Look What I found!

My daughter and I made a quick dash to Walmart today looking for a good, quality, American made Badminton set- we didn’t find one of those but we did find… Tah-dah- Campfire brand “Zebra” marshmallows. 

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I’m always on the look out for new treats to eat around the family reunion campfire (last year  I was disappointed by those giant marshmallows introduced for the camping season) and these little bite size goodies looked too interesting to pass up. 

I haven’t tried roasting them over the fire yet but I can tell you that the one I sampled out of the bag was delicious.  They are pretty little though not as small as a miniature marshmallow and they are drizzled with dark chocolate.

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The package tells us that Zebra marshmallows are great for S’mores though you will need to use 3 or 4 marshmallows per S’more.  Since they are already drizzled with chocolate, maybe we won’t need a chocolate bar.  Oh, my kids are NEVER going to go for that!

Win a FREE Downloadable Family Reunion Theme

Sign up for our Aunt Mo’s blog for a chance to win a free gift plus more!

To "kick off" the family reunion season, Family Reunion Helper is giving away three free gifts to a few of our lucky subscribers.

Just subscribe to our announcement list and you could win a free, downloadable reunion theme package of your choice!   You can choose from any of our reunion theme packages- Western, Beach, Caveman, Medieval, Pirate, Boot Camp, Heritage, Home for the Holidays or the popular All-sport theme. Other lucky subscribers will receive a free downloadable copy of our "Pipe Chimes" book or our latest product, "When You Were My Age", the perfect theme for that 50th anniversary or significant birthday you are planning. Remember, these three gifts will only be given to three Family Reunion Helper subscribers so don’t wait- subscribe today!

In addition for a chance to win the free give away you will also receive the following items just for signing up:

The new and improved
“Feeding The Flock”
Family Reunion Cookbook

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Campfire Songbook

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Human Foosball Instructions

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Remember, all of our products can be downloaded instantly so that you can get right to work on your family reunion or party.  So don’t delay- win a free family reunion theme package by signing up today- it’s free!

Baked Potato, Taco or Dessert- Belly Up To the Bar, Boys

A baked potato bar is a simple way to feed a large crowd at your family reunion or party. It is also makes for a delicious meal where individual tastes and special diets can be accommodated. Everyone puts on their potato or tortilla their favorite toppings while leaving the things they don’t like for someone else. “Bars” or “Buffets” are an economical way to feed your family reunion crowd. And don’t soup, salad and pasta bars. Plan on providing the basics from you family reunion budget and assign out the toppings.

For a potato bar, baking potatoes are pre-cooked and kept warm until serving time. When it is time to eat, guests line up to split open their own potato and top as desired. For a taco bar try using a variety of tortillas and shells- corn, flour, crispy or home-style.

You can keep baked potatoes warm by placing them in coolers. While your potatoes are baking, fill the coolers with hot (not boiling) water and replace the covers. When you are about to take your potatoes out of the oven, empty the hot water and quickly dry out the coolers. Immediately load the potatoes into the preheated coolers. Place the lid on and LEAVE COVERED TIGHTLY. Potatoes will remain hot for several hours and may even continue to cook.

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Popular potato bar toppings are:
Bacon bits
Broccoli
Broccoli/cheese sauce
Butter
Celery
Cheddar cheese
Chili
Chives
Diced ham
Diced onions
Green Onions
Hamburger gravy
Minced chives
Minced garlic
Onions
Parmesan cheese
Ranch dressing
Salsa, hot or mild
Salt and pepper
Sour cream
Tomatoes

 

When planning a taco bar or buffet provide at least two types of meat such as ground or shredded beef, pork or turkey along with vegetables, salsa, guacamole and cheese so guests can build their ultimate taco. They sell tortillas warmers in kitchen supply stores that are great for keeping tortillas warm. Another way to keep tortillas warm is to place them onto a plate and cover them with a warm, damp towel. You can also wrap the tortillas in foil and place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. The tortillas come out hot and soft.

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Popular taco bar toppings are:
Chicken
Chopped onions
Ground Beef
Guacamole
Hot peppers
Olives
Peppers, green or red
Salsa
Shredded cheese
Shredded iceberg lettuce
Sliced Steak
Soft and hard taco shells (enough for 3-4 per person)
Sour cream
Tabasco sauce
Tomatoes
Yellow Rice

A dessert “bar” or “buffet” can be a chocolate bar, cake bar, cookie bar, ice cream or just an assortment of favorite desserts. A fruit bar is a fun and delicious way to serve dessert. Provide chocolate and caramel sauces, fountains or fondues and assign out seasonal fruit trays.

A dessert bar is really just a more interesting title for “potluck”. Potlucks are great because you’re guaranteed to have a wonderful variety of foods and it ends up being a community effort. A potluck can save you a lot of money when feeding a crowd.

I once attended a function that had a “Cake Bar”. The hostess made a few specialty cakes that were displayed beautifully on raised cake plates and other cakes were displayed between them. It was a delicious looking display.

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You can also have “Chocolate  Bar” or “Anything but Chocolate Bar”. Try a “Sundae Bar” or “Banana Split Bar”. Provide ice cream, chocolate, caramel and strawberry toppings and ask family members to bring their favorite ice cream toppings- sprinkles, chopped nuts, maraschino cherries, chopped fruit etc.

Master List of “Bar” and “Buffet” Toppings
avocado slices or chunks
broccoli
cauliflower florets
carrots
mushrooms, sautéed
fresh or frozen peas
onions
celery
tomatoes
olives
sweet bell pepper
jalapenos Sauces and Dressings
flavored sour creams,
such as chipotle, truffle, Ranch dressing
sour cream dips
seasoned butters
garlic butter
nacho cheese or chili con queso Meats
flaked tuna
smoked salmon
bacon bits
shredded ham
grilled or creamed chicken
shredded or crumbled ground beef
stroganoff or beef tips
chopped barbecue
blue cheese
shredded Parmesan cheese
chopped fresh herbs
pesto
stir fried baby vegetables
roasted red peppers
mixed grilled vegetables
truffle oil
sliced toasted almonds
chopped water chestnut
cheese sauces
Meat sauces
Marinara sauce
Alfredo sauce
chili
dipping oils

Aunt Mo

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” —-Virginia Woolf

Ask Aunt MO about Time Capsules

I have a question about making a time capsule. I want our family to make a time capsule at our family reunion this year but I’m not sure what we should put into the time capsule. Can you give me some more ideas for what to put into my time capsule?

Julie N.

Thanks for your question, Julie. I think you’re family will enjoy making a time capsule at your family reunion and I really think they will enjoy opening it in a few years. In my blog about time capsules I suggested that you add a newspaper to your time capsule. I think you’ll be surprised when you open the capsule to read what was going on in the world or your community at the time you made your time capsule.

You can also ask family members to write down their goals for the five years or ten years that will go by before you open the time capsule. Or write a letter to the future and tell the people what life is like for you now. Be sure and include your favorite family traditions, your worries and your joys too!

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Memorabilia from your family reunion is another fun thing to put into your time capsule. Include your family reunion invitation and schedule of events. If you have contests such as a family reunion 5K be sure and list the winners.

Add photos to your time capsule. You can ask every family to bring a family picture or if you are close to a one hour photo developer you can take a family group picture of everyone at your family reunion and put that into the time capsule.

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If you will only be storing your time capsule for five or ten years you may want to include a video messages from your family. Be careful about including a DVD for a long term time capsule, as fast as technology changes you may open the capsule and have nothing to play it on.

Get the children at your family reunion involved by cutting pictures out of a magazine showing the hottest toy of that year or the latest fashion trend. Just as we look back at the popularity of Strawberry Shortcake, Clackers, Tickle Me Elmo, Beanie Babies and Pokeman, these are items that are sure to be left behind in a few years and will be fun to remember when the time capsule is opened.

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Leave out any substance that could decay and damage the other contents of the box. This includes rubber, wool, wood, PVC, and any perishable, liquid or edible item.

Mark everything clearly so you or others will know where each item came from and who included it when the time comes to open the capsule. Don’t assume you will remember all the details.

Good luck with your time capsule, Julie.

Aunt MO