Pool Parties for a Pittance — of Time & Money

Jul 2006 Issue

by Gail Jackson

Summertime, and the living is easy….”

Oh, if it were so!

Hectic schedules often leave little time for friendly, relaxing get-togethers with friends, family, neighbors or co-workers. Our intentions are good when we say “We have to get together some time,” or “Let’s do this more often,” but more often than not time slips away and the comfort of friendships often slips away with it.

With pool parties you can have a fun time without lots of work, time or expense for anyone. By sharing or “pooling” the effort involved in entertaining you can have a taco time, a salad supper, a grill gathering, a banana split bash, or any number of parties where you share the preparation and cost just by making a few ingredient assignments. If your group likes games or entertainment, you can even assign those responsibilities.

Simplify even more, no specific assignments required, by having a good old-fashioned potluck. Just ask each individual or couple to bring anything edible of their choosing, and request no pre-planning among attendees. It is uncanny how often these haphazard meals seem to balance out. Even if everyone ends up bringing a salad or everyone brings desserts it still makes for a fun and funny evening.

Can We Get Together?

Instruct each guest to bring one can of vegetables–any type they wish. Give no other advice. (If the attendees are close friends who interact a lot, ask them not to discuss what they are going to bring.)

Before the guests arrive, brown ground meat in a large pot and season it well. You can use part of a package of stew seasoning if you wish.

As each person arrives have them open their can and pour the complete contents (including the liquid) into the pot and place the empty can on the counter or table. Simmer the mixture for awhile to blend and heat.

When ready to serve, have everyone retrieve the can they brought. That can becomes their dish! We have had people eating out of four-ounce mushroom cans and narrow soup cans. (The first time we did this, one of the guests brought a can of bean with bacon soup. I was afraid it was going to ruin the taste but it added so much to it that I have always been the one to bring it, just to make sure it would be there.)

You can provide crackers, rolls, or bread and the beverage. This meal can even be cooked over a campfire.

If this is not a spur-of-the moment party, you can carefully remove labels from canned vegetables, as you use them, and use them for the invitations.

Bag It All

While this party is geared towards couples, it can be adapted for individuals. Like the unplanned potluck, it is great because nothing is affected by the number who show up.
Invitations are written on brown lunch sacks. A large folded paper grocery bag is placed inside. Along with the date, time and place, the couples are directed to decorate the grocery bag, and fill it with a dinner of their choice for two, including dishes, glasses or cups and eating utensils – everything except the beverage.

All items have to fit completely within the bag, and then it has to be fastened closed so the contents aren’t visible. Everything from china and crystal to Chinese takeout and soup in canning jars has shown up!

To keep it really simple, just number the bags and have couples draw numbers for them. We put some extra effort into it and have a lot of laughs. We make centerpieces (each representing a type of “sack” or “bag”) from paper sacks and number each. Each centerpiece has to have one of the words as part of the answer, i.e., a stuffed puppy placed in a lunch sack was a “doggy bag.” Each couple is given a blank sheet of paper to write their guesses. The couple with the most right answers get their choice of sack meals, the next highest number their choice and so on. (No one is allowed to eat what they brought.)

You may think it would be hard to come up with centerpieces, but that is only until you get going—and going! And then you may think they will be easy to guess, but usually there are some real stumpers. Here are ideas to get you started: sad sack, diaper bag, old bag, gunny sack, sack dress, money bag, hand bag, mummy bag, sleeping bag, potato sack, hit the sack, cosmetic bag, shoe bag, golf bag, and sack race.

Here’s to homemade pool parties: making the livin’ easy-er!