Prep School: Taste

Photo: Fort Benning Schools

A Back-to-School Spa Party is all about encouraging good habits, and starting the year off right. I know pizza and chips are the go to foods for many a kid's party but this time around I'm going to suggest something different. A Salad Bar, your daughter's complexion will thank you...

I just love both of these salad bar set ups, and the ideas can be combined to make a beautiful buffet. The photo on the left is from Southern Living Magazine, which features a planter filled with ice to keep the chicken salad, fruit salad, and pasta salad cold. The second photo is from Celebrations at Home who used vases in a variety of widths and heights to display the colorful and fresh salad toppins'. A salad bar is really only limited by one's imagination, be sure to have more than one type of green (romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, spinach, etc.), and plenty of veggies, though we all love cheese and croûtons do tell girls that in order to keep the salad healthy use ingredients like these in moderation. In addition to tossed salad toppins, you can also have prepared salads on hand such as fruit, tuna, shrimp, or chicken salads. If you are planning to turn this party into a sleepover, some of the left over salad toppings like onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, and cheese would be great for create-your-own omletes in the morning. Just for fun, it's worth pointing out that plenty of salad ingredients can do double duty as skin care agents like tomatoes, eggs, avocado, and cucumber which is great for refreshing the eye area.


Personalized water bottles are popping up all over the place, from weddings to first birthday parties and every occasion in between. You can easily create your own by purchasing waterproof label paper for less than $2 a sheet from labelsbythesheet.com.





For additional drinks, and a little sugar, Southern Style Sweet Tea with a hint of mint ties in well with the theme or try making this Strawberry Ginger Iced Tea from Smuckers:
Ingredients:
• 1 (12 fl. oz.) bottle Smucker's® Strawberry Fruit Syrup, chilled
• 1 1/2 cups brewed strong tea, chilled
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 (12 oz.) can ginger ale, chilled
• Ice
• Fresh strawberries
• Lemon slices
Directions:
1 COMBINE fruit syrup, tea and juice in 2-quart pitcher. Gradually add ginger ale. Stir gently to combine. Add ice.
2 GARNISH with fresh strawberries and lemon slices. Serve immediately.

If you missed the first part of the Prep School series, Touch, be sure to check it out for fun ideas on spa party treatments, and be sure to check back for the next installment which will tie it all together with decor.