How to Host a Hoedown

How to Host a Hoedown
By: Phoebe Archibald
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How to Host a Hoedown
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Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................................... iii
What is a Hoedown? ..................................................................................................................................... v
Let’s Get Started ........................................................................................................................................... 3
When should you host a Hoedown? ..................................................................................................... 3
Where should you host a Hoedown? .................................................................................................... 3
Yer Mama’s food and other such blessings ................................................................................................... 7
Meats…………………….……................................................................................................................ 7
Sides…………………………….............................................................................................................. 8
How to serve sides fresh....................................................................................................................... 8
Desserts……………………….. ............................................................................................................... 9
How to keep your desserts delectable .................................................................................................. 9
The Food is Made, Now What?.. ............................................................................................................ 10
Seating ................................................................................................................................................ 10
Time to Eat!................................ ............................................................................................................ 11
Just in case you forgot what to do ...................................................................................................... 11
Boot Scootin’ Boogie.................................................................................................................................. 15
How to pick your country twang ............................................................................................................ 15
Teach yourself and your guests how to boogie, country style. ............................................................... 16
5 Easy to Learn Line Dances.............................................................................................................. 16
The Music........................................................................................................................................... 16
Instructional Videos ........................................................................................................................... 16
Gimme S’more Decor ................................................................................................................................. 18
How to put up the Lights ............................................................................................................................ 18
Globe Lights ....................................................................................................................................... 18
Christmas Lights ................................................................................................................................ 18
Tiki Torches ....................................................................................................................................... 18
How to make Hanging Mason Jar Candles............................................................................................. 19
What you need.................................................................................................................................... 19
Instructions ......................................................................................................................................... 19
How to Tips for Decorating……. ........................................................................................................... 20
Use Boots ........................................................................................................................................... 20
Make Signs ......................................................................................................................................... 20
Now You Are Done .................................................................................................................................... 21
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Introduction
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What is a Hoedown?
A Hoedown is a country western party. It is usually
accompanied by typical food, folk dancing, and hillbilly
music of the Southwestern region of the USA. It is a
wonderful type of party enjoyed by every age group.
This manual will guide
you step by step on how
to host a perfect
Hoedown. Complete
with illustrations,
suggestions, and special
recipes! This manual
guarantees a successful
Hoedown.
Let’s Get Started
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Let’s Get Started
When should you host a Hoedown?
Hoedowns are best outside, and in nice weather. While it depends on your location, the best
months to host Hoedowns are in late-March thru mid-November. The most popular months are
July and September. If you choose a winter month you risk guests leaving early because of the
cold weather.
Where should you host a Hoedown?
Hoedowns are usually at ranches or farms. If you are a city slicker do not let this disappoint you.
All you need is a park with enough room to stretch and dance! Just make sure the Hoedown is
outside.
Yer Mama’s Food and Other Such
Blessings
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Yer Mama’s food and other such blessings
Dig deep and find your Southern roots
Before you start bakin’ you need to decide what you are makin’.
This section lists popular Hoedown foods and three unique recipes.
Meats
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Hamburgers and hotdogs
Brisket
Pulled pork
Grilled chicken
Sausage
Note: You can cook any meat country style if you just add barbecue sauce.
How to prepare and serve meat
Option 1:
1. Purchase meat 1 week before
the party.
2. Store in freezer.
3. Store in refrigerator 2 days
before the party.
4. Cook meat 1 day before the
party.
5. Reheat meat in oven at 200 F
for 1 hour before the party.
6. Keep meat in oven until it is
ready to serve.
Option 2:
1. Repeat steps 1-4 in option 1.
2. Keep meats warm in crock pots
or buffet servers.
You may also cook the meat in
the crockpot.
Ozark Barbecue Sauce
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½ cup butter
½ cup light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon lemon juice
3 drops Tabasco sauce
14 ounces of ketchup
2 tablespoons chili sauce
2 garlic cloves
1 onion finely chopped
Directions
Melt butter in large sauce pan then add remaining
ingredients. Stir constantly and simmer at medium heat
for 15 minutes. Serve immediately or store in a lightly
closed jar. Sauce can be stored for up to 1 week in the
refrigerator or up to 2 years in the freezer.
Makes 6 cups.
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Sides
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Sweet potato salad
Mashed potatoes
Green bean casserole
Baked beans
Squash casserole
Fried okra
How to serve sides fresh
Sides should be made the day of the Hoedown. With limited cooking time and limited space for
cooking it’s important to know how to properly utilize timing with your cooking. With sides,
especially starchy foods like mashed potatoes, they can become dry. Here are some how to tips
and steps to keep your sides fresh for the party.
Mama’s Squash Casserole
6 Steps to keep your sides fresh
1. Store your potatoes in room temperature.
Refrigeration turns potatoes sour.
2. Sprinkle lime and lemon juice on fruits to keep
them tasting fresh and vibrate.
3. Keep rolls, bread, and pastry in air tight
containers or bags.
4. Place dull and weepy raw vegetables in ice water
for 10 minutes to restore their fresh
deliciousness.
5. Wrap cut onion, tomatoes, and other toppings for
burgers in paper towels.
6. Keep cheese separate from high moisture foods.
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2 pounds of squash, sliced.
1 small onion, chopped.
Salt & pepper for taste
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 can (11 ounces) can of
un-diluted cream of
chicken soup.
1 carton (8 ounces) of sour
cream.
2 tablespoons pimento,
chopped.
½ cup melted butter
1 package (8 ounces) of
seasoned stuffing mix.
Directions
How to keep casseroles warm.
Cook and store casseroles in porcelain dishes. Glass
or metal dishes cool faster than porcelain.
Sauté all of the vegetables with 1
tablespoon butter in a large skillet
on medium heat for 20 minutes.
After that, mix all the ingredients
together. Butter a casserole dish
and fill it with the ingredients.
Bake at 375 F for 30 minutes.
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Desserts
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Banana Pudding
Apple Pie
Sweet Potato & Pecan Pie
Brownies
Peach Cobbler
Home style Banana Pudding
How to keep your desserts delectable
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Prepare desserts one day before the Hoedown.
Place a slice of bread with cookies/brownies.
Cover pies/cobblers/puddings with foil and store
them in the refrigerator.
Reheat pies/cobblers at 200 F, one-hour before
the Hoedown.
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¾ cup granulated sugar
Dash of salt
2 cups milk
35 vanilla wafers
3 tablespoons flour
4 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
5-6 medium size, fully ripe bananas, sliced.
Directions
Combine flour, salt, and ½ cup sugar in top of
double boiler. Mix in 1 whole egg and 3 egg yolks.
Stir in milk. Cook, uncovered, over boiling water,
stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from
heat; add vanilla. Spread small amount on bottom
of 1 ½ quart casserole dish; cover with layer of
vanilla wafers. Top with a layer of sliced bananas.
Pour about ½ of custard over bananas. Continue to
layer wafers, bananas and custard. Beat remaining
3 egg whites stiff but not dry; gradually add
remaining ¼ cup sugar and beat until mixture
forms stiff peaks. Pile on top of the pudding.
Cover the entire surface. Bake at 425 F for 5
minutes or until delicately browned. Serve warm
or chilled.
Don’t let your desserts spoil!
Limit the number of desserts that need to be chilled.
Such as ice cream. Do not worry about hot desserts;
such as pies and cobblers. They usually handle the
warm weather well. They may cool down but will still
taste yummy. Cookies and brownies are the best
desserts. They love the outdoors, children, and hot
weather.
Makes 8 servings.
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The Food is Made, Now What?
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Use a large table or multiple tables to serve food.
Serve buffet style
Find decorations for serving tables and eating area
Use
a long table for dining.
Seating
Use haystacks for
additional seating.
Don’t forget to use
covers on the
haystacks so your
guests don’t get
prickles in their bums.
Or
use several small tables.
Remember!
Hoedowns are country style.
Seating does not need to be
fancy. Pull out the dusty rocking
chair from the attic, the stump
from the fallen tree, and even
the chair with three legs (but
only if you love practical jokes.)
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Time to Eat!
Who needs bullet points for that?
Just in case you forgot what to do
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Prepare meats and desserts the day before the Hoedown.
Prepare side dishes the morning of the Hoedown.
Follow the “How to” guidelines to keep your food fresh.
Make plenty of food.
Serve the food on a large table buffet style.
Don’t put a lock on the cookie jar.
Prepare foodServe foodEat food
Boot Scootin’ Boogie
Chapter 3
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.
How to pick your country twang
Three options to provide music for your party.
Where you can find Djs.
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Thumbtack.com
Gigmasters.com
Outlawcountrydjs.com
1. Hire a DJ
2. Purchase your own library of country music
3. Use a free online resource
Djs are the best option if you want
a fantastic musical environment
but their hiring price is $300$2000 per event.
If you don’t want to spend the bucks…
Where to purchase your
country music.
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iTunes.com
Amazon.com
Purecountrymusic.com
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Pandora.com
Spotify.com
Itunes.com
These three websites offer free music with hundreds of selections!
The only catch is that you better have Wifi or some other form of
internet connection. Otherwise, you’ll have a quiet evening.
If you really love country music
purchasing your own library of
country music is for you.
However, it limits the variety of
your music. This option works
best for picky music listeners.
Note: DJs bring their own equipment and sound system to
parties. If you choose not to hire a DJ you need to make
sure you have a good speaker system for the music.
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Now you got yer country twang…
…better get yer dancin’ boots on.
Teach yourself and your guests how to boogie, country style.
5 Easy to Learn
Line Dances
The Music
Instructional Videos
Cotton Eye Joe by Rednex or
Isaac Sweat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWDoxwDBdu8
Electric Boogie by Marcia
Griffiths.Tuff Enuff by The
Fabulous Thunderbirds. That’s
The Way by The Sunshine Band.
Sharp Dressed Man by ZZ Top.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylFRT_p7pdc
Boot Scootin’ Boogie by Brooks
and Dunn.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTZ4Xec9XKU
Goodtime by Alan Jackson.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs5f8CYyLBo
Hurts So Good by John Cougar.
She Loves My Car by Ronnie
Milsap. Cowboy Love by John
Montgomery.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg-YpbysuqE
Cotton Eye Joe
The Electric Slide
Boot Scootin’
Boogie
Goodtime
Tush Push
Don’t forget to dance the
Texas Two Step or the Half-Step.
to your favorite country song.
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Gimme S’more Décor
Gimme18S’more Decor
How to put up the Lights
Every Hoedown really begins when the sun goes down and the moon shines bright.
You may start dancing before sunset but I guarantee you will continue dancing into
the long hours of the evening. Here are some lighting options that you may want to use.
Christmas Lights
Globe Lights
1. Purchase at least a 15 foot strand of 2 inch
globe lights or 12 foot strand of Christmas
lights.
2. Use globe lights around the eating area. They
provide better light than other decorative
lighting.
3. Use Christmas lights solely for decoration
purposes. They do not provide good lighting.
4. Do not connect more than three strands of
lights together.
Tiki Torches
1. Purchase tiki torches and tiki torch
oil at your local supermarket.
2. Place the tiki torches into the
ground around the perimeter of the
dancing area.
3. Fill the torch container halfway
with oil.
4. Do not light the wick until sunset.
These torches provide light while
warding off mosquitos. It is a very
convenient option to prevent swollen
and itchy bumps on your skin.
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How to make
Hanging Mason Jar Candles
What you need
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Mason jars
24-gauge craft wire (26 inches per jar)
Craft sand
Pliers
Votive candle
Instructions
1. Clean each Mason jar with hot water. Let each jar air-dry.
2. Use pliers to cut 36 inches of the craft wire for each jar.
3. Wrap the cut wire around the top of the jar, just beneath the threads.
Note: You should have two ends to the wire. One end wraps
around the jar clockwise and the other end wraps around the jar
counter-clockwise.
4. Leave 8 inches of each end of the wire unwound around the jar.
5. Use the pliers to twist the two ends together.
6. Form the twist into a wire loop.
7. Pour 1-2 inches of craft sand into the jar.
8. Place a votive candle in the sand.
9. Hang the lanterns on branches or at designated hanging areas.
10. Light the candles at sunset.
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Or just use the candles for table décor.
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How to Tips for Decorating
1. Make invitations to match the Hoedown color/theme.
2. Wrap silverware in bandanas instead of napkins
3. Create paper cones to hold finger snacks like popcorn
or chips.
4. Use wildflowers to spruce up any place mat.
5. Put drinks in a vintage container instead of a cooler.
Use Boots
Boot decorations are always a good option for
Hoedown décor. You can never go overboard.
Make Signs
Signs add personality but they also direct your guests to
the campfire, barn, outhouse, etc…
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Now You Are Done
You have all the tools you need to successfully host a hoedown. Now, git yer bootstraps on and start preparin’
the fun.
Index
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Index
Powerful, 3
Professionally, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15,
16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24