Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Rainforest Party Foods

Have a wild time with a rainforest-inspired menu.


The rainforest is an exciting theme idea for parties. Wild animals, such as cats, reptiles and birds, and luscious jungles bring an exotic flair to a party. If you are hosting an rainforest party, look to the environment and population of the rainforest as ideas for a delicious, varied menu. Does this Spark an idea?


Snacks


When choosing foods for a rainforest party, be inspired by the inhabitants of a rainforest. Jungle cats, monkeys and tropical birds all have menus of their own that can serve as inspiration for your menu. For the cats, make some carnivorous options. Flatten some steak or chicken with a meat tenderizer and marinate in a teriyaki or steak sauce. Cut into strips, thread onto bamboo skewers and grill the meat sticks. Your little carnivores can gnaw away on the meat sticks. Monkeys are known for their love for bananas. Make banana crepes or pancakes. Chop bananas onto a peanut sandwich. If there are allergies, substitute a soy or almond butter for peanut butter. Birds love to munch on berries and grubs. Make a trail mix with dried fruits, tuck into some gummy worms. Make signs for each food, so guests are aware of the animal that matches each snack.


Cake


Make the cake match your rainforest theme. Add a rainforest or jungle scene to the top of your sheet cake. Draw a scene with different colored icings. You can make trees and draw snakes, birds, or monkeys living among the tree. Build a cake in the shape of a monkey out of round cakes and cupcakes. Use a round cake to make a head and add two cupcakes on either side to make eyes. Make a batch of cupcakes, cover them in green icing and set them up in the shape of snake. Add eyes on one of the front cupcakes.


Other Desserts


Let each guest create her own rainforest dessert in a cup. Grind chocolate sandwich cookies in a food processor. Make chocolate pudding. Give each guest a cup and let him scoop "dirt," the cookies, and "mud," the pudding, into his cup. Give them gummy worms, animal crackers and toy plastic trees to fill their rainforests. Cut bananas into chunks and place a toothpick in each. Freeze them, then dip them in chocolate. Tell the guests they are monkey snacks. Put plastic crickets or bugs in the ice cube trays as the ice is freezing. Put the ice in a punch or juice and tell the guests they are bugs, just like the birds like to eat.

Tags: each guest, guests they, gummy worms, meat sticks, rainforest party