Baby Shower Ideas

Thank you to everyone who responded!!! I loved every one of these ideas, and now it's going to be really difficult to narrow it down to one... okay, maybe two... okay, I may have to throw more than one baby shower ;).

These are really the best - and maybe you could cut out the dough using a small leaf shape, or acorn shape - I use all sorts of jam flavors with these - yellow, orange and even cherry jams would carry through the theme of fall leaf colors: https://food52.com/recipes/8010-fig-and-blue-cheese-savouries

I have made these: https://food52.com/recipes/14656-little-mushroom-pinwheels
by IPK. They are a snap to put together, and are very very popular with the crowd. You can make the dough in advance and store as a log, then defrost and slice on party day. Also using puff pastry, these little items are whimsical little things and you can use all sorts of fillings. https://food52.com/recipes/15280-binocular-bites-roasted-tomato-blue-cheese-and-dried-fig-manchego-cheese

I LOVE HalfPint's idea of gougere! I make them with gorgonzola and sage, gruyere and thyme, white cheddar and dill/chives, pecorino/Parmigiano and cracked pepper, feta and rosemary....so versatile and so comforting. Here's a recipe: http://yummysupper.blogspot.com/2010/08/tartines-gougeres.html. It states 5 eggs, but often (especially if you live in a dry environment) it requires a bit more.

The same cheese/herb concept translates really well into biscuits too...especially for little biscuit sliders! You could bake crackers or a savory shortbread rounds and top them with all sorts of ingredients like roasted mushrooms, tapenade, smoked salmon, caprese, etc. Puff pastry also makes a good medium for finger foods.

A few things that I've done for various showers/open house/etc. that have been well received are...
- Antipasta skewers (which can, incidentally, double as Bloody Mary garnishes)
- Hummus (tossing in some chipotle in adobo sauce will make it a lovely orange hue) and crudites
- Mini quiche (And heck no, I don't make them myself! I do opt for pre-made convenience on these babies.)
- Sweet potato chips (particularly autumnal, don't 'cha think?)

I love all things sweet potatoes, and Smitten Kitchen has me roasting rounds and topping them bruschetta-like. It doesn't take too much effort and the longest part is the roasting. The salad can be made the day before as well.

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2010/11/sweet-potatoes-with-pecans-and-goat-cheese/

My sister recently through a shower for my cousin and did a waffle bar. It was a huge success, although that was a bit more labor-intensive. You would have to recruit several waffle irons from family and friends, prepare various toppings (sweet and savory!) as well as the batter (regular, cornbread (YUM), multigrain...) It was a lot of fun, but again, it took time.

Good luck!

Gougeres are pretty good year -round and nice finger food for any party. It lends itself nicely to the autumn-themed shower.