| Hosting a dinner party for friends? Or have you been | | | | done in the morning before your dinner party, you can |
| selected (or singled out, ahh!) to host Thanksgiving or | | | | be sure that things will be a lot easier when the guests |
| Christmas dinner this year? How exciting. And what a | | | | arrive. Some great dinner party recipes that you can |
| pain in the rear. While having the people you love in | | | | make up ahead of time are: 1. Cold vegetable salads |
| your home and feeding them a ton of food is | | | | and pasta salads 2. Soups and stews (add any rice or |
| rewarding and can be a lot of fun, chances are you're | | | | pasta at the last minute) 3. Veggies and dips 4. Cold |
| a little stressed about it. Unless, of course, you're | | | | appetizers 5. Reheat-able sauces 6. Breads, biscuits, |
| Martha Stewart. When you're overwhelmed planning a | | | | etc. 7. Sliced cheese and fruit trays 8. More stuff I can't |
| dinner party, sometimes choosing a few good buffet | | | | think of now Last, you'll want to think about how easy |
| recipes and setting up a simple buffet seems like the | | | | a particular dish is to eat. Especially if you're going to |
| easiest thing. And though it's true that, in many ways, a | | | | have some guests on their feet or perched on chairs, |
| buffet is simpler to do than a sit-down dinner (where | | | | you'll want foods that they can eat without too much |
| you have to prepare each guest his or her own plate), | | | | cutting or hacking. Unless you want them to eat a |
| hosting a buffet style dinner is no walk in the park. | | | | whole steak in their hands like some kind of |
| After all (and especially if your family is as piggy as | | | | carnivorous squirrel (which would be entertaining but |
| mine), you'll still have to cook a whole big pile of food, | | | | unhygienic), skip preparing a large piece of meat. |
| won't you? Choosing Buffet Recipes: When choosing | | | | Buffet Table Setting Tips: Got your buffet recipes |
| recipes for a buffet dinner, the first thing you'll want to | | | | figured out? Now it's time to get the table ready. While |
| think about is ease of preparation. When having a lot | | | | it seems like setting up a buffet table should be as |
| of people over for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner | | | | simple as tossing things together, there are a few |
| (or any other holiday celebration), there is always a lot | | | | things you can do to make you buffet table both look |
| of food involved. Can you easily prepare a particular | | | | nicer and be easier to use. One is to vary the height of |
| dish for a large number of people? Do you have room | | | | different dishes. This makes the table look more |
| in your oven or on your stove to cook all of your | | | | appealing visually and makes it easier for guests to |
| dishes at once? Another thing to think about when | | | | access a particular dish. Another important buffet table |
| choosing buffet recipes is how much time each dish | | | | setting tip is to... avoid being boring! Most people have |
| will take to prepare. When you host a dinner party, | | | | been to about 1000 buffets in their lifetime, and most of |
| there are about 100 things on your to-do list the day of | | | | them are ordinary and all the same. But with some |
| the party or holiday... and about 100 other things that | | | | creative decorating ideas and a little flair for the |
| you never even thought of. The best way to cut | | | | unusual, you can create a beautiful and unforgettable |
| down on your work load a bit? Pick recipes that you | | | | buffet table. Good luck! |
| can make ahead of time. If 80% of the cooking is | | | | Dinner Party Planning and Buffet Recipes. |