The challenge: Host a high school graduation party for 150 people on a budget.

First step: Call the grad's favorite chain, just to see. $350 to serve 50.

We love you, chain, but -- no.

So we devised a Pittsburgh party menu: Rigatoni, fried chicken, salad, the biggest cake we could find.

And knot roll sandwiches, at the suggestion of the nice lady at our local supermarket bakery. Just slice the rolls, which are about the size of the palm of your hand, stuff with ham or turkey, skewer with a fancy toothpick.

Serve with sides, which in our case were red and orange pepper slices, sliced Swiss and provolone cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, mayo and two kinds of mustard.

We could've saved more by buying the lunch meats at a big-box store, but didn't like the quality. So at the grocery deli we spent $3.99 per pound for ham, turkey and provolone on sale, and $4.99 per pound for Swiss, using about two pounds of each.

For salad, we found three big fluffy heads of leaf lettuce at the farmers market for $1 apiece and picked up 8 pounds of hothouse tomatoes for $10. We had zucchini from the previous week's market; I don't recall the price but it was cheap, cheap, cheap.

The rigatoni and sauce we bought at a sale a month ago, $1 per jar and $1 per pound, for about $15 total.

I wasn't about to fry chicken but we'd had some excellent stuff at a recent Scout dinner and got the name of the supermarket. It was $74.99 for 72 pieces, picked up piping hot an hour before the party.

I made the pasta on Friday before the Sunday event and put it in the basement fridge. On Saturday, I cooked 7 pounds of ground meat ($16) and mixed it with the sauce and pasta, and froze it in 9-by-12-inch pans. It made three pans plus. Topped with shredded provolone ($9.99 for a 5-pound bag) before being popped in the oven an hour before guests were served, the rigatoni was a hit.

We saved on pop, beer and water by hitting sales or big-box stores. Chairs were had gratis from a local funeral home (just return them unscathed, please) and four 6-foot banquet tables were $32.

Concerned about too much sun in one place in our yard, I inquired about renting a tent. The smallest was $250.

Uh, no again.

But while out doing errands, we buzzed by a yard sale and I saw a patio umbrella. Husband braked, we turned around and nabbed a round plastic table, six chairs, umbrella and a stand (beat up, but who cares) for $1.

With a couple of different cleaners and some elbow grease, they were respectable.

With Team Shrum (two adults, three teens) pulling together, we decluttered, cleaned, prepped, cooked, and then partied.

Counting incidentals -- table covers, paper plates and plastic tableware, cups, and a dozen helium balloons -- we dropped about $500, or about $3.33 per person.

But, most of all, having kind and generous friends and family together on a flawless, sunny Sunday afternoon to send off the grad and his fellow classmates of 2009 . . .

What does that commercial say?

Priceless.

Mary Alice Gettings, who with Cindy Javor wrote the Nutrition Q&A column for the PG until a few years ago, has been named 2009 Outstanding Dietitian by the Pennsylvania Dietetic Assocation. The award is given to a person who has shown excellent leadership and who has a long history of dedication to the organization and the public.

Ms. Gettings, of Cranberry, is nutrition and food safety educator for the Penn State Cooperative Service in Beaver and Butler counties.

She is also past president of the Pittsburgh Dietetic Association and immediate past chair of the Nutrition in Complementary Care Dietetic Practice Group of the American Dietetic Association. She also has been a board member of the American Heart and American Diabetes associations and mentors dietetic students.

Eat'n Park is celebrating its 60th anniversary through July 11 with an "Eat'n Park Rocks" campaign. It includes a Scratch'n Win Sweepstakes with 500,000 prizes and rewards (includes drawings for $10,000, Southwest Airlines tickets and a trip to Aruba) and appearances by Smiley, the chain's mascot, and giveaways at restaurants. For details on Smiley's appearances, go to eatnparkrocks.com.

The second Northern Allegheny Food & Wine Classic will be held from 5:30 to 9 p.m. June 25 at the Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Center, Ross.

More than a dozen area restaurants will participate, and beer and more than 15 wines will be offered for tasting. Also: wine education, live music and a silent auction.

Tickets are $45 if purchased by today; $55 afterward and at the door. Call 724-934-9700 or go to naccc.com. Proceeds benefit the Northern Allegheny County Chamber of Commerce's education fund.

Holy Dormition church, 12 Washington Ave., Oakmont, will hold its Greek food festival June 26-28. Hours: 5 to 11 p.m. June 26; 4 to 11 p.m. June 27; 2 to 11 p.m. June 28.

McGinnis Sisters, Monroeville, will hold its annual potato salad contest at noon June 27. Bring 5 pounds of your favorite recipe to the store. Judging concludes at 1 p.m. The winner will receive a $50 gift certificate and a 10-pound bag of potatoes. Registration deadline is June 24. Call 412-858-7000, ext. 7.

Winebow Inc. will hold its annual spring tasting of 50 new vintage and summer wines from Italy, Spain, South America and Portugal from 4 to 6 p.m. June 25 at Tusca Global Tapas, South Side Works. Tusca will provide tapas. $25 per person. Limited attendance. Call Tusca at 412-488-9000.