Entertaining Tips

Easy Entertaining Ideas

Here are some tips that will make your next gathering even more special:

• Think about hiring a caterer if planning, shopping, and cooking processes are confusing to you.
• Cleaning up after the fact is everyone’s least favorite part of entertaining. Here’s a solution: use disposable glassware and tableware.
• Make a list and check it twice! It sounds so simple, but many of us don’t create a shopping list and stick to it, which leads to wasted time in crowded stores and stressful overspending.
• Keep a special "gift" notebook where you can write down the names of the people you need to shop for, as well as their hobbies, sizes or favorite stores, and record inspiring gift ideas as they pop in your head.
• Throughout the week before you plan to entertain, try to eat up all of the food and leftovers in your refrigerator. Toss out any old, unfinished jars of sour cream, dried chunks of cheese, half-eaten containers of yogurt, etc. By doing so you will accomplish two things. First, it will be easier to find the ingredients you need to prepare a meal for your guests. Second, any guests peeking in your refrigerator will be impressed by how neat and uncluttered it looks.
• I like to organize my pantry starting with cuisine. If you have four or five main ingredients you can make three main dishes without shopping.
• Having the table set ahead of the guests' arrival to a sit down dinner makes them feel expected and welcome; it also saves you last-minute stress and scrambling.
• If you can't set the table ahead, assemble the items you'll need in a large plastic storage bin. Include ironed linens and place cards so that, if need be, someone else can set up for you without much direction.
• If you don't have a floral centerpiece, choose something thematically linked to the occasion or to your guest's interests. A cluster of interesting collectibles, pretty non-scented candles, or even a cluster of wild mushrooms can be eye-catching.
• Another striking idea for the centre of the table is to display the dessert, a selection of cheeses to be served after dinner, or even a cascade of fabulous chocolates.
• Buffet is the easiest way to serve a meal to a crowd. One way to make your buffet attractive is to drape lovely linens over risers of various heights set on the table so that the food is dramatically presented at different levels.
• Also key to hosting an elegant buffet party is to make sure that the food is replenished often so that it remains fresh and attractive looking.
• The easiest way to set up a buffet is on a freestanding, long table so that two lines of guests can be serving themselves at once. Alternatively, a round table arranged with starters and subsequent courses set out in a clockwise pattern will work well for smaller groups.
• Get your guests involved. Even if it's simply helping to pour drinks, helping to serve the appetizers or lighting the candles on the table, this gets them involved in the meal.
• Keep your entertaining simple and you'll be surprised what a wonderful and unforgettable time you and your guests will have. If you're not skilled at preparing braised lamb with roasted avocado salad or simply don't have the time, try something faster and easier. Try decorating the table with paper Italian flags and scatter colorful dried pasta across a white tablecloth. Play a Dean Martin CD, prepare a huge pot of spaghetti, and put the garlic bread in the oven to broil. Voila-you're having your first fabulous dinner party.
• To accommodate a larger gathering, look into renting. It is very affordable to rent for a few additional chairs or a long table. A punch fountain is a fun accent that's available at rental stores.
• Have your music selected in a stack in advance or in a multi-disc player.
• Napkins are more than just functional. Learn a new napkin fold for an elegant table accent.
• Get your children to help out by serving food or checking coats. They feel a part of the fun and might make some extra pocket change in the process. Another option is to hire a neighbor's child.
• To create conversation starters, place questions on cards under plates or inside place cards.
• For a more interesting table, use usual things in unusual ways such as a child's inflatable water ring to hold plates, a birdhouse feeder to hold napkins, and clay pots to hold bread.
• Enjoy yourself! If you're calm, relaxed and having a good time, your guests are likely to, too.
• For smaller gatherings, it's nice to send your guests home with a memento of the evening. A recipe attached to a main ingredient of the meal or a poem with rose petals are thoughtful gifts.