African American foods are one of my particular interests (many years in Mississippi) so I am happy to tell you there are about a dozen really good cookbooks, some of which also have detailed explanations of the holidays and celebrations associated with the foods. You might ought to add some sweet potatoes and stewed okra with tomatoes if it is fall/winter; sliced tomatoes, corn and garden such if it is summer. I never sat down to a table with less than four or five vegetables, not just greens, for a big dinner.

Non-alcoholic Iced Tea Punch
Serves 30-40
20 tea bags (regular size) OR 4 quart size tea bags
20 cups water
6 cups sugar

Make tea in regular manner. Add the 6 cups of sugar while tea is hot. When cool, add:

1 large can unsweetened pineapple juice
1 large can frozen orange juice (16 oz.)
1 cup fresh lemon juice
2 qts. ginger ale

Mix well and put in tightly closed bottles or plastic cartons in refrigerator. Will keep several weeks if tightly closed.

5 lb. ham
5 lb. turkey
5 lb. cheddar cheese
5 lb. colby jack cheese

45 pounds total of carrots, cauliflower, celery and zucchini

36 pounds of grapes and strawberries

14 pounds of crackers
9 pounds of pretzels

28 pounds of vegetable dip

5 lbs. of mixed nuts
9 pounds of olives

200 bottles of water
25 gallons of fruit punch
80 individual juice boxes

This is WAY beyond our budget or ability to prepare and serve. We just want to have a nice, simple wedding reception with a few things besides cake and punch. HELP!

You need more like 35 pounds minimum sliced deli meats and 20 pounds sliced and cubed cheeses for sandwiches for 150 people.

I suggest you get every one you know who cooks, baking and freezing all the cookies and bars they are willing to make, so you have 4-6 cookies per person. Then order the cake and have coffee and a simple punch. Get your friends and relatives to pass the word around that it is just cake and punch.

There will be few if any pictures after the ceremony. We will simply walk from one part of the church to the other. There are no professional photographers. I do NOT want to serve sandwiches for 150 people. I was hoping to do a cheese and meat cube tray for the adults, and a fruit and veggie tray with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and oreo type cookies for the 40 or so children who are part of the 150 total.