Going Horse Crazy

With the London Olympics well under way, we thought it would only be appropriate to follow on from our last post about hosting your own Olympics party (check it out here). One of the events we have become enthralled with has been the Equestrian competition. From themed jumps depicting everything from Stonehenge, to a tribute to the Diamond Jubilee, to the clean cut uniforms in Dressage, Royal competitors in Zara Phillips (not to forget the abundance of Royal spectators), and the very summer feel about watching the Cross Country event through the lush Greenwich Park, it has got us into a very horsey mood.
With all things Equestrian on the mind, we have decided to put together a bit of a "How-to" for a horse themed event. This theme is perfect for the upcoming racing season, especially with the Melbourne Cup not too far away, the summer Polo season, or even for a young girls birthday party.

xo
The Apropos Team

Zara Phillips

Decor

While flowers always make an appearance at Equestrian and spring events, why not opt for a bit more foliage in your decorating. These green bouquets evoke a crisp, fresh feeling that tie well into spring.

Decor

Pastels and whites are always seen as being essentially preppy, and preppy always works well with anything horse related (just think, Ralph Lauren). These pastel buntings, decorations, miniature horse cake and fun patterns, bring a child like feel to this event. Perfect for a young girls birthday party, as almost all young girls go through a 'horse-phase' at some point.

Spring

Award ribbons during children's games, and encourage your guests to dress with an Equestrian flair.

We also love these berry and cookie baskets, fresh for spring, with an indulgent side.

Adults Party

We can't let the children have all the fun now, can we?
Here is a drinks table that could easily sit at your Melbourne Cup or Kentucky Derby celebrations.

Fill a glass drink dispenser with your favorite punch so guests can have it on tap in a uniquely elegant way. Champagne is always a must for you to celebrate when your horse comes out victorious. 

Mint Julep

As seen in the above image, these drinks are iconic at events such as the Kentucky Derby in the US. 

To make your own Mint Julep's, follow this simple recipe;

4 fresh mint sprigs

2 1/2 oz bourbon whiskey

1 tsp powdered sugar

2 tsp water

Muddle mint leaves, powdered sugar, and water in a collins glass. Fill the glass with shaved or crushed ice and add bourbon. Top with more ice and garnish with a mint sprig. Serve with a straw.

Carrot Cake

We all know horses love carrots, so why not trade your standard birthday cake for one of these!

Chocolate covered licorice

Fun fact of the day: Most horses love anise! So why not interpret classic horse treats, including the carrot cake above, into your events food. A way of doing this is to include licorice. You could use licorice whips, or make chocolate covered licorice sticks.

Toffee Apples

Other popular treats for horses include apples, or Molasses. So why not make toffee apples! A fun treat for both children and adults that look great on display.

Last but not least, horses love fresh fruits and vegetables, and its also a great way to balance out all the sweet foods above. Why not check out our post on Fruit & Vege Buffets here to include at your event!

British Olympic Party

With the British Jubilee celebrations done and dusted it is now time for the London Olympics to begin!  Here are some ideas on how to host the perfect British themed Olympics party, that even the Queen herself would be proud to attend.

xo

The Apropos Team

 Table setting Ideas

 For the daring at heart why not try a flaming cocktail to create your own ‘olympic torch.' Here are some safety tips on how to serve this cocktail: Flame a cocktail

 

An easy Olympic Cocktail drink idea is to place coloured life savers in the bottom of a wine glass to symbolise the Olympic rings! 

One could of course opt for a traditional roast dinner to fit in with the British theme, however there are some amazing finger food recipes that we have come across, that provides an assortment of different, easy food options. 

Mini fish and chips, served in newspaper cones

Toad in a hole

                                   

Mini pork pies with piccalilli

 Why not end the meal serving your guests tea and an assortment of scones and cake

Tea and Scones

Earl Grey Tea cakes

Here is a great idea on how to make an Olympic torch cupcake! All that needs to be done is to cut the bottom of an icecream cone, dip it into chocolate and cover in your choice of chopped peanuts or gold sprinkles. The flame can be created by cutting up fruit roll ups. Find the recipe here at Party Pinching 

Fruit & Vege Buffet

We have all heard of, and most likely used, the most popular party trend out there at the moment, lolly buffets! While these are a great thing to have at events to make it more interactive and fun, you can't exist solely on lollies.

We know that at parties and events junk food is essential. It's a place where you can loosen up on healthy eating and go for what ever you want. But recently we have noticed people tend to want to eat healthier, especially in spring and summer, and nothing screams health like vegetables, or summer like fresh fruits. 

This is why we are excited to see some of these fresh fruit and vegetable buffets. Instead of providing bowls of salad at a buffet style food setting, lay out the different elements as you would a lolly buffet!

We are excited to try this out at an event during spring or summer, at an afternoon tea, or big BBQ!

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Here is a fruit salad bar. It is important to keep the different elements separate not just for aesthetic reasons but also due to allergies. Some people are allergic to strawberries, kiwi, or if your doing a mixed salad or health bar nuts may become an issue. 

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A mixed fruit and vegetable buffet is not just good to let people mix and match their own salads, it can be a great way to display dips and the carrots/celery/capsicum used to dip.

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Use other fruits and vegetables as added decoration elements to tie the buffet together. 

Here Brussels sprouts have been used to form a garland along the front of the table, and artichokes have been used in the place of flowers in vases. 

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Scatter ice around the base of the trays or dishes used as it is important to keep the food fresh for your guests. Use a mix of vase sizes, or event wine or martini glasses to create a multilevel presentation that is interesting to look at.

We love the use of old jars on a wooden board in this smaller vege buffet above, it provides a more country, rustic feel and would look great at a retro, vintage or country themed event.

Looking forward to trying this one out soon!

xo

The Apropos Team