Party Central: A Month-By-Month Guide to Entertaining on the Cheap

Cool party ideas, for young people living on the cheap. A lot of retro themes. This book is a feast for the eyes, because the photograhy is really well-done. The menus were biased towards carbs, which I guess is to be expected. I'm not sure if I would have the flair and panache to pull off some of these party ideas... September features a "Back-to-School" wedding theme in a rented cafeteria. The 100 guests line up to get cheese pizza and tater tots on a tray. Instead of a guest book, a 3-ring binder. Instead of flowers, blown-up balloons. Instead of a wedding cake, they rented a cotton candy machine for $60. Instead of champagne, juice boxes. ...I wonder what the guests wish they had brought instead of presents! But the point is, is that when you look like an Abercrombie model: anything goes. My favorite month was November, which featured a Thanksgiving that reminded me of the ones we used to have in the Peace Corps. It was a group effort: the guys grilled small hens and made kettle chips, while the girls whipped up lighter and less-fussy variations on old thanksgiving favorites. The "pumpkin fool" looked especially interesting: a no-crust, no-bake pumpkin *thing*. This last Thanksgiving, I made Thanksgiving Omelets, with thanksgiving-themed ingredients folded in. I'm telling you this just in case you're looking for even more fun and cheap Thanksgiving ideas. After reading this book several times in the bookstore, I finally decided that I had to have it, if only to laugh along with the young and beautiful people at their zany, crazy, money-saving soirees.