Welcome countrygal! I'm still hoping for the day I'll move from the Cooking Forum to the Kitchen Forum! LOL

Tell us a bit more. What time of day will you be hosting the event? Were you thinking finger foods and nibblies where everyone "grazes" or were you thinking of something more substantial like a brunch or lunch served at a particular time? Or maybe a bit of both.

The shower will be at 3 pm. It doesn't need to be a complete meal, but I would like to use my new kitchen a little. :) Finger foods would work, but wouldn't have to be. I'm open to any and all suggestions right now.

So it's probably a 3 to 6 type of thing?

I'd do a few nibblies while guests arrive and gifts are opened.....40-50 people means lots of gift opening time.

Then end the event with a nice, but not heavy, buffet given that will be about dinner time.

Does that work for you?

Some finger foods that are easy to make are crostini topped items.
Buy/make a baguette. Slice 1/2" sized rounds. Brush with garlic oil. Place on a baking sheet and put into a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Cool completely. Then top with whatever you feel. We have done spicy shrimp, goat cheese and black olives, mashed cannellini beans and tomato. Whatever you like can be made into a topping.
You can also use grilled polenta as the base for toppings.
Curried chicken salad tea sandwiches on rye bread, salmon tea sandwiches(sliced salmon onto of a mixture of cream cheese, parsley, watercress and a pinch of cayenne and lemon juice).
I love a nicely presented Cobb salad. On top of chopped romaine and iceburg lettuce arrange cooked chicken, hard boiled eggs, crumbled bacon, diced tomatoes, chopped black olives, and crumbled bleu cheese either in a wedge shape or running straight across.
Just a few ideas to get you started. Have fun at the shower and enjoy your new kitchen! NancyLouise

If you are having that many people serve things you can make ahead and freeze.

I'd have a veggie platter with dip and meat and cheese platter with buttered buns and a fruit platter with dip as the only arrange on the day things. Anything else would come from the freezer and you wouldn't need much else

I'd cut up the cheese, veggies and fruit the day before and store in plastic bags in the fridge.

Here is a wonderful fruit dip that can be made a day ahead and refrigerated.

FRUIT DIP
1 small pkg vanilla pudding
1 small tub of cool whip
1/2 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
1/2 cup milk

Add milk and Bailey's to pudding mix. Beat about 2 minutes until it thickens. Fold in the cool whip.

Serve with cut up fruit--delicious with melons the honey dew or cantaloupe type,strawberries, kiwiin fact most fruit except bananas.

My cousin served this at a wedding shower for my son and had to go and run off copies for the people there.

Thanks for the ideas. I'll run these by the girls and see what they prefer.

I think if you are having that many at that time of day....people will be leaving about supper time...you DO need to serve a complete meal.
I would do as chase suggested...nibblies at first...like cheese crackers and veggies and dip....finger foods...bowls of nuts and wine and coffee, tea and soft drinks....then when the gifts are all opened bring out something like trays of sandwiches....or a chicken and pasta casserole or even something like a rolled souffle, fruit and a roll.
Or you could just serve a couple of desserts when the guests arrive and then open gifts and end the party that way...
Depends on what kind of a party you want.

I'd think a nice but simple buffet at that hour is perfect. None of these ladies are going to want to go home and cook.

I'm trying to think of something that is elegant and different but lends itself to buffet style serving and lap top eating. Certainly 40-50 aren't going to be seated.

If you wanted to do hot, cannelloni would be a nice change up from lasagna served with a salad and rolls.

Maybe a twist on fancy sandwiches using mini croissants filled with crab salad, mini bagels open faced with cream cheese and salmon, mini sweet rolls filled with ham, chicken, or egg salad.

I did a party buffet recently with a bit of a Greek theme. Spanikopita, mini chicken souvlakis and a Greek salad. it went over well.

Actually, they will all be seated. I not only got a new kitchen, but a new garage. It is new and has finished walls and will make a nice place for a gathering. I really like the idea of having nibbles on the tables at the beginning, then maybe a light lunch buffet at the end (after games & gifts). In our neck of the woods, Sunday dinner is a large meal and evening meal light, so I'm thinking sandwiches, veggies, fruit, etc. would be nice. Of course, there will be cake.

None of these ladies are going to want to go home and cook.
Good point! I think it might be nice to have a buffet of simple but filling finger foods. That way, those who want to make a meal of it can, and those who want to just nibble are ok too.

Some ideas: veggie tray, fruit tray, a couple of dips, some blocks of cheese with knives so people can cut their own piece (better than precut cubes of cheese IMO) with crackers, meatballs or sausages, chicken skewers, deviled eggs. Take a block of cream cheese and top it with jalepeno jelly, served with crackers - that's always a hit.

Add a couple of finger desserts: brownies, cookies, and/or a decorated cake if you want.

How about a soup bar? Someone here does a soup party each year and it sounds amazing. If anyone remembers who it is, please post the link.

You could do a chowder, a split pea, lentil, minestrone, vegetable...the possibilities are endless!

You could hard boil eggs make deviled eggs dip the eggs in food coloring water to color them pink or blue,I cut them in half pull out the yolk,dip eggs in coloring then fill cute..Neat on 4th july red white ,blue.