More and more men these days are being invited to take part in their children's baby showers. And while the mothers are happy that fathers are now taking a more active part in bringing up their children, you'll find problems of a different sort when it comes to the couples' baby shower – the menu!
It's a well known fact that men are not happy with just tiny sandwiches, tea, and small cakes. In fact, there was a mommy-to-be that was positively mortified when the daddy-to-be tossed down the delicate sandwiches like they were peanuts and then asked for more!
More solid food is definitely in order when men are around. Apart from the fact that they aren't often on a diet (or forget that they are), they get hungry more quickly than women do. So a hot dish may be in order, as well as heartier food.
A great make-ahead option could be a cold buffet of deli meats, cheeses, pickled vegetables, and various types of bread. If you have the patience for it, why not create a smorgasbord of sandwiches? A chafing dish of hot Swedish meatballs would definitely be in order, plus a selection of thinly sliced preserved meats and sausages on a platter. Add a couple of cold salads (pasta and vegetable) and hot ones (potato, onion, and bacon salad is a favorite) to round out the selections. With spiced warm apple juice and a hot wine punch, your menu is done.
Or why not let the men escape most of the baby shower games and put them in charge of barbecuing the meat for the meal? A menu of burgers and dogs (why not do a bacon-burger-dog to simplify things?) and buns would keep any guy happy. If you add a heavy vegetable salad to that or have them grill a few veggies to boot, you'll make your female guests happy as well.
If the weather is cold, you could stick to a simple pot of chili with all the toppings that would satisfy men and women alike. Served with a jalapeno corn bread or a delicious complement of rice and peas, this would fill everyone up while just leaving you with one big pot to wash. Simple!
Don't forget the desserts, either! Just as many men as women have a sweet tooth just looking for a special occasion to be satisfied. Stick-to-your-ribs desserts are called for here as well. Don't do any experiments at this baby shower and serve a white cake with acai berry jam and cream cheese frosting. Better that you opt for a traditional yellow cake with raspberry or cherry filling and a heavy fudge frosting to top it all off.
Better yet, why not make or order a traditional New York Cheesecake
that you can serve with a side of fresh fruit salad? Or get as experimental
as you dare with a brownie cake filled and frosted with a delicious
capuccino icing? Serve it with a scoop of vanilla or coffee ice
cream and you've got it made. Combining the traditional in different
ways will allow the women to be satisfied with their love of something
new but let the men take comfort with what's familiar to them.