To blanche: Plunge into boiling water, start counting time immediately. Blanch pea pods only about 30 seconds, in and out. Blanch other vegetables 2 minutes; immediately plunge into ice water. Drain; pat dry with paper towels and store like your other veggies. A few hours before serving, drain and arrange veggies on trays lined with parsley, lettuce or purple kale, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving time.
   
   Here's an idea of the yield you'll get from some of the veggies you may want to include:
   Asparagus- 1 lb. = 20-35 spears
   Broccoli- 2 3/4 lbs. = 45 1 1/4" florets
   Carrots- 1 lb. = 65 3 1/2" sticks
   Carrots (baby)- 1 lb. = about 40 (I like these because you don't have to cut them!)
   Celery- 1 3/4 lbs. = 100 4x1/2" sticks
   Cucumber- 1 3/4 lb. (about 2)= 45 4x3/4"spears
   Green beans- 1 lb. = 30-40 beans
   Mushrooms- 1 lb. = about 20
   Snow Pea Pods- 1/4 lb. = 30 pods
   Peppers (bell)- 20-24 dipping chunks
   Tomatoes (cherry)- about 25
   Tomatoes (grape)- about 40
   Zucchini- 1 1/4 lbs. (about three 6" zucchini)- 35 1/2" round sliced
   
   You will also want about 3 tbsp. thick dressing or 2-3 tbsp. thinner dressing per person (about 6 cups). 2 qts. dressing will yield about 50 2 tbsp. dressing.
   
   I hope this helps...DM me if you have any questions!

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3. 

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   Theresa111 (6/01/10)

   Great advice Penny! If you have any other questions, give us a shout.
   
   Congratulations to your Parents on this auspicious occasion.

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4. 

   0 votes

   Theresa111 (6/01/10)

   This is another way to serve vegetables (perhaps for another occasion) this yielded me three lasagne sized aluminum pans full of roasted veggies.
   
   www.halfhourmeals.com/recipe/roasted-vegetables
   
   (Just remember the more pans in the oven, the longer cooking time. Use a fork to test they are cooked but are still firm).
   
   * Another way to quickly satisfy a large group is with something salty, and with something sweet. It assists in raising blood sugars and helps relieve tension from their culinary anticipation. Some carbohydrates do the same thing. *

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5. 

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   Penny (6/01/10)

   Yum!

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6. 

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   Theresa111 (6/04/10)

   Are you making appetizers, too?

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7. 

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   Theresa111 (6/07/10)

   Have you celebrated yet? If so please share how it turned out.

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