Empty nests reminds me of birds..which reminds me of chickens... How about fried chicken for your main dish?

I thought you could still cruise on Pinterest with login in

How about little sunny side up quail eggs? On a nest of piped anything (cheese, paté, etc.) A star tip and a little practice should make a convincing nest.

You can also buy filo cups ready to fill from any catering supply if your grocer doesn't have them, but I think it would more interesting to have the nests made of all different things, rather than just flour/dough/pasta/bread or potatoes. Like you could drizzle melted chocolate over ice to make an airy nest. Do an egg batter (mostly egg) into oil in the way of funnel cakes. Make long strips of lean meat and line a muffin tin.

Thanks for the responses - fried chicken is really good, but I've almost never made it (other than chicken cutlets), and wouldn't do it for a crowd - would want something easier, and that can be done ahead of time - which was what made me think of putting something like pulled chicken in/on a "nest." Regarding Pinterest, I don't know how it works, but when I tried to look up ideas for this, a dark screen rolls up from the bottom and I can't see anything. plllog, thanks for the out of the box ideas - I've never come across quail eggs, but could probably try some of the other ideas, or at least put them out there and hope someone else will do it lol!

Empty nests? You could make pavlova, which is delicious and sounds fussy but is actually just whipped and sweetened egg whites, formed into nests and baked, then filled with fresh fruit or whatever you like. I like lemon curd, but I like lemon curd with just a spoon too.

I've seen dried pasta that is formed into nests, those could be filled with small meatballs or whatever you like, and those little shortcake bowls look kind of like nests too and could also be filled with your choice.

I've made cups out of hash browns in muffin cups and I've made small cups out of cheese, just spread some parmesan on a griddle, let it melt and brown a bit on the bottom, then pick it up with a spatula and fold over an overturned custard cup or whatever size container is appropriate. Those are nice filled with salads.

Empty nests? I'd be having champagne, for celebration, LOL.

Annie

Oooh! Instead of traditional deviled eggs, you could cut the whites in strips (especially easy if you have an egg cutter), make a nest out of them, and then pipe in your "bird" of the yolk filling.

Easier than the beef strips above, you could make cups out of meatball fixin's. Or better yet, out of poultry or pork ball, lightly fry, put "baby birds" of pepper, pineapple and onion triangles in, and serve in sweet and sour sauce. Get it? Happy to be free, sad to see them go? Sweet and sour?

Oh, and do the dessert with bittersweet chocolate!

Y'know.... I bet you could make bowls out of dino kale (the kind with the thick, scaly looking leaves). Remove the heavy stems and dry them out partway in the oven. 250° F for 20 minutes, adding more time if needed, until dry feeling but still flexible. Then you could press several layers in a cup, brushing with sesame oil, or similar, between layers to make the leaves stick together, then put them back in to dry some more. Another 20+ minutes. Basically making something like filo cups only out of kale. Fill with finely minced something that's not wet enough to de-crisp the kale. Maybe mince pine nuts, dates, dried or partly dried herbs and a small dollop of sesame paste (tahini).

Oh, yeah! Something that's popular here is cucumber cups. Use a seedless or English cucumber, and cut a section about the size of a small shot glass, maybe 2-2.5". Use a melon baller or grapefruit knife, or whatever you have that'll work, to cut out the seeds (or center), leaving half an inch solid at the bottom. You can fill with just about anything. They'll take very damp filling, but could leak if you put thin liquid in for any length of time.

Another, easier, way to make a nest out of eggs is to make a plain, rolled omelette and slice it.

A guy on TV yesterday was making chocolate cups by dipping small round balloons in the melted and tempered chocolate than setting them on a baking sheet to harden. He said that the drips form the base. When they're ready, just pop the balloons with a pin.

Whatever you end up doing, I'm sure it'll be fun!

Thanks all for the additional suggestions - I wouldn't have thought of practically any of it. Heard of pavlova, didn't know what it was - that sounds good. I'm not a big champagne drinker, so I wouldn't even have thought of that, but think you gotta pop the cork on some bubbly for this occasion! So many good ideas - I'll make a list, pick a date, and let you know how it goes - thanks!

How about Eggs in a Nest?

This is from Food Network:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/eggs-in-a-nest-recipe.html

And this is from YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jybgdCoTjGY

Try this:

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1208&bih=557&q=chinese+deep+fried+bird%27s+nest&oq=chinese+deep+fried+bird%27s+nest&gs_l=img.3...1564.22531.0.22781.44.21.7.16.7.0.209.1824.19j1j1.21.0....0...1ac.1.64.img..10.34.1795.kf10wal0ErM

dcarch

Such cool ideas! Been an ENer for a long time and I didn't celebrate even though my birdie was 26 when she flew.

Thanks. My mom used to call the egg one "one eyed Jack." Wasn't thinking about google images - some good looking "nests" there! Was also wondering if all the "nests" should be empty, but I probably don't have to go that far! mustangs - maybe you could have an empty nest anniversary party :)!

Long story short, couldn't come up with a date that worked for a larger group of people. Wanted to do something this month while it was still warm enough to have it outside, then sit by the fire pit & tiki torches. Saturday came up with 7 people that could make it last night. Carrying the theme to the food pretty much got lost in the shuffle of putting the event together in 24 hrs. We had cheese & crackers, and shrimp wrapped in bacon for appetizers. Linda C's pulled chicken on rolls with rainbow coleslaw, baked beans, and tossed salad for dinner, then guests brought desserts of a fruit tart, chocolate cake, and a really good banana bread with coconut pecan rum topping. Everything was very good and we all had a great time, although they left before the eclipse started since they all had to go to work today. Those that couldn't make it were sorry to miss out, so I said something about an "Empty Nest Fest Take 2" sometime in the future, where I would have more time to put the ideas to better use. I thought pulled chicken and coleslaw resembled nesting materials, and I had made choc chip cookies in mini muffin tins with Reeses cups in the middle, as well as brownies with coconut oil in the mini muffin tins that I was going to put a bit of whipped cream and berries on, thinking the desserts would look a little nest like, but when they all showed up with desserts I didn't put mine out - gave them some to take home in goody bags, and may be using the rest on Friday night (they are in the freezer). We toasted the empty nest - it's all good!

Thanks for the report. It sounds like you a good meal and a good time with a few friends. When I entertain, I often have two menus. The if I had a brigade to command with the interesting ideas, and then there's the one I can pull off without going nuts. No one ever leaves my table hungry, and with that, I'm satisfied. Maybe for Take 2 you can have other empty nesters over to help make all the nest items, followed by the big party you wanted!

Might need to know more about that coconut rum pecan topping.....

I've never been a fan "theme" dinners. Unless you call planning a dinner around wine. So I would have gone with a more "dinner party" style dinner. A little more "gourmet". Something that you might not have made in the past for a get together when kids had to also be considered.

~Ann

Thanks for the feedback. I think I had in my head that I wanted to try Linda C's recipe for pulled chicken since I didn't use it for my daughter's grad party. I had time earlier in the week to cook 2 chickens, make the recipe and freeze it for whenever. When it came together to have folks over last minute, it was easy that I already had the chicken ready to go, and just make some sides. I hope to have lots of time in the future for small "gourmet" dinners, and I'm sure I'll have some questions! I just e-mailed my friend for the banana bread recipe, and I will post it when she responds

Linda, I haven't heard back from my friend, so I googled the cooking light recipe - I would use real butter and rum instead of margarine, etc - but here it is:

Jamaican Banana Bread

Cooking spray
2 tablespoons stick margarine, softened
2 tablespoons tub light cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1/2 cup skim milk
2 tablespoons dark rum or 1/4 teaspoon imitation rum extract
1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons margarine
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 teaspoons dark rum or 1/8 teaspoon imitation rum extract
2 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted
2 tablespoons flaked sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 375�. Coat an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with cooking spray; set aside.
Beat 2 tablespoons margarine and cheese at medium speed of a mixer; add 1 cup sugar, beating well. Add egg; beat well.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; stir well. Combine banana and next 5 ingredients (banana through vanilla); stir well. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with banana mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix after each addition. Stir in 1/4 cup pecans and 1/4 cup coconut.

Pour batter into prepared pan; bake at 375� for 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan. Let cool slightly on a wire rack.

Combine brown sugar and 2 teaspoons each margarine, lime juice, and rum in a saucepan; bring to a simmer. Cook 1 minute; stir constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons each pecans and coconut; spoon over loaf.

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 187(26% from fat); FAT 5.4g (sat 1.5g,mono 2.3g,poly 1.2g); PROTEIN 2.9g; CHOLESTEROL 15mg; CALCIUM 55mg; SODIUM 105mg; FIBER 1.1g; IRON 1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 32.2g

Cooking Light, MARCH 1997

Sounds really beyond!! Thanks!