Wednesday, December 18, 2019

By Barbara Pronin The holiday season is a wonderful time for getting together with friends, and hosting a happy get-together shouldn’t be a stressful chore. From experienced hosts, here are tips to help you prep in plenty of time to be a guest at your own party:

Make a plan. Keep the menu simple; drinks and appetizers, a simple buffet, perhaps hot chocolate, hot cider and desserts. Whatever you decide, make a list of what you need, from recipes to kitchenware to serving platters. If you’re a novice cook, don’t feel bad about serving yummy store-bought foods from vendors you know and like.

Keep the bar simple. If you’re serving alcohol, stick to wine and beer and/or a single cocktail that can be mixed ahead of time and served from pitchers.

Choose room temp entrees. Dishes like quiche or lasagna that can be kept at room temperature can be made ahead, refrigerated until party time, then warmed in time for serving. Add a salad, some bread and a simple dessert, and you’re ready to visit with your guests.

Do as much as you can ahead. That goes for decorating and table setting as well as for cooking or baking. Leave yourself with as little to do as possible on party day.

Ask a friend for help. Designate someone to help you replenish snacks, dispose of paper trash, check on the kids or anything else that needs doing. Two hands are better than one, and definitely at a party.

Keep the buffet line moving. Providing access to the food from both sides of a table, and/or keeping main dishes separate from the dessert table will help prevent buffet bottlenecks.

Add party favors. Party favors are not just for kids. Make or buy a holiday favor to give departing guests. Fill holiday mugs with candy canes and wrap with cellophane and a bow. Fill mason jars with cocoa mix or malted balls and tie a ribbon around the neck of the jar. Make it even easier by placing a few festive holiday cookies into decorated Zip-loc bags.

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