We celebrated inside as well as outside.

.Last weekend we had the privilege of hosting an engagement party for Caroline and her fiance, Adam. I had a lot of fun planning the menu and decorating the house. Pinterest was a huge help and I was able to strike a good balance between homemade treats and store bought ones. While buying Ball jars, I was presently surprised that Walmart has a whole section dedicated to wedding decor.  Adam’s parents and siblings spent the weekend with us and we all had fun mingling with future wedding guests and getting to know each other.

We had lots of “Party Food” and …

Lots of sweets to celebrate the sweethearts!

Menu

Pulled Pork with BBQ Sauce on Slider Buns

Tater Tots with Toppings

Chipotle-Cilantro Coleslaw

Macaroni and Cheese

Barbecue Baked Beans

Chicken & Waffles Appetizer

Raspberry Sherbet Party Punch

Cake, “Save the Date” Cookies, Mexican Wedding Cakes, Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes

The pulled pork and bottled sauce came from a local BBQ joint. I put out slider buns rather than regular ones. They looked cute in a napkin lined basket and the smaller size stretched the amount of meat that much further.

Bowls of crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar, sliced green onion, and blue cheese along with Franks brand buffalo sauce were great accompaniments to the tater tots.

To get the recipe for Adam’s favorite Chipotle-Cilantro Coleslaw, click HERE .  For a classic Coleslaw recipe click HERE .

For the Macaroni and Cheese: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 by 13 inch pan. Cook a 16 ounce package of elbow macaroni over medium low heat and set aside. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a sauce pan and whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour.  Let the mixture cook for 60 seconds, then whisk in 3 1/4 cup whole milk – just a little at a time. Cook over medium heat, stirring with a spoon until the milk mixture is noticeably thickening. Take the pan off the heat and stir in 8 ounces of cubed Velveeta, 8 ounces shredded white cheddar cheese, and 8 ounces shredded taco cheese blend. Add 1/4 teaspoon pepper and continue to stir until the cheese is melted. Add to the cooked macaroni and put in a greased 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

To get the recipe for the Barbecue Baked Beans, click HERE

To get the recipe for the Chicken and Waffles Appetizer, click HERE

To get the recipe for the Raspberry Sherbet Party Punch from the blog Natasha’s Kitchen, click HERE

I ordered the cake, “Save the Date” Cookies and Mexican Wedding Cakes from the local bakery.

To get the Mini Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe, click HERE – just use mini chocolate chips instead of regular ones and reduce the baking time for 10 to 12 minutes. (An inserted tooth pick should come out clean and the cupcake tops should feel springy.) For Cream Cheese Frosting, click HERE