Bargain Treats for your 11th Birthday Party!

So you're throwing a Neopets 11th Birthday Bash. Only trouble is, what exactly does one serve at such an event, especially when you're on a budget? Neopia is filled with hundreds and hundreds of different recipes and ideas; how do you choose the perfect party foods without paying the top prices? Well, I've prepared a simple list of my top 11 recommendations just in case you find yourself in this troubling situation.

Suggestion #1 – Honey Filled Olive

Honey filled olives are the perfect way to start your party off. So what if most of your guests don't like olives? They'll pretend they do just to fit in with the crowd and you'll find yourself showered in compliments for providing them with these delicate little snacks, and finished off with an adorable Altador cocktail stick your guests are sure to remember this treat for decades to come. Just don't forget to spare some time before your party to make a trip over to Altadorian Foods to pick these up, because if you attempt to fill the olives with honey yourself you could find yourself with eleven pathetic looking olives and nothing else by the time the party starts.

Suggestion #2 – Fresh Oysters

Nothing suggests elegance and class like a platter of Fresh Oysters, straight from Maraqua the very same day of your party. Your guests will be impressed as you casually mention the extravagant prices restaurants charge for these delicacies. Just don't mention that these were actually just your leftovers from your trip to Kelp a couple of weeks ago.

Suggestion #3 – Brightvale Celebratory Fruit Basket

For those of your guests concerned with getting their five a day make sure to head over to Brightvale and pick up a Celebratory Fruit Basket. Not only do these taste better than that scorched fruit you have from your most recent trip to the Lost Desert, but they come in a basket which looks like you paid double the NP and is sure to leave them impressed.

Suggestion #4 – Altador Cup Chocolate Coins

Chances are you will have invited many guests that happen to have a sweet tooth, so you need to make sure you have some chocolate to offer them. Now you could head on over to the Chocolate Factory and purchase the finest chocolate available, but I prefer my method. Have a dig around in your cupboards and find that bunch of Altador Cup Chocolate Coins you've seen hanging around. Simply take off the Altador Cup foil and no one will realise you've had these since June.

Suggestion #5 – Earl Grey Tea

You may find a lot of your guests asking for coffee, but have you seen the prices of coffee lately? Bring the Earl Grey out instead; with a bit of luck they'll think they're getting an expensive treat and forget all about that pricey coffee.

Suggestion #6 – Dust Covered Salad

So those health conscious party guests of yours are moaning about a lack of salad? Make sure you've been over to the Lost Desert and grabbed yourself a Dust Covered Salad. Before serving, make sure to pick off the biggest clumps of dust and then tell an entertaining story to distract them as they eat it. They'll never know the difference. Probably.

Suggestion #7 – Kookith Vegan Platter

When hosting a party, it's important to make sure you have something available for everyone, and that's when this hand platter comes in. Not only does it make the Vegans happy but it also looks so adorable no one will want to eat it, meaning you only have to buy a couple to display, and you can re-sell them the next day.

Suggestion #8 – Pink Mashed Potatoes

This faerie food is the perfect dish. It's cheap, and yet it looks incredibly expensive. Your guests will be so awed by the gorgeous pink colour of the mash and will love the adorable little wings that come attached that they will forget they don't actually like mashed potatoes.

Suggestion #9 – Half Thornberry Jelly

Everyone loves jelly! And although it's pretty cheap, if you aren't careful you could find your guests going through lots of this and the price can add up quite quickly. That's where the Thornberry comes in. While it looks perfectly edible in theory, you'll find the spikes on the jelly are actually harder than they look and you won't want to take a second bite, and hopefully neither will your guests. And as for explaining why there's only half? Just mention that's how they eat it in Jelly World; this will spark the inevitable debate over its existence and people will forget about the jelly completely and with a bit of luck you'll be able to save some for next year.

Suggestion #10 – Haystack Potato Chips

These are a great choice; not only do they look amazing, they look so amazing no one will want to touch them for fear of being the one to ruin the display and bring attention to themselves. But just in case this could happen, feel free to push them to the back of the table where you would have to lean over other food and earn disapproving looks from other guests to reach them.

Suggestion #11 – Rock Waffle

No Neopets birthday party would be complete without a delicacy from the most recently discovered land, Moltara. Show off your knowledge of the land when serving this dish by making up random facts about Moltara and enjoy as your guests stare in awe at your adventurousness. Make your tales as crazy as you like; if your guests seemed excited to try the Rock Waffle, they've clearly never been to Moltara before, so your secrets will be safe. Well, safer than your guests' teeth anyway.

And there you have it, 11 of the perfect party foods that can be found at bargain prices and yet your guests will leave with the impression that you've spent a small fortune on your party and will rave about it for weeks to come.

Just don't forget to practice that innocent face of yours the next day when someone mentions they're not feeling too good and think they may have eaten some out of date chocolate recently...