#vanblockparty

[vanblockparty]

Not sure what to take to the block party, but love gardening? Considering bringing seedlings or your extra crops (everyone has too much kale in their garden, right?) to share with your neighbours!

In addition to spreading the gardening love, it can act as a great conversation starter and an excuse to learn more about your neighbours.

You can also find other ways to start a conversation and how to host a block party in this TV clip with Riaz from Breakfast Television!

[vanblockparty]

One way of starting a conversation at a block party is to talk about where you’ve lived, or maybe even where you want to go.

Consider buying a map of Vancouver, Canada or the world for your block party and inviting everyone to mark down the places where they’ve lived. Use dot stickers for everyone to mark their different houses with their initiates, and then use post it notes for everyone to share the story of how they ended up on your current block.

While some of your neighbours may have come from far away, you may find that others have lived in nearly every neighbourhood in Vancouver! 

[vanblockparty]

Did you know that as you start to plan your block party, you’ll need to reach out to your neighbours and have them sign a form to show their support? This form will be required when applying for a permit to close your street.

We can help make this easier for you. While you’re going door-to-door, take copies of this invitation from the City's Block Party website. The form will help you invite and inform your neighbours, and help you gather some volunteers! 

[vanblockparty]

If you're a shutterbug and want to get creative with name tags, how about making nametags for each of your neighbours with a photo of the house they live in?

This way, you can start putting a face to a name, and it can also be a handy conversation starter.

That neighbour down the way who just painted their house – now you know just who it is! Or maybe you’ve been admiring another neighbour’s rose bush – now you can strike up a conversation by starting it with a compliment. 

[vanblockparty]

We just wanted to mention that we're on Pinterest now! Go and have a look: http://pinterest.com/vancityhall

On Pinterest, we've also started a Block Party board to collect more tips and tricks related to block parties. Just ask us if you want to help add pins to it, or tag us in one of the pictures on our board with your request. We'll add you! Wahoo!

[cityofvancouver]

Today we're happy to share that the City of Vancouver has a new block party blog on Tumblr! Have a look to find great tips and recipes to help you plan your parties, and check back all summer long to see the range of fine block parties that happen in our city. 

Go forth and party: http://vanblockparty.tumblr.com/

[vanblockparty]

Here's a wonderful pasta salad that's a perfect side dish at your block party. City employee Amanda made it one day for staff - we can testify that it's delicious!

Caprese Pasta Salad

Caprese salads bring to mind the warm air, beautiful light and flavourful food of Italy.  This simple salad brings together those flavours for a great dish that can be served cold at a potluck or heated for a main course. 

Ingredients

1 pound of pasta (I like to use a fancy shape like farfalle or bicycle shaped pasta)

1 tub of mini bocconcini (or 1 large ball of buffalo mozzarella diced)

1 tub of cherry tomatoes

1 bunch of fresh basil

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper 

Method

 Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, then add the pasta

 While the pasta is cooking, half the tomatoes and the bocconcini. Then chop the basil.

Once the pasta is al dente, drain the water and cool it with cold water.

Toss the pasta with olive oil, then add the vinegar, red pepper flakes, basil, tomatoes and bocconcini.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Add more oil or vinegar if needed.   

[vanblockparty]

Looking for a simple appetizer to punch up your Vancouver block party? We’ve got a crowd-pleaser kindly submitted by Amanda, one of our City employees! 

Cousin Vik’s Tea Party Sandwiches

Every summer my cousin Vikki throws a fabulous tea party in her backyard.  It is filled with hats, extreme croquet and plates of sweets. This is her recipe for cucumber sandwiches that are so simple yet so fancy and very delicious.

Ingredients

1 baguette

1 tub of cream cheese 

1 long English cucumber, sliced on an angle

Fresh mint

Fresh ground pepper

Salt

Method

Slice your baguette into slices about 1” thick

Spread cream cheese on each slice of bread

Add one or two slices of cucumber to each piece of bread

Salt and pepper your slices

Finish it off with a leaf or two of fresh mint, and enjoy!