Coming off of a holiday weekend, we had a family in town and I have to say, it was a breeze. In fact, it’s Sunday night, Easter, we had a good size family dinner and it was no chore. Did it take effort, some planning? Yes, it did, nonetheless, it was worth every bit. There was plenty of help and plenty of fun. In my book, there is a chapter on holidays and special occasions that goes more in depth, but here, I’ll share a few tips from this weekend with it all fresh on my mind. With no formal training as a cook or entertainer, my knowledge comes from many years of ‘giving it a go’ and really having fun cooking and getting together with friends and family. Now that warmer weather is just around the corner, you may be considering planning special occasions like a family reunion, summer holiday or another gathering with family or friends-maybe you want to take on a shower for a new bride or a couple expecting their first baby. Now, if the thought of entertaining or hosting makes you panic , don’t do it. Maybe rather than entertain like a Rockstar, you’d like to PARTY Like a Rockstar. That’s ok. Let someone else do it and do your part to help out. Why put yourself under unnecessary stress. However, if you like the thought of entertaining or hosting but are unsure, continue reading.
When you have house guest for a weekend, come up with some food ideas that are easy to make ahead, keep on hand in the fridge or in the cake dome. Ask if there are any food allergies so you know in advance. This weekend I made a large recipe of Thai Chicken Pasta Salad. You may have your own favorite salad to make. I like a salad with lots of vegetables, protein, a little ‘crunch‘ and flavorful with good seasonings/light dressing. It has lots of flavor.
Fresh fruits, your favorite cookies in the cake dome, plenty of good beverages-ask ahead to see what your guests like so you are not running out last minute. Decide if you want to use paper plates or your own dishes. For breakfast consider smoothies with your favorite protein powder-We like K’Chava chocolate, if you are looking for one to try, you may have your own favorite. Maybe one day you pick up pastries from your favorite local bakery-we picked up chocolate croissants from our favorite French Bakery. Have a little coffee bar set up with enough pods or your favorite brand of coffee, ask your guests their preferences on this one too, decaf, espresso, lattes, have your sugars and milk on hand so preparation is easy. Our guests get up and help themselves. It makes me feel at ease that they are comfortable helping themself.
I like to send out an invitation when inviting guests to visit. We set up a date that works out for everyone and after the date is set, a few weeks before, I send out an email with coffee/drink/milk/sugar preferences. It really makes your guests feel comfortable and you can do your shopping ahead of time, and spend as much time as possible enjoying your guests and having fun. Isn’t that the point in the first place?
When your guests arrive, have some snacks/drinks on hand for after they get settled. Maybe you will decide on dinner out or at home the first night but a little happy hour before allows you to get caught up and go over where everything is and I like to tell our guests that they are welcome to help themselves to what I have prepared in advance. Show them where the coffee is so that if they are early risers, they can help themselves, turn on the tv or have some nice quiet time to check their email or read. This is a good ideas because you know that they will help themself, you don’t have to be up early you can get up when you like and feel assured that they will help themself, and your guests will feel at ease having some quiet time for themself with a cup of coffee (or tea).
Our friends and family who come to visit love to help and they want to help out, most people to. Depending on the occasion and who is coming to visit you’ll do what works for you and them. This weekend our kids took on some of the food preparations and clean up and our friends do the same. I have a friend who makes the best salad dressings so when she comes, she always volunteers to do the salad while I am doing other preparations. Everyone cleans up and brings their sheets/towels to the laundry room. They even offer to put the extra sheets sets on the beds.
For a holiday like Easter for us, I came up with a menu and enlisted help in terms of a fruit platter, snacks/appetizers and the Hubby grilled the veggies and meat. I had help with clean up and we were out of the kitchen fast, enjoying the day with everyone else. YOUR GUESTS APPRECIATE THE INVITATION-JUST LIKE YOU DO WHEN YOU GET INVITED AND THEY ARE GLAD TO HELP, JUST LET THEM KNOW WHAT YOU NEED. If you have a particular appetizer in mind communicate that and don’t act disappointed if you didn’t and they brought something you weren’t expecting. I asked my sister-in-law to bring two snacks/appetizers, asking that one was potato chips and French onion dip, per the Hubby’s request. My sister in-law kindly did and she volunteered to bring a special cocktail, even some mock-tails for the kids. What a nice gesture and they were great!
See, this is easy. Just put on your thinking cap, jot down your ideas, I like to keep notebooks around and once you start jotting down, or organize on your Pages or WORD, it will all come together. Every time you entertain, you’ll become more confident and each time, you’ll get better. You’ll find your own short cuts and best recipes that work for you. Do your preparations in advance, decide on what you will wear (I always put my hair up when working in the kitchen). Have an apron to match and enjoy. One more thing, we always start with a prayer before the meal. The Hubby gets everyone’s attention and he prayers for our gifts, the food and The hands that made it. Oh, and…Remember, the food is always secondary to those around the table. Right?
It’s a Great Day 🍴
