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Planning a Baby Shower

So we are now getting deep into baby making season heheheh. Did you know that the busiest time in Kenyan maternity hospitals is April? then March and May? 9 months before April is? YAP July. Baby making season indeed. So with baby making comes baby showers right? Well seeing as I love good food I decided to host one of my showers.

I know you must be wondering how I could host my own shower, isn’t it meant to be a surprise? Well I actually do not believe in the element of a surprise shower. If you have a reliable network I think it would be pretty obvious. I was expecting at least 3 showers because my friends are divas and they do not like to mix with others and that is exactly what I got. 3, my uni friends, my in laws and my family and other friends. None wanting to team up. 3 parties, fun x 3 I loved it.

So my cousin was planning a shower for me. I requested to have it at my house. Coz I was too lazy to be moving around and I wanted to cook. I love hosting and I knew this would be my last party for a while.

For me a party needs to be fun yet affordable. Food is of utter most importance to me. I remember having lots  of fights with mum coz I wanted to serve snacks and she just did not see how one can host guests and not have rice and mukimo and beef stew. LOL. Anyway this is how I went about it

1. Create a guest list: work with 1/2 to 3/4 of the group showing up. This will determine everything else.
2. Do a tentative budget: Based on your numbers and needs
3. Hired tents and chairs: I would urge you to do this early. I kept procrastinating about doing this and the lady I hire from in my estate really had to do me a favour to get me a tent. So book as soon as you start planning. We hire our table linen so I just got that from our office, we have all sorts of linen so holla if you ever need. 
4.  Plan your menu: I decided to go with a snack menu. I served Deviled eggs, smoked salmon crostini. meatballs in bbq sauce, samosas, tortilla wraps with chicken or pulled pork, basil and feta bites, fruit salad and ice cream served in waffle cones. You need to plan your menu first as it will guide step 3. 
5. Hire Cutlery if you need to: I am a foodie and I love to host but I do not have enough stuff to host 20 people. Up till 3 day ago I owned 3 water glasses, yes 3 and before I moved in with hubby I had 2 plates!!! So again I got cutlery from our office. We do plates from as little as 10 bob, glasses from 20 bob a piece. Totally afffordable.
6. Hire help if you need: Again I’m lucky coz we cater so I just had to book the chef I felt would best assist me pull off this menu
7. Decide on deco: I wanted something minimalist so I did black table clothes, yellow flowers in mason jars, the black boards gave a nice touch to the event too. I have previously done pom poms and diaper cakes. They work well too.
8. Plan the games: To be honest the best baby shower I have attended was the one planned by my in laws for me. Why? drinking games. It was so much fun seeing people take shots. Do something engaging that your group will enjoy, no matter what that will be.
9. A week to the event: confirm attendees, create shopping list. Speak to your service providers. shop for non perishables
10. 3 days to the event: Shop for perishables that don’t have to be very “fresh” eg  meats and most fruit and veg
11. A day to the event:  shop for breads and flowers. srtart cooking. This is how I avid getting tired the day i’m hosting. So for example I made the samosas, meatballs, pulled pork and pre cooked the chicken for the wraps.    Do your deco if you can,  set out cutlery. The point is get as much doneas you can. Sleep tired so you don,t get tired tomorow
12. Finish cooking: so for me I fried the samosas, made the wraps and salads. Get help hire from us a chef or ask your friends. Don’t be super woman

Have fun here are more pics of the food. Contact me if you need to hire a chef, hire cutlery or want me to cater your event wangeci@africankaya.com or 0717717327

Vegetable crostini

Baby in bassinet deviled eggs

meatballs with sweet chilli bbq ip