Set the table quickly. How to inexpensively set a holiday table

Remember all this culinary splendor at the royal feast in the immortal comedy? And when else, if not in mid-January, can you afford to organize something like this - on a grand scale, truly, like in the old days! How to arrange a real culinary fairy tale on Stary New Year, a holiday whose name just won’t fit into the heads of pragmatic foreigners. ›

Christmas is a quiet, cozy family holiday that you so want home warmth, good miracles, communication with those closest to you and, of course, something delicious. Christmas is not celebrated on such a grand scale as the New Year, which means that simple and unpretentious dishes are relevant on the Christmas menu, but at the same time satisfying and prepared with soul and care. ›

Lavash snacks are perfect for the holiday table, and this is quite natural, because they are extremely easy to prepare, the time required is minimal, and most importantly, they turn out to be very appetizing and offer a wide variety of filling variations. ›

The main goal of a romantic dinner is to surprise and force your chosen one, with whom you have spent many years, to look at you in a new way. And for those who will have this romantic dinner for the first time, you will not only be able to amaze with your culinary skills, but also show how interesting, multi-faceted you are and have that very “zest” that every man strives to see in his chosen one. ›

A birthday is a holiday on which you want to provide a hearty meal to all the guests gathered at the table, surprising them with culinary masterpieces prepared with your own hands, and at the same time not leaving all your energy in the kitchen, so that by the time of the celebration you remain cheerful and good mood. And here simple birthday salads will come to your aid, the preparation of which will not be difficult, and the result will delight you and your loved ones. To make your holiday tasty and memorable, “Culinary Eden” will help you navigate the choice of suitable salads. ›

Any festive table Traditionally, it is bursting with an abundance of a wide variety of snacks, both hot and cold. After all, New Year's Eve is very long, and you need a lot of energy to have fun and dance! When preparing snacks for the holiday table, try to maintain some balance. ›

All housewives are divided into two groups: those who agree to stay up at night and enthusiastically knead the dough for Easter cake, and those who are too lazy and don’t know how, and go to the store to buy holiday baked goods. Of course, homemade Easter cake is much tastier than store-bought. ›

An office is a small life. However, why small? For some, undoubtedly, big. Many people spend what is called “half their life” in the office. What can you do - work is work. Not everyone can and wants to change their minds and become freelancers. In addition to work, there are holidays at the office. ›

What's New Year without caviar? And any more or less significant holiday is not complete without it! In our country, you probably won’t find a single family that doesn’t have appetizers with red caviar, or at least the same sandwiches, on their table. But red caviar can be served not only on slices of bread and butter! ›

What an amazing holiday this is - a birthday! Gifts, congratulations and all sorts of goodies with which the festive table is generously decorated. What's missing here! However, birthday salads still remain the main dishes of the festive table, its decoration. ›

Pancakes with caviar are everyone’s favorite delicacy. If pancakes appear in our diet quite often, then with caviar things are somewhat more complicated. Although it is a quite affordable product, we often treat ourselves to it only on holidays. Pancakes stuffed with such an expensive but indecently tasty delicacy can be seen on almost every table during Maslenitsa. ›

Defenders of the Fatherland Day is approaching - the most masculine holiday, which is traditionally celebrated on February 23. How to surprise and please a man on this day? The fact that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach is a long-known truth. And the fact that almost all men love meat, too. ›

Top 10 products that will always come in handy. Make sure you always have this supply on hand in case of unexpected guests.

• Bread(fresh - immediately on the table, and yesterday's can be used on toast or croutons).
• Dairy(milk, yogurt, sour cream are useful for salads and baking).
• Eggs(a must-have ingredient for baking and batter. Or maybe a hungry guest will ask for scrambled eggs?).
• Flour(pancakes, pancakes, cheesecakes, muffins - the list of recipes is endless).
• Spaghetti(all you have to do is change the sauce, and a new dish is already on the table).
• Canned fish(tuna, mackerel will go into salads or become a filling for unusual sandwiches).
• Cheese(they say you can eat anything with melted cheese).
• Canned tomatoes(they are stored much longer than fresh ones, and will become a savory snack in themselves. They can also replace fresh tomatoes in salsa).
• Chicken or turkey fillet(either on the grill, in the oven, or in a frying pan).
• Spices(where would we be without them?).

And now several options on how to quickly set the table.

Option one - sandwiches

It would seem like an ordinary snack, not even a dish. But if, the guests will be pleasantly surprised.

Canapes

Sandwiches on skewers are a must-have dish at any buffet table. They look festive and are easy to prepare. They can be made from anything, the main thing is the right combination products.

Products: use cheese, sausage, olives, any vegetables, salted fish, pate. The basis for canapés can be dried bread, a slice of potato or cucumber. Apples, pears and grapes can be paired with cheese or made into a fruit snack.

Preparation: Thread 3-4 ingredients onto a skewer or toothpick and garnish with herbs. You can make ham and cheese rolls.

Hot sandwiches or bruschetta

If you need something more substantial, hot sandwiches will do. The simplest ones are with cheese. Almost everyone loves them. And sandwiches with a Mediterranean flavor - bruschetta.

Products: bread, cheese, olive oil, tomatoes, herbs, garlic, olives.

Preparation: Sprinkle the bread with olive oil and place in the oven for five minutes. Share on hot base tomato salsa with herbs and garlic (canned tomatoes are also suitable), garnish with herbs or olives, add spices - and a wonderful Spanish appetizer is ready!

Option two - hot

While guests are satisfying their first hunger, it's time to whip up an Italian lunch. Mediterranean dishes are refined, but at the same time quite simple.

Frittata

That's what they call it in Italy fluffy omelette with a variety of with different fillings.

Products: the main ingredient is eggs (at the rate of 2–3 pieces per person). Add milk, cheese and everything that is in the refrigerator: vegetables, chicken or meat, cottage cheese, herbs.

Preparation: beat eggs with milk (as for a regular omelet), add cheese. In a deep frying pan, blanch the onion, vegetables and other ingredients in olive oil. Fill it all with the egg mixture, salt and pepper to taste.

When the omelette has already set at the edges, but is still semi-liquid in the middle, put the frying pan in the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes. The frittata will turn out fluffy.

Paste

The secret is in the sauce. Bolognese with minced meat and tomatoes or napoletana with tomatoes and basil are quickly prepared.

If you want to surprise your guests, prepare classic carbonara. Contrary to stereotypes, it is prepared without cream.

Products: pasta (Italians call them pasta), olive oil. For the sauce: eggs (for two - 1 whole and 2 yolks), bacon, hard cheese, salt, pepper.

Preparation: beat the eggs with a fork, add pepper, cheese, stir - the sauce is ready. Fry the bacon until slightly crispy. Boil the pasta and add to the pan with the bacon, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and pour in the sauce. Real Italian carbonara is ready.

Option three - something for tea

Or maybe the guest came in just for a cup of tea? Let's treat him to dessert! .

Pancakes

This simple delicacy can be served with sour cream, honey, jam or preserves. Here is the recipe for pancakes with spices.

Products: eggs, sugar, flour, kefir or sour cream. Apples, bananas, dried apricots or raisins are suitable for baking.

Preparation: knead the dough (as for regular pancakes) and add grated fruit. Don't forget to add baking powder or a pinch of soda to the dough.

Syrniki

If there is cottage cheese in the refrigerator, you will get cheesecakes. It would seem that they won’t surprise anyone, but even here there are secrets.

Products: V classic recipe There is nothing for cheesecakes except cottage cheese, flour, eggs and sugar.

Preparation: Traditionally, cheesecakes are fried in a frying pan. But if you put the dough in muffin tins, sprinkle with cinnamon and bake in the oven, you will get wonderful cottage cheese buns. Guests will definitely appreciate it!

Brownies in the microwave

Delicious chocolate cakes are prepared in just 10 minutes. And you don't need an oven.

Products:butter, sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, eggs, flour.

Preparation: mix the melted butter with sugar, cocoa powder and cinnamon, add eggs and flour and pour the dough into the greased glass mold for microwave. Or you can cook it in portions, in ceramic cups. Be careful, the metal pattern may spark in the microwave.

The brownie takes only five minutes to cook on high, and you need to let the dish rest for another five minutes.

Perfect for making quick desserts microwaves with several cooking functions. The models are equipped with a cooling system, a child safety lock and a memory for eight recipes. More detailed product characteristics can be found by clicking on the links below.

Photos used from the sites theattitudeadjustment.wordpress.com, vatel-nsk.ru, bigstockphoto.com, beautylook.pro, newpackfon.ru, tasterussian.com, photoree.com

Delicious manna Ingredients: 3 eggs 100 grams of margarine or butter 1 glass of semolina 1 glass of sugar 1 glass of kefir 1 glass of flour 1 teaspoon of slaked soda (you don’t have to quench it, the soda will be quenched with kefir) Preparation: 1. Beat the egg, sugar, melt the margarine. 2. Add semolina, soda, kefir, margarine to the resulting mass. Mix everything carefully. 3. Grease the mold with oil. 4. Add the flour last. 5. Mix everything. 6. Pour the dough into the mold and bake for 20-30 minutes in a preheated oven at 180 degrees until golden brown, check for readiness with a toothpick. Mannik is ready! All that remains is to turn it over and decorate it as you wish. Bon appetit!

1 comments

Quick recipe for “pancakes in a bottle” Preparation: We will need regular plastic bottle 1.5 liters and funnel. Pour/pour into a bottle: 10 tablespoons (heaped) flour, 2 eggs, 3 tablespoons sugar, half a teaspoon of salt, 3 tablespoons vegetable oil and 600 g of milk. We screw our bottle tightly and start shaking it! I think your little helpers will be happy to join this activity. All! The dough is ready! Neither

1 comments

dirty dishes

1 comments

, no long-term relief from lumps! You can bake pancakes by pouring the dough into a frying pan straight from the bottle, or you can prepare the dough in the evening and put it in the refrigerator until the morning to please your loved ones with a delicious, everyone-favorite breakfast! P/S/ If you make holes in the lid before baking, you can get a real work of art and hear from your favorite lips: “My mother is a real sorceress!” Bon appetit! SUPER FAST PIZZA INGREDIENTS: For the dough: two eggs, 180 grams of sour cream, 6 tablespoons of flour, salt. Filling: sausage, tomatoes, mushrooms, grated cheese. PREPARATION: Pour the dough into a frying pan, place the filling on top, sprinkle with grated cheese. Place in the oven for 5-10 minutes until golden brown. Khinkali Ingredients: Minced beef - 500 g Water - 500 ml Flour - 700-800 g Onion - 1 PC. Parsley - to taste Cilantro - to taste Ground black pepper - to taste Salt - to taste Preparation: 1. To prepare the dough: sift the flour into a deep bowl and mix with salt. Gradually adding water, knead smooth, cover with a towel and leave while preparing the filling. 2. To prepare the filling: add chopped onion and finely chopped herbs to the ground beef. Add salt and pepper, pour in 1/2 cup of water and stir everything until smooth. 3. Take 1/3 of the prepared dough, roll in flour, roll into a rope and cut into pieces 1.5-2 cm wide. Roll each piece of dough in flour and set aside. 4. Take one piece of dough and roll it into a circle to the size of a tea saucer. Place a tablespoon of the prepared filling in the center of the circle, lift the edges of the dough on all sides and tightly fasten it into a “handle” on top of the khinkali. Repeat the procedure with the rest of the dough. 5. Place the prepared khinkali in a large pan of boiling salted water and cook for several minutes after the khinkali floats to the surface of the water. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate. Bon appetit!

1 comments

Original sandwiches

1 comments

Moussaka in Bulgarian. Ingredients: eggplants – 3 pcs (medium) potatoes – 3 pcs bell pepper – 2 pcs tomatoes – 4 pcs garlic – 2-3 cloves vegetable oil for frying cheese – 50 g eggs – 2 pcs salt Preparation: 1. And the beauty of this recipe, that everyone cares. We gathered in the kitchen, turned on the music and someone was frying eggplants, someone was cutting peppers, and someone was quietly chatting and eating ice cream... 2. But it all started with eggplants. Wash the eggplants, cut off the tail, cut into circles and fry in vegetable oil. We stack them in a pile. The one who will fry the eggplants is in the most responsible position. Why? This is the hardest work in moussaka. It's hot, the oil may burn. You don’t need to fry the eggplants too much so that they have a crust. But soft. 3. At the same time, boiled potatoes in their jackets. Cook it until completely cooked. 4. The potatoes were peeled and also cut into circles. 5. bell pepper clean (removing the core) and cut into circles. It's better to take red. He will good decoration Moussaki. Do not take a very large pepper, it will stick out from the overall composition. 6. We also turn the tomatoes into circles. 7. When all the vegetables are ready, we begin to lay out the moussaka. Best suited for styling round form. Moussaka looks more beautiful in it. Take a piece of eggplant and put potatoes next to it... 8. Next we add a tomato and a slice of pepper. If your pepper or tomato turned out to be very large. Cut or slice in half. The main thing is to pack it tightly. 9. When the outer circle is filled, proceed to the inner circle of moussaka. 10. Now all the vegetables are laid out. 11. Salt the moussaka. 12. Sprinkle with pieces of garlic. 13. Add a little vegetable oil (1 tablespoon will be enough). 14. Pour in beaten eggs. 15. Sprinkle grated cheese on top. And put it in the oven. 16. Oven temperature 180-200 degrees. And the moussaka is baked for 30-40 minutes until it has a nice crust. 17. Here is our beauty - Bulgarian moussaka. It looks simply great on the table. 18. Divided into pieces by sectors. This is a very satisfying stand-alone dish. You can serve it with osus based on sour milk, garlic and herbs. It will be very spicy. Or just a glass of good red wine.

An article about how to prepare inexpensive dishes for the holiday table. You will find several recipes in the text.

Saving is common, necessary and widespread. But it’s not easy, because there are many temptations around to spend money “for other purposes,” and prices in stores do not always please us... So where to save?

Holiday? This is some kind of complete waste! But nice

Our lives are full of “non-working days”. From the point of view of a thrifty person, these are the days when he does not earn money, but spends a lot of money. Let's try to find recipes on how to bypass wasteful traditions, but so that the holiday remains a holiday!

Principles of economical feasting

What are the principles of saving? How to organize a festive table inexpensively and deliciously, with recipes that would be accessible to any housewife?

1. The main thing is to shift the emphasis of the evening from food towards humor and entertainment.

2. Avoid cafes and restaurants, celebrate holidays at home, with family or friends.

3. Prepare long-lasting products for the cherished day in advance - a week or two, or even a month, without waiting for the trade to congratulate you on the holiday with new prices.

4. Avoid delicacies - they are always expensive.

5. Focus on national cuisine- the kitchen of your mothers and grandmothers.

6.Use your imagination: an artistically decorated dish is twice as tasty. Proven by science!

7. Celebrating with friends? Cook together, with joy and laughter!

Principles for selecting products for the holiday table

Of course, the economical table rejects delicacies. The task is to try to turn the most ordinary foods and drinks into them. Agree in advance with your friends who you will be celebrating with, buy together, bring the food in advance, optimally two days before the start of cooking. Decide in advance who has artistic abilities and experience in decorating dishes.

1. Focus mainly on seasonal vegetables.

2.If it is winter or spring, then a small amount of expensive vegetables ( Bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumbers) use only to decorate salads.

3. Buckwheat and rice are appropriate cereals on the holiday table, but you can refuse them in favor of potatoes, because the variety of dishes made from them is incredibly large!

4.Use mostly chicken or other meat, but with plenty of side dishes.

5. A very economical meat dish - jellied meat or jellied meat (jelly), because their main ingredient by weight is the same jelly, consisting of meat, broth (that is, practically water!) and gelatin.

6.Jelly can be perfectly combined (decorated) green peas, boiled carrots, small pieces of sweet pepper. Everything you put into the jelly must be blanched!

7. A fairly universal meat dish is zrazy. Also on the festive table, liver dishes are appropriate - pates, liver “cake”. They will allow you to save on meat, because these are also almost “meat” dishes.

Recipes for inexpensive salads for the holiday table

Of course, “Herring under a fur coat”, “Mimosa” salad and “Olivier” salad are simply a must on an economical holiday table. Without the latter, it seems that holidays (especially New Year's!) are generally unthinkable. These inexpensive salads consist of the most common and inexpensive products. And you can even make mayonnaise for them yourself if you experienced housewife. Practice, but not before the holiday itself - then you won’t have time! However, these three salads will be lonely if you limit yourself to decorating an inexpensive holiday table only with them. An inexpensive table can be decorated with other salads.

Salad “Crystal Bird’s Nest”

This is both a salad and an appetizer at the same time. Base: any of your favorite salad with mayonnaise, preferably green vegetables - green onions, lettuce leaves, etc. The salad must be prepared in advance, it must be placed on a large dish, and carefully decorated with “crystal eggs” on top, which will decorate it with both appearance and taste.

• Ingredients and materials

• Whole, without cracks, eggshell— 2 pcs per serving.
• Strong meat broth - 40 ml per 1 eggshell
• Gelatin 1 tablespoon for every 180 ml of broth.

• For minced meat

Sweet corn, green sweet peas, boiled carrots, ham, pickled or fresh cucumber, sweet pepper - 1 tablespoon of mixture for each eggshell. You can replace it with a frozen vegetable mixture in the form of vegetable cubes, blanched before cooking, in the same quantity, adding cubes of boiled chicken meat.

• Shell preparation

Take required quantity raw eggs, wash them thoroughly. Very carefully, without breaking the shell, make a hole in it with a diameter of 1-1.5 centimeters from the blunt end. Carefully pour in the whites and yolks - they can be used for any other dishes. We will need a shell. Rinse the whole shells of each egg thoroughly. cold water and boil in boiling water for 5-10 minutes to disinfect.

• Preparation of broth with gelatin

Carefully, through several layers of gauze, filter the pre-prepared transparent (and slightly salted) meat broth and set the gelatin to swell, which should be taken at the rate of 1 tbsp. spoon for 1 cup of broth. Having prepared the broth with gelatin, cool it to a barely warm state and pour it into egg shells placed on a regular egg tray, but pour it so as to fill the egg no more than a third. To pour the broth into the shells, it is convenient to use a teapot with a long spout. After pouring, place the tray with shells in the cold.

• Filling (minced meat)

Meanwhile, prepare the filling for the “crystal eggs”. Suitable: sweet corn, bell peppers, cubes or slices boiled meat(ham), cubes of hard pickled or fresh cucumber, cubes of boiled carrots, tender sprigs of dill up to 5 cm long, thin onion feathers several centimeters long, cubes of hard cheese or cubes of omelette from the same egg whites and yolks. The more bright colored pieces, the better. The cubes should be 1cm in size.

• The final

After making sure that the broth in the shells has frozen, fill them to the top with the multi-colored ingredients you prepared and fill them with broth with gelatin. And - again in the cold (not in the freezer and not in the frost!), until completely frozen. After the gelatin hardens, peel the shells from the “crystal eggs” and artistically decorate the “nest” of the Crystal Bird with them!

Recipes for appetizers for the holiday table

White cabbage “chops”

An inexpensive dish suitable for any table.

• Ingredients

• White cabbage - 0.5 kg.
• Egg - 2 pieces
• Milk - 2-3 tablespoons.
• Flour for breading.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Refined vegetable oil -1/3 cup.

• Preparing cabbage

Cut a small head of cabbage into quarters, place in cold salted water, and place on low heat. Cook until tender, piercing occasionally to check with a fine-toothed fork. You can't digest it! Place the finished cabbage in a colander to cool. Disassemble into leaves, cutting off the hard part.

• Preparation

Beat 2-3 eggs, lightly dilute with milk. Place a frying pan on the fire and pour in a little refined vegetable oil. Dip the cabbage in flour, then in the egg, repeating the cycle three times. The last one should be the egg. Place in a frying pan and fry until golden brown. Serve hot or warm. Option: between two leaves before breading, you can put the thinnest slice of any sharp cheese or even a thin slice of chopped pickled cucumber.

“Mushroom stump” made from mashed potatoes

• Ingredients

• Potatoes - 250 grams per serving.
• Butter - 10g per serving.
• Raw egg - 1 pc. for 1 kg of puree. If 1.5 kg of puree - 2 eggs, etc.
• Rye bread or
• crusts of toasted wheat bread for decoration - 1 cup per 1 kg of puree.

Marinated or freshly fried mushrooms, or fried minced meat - 200 grams for every 1 kg of mashed potatoes.

Salt, pepper, fried onion until golden brown - to taste.

• Preparation

Preparing mashed potatoes

Boil the peeled potatoes until tender, drain the water, mash while the potatoes are hot, add butter to the mashed potatoes, mushroom seasoning to taste and a raw egg at the rate of 1 egg per 1 kg of puree. Mash the puree thoroughly while it is hot.

Dish decoration

Place on a plate, form a stump, making it lateral surface under the “coarse bark” and imitating it with crushed rye bread or crispy crushed wheat bread crusts. Generously and artistically decorate the top of the “stump” with whole pickled or fried mushrooms. Fried mushrooms can also be added to the puree before the “stump” is formed. Small pieces of well-fried meat or simply fried onions until golden brown are sometimes added to the puree for taste. The dish will remain inexpensive, because 70-80% of it consists of potatoes.

If you have any questions and want to receive a qualified answer to them, you can ask your questions in the comments or through the form.

Before the onset of this significant date, the heart invariably swells with joy in anticipation of gifts, fun, and friendly meetings. But some people various reasons don't like their birthdays. Someone because they are at least a year older, but they are getting older. And some, especially thrifty people, tensely calculate how much it will cost them and the announcement of the estimate spoils their mood. Life is such that everyone is forced to save money from time to time. But this is not a reason to deprive yourself of the holidays. Therefore, we will try to answer the question: how to inexpensively set a table for a birthday?

Where does the tradition come from?

When did people start celebrating birthdays? There are two versions. According to the first, the tradition was based on Roman rites held in honor of the gods. The pagans set rich tables, sounded congratulations, and gave various gifts. This hypothesis is more modern. And the second version says that the roots of the tradition go back to ancient times, when there were beliefs about the special vulnerability of a person on his birthday. It was believed that any wishes or curses had double power on such dates. Therefore, ancient people tried to appease the spirits with offerings so that they would not harm the newborn.

Name day of Mukha-Tsokotukha

Birthdays gradually became personal, but for a long time no one paid attention to the date of birth of children and women. The first woman whose birthday was celebrated on a grand scale was beautiful Cleopatra. It was not customary for ordinary people to record and celebrate ladies' birthdays.

The Greeks and Egyptians often and pompously celebrated the birth dates of the gods, as well as pharaohs and kings. Sometimes, on the occasion of the birth of the pharaoh, prisoners were released from prisons. In ordinary families, it was common practice to celebrate only the birthday of the head of the family.

The position of Christianity on this issue was initially extremely harsh: life was given to man to atone for sins, so he had no time for fun. Later, the church softened somewhat and allowed baptisms with name days. But the Soviet system was against name days and, figuratively speaking, trampled tradition with its iron boot. Even the famous birthday fly was ordered to be removed from the works of old man Korney.

By the way, name days in Rus' were very popular: they baked a loaf, brewed delicious beer, made pies and always sang songs. Of course, peasant holidays were much more modest than the royal ones: sometimes the amount spent on the name day of the crowned person could build several luxurious palaces.

Cake with surprise

It is clear that ordinary people have always dreamed of setting a tasty and inexpensive table for their birthday. But what's a holiday without cake? Few people know where this indispensable attribute of birthdays came to us. If you dig deeper, it is believed that the idea itself came again from the times of paganism, when sacred altars in honor of the ancient gods were lit in pitch darkness.

But the tradition was introduced into use by the Germans. They created a common ritual of celebration children's day birth. Prepared for this tasty pie, in which various symbolic objects were hidden, candles were placed on top according to the number of years of the hero of the occasion and, waking up the child at dawn, they sang cheerful songs to him. It is noteworthy that the pie was not eaten until evening, until the whole family had gathered at the table. The child had to wish for something cherished and blow out the candles in one go. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

Jam Day: their morals

IN different countries Such holidays are treated differently. Most people on the planet have a reverent attitude toward anniversaries. But some nationalities celebrate odd or non-round dates. Traditions are also different: in Italy, spaghetti will be an indispensable dish on the birthday boy’s table (so that he lives long), and in countries Latin America Be sure to break the piñata with gifts loaded into it.

Englishmen who have lived to 80 years or more are personally congratulated by Her Royal Majesty. But the most unlucky birthday people live in Japan: instead of children, their parents are congratulated, and gifts are generally given only after the age of 60.

Economy table rules

If the birthday hostess still decides to gather close people under her hospitable roof, but wants to balance her needs with her capabilities, then there is a way out.

Setting the table for a birthday at home is inexpensive, very tasty, and in such a way that it looks presentable - an absolutely doable task. To do this, you need to adhere to the simplest rules:

1. The menu must be thought out in advance. It’s a good idea to delve into cookbooks and leaf through magazines. You need to pay attention to the ingredients: it’s cheaper to buy seasonal products, so the menu is selected accordingly. If a housewife wants to set a birthday table at home inexpensively, recipes with photos are especially welcome, because you can immediately see how the dishes will look on the table.
2. Accurately calculate the number of invitees (taking into account, of course, several uninvited guests). You can prepare hot food in portions, but in this case the birthday girl will have no peace. It is better to make a common dish with a reserve.
3. As a rule, first courses are not included in the birthday menu. The exception is exotic gourmet soups.
4. If you are planning a traditional celebration, then it is quite possible to set the birthday table at home inexpensively. Recipes for budget dishes can be found in any source to suit your taste. But it must include cold and hot appetizers, a main course (meat or fish), salads and dessert.

Alcoholic drinks are also an important attribute of the holiday table, since they increase the mood, forgive the pun.

Modest cut and luxurious roll

Many families adhere to classic, long-standing traditions and set the table with their favorite dishes that guests know by heart. But this approach has its own benefits: people will never leave hungry and are guaranteed to be satisfied.

Standard cold appetizers include meat, cheese and vegetable slices. This classic approach has never failed anyone. The main thing is the variety of varieties in the cutting composition. Everyone knows that any feast should start with cold appetizers. This is the so-called Organizing time: It’s useless to hope that no one will be late. And while waiting, the rest of the guests will be able to have a great meal so as not to drink on an empty stomach.

For those who want to set a birthday table at home inexpensively, Korean snacks are perfect: buy a little of everything (try the dishes first) and place them on the table in small plates. Homemade pickles and marinades are also in great demand among guests.

There are express recipes for those initiated on how to deliciously and inexpensively set the table for a birthday: a cold roll and an appetizer with the romantic name “Raffaello”. The first one is prepared as follows:

• a sheet of thin pita bread is greased with a mixture that includes: mayonnaise, garlic, dill and grated cheese;
• Thinly sliced ​​ham is placed on top;
• then the actions are repeated;
• roll the pita bread into a roll;
• wrap the product in cling film and put in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

It's inexpensive to serve, but original dish it is necessary, cutting it very sharp knife into portioned pieces.

The Raffaello appetizer will require the following ingredients:

• crab sticks;
• garlic;
• hard cheese;
• mayonnaise;
• cashews (but to save money, you can use walnuts).

A nut kernel is rolled into a mixture of cheese, full-fat mayonnaise and garlic. Next, grate the frozen crab stick. Roll in grated crab meat with a surprise: the dish is ready. Using this recipe, you can reveal the secret of how to quickly and inexpensively set the table for a birthday. To make these balls look festive, they are placed on fresh lettuce leaves.

You can also use seasonal dishes. A budget option the menu is compiled according to summer period. For example, eggplant tongues or fingers. The second option is more expensive, since it contains very little meat, but it does include meat.

Delightful hot snacks

A hostess asking herself the question of how to set a tasty and inexpensive table for a birthday party should not forget about hot appetizers. They follow the cold ones when everyone has gathered at the table and it’s time for the first toasts. There should not be a lot of them, and they are prepared shortly before serving. This light dish, which features small portion sizes. An example of such a snack would be easy-to-prepare meat balls:

• traditional minced cutlets are made, with the addition of raw eggs;
• the finished dough layer is rolled out and cut into strips;
• meat balls are wrapped with dough threads like a ball;
• The dish is baked in the oven until cooked.

This snack looks very presentable.

Nowadays it is not a problem for a housewife to set a table for a birthday at home inexpensively; recipes simply jump out of magazines, cookbooks, and Internet portals. Here, for example, is a dish similar to julienne, which is prepared ridiculously quickly and tastes simply charming. We present to housewives champignons in sour cream sauce.

The dish is prepared like this:

• Add peeled mushrooms to carefully sautéed onions and carrots and simmer for about 10 minutes;
• later sour cream and seasonings are added and everything is stewed until cooked.

The simplest dish can be made beautiful by sprinkling it with grated cheese and herbs on top and serving it in ceramic pots.

Salads for the date

If you intend to set the table for a birthday at home inexpensively, then you can’t do without salads. For the traditional approach, Olivier, herring under a fur coat, Mimosa or Caesar are suitable. You can use the simplest option, which will require products such as:

• green pea;
• ham;
• pickled champignons;
• mayonnaise.

This salad is suitable when guests are literally on the doorstep or come unexpectedly. After all, you don’t need to prepare anything in advance, all the components are simply mixed.

Salads with seafood can look original; the female half of the guests especially like them.

Main serving of dishes

Very important point, when after an artistic exclamation: “Fedya! Game!" For example, a delicious baked duck appears on the table, stuffed with dried apricots and apples. But the question was how to inexpensively set the table for a birthday, what does the game have to do with it? You don’t have to bake the duck this way; you can do the same with chicken. You can use not the whole bird, but its legs or wings. If you marinate them well and roll them in honey, you will get an excellent dish with a delicious crispy crust.

In general, before planning the main serving, you need to ask yourself what your guests like more: meat or fish? Only after this can you prepare the treasured main course. Of course, with fish there is several times more trouble than with meat, but pike will become truly festive and will be remembered by guests for a long time. It’s a good idea to serve chops, cutlets, medallions or steaks to the holiday table. One thing is certain - meat must be present on the table.

As a side dish for main courses, you should choose potatoes in any form: mashed, fried, fried, boiled with herbs.

What about compote?

To set the table for a birthday inexpensively, food recipes are not all that a housewife needs. Drinks are also important. Of course, you can’t do without compotes, juices, carbonated drinks, maybe even croutons. What about alcohol? It is important to take into account here that not everyone drinks strong alcohol, so champagne and other wines are a mandatory attribute on the festive table.

Desserts require tea or coffee. As a sweet, of course, in classic version They serve a cake with candles, but how can you set a festive table for a birthday inexpensively? After all, cakes are quite an expensive pleasure. There is a solution: either bake a cake with your own hands, or buy cakes, cookies or candies. By the way, pastry, personally prepared, is better than any store-bought product, because the hostess puts her soul into the dish.

Mistress's secrets

To set the table for a birthday at home inexpensively, but at the same time make it unforgettable, you need to know main secret: competent serving and decoration of dishes. You should not waste your time on this.

What you need for serving and decorating:

1. Tablecloth. The classic version is white, but other colors are allowed.
2. Dishes. Cutlery and glasses should be polished to a shine. For a special occasion, it would be useful to take out your best set from the bins.
3. Don't forget about cloth napkins depending on the number of guests. They can be beautifully laid out in waves or in the form of shapes.
4. Decorate dishes with herbs, bright berries, like cranberries, peas, olives. For curly and fruit there is special knife, it would be nice to buy it. If you ask yourself: how to set a table for a birthday inexpensively, the recipes may be very surprising. And not only not too expensive and delicious dishes, described in them, but also presentable appearance. This happens because the dish is decorated correctly, because when you look at the food, your appetite should come.
5. You shouldn’t do a lot of culinary experiments, let everything be as usual, with the exception of one or two dishes.

The holiday table should not be complete without a variety of vegetables and fruits. If you plan to have strong alcohol, then take care of a hearty and plentiful snack.

Little birthday boy

Many mothers probably think about how to inexpensively set the table for a child’s birthday so that he is delighted.

It's actually not difficult at all. There are several tips that you can use to make an unforgettable celebration for your child and his friends:

• paper dishes in bright colors - safe and beautiful, and you don’t need to wash anything;
• decorating the room with balloons, paper garlands;
• dishes small size- mostly canapés, salads in bowls, lavash rolls with different fillings, chicken croquettes - children don’t really like to overeat, unless, of course, it’s sweets;
• you can offer water drinkers lemonade homemade, fruit drinks, juices, compotes and milk-fruit cocktails;
• desserts made from cottage cheese are preferable;
• It is better to season salads with sour cream and yoghurt.

Anything is suitable for canapés: ham, cheese stars, pepper slices, olives, corn, shrimp. The sweet version is made like this: bananas, grapes, and kiwi are stuck on skewers.

From boiled chicken, tomatoes, sweet peppers and hard-boiled eggs can be made delicious salad, designing it in the form of a hedgehog with fly agarics on its back. The salad is laid in layers: chicken cut into pieces → tomatoes → grated eggs → chopped pepper. Each layer is coated with sour cream and yogurt dressing. The hedgehog should be sprinkled with grated carrots, and the face should be marked with egg white. The eyes and nose are made from olives and prunes, and fly agaric mushrooms are made from eggs and tomatoes.

It is important to create a festive atmosphere and provide the baby with the opportunity to move actively.

Alternative ideas

Finally, we can offer a few ideas when there is neither time nor desire to spend time in the kitchen, but the soul requires a holiday. You can set the table for a birthday at home inexpensively and deliciously by purchasing ready-made food from a deli or restaurant. This option is especially suitable for a young, advanced company. You can order pizza, ready-made grilled chicken and salads. Japanese cuisine will cost a little more.

There is also an interesting modern version- buffet. But it obeys certain rules:

• division into disposable portions;
• dishes should be mostly on skewers;
• you can put all kinds of goodies on one large table;
• the main course should be in baskets or make plates by cutting them first;
• If chicken legs are served, the bone is wrapped in a napkin.

Alcoholic drinks must be uncorked, and guests must be provided with glasses. But a huge plus will be that the birthday girl does not have to constantly change plates and cutlery.

The most interesting option It will be a birthday party in nature. Happy people Those born in the summer months know what this means. Picnic in nature, barbecue, barbecue, air and sun - what could be more tempting? But there are nuances here too:

• salads with mayonnaise are not recommended dishes for a picnic;
• the meat must be marinated in advance;
• you should take care of drinking water;
• Sandwiches and side dishes can be taken from home.

And what delicious pilaf on a fire or potatoes baked in ash!

But no matter what the birthday boy chooses, the main thing is festive mood and loved ones nearby.