Five Tips for a Successful Party

Whether you are having a large cocktail party, a small formal dinner party or an afternoon bbq, these five tips will help your event to be a success

Know Your Guests

I know my group of friends.  One doesn’t like shrimp, one hates cumin, another doesn’t eat red meat.  I know all of these things and I keep them in mind when I’m planning the menu.  This strategy works very well for a smaller gathering, but how can you know all of your guests’ dislikes in a large group?  Impossible!  In the event of a larger cocktail party, to ensure that there is something for everybody, offer a variety of appetizers.  Offer a seafood option, a chicken option, something vegetarian etc.  Most people will eat all of these, but you can feel confidant that your more choosy guests will be able to find something just for them.

Prepare Food and Serving Dishes in Advance

Complete as much food preparation as possible in advance.

1. Look for recipes that can be made ahead, frozen and then baked right before serving.
2. Choose dishes that can be made earlier in the day, or even the day before, and be refrigerated.
3. Even if you are serving something that must be cooked right before serving, you can still have everything prepared in advance and ready to go.
   • Chop all necessary vegetables so you aren’t chopping  in front of your guests.
   • If you’re making a dish that uses a lot of spices that all are added at the same time, measure them out and combine them in a container so you can easily add them all at once.
   • Have all other ingredients and measuring utensils gathered up and available.

Presentation is important so think about your serving dishes in advance and have them clean and readily available.  You don’t want to find yourself in a position where your beautiful roast is done,  but you don’t have a platter ready on which to serve it.

Offer a Signature Cocktail

Many years ago at our first party, we made the mistake of leaving all of the alcohol and mixers out on the bar so people could mix their own drinks.  This was a huge mistake.  We ended up with a giant sticky mess and a lot of very drunk people!!  Keep it simple.  Offer beer, wine, a signature cocktail and a non-alcoholic option like lemonade.  When choosing your signature cocktail, remember that it needs to appeal to a variety of tastes, so don’t choose anything too sweet or too boozy.

Be sure to create a drink “area” at your party.  If you don’t have a bar, set up a table or an area on the kitchen counter to be devoted to drinks.  In this area, have glasses, bottle openers, and all of your beverages available for guests to get their own drinks so that you don’t end up playing bartender all night.

Schedule Your Time

I know this sounds nutty, but it is so helpful.  I actually schedule out my time on the day of the party (sometimes the day before if it’s a large event) listing every single thing I need to do, even small tasks like removing an item from the freezer.  That schedule keeps me from forgetting anything.  In the case where I’m going to be doing a lot of cooking right before or during the party, I will list out the exact times that things need to go in the oven or begin cooking on the stove.  I can’t tell you how much these lists can help you to stay on schedule and ensure that you don’t miss anything.

Be Kind to Yourself

These are you friends.  They’re coming over to see you!  So if everything isn’t perfect, it’s fine.  And don’t feel like you have to make everything yourself.  If you want to buy your dessert rather than make it or purchase some frozen appetizers, that will be great too.  And if you really mess something up, just laugh it off with your guests.  It happens to all of us.  Look at this ugly cake I served just last month.  It tasted delicious, but was not all that it should have been in the presentation.

Planning is the key to a successful gathering.  If you follow these tips, I know that you will have a great party!  I do it all the time.  So can you!