Anusha's Bridal Shower, 5/14/2016

      ...Continued from yesterday:

     Anusha, here with her mom Jaya.

     Anusha is from India.    
     As bridal showers are not among the wedding customs in India, Anusha's shower would be not only the first one she'd ever attended, but the first as well for her mother,

...for her sister Alekhya, sitting on the far right end, and for several of her friends.

     This being the case, I wanted to make the menu extra-special, something different and out of the ordinary.
     "Nah, just make what you always make,"  insisted my nephew Randy, Anusha's intended.  "You know, stromboli, green beans almondine,  those little cupcakes -  Anusha's never had your party food,  I want her to taste it."
    So the standard operating party food it was to be; however as a number of the guests were either vegetarian or did not eat beef, I left out the beef and leaned towards vegetarian.

   Anusha's Shower Menu (See yesterday' post for pictures):
   Ham and cheese stromboli
   Vegetable and cheese stromboli
   Pork roast in wine sauce
   Mashed potatoes (to put the pork wine sauce over)
   Oven-fried chicken off the bone
   Hot rolls
   Pasta in tomatoes, garlic, green onions and olive oil
   Stuffed mushrooms
   Vegetarian crispy egg rolls
   Green beans almondine
   Spinach sauteed with mushrooms, garlic and olive oil (The spinach was ultimately kind of a disaster.  Though it was lovely and tasty when I took it off the stove, the spinach continued cooking from the heat of the chafing dish and after a while was over-cooked, wilted, and no longer appetizing except to hard-core spinachophiles).
    Guacamole dip with chips
    Veggies and dip, brought by Randy's Aunt Susie
    Chips and pretzels
    Cherry almond streusel pie
    Cream-filled, vanilla-iced chocolate mini-cupcakes
    Vanilla mini-cupcakes topped with pink rosettes
    Hershey's kiss peanut butter cookies
    Blueberry bars (These were a new recipe that I'd never tried before but were the hit of the desserts)
     Chocolate- and white chocolate-dipped strawberries
     Chocolate dipped pretzels
     Assorted Dove chocolates
     Soft drinks, lemonade, coffee, tea, and water

  Eating was the first order of the event, and we ate,

...in the living room,

                                               ...in the kitchen,

...and in the family room

     After lunch came the shower games, organized by Mary Jane,

...and enjoyed by all.

    Next Anusha opened her gifts,

.... then we played one more game,

...amidst much laughter.

      Then Jaya brought out some samples of saris for us to try on, as some of us want to wear Indian dress to the wedding.
       Randy's sister Audrey modeled as Jaya showed us how to fold, pin, and wear the sari.

     Then Jaya showed us some beautiful samples of  jackets that go under the sari.

...that we could try on for size.

     Audrey, looking like Princess Jasmine from Aladdin.

       Then the ladies began bidding their farewells with best wishes to Anusha,

...everyone leaving with party favors, a take-out plate of food or dessert if they wished, and a balloon. 

     Then the party was over and it was time to clean up the dishes,

,...and the left-overs,

...and bask in post-party relaxation,

...and the happy memory of a beautiful day.