We wanted to do one BIG party this summer. Something to celebrate our new porch, the long summer days and the best food of the year. So we decided on a shrimp boil party, also known as a low country boil.
We invited lots of our friends and neighbors and spent the day getting things ready. From shrimp and ice runs to kegerator relocations to picking up 1,000 fallen limbs from the yard to making salads, we were ready!
We donned our red, white and blue…
Set the table..
Turned on the tunes
Tested the keg
And the sparkling water keg!
Prepped the veg
Sniffed the flowers…
Shrimp Boil Party Time!
We did several salads and our company brought over some amazing dishes as well –
The Shrimp Boil Party Pot
The main event of the night was the low country boil – a mix of corn, potatoes, shrimp and kielbasa. (There are tons more recipes like this one.)
Matt used his beer brewing equipment to cook the meal – meaning he could drain the water from the bottom and then we just dumped it all out on newspaper!
I felt a little bit overwhelmed tonight – so many people to talk to! I managed a salad plate, several glasses of sparkling water and a dinner plate with a few of each of our boil pieces.
The dessert table was incredible – a mix of Great Harvest and homemade sweets from friends
I think I had one of everything non-GH! So delicious!
We never lit the sparklers, but I know of a holiday coming up where they will be appreciated!
Divya @ Eat.Teach.Blog. says
Looks so festive and fun!
Krissy - Shiawase Life says
Looks like it was a total blast! So bummed I had to work 😛
Danielle says
How fun! You two are such fabulous hosts. I hope to be invited to the next party 😉
Allie@LiveLaughEat says
Holy food! I hope you saved me some corn!
Stephanie @ Legally Blinde says
Looks like an incredible night. How fun! I love hosting, too, but it definitely can be overwhelming – always so much to do and so many people to talk to! I’m sure all of your guests appreciated your efforts and had a wonderful time 🙂
Christine says
Ohh sweet is that a keggle? Did Matt DIY it?
Lynn @ the actor's diet says
I’ve always wanted to do one of those! But beig married to a vegetarian….
Roxanne says
There are lots of “faux” meats out there, I am sure you can find some fake kielbasa sausages somewhere!
Sana says
Being a party host is hard- you have to mingle with lots of people!
Katelyn Block says
And it was a success! You really delivered on the food porn. I can say with full confidence that everything was do seriously delicious that I don’t care that I was immobilized for a solid half hour. So. worth it. PS tell Matt he’s a talented brewer. #truth (you should sell that stuff)
Dominique says
The baby that Karen is holding is too cute for words! It’s making my womb scream for a baby right now!
Your party looked amazing. And the food…oh the food. How I wish I weren’t allergic to shrimps…not that I really ever liked lobster or shrimp when I could eat them (a few too many and I always wanted to throw up, which was probably my body telling me I’m allergic), but I would like to experience a low-country boil just once in my life. Sean’s parents are having a BBQ on Monday, a post-Canada Day celebration and I cannot wait!
Kara says
Cutest party! I love the volume of veg – who isn’t craving summer fruits and veggies right now!? Not sure if the newspaper was the best idea with the cheaptoxicink and whatnot but I’m left totally inspired! Very festive
Candice says
Summer parties are the best. Such a great assortment of food. Looks like you threw a great party.
Cait's Plate says
You guys certainly know how to throw a party! Looks like a blast!
Kristi Rimkus says
How fun is this – I’m so glad you found time to get a few bites. 🙂
Annette @FitnessPerks says
WHat a beautiful night! I’d be all over that dessert table. ummm YUMM.
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
what a great looking spread and the whole thing went off without a hitch it looks like and a good time was had by all!
love the invite, too!
Khushboo says
Wow what a blast! Those desserts look too yum!
Elisabeth says
The party looks like so much fun! The pic of Karen holding the baby is so cute – I can definitely picture her with a KERF baby 😉
Roxanne says
Sounds like you had a success porch party and hope you all a good night afterwards. Did you get a lot of help cleaning up? I hope you didn’t have to that alone…
KathEats says
Yes, major props to Karen for doing tons of the clean up!
j3nn says
What an awesome looking party!!! Everything looks great, especially the low country boil. Congrats on a successful fun gathering. Entertaining is a lot harder than it looks! 🙂
Katie @ Peace Love and Oats says
That looks like a great party, Kath! I hope you all had fun!
Fran@ Broken Cookies Don't Count says
Looks like such a fun evening! The salads look incredible. What a great idea to use the beer making equipment to do the boil!
Rachel says
Hey, I didn’t get my invite, just kidding 😉 It looked like an amazing party. I am impressed with how organized and festive everything looked in your picture. Makes me wish someone in my neighborhood would host a party like that. The veggies looked so delicious. Thanks for sharing the amazing pictures. =)
Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin says
You guys sure know how to host a party! 😉 The food looks fantastic – especially that low country boil. I’ve never tried that before!
Brittnie (A Joy Renewed) says
Y’all are so festive and just FUN! I love all of your themed parties and get-togethers. Inspires me to host more with our friends! Glad it was a fun night. I think I say this every time but I truly love your porch. It’s beautiful. It will be so nice to sit there with your little guy and rock him, play, hang out, etc!
Alex says
I want to do a country boil for our party on the 4th but am a little nervous. When you boil all the ingredients together, do you use just water? Does everything go in all at once? How did you avoid overlooking the corn?
Looks amazing!
KathEats says
There’s a recipe for it on my Recipage – it’s basically water with some seasonings and stuff – lemon, Old Bay, Zataran’s
Sarah says
Hi Kath — You must feel so relieved that the recent devastating storms in your region didn’t hit your house with a big party planned! And speaking of the storms — are you able to share any information about how those of us not from the area might be able to support recovery efforts with donations? It sounds like lots of people are still without power and the damage was pretty severe.
KathEats says
I know, very scary. We were lucky in many ways. I haven’t seen any specific donation initiatives for this storm, but I’m sure the Red Cross would always appreciate support.
Mom says
Party looks wonderful!
Mom says
Oh and I love the invitation!
Stephanie @ Joy in The Journey says
That looks like one great all-American party!! Happy (early) 4th of July to you and your fam! 🙂
Kori says
You looked so pretty, and I love your patriotic-inspired outfit! I’ve never thought to make a low country boil, but it looks delicious. I love the invitation, and it seems as though everyone had a wonderful time. Great job on your party planning!
Erin says
Looks like a big success! And the boil looks amazing!
Erica says
Yall always throw the best parties!! The sparkling water keg is a fun touch
Lara says
Thanks! It was so much fun. Your porch, the food, and beer were all wonderful. You did a great job. I hope you were able to get off your feet and slept wel!
Angel7 says
You had a feast of yummy, healthy foods! I am sure that everyone indulged in the wonderful array of scrumptious-ness 🙂
http://faithfulsolutions.blogspot.com/
Gabby (Quest for Delicious) says
How fun! All the food looks absolutely wonderful!
Lee says
Looks like fun. A friend and I were just talking about a low country boil. So fun.
Sam says
That keg boiler is bloody sweet!
Emily @ Life on Food says
I cannot help but think you must have had a ton of leftovers…or maybe not. Everything looks so good. Look like you had a great time and I love the table decor.
kristen @ verbs and vignettes says
I love throwing parties! I always thought, when I’m a grown-up, I’m hosting dinner parties all the time. I still haven’t done anything in my apartment, though, and I’ve been here a year! maybe a brunch… it’s easy to get overwhelmed getting everything together and making sure it’s all running smoothly. but still so much fun. your boil looks excellent!
Julia H. @ Going Gulia says
I am actually finding it hard to look at these photos because they’re making me so jealous. EVERYTHING looks so delicious!!!! Love the porch-warming party idea, too!
Katie says
Where, oh where, did you get that tablecloth? I love it!
KathEats says
It’s just flag fabric!
Katie says
Smart! Heading to the fabric store now! Thanks 🙂
Katy says
Your table is gorgeous! I am co-hosting a 4th of July party and I am currently looking up fun recipe and decoration ideas. 🙂
Eleonora says
It must have been a gorgeous night!
I was just wondering if you put the cooked ingredients of your low boil directly onto the newspaper: hot water+ink and paper chemicals doesn’t sound very safe!
KathEats says
Eh, I’m not worried about it – they didn’t bleed out onto the food or anything. I probably wouldn’t want to eat my dinner every night on newspaper though
Celeste says
People do this all the time were I’m from in Crawfish season. Sometimes folks buy cheap disposable paper or plastic table cloths but if ink is worrying you…not sure that’s much better! Newspaper every night, probs not awesome, newspaper at a boil, probs ok.
natasha says
That is how we do crawfish boils here as well, on newspaper. I don’t think it has ever occured to me that there’s an alternative? All the crawfish boils I go to always dump it all out on newspaper.
Looks like a fun party!
The Mrs. says
That looks awesome! I know that here in the Carolinas folks use shrimp and call it a Low Country Boil. In Mississippi and Louisiana we use crawfish and call it a Crawfish Boil. I love just having it dumped out on the table while everyone gathers around and enjoys. This post makes me wish I had a big backyard for a party like this.
Ella says
LOVE those striped espadrille flats! where are they from?
KathEats says
Old Navy I believe
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
Oh wow, that dessert table looks amazing. I’m wanting cake now!
Amelia @ Eating Made Easy says
Beautiful! This post looks like it could be in Martha Stewart mag!
Alicia says
Somehow, you have the ability to make me miss living in South Carolina at least once a week! 😉
Glad that your party went well, everything looks delightfully festive! Kudos to your friends and neighbors for bringing healthful fruit and veggie dishes.
lee says
Looks like a delicious party!
As much as I love the apartment in which I live now, the one thing I look forward to having in my next place will be more space for entertaining – including some space (any space!) for outdoor entertaining. =)
Lexi @ You, Me, & A World to See says
Oh wow, that looks like a blast! 🙂
Melody says
Love the sparkling water keg! Where do you get one of those??
KathEats says
We made it! The keg you can buy online and at homebrew shops