perfecting the done before they arrive dinner party- a work in progress
Drinks were a hit. Almost like train schedules of yore- right on track. Guests arrived at 6:05 and the tracks were clear by 7:09. My new friends and folks loved meeting one another, and the short time frame left everyone wanting more (always a plus). While I knew I didn’t have to worry about this capable group of meeters and greeters
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resurrecting the cocktail party- i’ll drink to that
My parents are arriving this afternoon and would love to meet some of our new Dayton friends. But with the long drive and excessive heat in the forecast something tells me short and sweet would be best. Time to resurrect the cocktail hour. At some point “cocktail hour” meant exactly that an hour in which to imbibe prior to sitting down to dinner.
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perfecting the done before they arrive dinner party- a work in progress
Here’s a secret. If you find yourself having back-to-back parties consider doing the same dinner twice. Tonight we are having a couple over for dinner… and another couple Saturday night. One way to cut the stress in half is to duplicate the menu. Believe it or not most of the work in entertaining comes from planning and prep.
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perfecting the done before they arrive dinner party- a work in progress
Many dinner guests ask if they can bring something. Don’t be shy- take them up on their kind offer. Consider your weak suit (or as I say to my consulting clients your “growth edge”). Personally I love when a guest brings dessert or an appetizer. With those bookends out of the way
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perfecting the done before they arrive dinner party- a work in progress
Tomorrow night is essentially a soup and salad supper with a few embellishments. One of the best things about serving gazpacho is that it really should be made in advance. It needs about a day in the frig for all the flavors to properly meld. Thank goodness for Trader Joe’s. They have so many components that allow you to compose a beautiful dish
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perfecting the done before they arrive dinner party- a work in progress
Sometimes it’s easier to plan a spur of the moment party than trying to get one on the books weeks or months in advance. More often than not the busiest of folks can find a last minute opening in an otherwise over-scheduled calendar. Happily one of these synergetic moments is happening for us this Sunday night.
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resurrecting the cocktail party- i’ll drink to that
Remember that old camp song- “make new friends but ke-ee-ep the old, one is silver and the other’s gold”? One of the perks of moving to a new town is that it forces you to make new friends. Thankfully I’ve found some real gems. An added bonus is that one of my favs loves champagne. My cute husband doesn’t care for it- which has left things
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what’s for dinner- cooking for two
The most challenging thing for me about moving is trying to keep on top of my daily grind while packing up 16 years of a former life, and doing all of it long distance. Not only am I boxing up the home where my two daughters grew up, this blog is moving to a new site. Same address www.andshecooks2.com, but soon there will be some exciting changes
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kitchen tenets
Believe it or not entertaining is a lot like curriculum design. If you plan it out thoughtfully there is a high probability that what you want to have happen will actually occur. Think Field of Dreams in an apron. Looking at the stacked files for outgoing consulting projects I wondered if the same rules and theorems that help businesses
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what's for dinner- cooking for two
Some days it’s hard to channel your inner June Cleaver. When I am completely downtrodden. I cheer myself up by pretending to make dinner. We all have our quirks and this is undoubtedly one of mine.
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Wherever I find myself, I’m happiest with a full dining room table. As a former professional chef and caterer I want to share what I’ve learned over the past three decades of entertaining. On this site you’ll find tricks of the trade to help even the most harried of you pull off a seemingly seamless fête. Come join the conversation!