Elaborate themed parties are specialty
Larry and Bubbie (Barbara) Czelatdko say that when they entertain, the best part of any event is when laughter pours out of their Cedarburg home.
“For us, entertaining it is not only about the foods we prepare, but the mood we set, the entertainment we offer, the specialty drinks we create and the table settings we design,” said Bubbie.
“Larry and I enjoy entertaining our family and friends with festive themed parties. We also love to try out new recipes on them. They are always up for whatever ideas we come up with and everybody really gets into the themes that we present,” she added.
To help get things going, Bubbie said she often gives guests tasks to do in advance that relate to games that will be played. And it’s not unusual for her to drop off clothing for them to wear at the events.
An example is their yearly “Cinco de Mayo Celebration at Casa Czelatdko.”
This year, she said, “Larry and I decorated every room of our home with beautiful Mexican décor, stringing papel picado banners from the ceiling, using festive Mexican dishware and serving Mexican cuisine.
“A week before the party, I dropped off sombreros and serapes at each guest’s door and encouraged them to augment their outfits however they liked. Guests arrived dressed as bullfighters, folk dancers, pretty senoritas and humble peasant workers.”
At that event the menu included guacamole, black bean soup, pan de muertos (day of the dead bread), watermelon salad, shredded chicken pockets, steak fajitas, Mexican sour cream rice, flan with strawberry sauce, chili chocolate cupcakes with chili cream cheese frosting, polvorones (Mexican cookies), sangria and kahlua Mexi coffee.
“I shared the history of the Battle of Pueblo, The Day of the Dead and the reason we celebrate Cinco de Mayo. I also built a “Dia de los Muertos” altar. Guests also learned about Mexican artist Frida Kahlo and her relationship with muralist Diego Rivera,” she said.
“When Bubbie gives information like she did for that the Cinco de Mayo party, our guests know they have to pay attention because there will be a quiz at the end of the party,” added Larry.
Another favorite event is their yearly Halloween “Boo Bash Celebration.”
“Every room is decorated with witches, skeletons, ghouls and spider webs,” she said. “We set up a cemetery in one corner of the family room, which includes gravestones, pumpkins, rats, crows, black cats, skulls and a tree that lights up and has moving branch arms that try to grab you when you walk by.
“We rename our recipes to make it more fun, like muffin monsters and hot dog mummy wraps,” she said.
The couple said that sometimes when they entertain they cook for their adult children, Danny and Katie, and their granddaughter, Peyton. For those, there aren’t themes; they focus on making favorite family dishes.
Other parties might include anywhere from eight to 200 guests, and there’s almost always a theme.
One of their favorite groups to entertain is a group of eight friends.
“We call ourselves the clique of 10. We have all been friends since our kids were in T-ball together over 34 years ago,” said Bubbie. “We all have so much fun and everybody has a crazy sense of humor.” They we get together about once a month.
They also have themed parties two to three times a year for 10 to 12 and about once a year the number jumps to 35 or 40.
When they both celebrated their 40th birthdays, about 200 people filled their home and large backyard for a pig roast.
“We had someone come out and roast two pigs and 25 chickens,” said Larry. “We had a deejay and a porta potty. We invited all the neighbors, too, so they wouldn’t get mad at us because of all the noise.”
The couple recently talked about their parties and how much fun they are. Q: How did your themed parties start? Bubbie: We’re both retired now. Larry worked as a steamfitter then later a cement finisher. I worked as a life enhancement coach at an assisted living facility, and I had to have parties for the residents. I got a lot of ideas when I was doing that with residents.
Q: When you have themed parties, where do you find your recipes?
Bubbie: I get them from recipe books, but I’ve also asked friends for recipes that would be good.
Q: Do you keep information on each themed event?
Bubbie: I make a scrapbook for each party that has pictures, the menu and recipes.
Q: Where do you keep all your accent pieces? Bubbie: I have them packed in about 100 Rubbermaid containers in the basement.
Q: What are the cuisines you specialize in? Bubbie: Anything German. I have family recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation. They have little side notes written in the hand of great- grandmas who knew no English. Later generations translated them into American versions.
I have recipes for sauerkraut and spareribs, beef rouladen, potato pancakes, schaum torte, poppy seed orange cake, spätzle, fried potato dumplings and kuchen. Larry makes really good Italian dishes. Q: What are your signature dishes? Bubbie: Brown sugar sauerkraut with spareribs, shrimp salad and banana split torte. Larry: Chicken piccata with capers, grilled potato a la Larry and tiramisu. Also homemade pizza, spätzle and linguine with clam sauce. Bubbie: Larry also makes up his own signature cocktails for all our themed parties.
Q: Buffet vs. sit-down dinners? Larry: We love to do both. Buffets offer your guests the opportunity to survey the selection and take only what they want. The host and hostess can set up the buffet and then join the party. Guests can feel free to go back as often as they like for more.
Bubbie: Sit-down dinners offer the opportunity to set a pretty table using colorful dishware and linens. You also can offer courses that everyone receives, allowing guests to try new things. But for sit-down meals the host must bring courses to the table and clear dishes as you go, so they do miss some of the conversation.
Q: Do you cook everything or do you ever have potlucks?
Bubbie: When my guests ask if they can bring something to a party, I usually give them a specific item that I know may be lacking. That way I don’t double up. If I know that I’m going to have more than enough food or I am serving a meal with a theme, I might say, "Just bring your appetites."
If I am having a huge backyard party, I am not shy about asking guests to bring a dish for 10 to 12 and keep a running list of what they offer to bring so I get a fair amount in each category.
Q: What are some other themed parties you’ve had?
Bubbie: In 2000, we had a Millennium Blast Celebration to welcome in the new century. Our color scheme was black and gold and I glitzed it up by using a gold lame tablecloth with tons of white candles of every size and shape running down the middle of the table. The flickering candlelight reflected off of the lame and all of the glassware and made the table look like it was actually glowing.
My daughter and her friend acted as our servers for a formal sit-down dinner for 12. Larry created a signature drink called “The Millennium Blast Martini,” which contained vodka and Goldschlager with goldsparkled sugar rimmed on the glass.
We made a time capsule that we’ll open in three years, and Larry made a huge plywood sign with lights and the year 2000 and lit it in our backyard as the clock struck midnight.
We also had a Chinese New Year celebration and I asked everyone to come dressed in traditional Chinese clothing. Everyone was dressed in silk pajamas, kimonos, karate gis and one couple even went so far as to rent exquisite brocade outfits.