Holiday Entertaining

Holiday Entertaining in Your Home

This is the time of year when we all start to focus on Holiday Entertaining in our homes.  Here are a few tips that may help you to easily navigate your way through what can often be a very stressful time of year:

Create Comfort

For a casual holiday party, don’t feel compelled to seat guests around a dinner table. If you’ve got a lot of company, a buffet may be a better way. Buffets are the most efficient way to serve a lot of people, but be sure to pull the table away from the wall so that there are four sides available to people, otherwise lines form and people can’t get to the food easily.

Open Your House

Too many friends and family to host at one time? Have an open house and let them know they can drop by any time between certain hours on one special day. Your guests will appreciate the flexibility and you’ll gain quality time with the ones you love. The secret is preparing foods that can be done well ahead of time. That way, when the doorbell rings for the first time, you’re ready. Open houses work best when there are lots of smaller dishes to bring out throughout the day or evening as opposed to one huge main course, she adds. That way your buffet is always fresh.

Stock Up

You’ll never run out of nibbles if you shop with an aim to entertain. Stock your pantry with a selection of cookies and crackers. Consider purchasing nuts in bulk — which can be mixed together, tossed with maple syrup and cooked in a pan until they caramelize, Kathy says. Serve them with drinks or chop and scatter around a cheese platter. Long-lasting jarred tapanades and pestos make an impressive dip when mixed with fresh sour cream.  As far as beverages go, it’s always smart to stock up on soda and mixers. Make sure to have coffee (regular and decaf), cocoa, cider and a basket of teas handy.

Add Joyful Sounds

Set the mood with a homemade CD or computer playlist of holiday songs. It’s easy to make and you’ll get to hear your favorite mix of seasonal tunes. Remember to keep the music low — conversation is what counts at any celebration. Try to avoid musical selections with lyrics during the dinner hour, which causes competition between the lyrics and the scintillating dinner conversation that could go unheard.

Be a Graceful Giver

Store a few extra gifts in a closet and you’ll never be caught off-guard when a friend springs an unexpected gift-exchange; try to collect items for all ages and a few gift bags in holiday colors. If you make a practice of picking up items as you stumble upon them throughout the year, it’ll be easier when the season comes around.
Consider buying in bulk — divide one case of good red wine or champagne or prettily wrapped portions of quality tea or coffee. Or do some extra baking. Double that cake recipe or cookie confection and you’ll have freshly baked gifts ready to go. While a fruit cake may not be everyone’s favorite, no one will turn up their nose at a sweet tin of homemade cookies — an inexpensive gift that never fails to impress.

Fix Up the Guest Room

If your guest room isn’t used very often, air it out. Open the windows and let in the fresh air. Change the bedding, put out clean towels in the bathroom, and create space in the closet. Try to make the room as comfy as possible by providing plenty of pillows and blankets. Create a sitting area, if there is enough space, so your guests don’t always have to hang out in the common areas of your home.

Your Holiday, Your Way

We all know the value of family traditions and the sense of comfort they impart. However, sometimes breaking from old traditions can save your sanity; living up to Grandma’s years of holiday handiwork is hard work. Keep the best, ditch the rest. Going around the room and sharing favorite holiday memories can be just as meaningful as singing every song in the holiday songbook if piano time has grown tedious over the years. Every holiday season offers a new chance to start your own traditions.

Hopefully this list will assist you in your Holiday Entertaining and make this time of year special for both you and your guests.

Some information courtesy of HGTV.com