If you’re planning a bridal shower, you want to make it a relaxing, fun time for everyone – and right at the center of the fun is good food. Here are some time-saving tips and recipes from the Simply Organic test kitchen to help you get the food under control and host a simple but sensational shower for the bride.

• Have each guest bring a dessert or appetizer and share the recipes with the new bride.
• Provide great-tasting, nutritious snacks that also go easy on artificial additives, salt, fat, sugar and other potentially unhealthy ingredients.
• For enticing, freshly made dips without fuss, use high quality organic dip mixes. Just add a creamy dill, French onion, guacamole or ranch dip mix to equal parts low-fat cottage cheese and non-fat plain yogurt and mix in a blender until smooth.
• Take easy-to-prepare favorites and dress them up. Try distinctive seasoning blends like curry or Italian seasoning. A seasoned sugar combination like lemon sugar or cinnamon sugar will add a gourmet touch to your tea. Or add a touch of a spice like tarragon or a chili powder seasoning blend to your usual deviled eggs, and you’ll instantly have something out of the ordinary.