So, my sister decided last minute to throw a little beach-themed bash for my nephew’s birthday. Guess who got roped into handling the food? Yep, me. I actually don’t mind; it’s kind of fun to get creative, as long as it’s not too crazy complicated. I figured I’d share what I ended up making, ’cause it turned out pretty good, and honestly, it wasn’t a ton of work.
Getting Started: The Big Ideas (and a Reality Check)
First thing I did was jump online, you know, looking for “beach themed party food ideas.” Woah, some people go ALL OUT. Super intricate stuff. I knew right away that wasn’t for me. I needed things that looked the part but wouldn’t have me crying in the kitchen for hours. My goal was cute, tasty, and relatively easy. I jotted down a few potentials and then narrowed it down to what seemed manageable with the time I had.
First Up: “Crabby” Croissant Sandwiches
I thought these would be a hit with the kids, and they were! I grabbed a bag of those mini croissants from the bakery. Way easier than baking them myself, obviously. For the filling, I just whipped up a quick chicken salad – nothing fancy, just cooked chicken, a bit of mayo, celery, salt, and pepper. You could use tuna or egg salad too, whatever floats your boat.
So, I carefully sliced the croissants, not all the way through, and spooned in the chicken salad. The “crabby” part was the fun bit. I bought some candy googly eyes. Pro tip: a tiny dab of cream cheese or even a bit of the mayo from the salad works like glue to stick those eyes on top of the croissant. Then, I poked in little pretzel sticks on the sides for legs – four on each side. They looked hilarious and actually pretty cute. The kids gobbled them up.
Next on the Menu: “Ocean” Jello Cups
This one is a classic for a reason – it’s so simple. I got a pack of blue raspberry Jello because, well, ocean. And a bunch of clear plastic cups. I made the Jello according to the package directions. While it was still liquid, I poured it into the cups, filling them about three-quarters full. Then, the important part: I let them chill in the fridge for a bit until they were just starting to set, like, wobbly but not totally liquid. That’s when I dropped in a few gummy fish into each cup. If you put them in when it’s too liquid, they all sink to the bottom in a sad clump.
Once they were fully set, just before serving, I added a dollop of whipped cream on top for “sea foam” and stuck a tiny drink umbrella in a few of them. Super easy, super beachy.
Sweet Treat Time: “Flip-Flop” Cookies
I wanted at least one sweet treat that screamed beach. I’d seen these Nutter Butter flip-flops and thought, “I can do that!” So, I got a pack of Nutter Butter cookies – their shape is already kinda like a sole. Then I bought some bags of colored candy melts. I went with bright blue and yellow.
Melting the candy melts was the first step. I just did it in the microwave in short bursts, stirring in between, so it wouldn’t burn. Then, I dipped one side of each Nutter Butter cookie into the melted candy. I laid them on wax paper to set. For the “straps,” I used thin licorice laces. I cut small pieces and, while the candy coating was still a bit soft, I pressed the ends of the licorice into it to make the V-shape of a flip-flop strap. Some people use Fruit Roll-Ups cut into strips, which also works great. I finished them off with a few colorful sprinkles on the still-wet candy coating for a bit of extra bling. They were really fun and surprisingly quick to make once I got an assembly line going.
And “Sand Pails” Full of Snacks!
This was less about making food and more about presentation. I found some brand new, small plastic sand pails and shovels at the dollar store. Made sure they were food-safe, of course, or you could line them with plastic wrap or a napkin. I simply filled these pails with different kid-friendly snacks. One had Goldfish crackers (they’re fish, get it?), another had pretzel sticks (driftwood?), and another had some grapes and berries. You could do veggie sticks with a little container of dip at the bottom too. The kids loved having their own little pails to scoop snacks from with the shovels. It was zero effort on the food prep but looked super thematic.
So yeah, that was my beach food adventure. Nothing too fancy, but everything looked the part and tasted good. The kids were happy, my sister was happy, and I didn’t spend my entire weekend stressing in the kitchen. Sometimes simple is definitely the way to go!