Earth friendly green is the new black - so make your next dinner party sustainable and you’ll be the talk of the town!
We’ve put together a party planner that truly reflects the spirit of conservation. Click here to learn more about environmentally friendly entertaining.
Invitations
The most environmentally friendly way to send an invitation is to do it online. Use a website that offers free electronic invitation services or simply send out an email. You can also invite your guests by phone. If you do decide to send invitations on printed material, choose paper that’s got a high content of post-consumer recycled material. Definitely encourage guests to take public transit or organize carpools to get to your party.
Menu
One of the easiest ways to reduce your carbon footprint is to choose local, organic food whenever possible. As you begin planning your dinner party menu, be sure to choose ingredients that are currently in season so you won’t have to resort to purchasing imported goods that must travel thousands of miles to get to your table. Check out local farmer’s markets and local and organic butcher shops. If you’re planning to have the party catered, be sure to make your wishes for a local, organic menu known to your caterer. If he or she can’t deliver, there are many caterers who can. Do a little research and you’re sure to find a high quality, environmentally friendly option.
Buying produce in season is generally very affordable, and also means you’ll be putting the freshest, best tasting food you can out for your guests. However, organic food tends to be a bit more expensive, so if budget is an issue, choose carefully. Certain produce, such as strawberries, peaches, spinach and lettuce tend to be higher in pesticide content than others, such as blueberries, asparagus, broccoli and onions. If organic meat is too pricy for you, create a beautiful and satisfying pasta using only organic vegetables and pasta.
A few organic and veggie-filled foodtv.ca recipes:
Organic Chicken
Baby Organic Greens With Shallot Vinaigrette and Warm Goat Cheese Strudel
Vegetarian Pasta Bake
Vegetarian No-Pasta Lasagna
Whole Wheat Pasta With Kale
Mushroom Cheddar Vegetarian Burgers
North 44 Vegetarian Flatbread
Finally, end things off with a quirky green twist – Grasshopper Pie!
Cocktails
Source out a nearby winery and get some local, organic wine in bulk. Can’t find organic? Choosing wine that comes from within your province is still an earth friendly option, so skip the imported stuff. Serving beer? Go local and organic here, too. These days, microbreweries offering sustainable options abound. Find a local brewery or ask the staff at your local beer store to recommend a lesser known brand.
Mixed cocktails can also reflect the sustainable nature of your dinner party. Go green with funky drinks such as Organic Green Apple Martinis, Green Grasshoppers, Organic Mint Juleps or Mojitos (with organic cane syrup and mint of course!)
Some green cocktail recipes:
Mojitos
Japanese Summer Breeze
Place Settings
Disposable cups, plates and napkins just won’t do for your environmentally friendly dinner party! So break out the crockery – even if all the plates don’t match, you’re doing the earth a favour by skipping the paper and Styrofoam. If you absolutely must use disposable dinner ware, make sure it’s recyclable at the very least – and better yet, find products that are biodegradable.
Decorate with recycled, recyclable and sustainable items. Use organic cotton, hemp or bamboo table cloths, napkins and place mats and find items such as napkin rings in sustainable materials such as bamboo and walnut wood.
Burn only beeswax or soy candles, and instead of using cut flowers, decorate the table with potted herbs that can be transferred to your garden and used to add flavour to many meals to come.
Party Favours
If you’re using potted herbs as centrepieces, these can always be given away as party favours. You can also purchase carbon offsets for guests, give them tree seedlings, vegetable seeds or bags of fair trade, organic coffee in reusable containers.
Activities
Ask guests to come over in the early afternoon and plan a nature hike at a local park or conservation area – this is sure to get them in a planet conscious mood! You can also plan a street or beach clean before your party. Sure, this is a little messy but it’s a great way do your part for the environment. Equip each guest with rakes, gloves and biodegradable garbage bags and head out on a quest to clean up your street, your local park or your favourite beach.