black dress. And it’s not a sin to buy items that the bakery or deli can make better than you can.

 Avoid smoking your food rather than baking it. Cleaning your oven a night or two before your event is one job you can accomplish while you sleep. Simply spray your oven with oven cleaner before you go to bed, and let the cleaner do its job. You can also put automatic dishwasher soap or baking soda on the bottom of your oven and cover it with wet paper towels. Wipe clean the next day.  Stock bathrooms with soap, hand towels, and toilet paper before guests arrive. Parties tend to tax plumbing, so it’s considerate to keep a plunger in a discreet but accessible location.  Place floor mats inside and outside your doorway if you’re expecting bad weather. Provide a container for holding umbrellas.  Keep an empty flower vase standing by. If a guest brings fresh flowers as a hostess gift, you won’t have to run around searching for a vase.

 Make arrangements for your pets.

Some guests are allergic.

 If children are coming, make sure some foods are kid-friendly.

 Be aware of guests’ special dietary needs. Offer at least one meat-less dish hearty enough to serve as a main course for vegetarians. 

Anyone who has never

made a mistake has

never tried anything

new. — Albert Einstein

Secrets to Serving
a Big Crowd
Coffee: For 24 cups, use 18 cups of
water and 3 cups of coffee grinds.
Hors d’oeuvres: Expect guests to
consume about four per hour.
Butter: Two tablespoons will spread
seven slices of bread.
Meat: 18 pounds of bone-in meat or
poultry, or six pounds of boneless
meat or poultry, will feed 24 guests.

Great Solutions for Entertaining Disasters

1. Anticipate blowing it.
Problem: Your electrical system
blows a fuse, causing a blackout
during your party.
Solution: A few days before the
event, conduct a trial run to test your
home’s electrical capacity. Turn on
all lights, ceiling fans, music sources,
and extra appliances you’ll be using.
If you flip a breaker, decide what
can be turned off without disrupting
the occasion. You may need to use
appliances at differing times.

2. Do a few stretches.
Problem: More guests show up
than anticipated.
Solution: Make the most of the
situation without making your guests
feel awkward. Cut food into smaller
servings. Stretch iced tea by adding
orange juice or lemonade. If you
can’t squeeze extra place settings on
your table, use inexpensive bamboo
lap trays for creating an additional
conversational dining group.
Note: Your guests will feel more
comfortable and welcome if a host or
hostess sits at each location.

3. Create conversational bliss. Problem: Your guests don’t know each other, and conversation is slow. Solution: Get things moving by asking each guest to tell about a significant event in his or her life. Examples: What’s your favorite childhood memory of Thanksgiving? What Thanksgiving food item would you like to keep all for yourself?

It’s not a sin to buy

items that the bakery

or deli can make better

than you can.

© Brand X