| I have dinner parties usually once every other week, | | | | time. So you have a few choices: |
| sometimes moreoften. So I have some useful | | | | - Call your favorite restaurant and order a few sides |
| suggestions and tips to help you preparefor your next | | | | (for the aboveexample, that could be the bread and |
| dinner party; and help decrease your stress so that | | | | sauce for the bread, possibly thedessert) |
| you canenjoy the party as well. That statement right | | | | - Look at the grocery store, you are going to buy |
| there is one that we, ashosts, often forget. It is just as | | | | packaged pasta and jarsauce. Try to buy the best. |
| important that the guests enjoythemselves as it is for | | | | - Make a nice dinner salad, instead of cutting it all up |
| you to enjoy yourself. In the end, your guests willmost | | | | yourself, theynow have packaged salads. There are |
| likely naturally have a good time if you are having a | | | | many varieties of packaged salad tochoose from. |
| nice time aswell. | | | | - Call a catering company - if you have no time to |
| The first key to a successful dinner party is the menu | | | | cook, but want thedinner party, call the caterer. No one |
| and theme. Now,before you try to out do yourself, we | | | | has to know but you. Catering doesgenerally need to |
| need to think about how much timeyou have to get | | | | be scheduled in advance, so don't try to use this one |
| ready for the party. Be realistic, the time you havemust | | | | as alast minute option. |
| include: | | | | For the set up for your dinner party, you have options |
| - Cleaning up the house (only where your guests are | | | | there as well. |
| going to be) | | | | Luckily, I have a teenager that I make help, and she |
| - Grocery Shopping | | | | enjoys it. If youdon't, consider hiring a local student to |
| - Cleaning up after cooking | | | | come help you set up. Call theneighbor kid and offer to |
| - Setting the table | | | | pay him or her to help you set up for yourparty. Two |
| - Decorating | | | | or three pairs of hands are always better then |
| - Time for you to get ready | | | | one,especially in crunch time. |
| - "Just in case time" (if you don't plan for something to | | | | If it is possible, try to prepare as much of the food as |
| go wrong, it will) | | | | you can beforehand. Ok, to be honest I am terrible at |
| Now that you know what you have to do and the | | | | that. My best friend iswonderful at that. If you are |
| time you have, you need tocreate the menu. Do not | | | | making dessert, do it the day before. Prepthe food the |
| make yourself insane by trying to prepare dishesthat | | | | night before and stick it in the fridge so all you have |
| you have never done before, now is not the time to | | | | todo is get it out and start cooking it. If something |
| experiment. Stayin your comfort zone. It is okay to use | | | | requires a marinade,it is always better to marinate it |
| "cheaters" as I call them, andthose are things that are | | | | longer. |
| already prepared or require very littleeffort. If you are | | | | Ok, dinner is done and the table is set. You need to go |
| planning to make an Italian dinner and you only havea | | | | get ready - yourguests are going to be here soon. |
| few hours left to cook, clean up, set up and get | | | | Relax and enjoy your time with yourguests over the |
| yourself readythen the "cheaters" in this menu are | | | | wonderful food you have prepared and the |
| going to be the sauce, the bread,and/or the pasta. You | | | | environment thatyou have created. |
| aren't going to make these from scratch, there isno | | | | |