Party Planning | What I've Learned

Who doesn't love throwing (or going to) a super fun party?!!  It’s so much fun during the holiday season but sometimes it can seem like one more thing to add to the crazy holiday to-do list while juggling everything else in between.  Recently, some friends have asked me for some advice as they planned their holiday parties, so I thought it might be helpful as New Year’s approaches to share some of the tips that I've learned over the years that might help with some of the parties you have coming up!   

Every year, a group of our friends get together and do a small Secret Santa gift exchange.  This tradition is six years and counting!  This year was our turn to host, so I thought it was a good chance to share how I prepared, complete with pictures!  Full disclosure...our parties are NOT always this "fancy" but I'm a firm believer in busting out the good stuff every now & then because hey, why not?!  

So, the biggest thing for me is to get ahead, do a little every night in the week leading up and plan as much as possible, depending on the type of party.  This really helps make things easier so I can enjoy entertaining and focus on giving my guests a wonderful experience.  The experience is what makes me so happy and gets me excited about hosting…straight up spoiling people is what I love most! 

I am certainly not an expert, but these are just some things I've learned growing up watching and learning from my mother who owned and ran her own catering business.  This stuff is bound to rub off a bit when you've been planning and working parties since you were ten years old, although my mom denies she put my sister and I to work that young! 

1 week out:

Planning your menu:

For a dinner party, I always try to pick a main course that I can prepare a night or two in advance and finish cooking in the oven when guests arrive.  This really allows me to enjoy catching up with friends and keeps me out of the kitchen hovering over the stove.  Some of my go-to recipes are vegetable pasta bake {http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/baked-penne-with-roasted-vegetables-recipe.html}, beef stew {http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/beef-bourguignon-recipe.html}, chili, and roasted chicken, just to give you some ideas.  My favorite Food Network chefs that I get a ton of recipes from are Barefoot Contessa and Giada De Laurentiis.  I love their recipes; they always come out great, are easy to follow and are simple.   I like to use recipes as inspiration and tweak them to add or remove ingredients that my guests or I may not able to eat.  In addition to dinner, I always like to have apps to munch on, a big salad, bread and dessert.    

Grocery List:

I make a big list of everything I need for munchies, salad, dinner and dessert.  For our last dinner party, I did crudité (vegetables) with hummus, Aranchini balls (risotto balls) from Trader Joe’s and a selection of Italian meats, cheeses and fruit.  I always like to have some sort of spread with crackers, usually an olive tapenade or roasted red pepper spread.  Trader Joe’s is perfect for these quick, delicious bites.  Most local grocery stores have a ton to choose from as well.  

2-3 days out:

I make another run to the grocery store to buy all the perishable food…lettuce mix, veggies, bread, meats for dinner etc.  TIP: I freeze the bread and defrost it the day of the party.  If I am making a dessert from scratch, I will bake it ahead of time and freeze it.     

1 day out:

I make the dinner and get it to the point where I can bring it to room temperature and then keep in the fridge overnight.  Such a time savor!  The day before is when I also set the table, if it is a sit-down dinner.  I like to get the candles out and refill votives so they are ready to light right before dinner.  If I have time, I will also cut the veggies, meats and cheeses.  TIP: You can store celery and carrots in water for a few days, this keeps them very fresh.  Oh and make ice.  Growing up my parents would make ice a few days before Christmas and store it in a plastic bag.  Guess this is where I learned it from. J    

day of the party:

Hopefully most of the bigger things are done and now it’s a matter of putting the final touches on everything.  I clean the lettuce for the salad and make the dressing, I've been obsessed with this dressing lately {http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/cape-cod-chopped-salad-recipe.html}.  Some other time-saving ideas are to get out any platters and serving utensils you will need for each course, a basket for the bread, take out the butter to soften it (don’t laugh).  It also helps to get baking pans ready & sprayed for any appetizers that need to bake.  If boiling pasta or making last minute rice, get the pot(s) ready with water & lids.  I like to set up an area with a mini-bar for friends to help themselves to drinks.  This can also be done in the days leading up as well.  Finally, I get the coffee prepared so all I need to do is push a button when it's time for dessert.  Every time I do this, it's an instant flashback to the catering days when I would start the 4-gallon coffee pots way before dinner to make sure the coffee was ready in time for dessert!    

1 hr before guests arrive:

Set the mood.  Yup, I said it!  Get your lighting just to your liking.  Light a fire if you want, light any candles in your house and put out the munchies.  Preheat the oven for apps or for the main course.  TIP: If I'm making pasta, I pre-boil my pasta water with the lid on and turn it off once it's boiled.  When it's time, I turn the burner back on high which brings the water to a boil very quickly, then add pasta (or rice).  I got this trick from Giada!

dinner is served:

I aim to eat about 1-2 hours after friends arrives.  This gives everyone a chance to hang out, relax, catch up and enjoy some food and a drink (or two) before dinner.  I usually set up a buffet for everyone to help themselves.    

dessert:

The best part of the meal!  I usually like to have desserts that friends can nibble on after dinner.  Cookies, brownies, chocolates.  Something that can satisfy the sweet tooth but still allow people to hang out and relax on the couch.  For this party, I made holiday bark {http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/french-chocolate-bark-recipe.html} and Italian pizzelles, a family staple around the holidays.  All these desserts I made ahead of time and froze.  I plated them up and kept them covered so they were ready to eat right after dinner. 

special touches:

I love throwing a party because it give me a chance to add some little details that make the night extra special.  For a sit-down party, I try to personalize the table settings with names.  Sometimes, I make a sign for a special drink of the night, or send my friends home with a little treat, personalized just for them to remember the night.  For this party, I bagged up some holiday bark and added a tag with my friend’s names. 

time to enjoy:

No matter what, it’s all about the laughs, the memories and the people who fill your home with so much joy, especially around this time of year.  Tons of great food and little touches along the way help make the experience feel extra special.  I’m excited to be able to share some of these tips with you and hope they might come in handy the next time you are hosting a party!  
Bottomline = keep it simple, do as much in advance as possible & have fun!

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a fabulous party! 

xoxo

anne