FOOD BUDGET, AND CAKE UNDER 330 DOLLARS!!!!

I am catering my own food, and yes many have told me, you are so ambitious. But i know it can be done!!! You have to stick to a plan, and don't get carried away. Simple is always the most enjoyable. I will tell you my entire menu. Appetizers, First Course, Sweet Tables, and then Dessert. My theme for the food is the Latin Caribe :).


Appetizers.............

 A shrimp cocktail in a shot glass w a celery stick
or
Colombian Chicken Empanadas w/ a lime slice
 
 Main Course...............

Arroz Con Gandules ( e.g. puertorican rice.... rice with pigeon peas)
2 Caribbean Lime Chicken Kebabs per person 
Salad and Beans
or

Arroz Con Gandules ( e.g. puerto rican rice.... rice with pigeon peas)
2 Caribbean Lime Shrimp Kebabs per person 
Salad and Beans


 A hour After main course a table with Coffee and Cookies and Fruits
 
  Dessert
 
 Wedding Cake :)

Now for the Shrimp Cocktail I need 5 bags of Shrimp at 4 dollars- 20 dollars in total lime lime juice onions tomatoes, vinegar........ celery sticks, 35 dollars in total. to have 100 plus appetizers. lovely :) 

 Chicken Empanadas= 4 lb of Chicken Breast, mojo Criollo, Pan brand Cornmeal tomato and onions.... I need only 25 dollars to make 100.......... go to any Colombian Restaurant on Lawerence Ave. and they will be a dollar a piece. I am saving over 70 percent.


My friend and I did the test already for the shrimp. We need 200 shrimp kebabs, and each bag is 4 dollars with 28-32 pieces. Therefore we need 13 bags, and two more just in case and for the staff to eat. 15 bags of shrimp at 60 dollars. With one shrimp bag we were able to make 16 kebabs. 2 pieces of large cooked peeled tail on shrimp, I took the tail off. We used the skewers from party city that cost a 1.60. Green onion 79 cents, onion 39 cents, Mojo Criollo Marinade 2.50, pinneaple chunks 1.00 (only 1/4 of bottle used.... can be used for more shrimp chicken beef, etc). and 1 lime 20 cents. in total it will cost 75 dollars with 3 more bottles or 4 of the mojo criollo.


 I did the Chicken test too :) 1 lb of chicken breast at 250 a lb.......... expensive I always find for 1.49 a lb. With one Chicken breast I made 14 skewers. 2 pieces of square chicken pieces per skewers as well as the green pepper, onion, Mojo Criollo, eg.... loook above for prices. In total the chicken just cost 35 dollars if I can't find it on sale and with the other materials about 50 dollars, and that is me buying extra chicken breast.
 
  
Now for the rice for each main course I will waste twenty dollars.

Sofrito    8 dollars gandules 3 dollars 3 tomato sauce cans 1.00. oil 2.79


So for each main course ten dollars each too make 20 lbs of rice because i always buy medium grain rice, 10 lb bags

  Salad I will buy 5 salad heads, Tomatoes, and just waste about 10 dollars since I will cut the lettuce in thin long pieces and tomatoes in small little chunks , I will flavor it myself with limes...... e.g. no wasting money on dressing that just get you fatter :).

I will buy two big pinto bean cans, that cost like 3.50 each, and use a little oil that I got for the rice. 7 dollars each.

Now for the Shrimp Main Course I am only wasting 95 dollars to feed 100 people!!!! and have people eat again and again.... who doesn't love this rice.

 For the Chicken Main Course I am only wasting 55 dollars to feed 100 people!!!!! and again lots of rice which we will pile on the plate jejejeje :) Gotta love Spanish Weddings :) xoxoxoxox.


  For the Sweet Table I plan on buying the cookies you find always on sell in packages for a dollar, coffee, creamer, and sugar, a fruit platter. 30 dollars is my limit, and I really plan to fill the table


Dessert-

Wedding Cake... I know a lovely girl from my cousin who worked at a bakery for years who makes amazing cakes. For my civil ceremony she made me the most gorgeous turquoise cherry blossom cake and i only paid 75 bucks to feed 50 people and half the cake was left over. Now I call that a deal in total I will waste 287.00 dollars!!!!! Try and beat that I am making about 120 of everything and their is only 100 people. Everyone will at least be able to have more again since that is how Spanish people are :) I got proposals for the wedding menu I planned myself............... 1500 dollars. I was like sure I will call you. :) I will prepare the skewers a day before, and have someone bbq them for me the same day, as well as making the cocktail and empanadas a day before my bff will help me. Rice my friends husband will do for me, and I will make the salad and beans the same day. Piece of cake :)