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Hawaiian Luau 091509 is a post from: Luau Party Ideas

Technorati Tags: Campus Food Service, CBRE, Diane Bogert, Hawaiian luau, Metropolitan Center, Olivier Monod

Luau’s are a great idea for adults and kids parties alike, and with so much tropicana in mind what a fantastic opportunity to feed the kids up on wonderfully healthy fresh fruits and tropical fare!

Personally I love authentic pacific island food, but let’s face it, chances are your kids won't, plus for a truly authentic luau you would need to put a huge effort into some pretty intensive cooking, roasting pigs in the ground, wrapping fish in coconut leaves etc.

So with the little ones in mind the Party Mums have put together a fail safe menu, tried and tested on our own little natives, you can get the full recipes on our website mentioned below.

First of all when throwing successful parties for kids I always think finger food, kids love to eat with their fingers, so why fight what comes naturally.

Luau Party Music CD Includes 12 songs along with 6 instrumental songs.

The Party Mums Hawaiian Luau Menu

Hawaiian Pizza on a Stick…think Hawaiian pizza, ham, cheese and pineapple and put them cubed on cocktail sticks.

Hawaiian Pizza Muffins… good old English muffins topped with your favourite tropical ingredients.

Huli Huli Chicken Drumsticks…a lovely traditional Hawaiian tropical pineapple marinade to sweeten up those boring old drumsticks

Fancy Fruit Kebabs...don’t just thread chunks of fruit on a stick, how about cutting them into fun shapes with a cookie cutter first.

Pineapple & Coconut Fritters…basic pineapple fritters are yum just as they are, but why not add a few extra ingredients and make them yummier still.

Mango Chicken Sandwiches...you can’t have a party without at least one kind of sandwich on the table and for a Hawaiian Luau what could be better than one with chopped mango and chicken inside.

Pani Popo...these sweet coconut buns are a traditional Samaon fare and are deliciously doughy, baked in a sticky coconut sauce and really easy to make.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/recipes-articles/hawaiian-luau-menu-for-a-tropical-kids-party-941318.html

Author: Sarah Gasu

About the Author:

Visit The Party Mums for your complete guide to Successful Hawaiian Luau Parties for kids, as well as many other fantastic party ideas from decorations to recipes and everything in between. Sign up for our mailing list and not only will you receive a great FREE article on how to throw the perfect party for kids of all ages, but you will also have access to our monthly members only Invitation Templates.

Hawaiian Luau Menu for a Tropical Kids Party is a post from: Luau Party Ideas

Technorati Tags: Hawaiian luau, Kids party ideas, luau menu, original party food, tropical food ideas

Part of the fun when throwing a party is sending out the invitations and the anticipation of a great response. You will often find the more creative and interactive the luau invitation the more excited the guests will be. A well planned and thoughtful invitation tells the guests you are putting together an equally well thought out luau party to match and they will really want to be there.

There are many exciting ways to invite guests to a Hawaiian Luau, but here is one I think is quite original, I call it ‘The Coconut Messenger’. Now this one takes a bit of effort, and depending on where you live could also be a bit expensive, but they are certainly worth the extra effort if you want to impress on your guests how cool your Hawaiian Luau is going to be.

The idea is to deliver a whole coconut shell to your guests which must be opened to reveal the invitation hidden inside, the fun is in the opening of the coconut which can be quite a challenge if you don’t know how.

You will need:

• As many coconuts as you have guests
• Coloured paper for the invitation
• Card stock or paper for the instructions
• Rafia or twine
• A screw driver, corkscrew or hammer and nail
• Laminating machine if possible 

First let’s make the invite, keep it simple such as a handwritten note, or printed paper using a cool font. Parchment would add a nice touch too.

Once you have created the invitation if you have a laminating machine handy then laminate it as this will protect it, but if not just roll the invite into a tight scroll and wrap in plastic wrap ready to be inserted into the fresh coconut.

Usually a coconut is opened simply by giving it one hard knock in the exact right spot, at which time the coconut simply falls apart into two almost perfect halves. But for the purpose of this exercise we will need to drain the coconut water first as we are going to insert the invitation into the coconut and deliver it unopened 

To drain the water you will need to open one of the eyes, the three spot found on one end of the coconut. You can do this using a hammer and clean nail, a screw-driver or corkscrew. Make sure one of the eyes is opened wide enough for you to insert the invitation scroll.

Now place the coconut over a glass and allow the water to drain, to make it drain faster you can make a hole in the tail end too. Now let the kids drink the water, it is delicious and good for you, and is nice when chilled. When you are satisfied the coconut has been drained long enough you can insert the invitation.

Now for the tricky part, opening the coconut:

Now, being married to a pacific islander gives me the benefit of knowing the secrets to opening a coconut with out sending shards of shell flying in all directions, but this is still a job for grown ups okay.

Your guests will need instructions on cracking open the coconut, after all, opening a coconut when you don't know how can be a tad difficult, so your instructions could read like this:

I am the Coconut Messenger! I have two eyes, a mouth and a tail, and, I have a message inside...Open me!

Hold me in your hand with your thumb on my mouth and my tail facing the tip of your fingers...turn me around till you find my back, an obvious line. Now give me a good hard whack right on my back with a hammer and I will open to reveal my message to you!

Attach the note to the coconut with a piece of twine or raffia and leave on their doorstep. Fun huh!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/crafts-articles/the-coconut-messenger-an-original-hawaiian-luau-invitation-941397.html

Author: Sarah Gasu

About the Author:

The Party Mums is a great place to start when planning the perfect party for your kids. We love to DIY wherever possible and keep the costs down. You'll find loads of great DIY party invitation ideas in our site and by signing up for our mailing list not only will you receive a great FREE article on how to throw the perfect party for kids of all ages, but you will also have access to our monthly members only Invitation Templates. With The Party Mums your future parties will go down in the annuls of children's history as THE best ever. Enjoy them while they're young!

Luau Party Invitations is a post from: Luau Party Ideas

Technorati Tags: cool party invitations, handmade invites, Hawaiian luau, original party invitations, tropical party ideas

Pani Popo is the traditional name for a sweet and sticky bun that originated in the south pacific islands of Samoa.

The bun is soft and doughy and it is baked in a deliciously sweet aromatic coconut sauce. It is the perfect choice when planning a Hawaiian Luau or any other tropical themed party.

This recipe makes up to 25 small buns.

You will need:

• 5 ½ to 6 ½ cups plain all purpose flour
• 1 packet yeast, 7g (¼oz)
• 2 ¼ cups milk
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp butter 30g (1oz)
• 1 tsp salt
• Canola Oil

In a bowl mix half the flour with the yeast.

In a saucepan heat the milk whilst stirring, add sugar, butter and salt till warm and butter has just about melted. Add this to flour mixture and beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds scraping bowl constantly.

Start adding the rest of the flour until you get a good doughy texture that is easy to pull but not dry. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes.

Shape the dough into a large ball place in a large bowl coated with canola oil, rolling it around to make sure the entire ball is coated. Cover with a tea towel and place in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes to an hour, such as over a sink of warm water, in the oven on the top shelf with a bowl of hot water beneath or even in the back window of the car.

Punch down the dough and roll into balls.

Place the balls into a large ungreased baking dish, cover and let rise for another 10 minutes.

Now to make the sauce:

• 2 cans coconut milk
• ¾ cup sugar

Simply combine the coconut cream and sugar and pour over the buns.

Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 20 minutes

Important note: The sauce will bubble up and spill over if the dish is not large enough, so use two baking dishes if necessary. Always place a tray under the baking dish to catch any spills; this will save you a lot of clean up afterwards.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/desserts-articles/pani-popo-sweet-and-sticky-samoan-coconut-buns-for-your-hawaiian-luau-941066.html

Author: Sarah Gasu

About the Author:

The Party Mums is a great place to start when planning the perfect party for your kids. We love to keep it fresh and healthy wherever possible and you'll find many great recipes for an array of wonderful theme parties including Tropical Parties and Hawaiian Luau's in our fun food pages. Visit us at www.thepartymums.com for really great party ideas. Sign up for our mailing list and not only will you receive a great FREE article on how to throw the perfect party for kids of all ages, but you will also have access to our monthly members only Invitation Templates. With The Party Mums your future parties will go down in the annuls of children's history as THE best ever. Enjoy them while they're young!

Samoan Coconut Buns for your Hawaiian Luau is a post from: Luau Party Ideas

Technorati Tags: coconut recipe ideas, Hawaiian luau, polynesian food, Polynesian recipes, traditional luau recipes, tropical party food