Many individuals do not see the logic behind the giving of host and hostess gifts by the guests to the party. Their rationale is that the host and hostess invited them to be guests at the party and, hence, their presence is the gift in and of itself. Also, their viewpoint is that the host and hostess may be offended by the gift - no gift, no mistake, so to speak.

Miss Manners will the first person to rebuke these individuals about their lack of good manners as guests to a party from the first get-go. These gifts are tokens of appreciation by the guest to the host for the latter’s graciousness in inviting the former to the special occasion. After all, the host can always choose to snub any prospective guest.

And since the host and hostess gift is a token of appreciation, its monetary value is secondary to the sincere thoughts behind it. Of course, it will be a nice gesture when you choose the gift with a practical value or a sentimental significance or both. Just don’t settle for the cheapest one on the shelf either since you also want to be proud of your host and hostess gifts.

The following are a few good ideas about excellent gifts for the host and hostess, no matter the theme, reason and venue of the party:

• A bottle of wine with good vintage is always welcome. We suggest giving wine that you may also like to drink with your own meals.
• A homemade or gourmet treat will be appreciated, too. Just make sure that it can be saved for later use as the menu may have been set. Think wrapped gourmet food, chocolate treats and pastries.
• A bouquet of flowers or a small potted plant may also be given to the host. These gifts can brighten up the atmosphere well after the party has ended.
• Other gifts like candles, stationery and even knickknacks are also suitable gifts. The trick is in knowing your host’s preferences but it should be easy if and when you are a member of the family or a friend.

After deciding on the host and hostess gifts, the next decision to make is when to give them. You have two choices - send it ahead before your arrival to the party or give it upon your arrival to the party. Your choice will depend on factors like longevity of the gift, distance between your home and the venue, and the element of surprise.

When giving the gift to the host, you should also remember certain good manners. For one thing, you should not expect your host to parade the gift in front of other guests and to even say something positive about it. Your host will greet you at the door, receive your gift and then move on to other party responsibilities.

For another thing, you must not expect your host to actually use the wine, serve the food and display the flowers. Your gift is just that - a gift that the recipient can choose to open and use when and where desired.

On a final note, host and hostess gifts are your thank-you gifts for the invitation. As such, don’t expect to receive a thank-you note from your host. Instead, you should give a thank-you note after the party.

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Preparing a meal get-together can be great fun with adequate, advanced planning, and a great menu. The tendency for persons to stress when planning one of these events is quite common- not realizing that there is no need to worry. Studies have shown that people, who get invited to parties, assign more importance to the positive emotions experienced when they receive a party invitation. The next important thing to them proves to be the opportunity at having fun, de-stressing, and networking.

Meal get-togethers can be best described as “a no-frill, low-budget gathering of friends, family and acquaintances”. Some examples of occasions for which meal get-togethers are suitable are: birthdays, celebrating new baby, an office promotion, or a house warming. Even when the circumstances are as remote as “when the moon is in the 7th house- and Jupiter aligns with Mars”* party-people will always find excuses to host get-togethers, or much larger parties. However as the date rolls around, many are guilty of rushing around at the last minute, because they fail to plan adequately ahead of time.

There are many ways that preparing a meal get-together can be made interesting. Why not invite your best friends or some of your closest friends over to help you organize the menu, the décor and the entertainment. Getting them involved will empower them to actually take over some of the planning duties, freeing you from some of the responsibilities.

Treat yourself to at least 1 month of TV meals. Doing this would enable you to catch some great meal ideas on The Food Network. Even the day-time talk shows on cable may sometimes include a special meal guide feature on certain days.

As you get it, spend it! Why safe your pennies for a rainy day, when you need them now? Any money that you get now should be the excuse you use to go window shopping and pick up some useful stuff. Invite your friends (aka planning committee) over at least once a week to discuss how all pet projects are progressing. This is also a great opportunity for you to hone your skills as a master party-planner or seasoned party host.

With all pet projects successfully underway, this leaves you unfettered and able to focus on the very critical menu. The dishes that are to be served should be planned at least 1-month ahead of time, giving you the time needed to ensure that the quantity of ingredients necessary would be adequate to prepare enough servings for the party guests. If ordering food from a restaurant, the same rules apply. Also, it is advisable to order enough boxes of meat dishes and sides that seemed to have been popular from the last get-together. If in doubt, it is always best to err on the side of caution, and having over budget the party menu, to ensure that all guests are adequately fed.

The week of the event is not the time to be doing all the cooking. If cooking is to be done, it would be far easier to cook and store the dishes 2-weeks in advance. Finally, a few day before the meal get-together, call all invitees to confirm that they are coming.

• Reference taken from song: “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In”, performed by: The 5th dimension (1969).

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With the summer months rolling around, people might find themselves stuck with the task of planning a family reunion, or other event. Of all the details necessary to make an up-coming event successful, planning a dinner menu always proves to be the hardest “hurdle” to tackle.

Even more stressful, is when persons have hosted so many parties, they have exhausted every possible menu combination known to man. Or, at least, so they think!

Party planners who find themselves in this pickle should fear not. They may think they have tried every possible recipe and menu combination, but as many as they might have tried, there are always new menu ideas being created everyday, ready for them to try.

Take for example, a tri-cultured menu which might include dishes native to other countries. Chinese and Indian cuisine are surprisingly delicious and would give guests to the bash a chance to try something new! It may also be safe to conclude that none of the prospective guests have ever tried Ackee and Salt fish- a dish native to the island of Jamaica?

A tri-cultured menu is an innovative idea, and can be pulled off with the right balance of savory, sour, sweet and spicy dishes. Speaking of spicy: many ethnic dishes are traditionally prepared with hot and spicy pepper. If a tri-cultured menu is chosen, then the party planner should also prepare a detailed beverage menu. Milk shakes and other frozen drinks would compliment this type of food very well!

Having determined what is to be served at the event, the planner may then consider: “do I order a mix of meats and “sides” from each restaurant, or do I try cooking these dishes myself?” Whatever the decision is in this regard, it will be a most critical decision, as the décor or layout of the venue, has not yet been planned. Not to mention preparation of fruit punch, frozen cocktails and other mixed drinks.

So now that we have worked out the perfect summer buffet for this gathering, let us review the menu line-up to be served. Here is a hypothetical list that you can “tweek” to perfection!

1. Indian dishes (source, amishaindiancuisine.com) - appetizers: Vegetable Lentil Soup, served with Garlic Nan (unleavened baked bread stuffed with garlic). Main course: Shrimp Curry, Lamb Karahi (lamb cooked in wok with herbs and spices), Bengan Aloo (eggplant sautéed in a garlic blend).
2. Chinese dishes (source, chinatowninn.net) - as part of the main course: Egg Foo Yung- Beef, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Pepper Steak.
3. Jamaican dishes (source, Jamaicans.com/cooking/)- as part of the appetizers: Salt Fish Fritters. As part of the main course: Ackee and Salt fish served with Fried Dumplings, and Boiled Yam, Boiled Dumplings and Boiled Green Bananas.
4. Side dishes- plain white rice; potato salad; creamed sweet potatoes; pumpkin pie; ripe avocado (sliced); lightly steamed beet root (sliced); pumpkin rice (Jamaican-style); fried rice (Chinese-style).
5. Desserts- strawberry cheese cake (serve cold); cake with icing (try Betty Crocker cake mix); ice-cream (offer 2 flavors).

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A summer party must have is family and good friends. This is the perfect time to connect with the folks you know for an afternoon of relaxation and fun. Catch up with your brothers and sister, their kids, cousins, aunt and uncles anyone you may or may not see very often. You probably have friends you don’t see as often as you would like to as everyone seems to have busy schedules these days. Take the opportunity to invite co-workers and socialize outside of the office for an afternoon. Forget the water cooler talk and talk sports, hobbies, recent or upcoming vacations - anything other than what a dope the boss is. The collection of family and friends might require a softball game be played or a horseshoe tournament might break out. Or maybe a volleyball or badminton game might erupt. Don’t forget games for the kids. You want them to have fun and not be tugging at your hand out of sheer boredom. It is doubtful the competitive spirit will be doused, unless it rains.

A summer party must have is good food. Whether it is pot luck or host provided, have a variety of food on hand. If your grilling skills are up to par, cook up 2 or 3 of the following: burgers, hot dogs, steaks, chicken wings, ribs, corn or shrimp. Have some appetizers ready when your guests arrive. Maybe some crackers and cheese, pretzels and dip, deli meat roll ups, bite size grilled pizza, shelled peanuts or red pistachio nuts. Provide plenty of drinks to keep your guests hydrated. In tubs or coolers full of ice, chill soda, water, juice boxes, beer and wine. After your guests arrive and before you offer them appetizers point them in the direction of the drinks. Cups are optional but straws might be helpful for the kids. Don’t forget the watermelon and s’mores. It is practically the law those two items be on any summer party menu. Oh, yes. Be environmentally conscience and recycle everything you can.

A summer party must have is fun. As the host it is up to you to make sure everyone has a good time. Introduce your guest to those they don’t know. Find common ground for them to discuss if necessary. Introduce the kids to each other and encourage them to play a game or two together. When it is time to eat, the kids just might like each other enough to take their lunch and sit off by themselves and chat, leaving the adults to do the same. Introduce some games into the afternoon or evening. In addition to horseshoes and volleyball, a fun idea might be to write down on slips of paper famous lines from movies. Each guest that wants to play picks a slip and then works their movie line into the conversation. Keep track of how many lines each participant guesses. Perhaps a prize can be awarded at the end of the day for the winner.

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Whether you are a wine enthusiast or just like a good glass of wine once in a while, wine tasting with a group of friends can be a fun experience. Organizing a wine tasting event isn’t difficult. There are wine connoisseurs that will bring a wine tasting program right to your door or you can do it yourself. Unless you are a hardcore wine drinker always searching for the philosophy of the bouquet contained in a bottle of wine, you may want to host a wine tasting at home.

You may want to plan a theme for the evening such as the wines of the 1970’s from Napa Valley or the best red wine from a winery in the southwest. Or it can be an eclectic collection of wine picked just for the heck of it. Perhaps ask each participant to bring a bottle of their favorite wine. A 750 ml bottle of wine contains about 25 ounces and if your tasting quantity is 2 ounces, a bottle will accommodate about 12 people. Keep that in mind when planning your event and deciding the number of guests you want to invite.

To host a wine tasting at home determine how many people your home can accommodate. If the weather is nice consider hosting your wine tasting out of doors. Inside or outside, make sure there is room enough for everyone to sit or stand comfortably. Have a table or counter area for the wine and the glasses separate from the guest area. That will eliminate confusion and prevent bottles of wine becoming mixed up. Determine ahead of time how many wines will be tasted. The number of bottles required will depend on the number of guests. Also determine if each guest will bring their own tasting glasses or if the host will provide them.

It will be up to the host what refreshments will be served. If the wine tasting is a onetime deal, maybe everyone can bring a little something. If hosting will rotate, the host can provide whatever they wish. Refreshments do not have to be anything extravagant. Perhaps the host will serve or the group will bring crackers and cheese, bread and cheese or a simple entre or two.

Decide how you want the wine tasting to function. Will it simply be tasting and comparing notes or will scoring be involved? It depends how serious the group is about their wine and how much time the group wants to spend on the event. The host should supply note and tabulation sheets for each participant. If the group decides to rank each wine or just jot down notes for each wine for later use, the sheets will be helpful.

The group may decide to taste each wine blindly. That is the name and type of wine isn’t revealed until after it has been tasted and discussed. Before each round the host will provide a short introduction with general information for each wine. The information may include the price, the year and they type. The group will taste the wine, make their notes and discuss the wine. After all the wine has been tasted and discussed, break the refreshments and enjoy the rest of the evening and discuss who will host a wine tasting at home next time.

Posted by admin under Drinks & Hostessing & Party Food | 3 Comments »

When planning any event, it is really like taking a quiz as you, the event planner, have a list of questions to be answered. The summer party menu planning quiz is pass or fail with extra credit given if the party is held outside and it doesn’t rain that day. Don’t peek at the answers until you have completed the quiz. Neatness and spelling count. All correct answers are worth one point. You need at least 4 points to pass.

Do you have your thinking caps on? Let us begin. Keep your eyes on your own paper.

1. Q: Will this party be held outside or inside?
   A: Acceptable answers are either outside or inside, preferably outside. It is summer and we want to be out in the fresh air and sunshine. (This was an easy question to help get you rolling with the quiz)
2. Q: What kind of food will be served?
   A: I hope you gave this question a lot of thought before answering. Food at a party is very important. The kind of food will be a combination of hot and cold. The hot food will be grilled and the cold food will be refrigerated prior to serving.
3. Q: What will the hot food be? (Please describe any marinades, sauces or gravy that might be involved
   A: The hot food will be grilled shrimp, steak tips, corn on the cob, onions and peppers and chicken wings. The shrimp will be marinated in butter and garlic, the steak tips will be marinated in steak sauce, honey and a couple of dabs of hot sauce, corn on the con will be grilled in tinfoil with a little butter, onions and peppers will be grilled a little butter and chicken wings will be grilled plain.

(We will now take a five minute break from the summer party menu planning quiz)

4. Q: What will the cold food be? (please describe any dressings or stuffing’s that might be involved
   A: The cold food will be garden salad, macaroni salad, stuffed celery, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the kids and chips and dip. There will be a variety of dressings for the garden salad such as oil and vinegar, peppercorn, blue cheese, thousand island and plain mayonnaise. The macaroni salad will have a little mayonnaise but some will available if you want a dollop or two more. The celery will be stuffed with the traditional cream cheese and pineapple filling. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches will be plain. The chips will be whatever is on sale and the dip will include onion dip, clam dip and horseradish and bacon dip.
5. Q: What kind of beverages will be served?
   A: There will be soda, beer and wine for the adults and soda, juice boxes and Kool-Aid for the kids.
6. Q: Will there be desserts?
   A: Yes. We will serve brownies, cookies and flavored snow cones. Later in the afternoon we will toast marshmallows and make S’Mores.
7. Q: Did I ask how many guests will be invited?
   A: No you didn’t but that is a very important question. Do I get an extra point because you forgot it? My guest list will include 3 brothers and 4 sisters, 6 in laws, 18 nieces and nephews between the ages of 0 and 23, 5 aunts, 7 uncles and a partridge in a pear tree.

There you have it, the summer party menu planning quiz. I hope you all passed.

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Appetizers are tidbits of food served before the main meal and are intended to stimulate the appetite. They can be hot or cold and are usually finger food. Appetizers sometimes make a meal all their own and can be better than the entre. Bars will often serve salty appetizers to make customers drink more. When I was a kid, the only time we had appetizers was when dinner was ready but dad was late getting home from work. Then we might get a few crackers with peanut butter. I don’t know why we didn’t just start eating dinner.

Appetizers don’t have to be complicated. Easy appetizers can be as simple as a bowl of pretzels or cracker and cheese. The level of appetizer difficulty can be raised slightly by adding pepperoni to the plate of cheese. One of my favorite restaurants serves a bowl of buttery, salty popcorn upon being seated. Another of my favorite restaurants serves bowls of shelled peanuts while waiting for your meal and encourages throwing the shells on the floor.

Here are a couple of my favorite easy appetizers.

First up is “Ranch Oyster Crackers.” In a large bowl combine ¼ teaspoon each of garlic powder and lemon pepper, ¼ cup of vegetable oil, ½ teaspoon of dried dill weed and a 1 ounce package of Ranch dressing mix. Add in 5 cups of oyster crackers and mix until coated well. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 250 degrees. Let cool a bit before serving.

Next we have “Salsa Crackers”. In a bowl mix 1 cup of cottage cheese, 1 cup of Salsa (mild, medium or hot as desired), and chill for about an hour in the refrigerator. Top Triscuit crackers with a teaspoon of the mixture and eat immediately. (Mixture will cover approximately 36 crackers)

“Ham Roll Ups” is another easy recipe and sure to become a favorite. In a bowl mix 8 ounces of softened cream cheese, 1 can (2-1/4 ounce) chopped olives, 1/3 cup of thinly sliced green onion. Spread over thinly sliced ham. Roll up jelly roll style. Chill for at least an hour before serving, and then cut into bite size pieces. Mixture will cover 8 to 10 ham slices.

If you like shrimp, you will love “Barbara’s Shrimpie Spread”. In a bowl mix softened cream cheese, ½ cup sour cream, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 1 cup cocktail sauce, 2 cans (4-1/4 ounces each) of shrimp (rinsed and drained), 1 cup of chopped green onion, ¾ cup of finely chopped tomato. Put the mixture into a serving bowl and top with2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese. Chill in a covered container the refrigerator at least 2 hours then serve with your favorite crackers of pita chips.

Here is one more easy appetizer recipe. “Spicy stuffed celery” will compliment any dinner table. In a bowl mix 8 ounces of softened cream cheese with a tablespoon of Tabasco or your favorite hot sauce, a tablespoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and 1 finely chopped jalapeno pepper. Wash and cut celery sticks to the desired length and fill each stick with mixture. Shake on celery salt, if desired. Be sure to have a glass of milk handy if you eat these easy appetizers.

Posted by admin under Hostessing & Party Food & Recipes | 4 Comments »

If you decide to have a colorful birthday party, use the rainbow as your color scheme. Pick colors from the artist’s palette for everything from invitations to decorations to food. Mark the location of the party with a brightly colored bouquet of balloons tied to the mailbox or tree out front of the party location. Encourage attendees to wear their best and brightest colored clothes to the event.

Send out invitations with every color in a box of 8 Crayola crayons. If it is a kid’s party send out invitations that the recipients can color and return to be included in a coloring contest. Award a small prize for the best and brightest coloring job. Send each kid home with a grab bag filled with brightly colored trinkets.

Decorate the party venue with red corvettes, blue moons, big yellow taxis, red apples, purple grapes, brown chocolate, purple Kool-Aid, rainbows, pink carnations, red roses, strawberry fields forever, green clover, yellow hay, pink elephants, yellow beans, silver bullets and gold rush.

How would a menu fit into such a birthday party? Start with a big bowl of fruit, crispy vegetables, cheese popcorn and multi colored M&M’s. The colors may clash but no one will notice. For cold drinks include different flavors of soda, juice and Hawaiian punch. If adults are at the party include Mai Tai’s, scorpion bowls and pina coladas with colored stirrers. Make different colored ice cubes for the punch bowl and the cold drinks.

Nothing says a colorful birthday party by setting the table with red table cloths, yellow napkins and plates and orange cups. Don’t forget brightly colored disks to be used for coasters, colored straws for the kids and the big kids. Cover the serving trays with different colored deli paper. Toss handfuls of confetti on the tables and maybe even the floor, stick balloons of different colors to the walls and ceilings, toss streamers at the guests as they enter the room.

Most food and condiments have a lot of color to them but accentuate the colors with their arrangement on the table. Arrange the mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise and relish in containers that look like a paint box. If you serve food that involves sauce or gravy put them in small paint buckets. I am relating painting with color schemes here. Corn on the cob piled on a platter will be like setting the sun on the table.

For entertainment play songs with colors in the title. Ask everyone to insert different colors as much as possible into the conversation. (“Boy did I have a crappy brown day today.”) Play charades but have the participants act out their favorite color. (“Hang loose with chartreuse” might be an interesting charade.). Movie trivia might be guessing movies with colors in the title. A cool kid’s game might be a scavenger hunt where they will have to find a red sneaker, a red headed kid, a green apple or a handful of green clover.

Possibilities of a colorful birthday party are endless and with a little colorful forethought, it will be successful.

Posted by admin under Children & Decorations & Hostessing & Occasions | 2 Comments »

There is nothing more refreshing than the first salads of the season. After being pent up inside the house with warm stews and possibly more Swiss chard than one can or should consume, new veggies are definitely a requirement.

Salad becomes my default meal in the summer once it’s too hot to bear turning on the stove. In spring it seems more like a privilege to have a salad for my main course. Especially when I’m harvesting the lettuce from my own home garden. I have several varieties such as iceburg, Romain, deer tongue, red oak leaf, red romaine, mesclun mix, and spicy baby Asian green mix. If you don’t have any space to grow your own, a quick trip to your local farmers market will give you even more choices. Try as many heirloom varieties as you can. You won’t find them in your supermarket because they don’t ship well and some are only available for a short time in the spring and fall.

One way to dress up your salad is to serve it on Noritake colorwave plates. My favorites are the accent plates. Make sure to garnish the salad with a few surprises such as fresh strawberries and goat cheese, or toasted nuts and dried berries.

My favorite way to elevate a salad is by adding edible flowers. Make sure you are buying culinary grade or eating ones you grow yourself. If they were not grown as food, they may be sprayed with chemicals that you do not want to ingest. I grow nasturtiums which is a beautiful vining plant with edible leaves and flowers. The leaves add a peppery taste to the salad and the petals add so much color that you can even make a side salad out of just lettuce and nasturtiums.

Don’t underestimate what you can add to a salad. Use leftover steak, chicken, even steamed asparagus to make it a heartier meal. A salad doesn’t have to always be dainty. You can serve black beans, pulled chicken, avocado and salsa on top of a crunchy lettuce and even the biggest working man can fill up on it!

One thing I love to do is serve a salad that I toss in a dressing, rather than serve the dressing on the side. I find you can use so much less dressing that way and it allows the flavors to meld in a magical way when each lettuce leaf is perfectly coated. It’s great for dieters too, since you can easily triple the amount of calories with extra dressing.

Posted by Myriam under Garden & Hostessing & Party Food & Spring Entertaining & Summer Entertaining | 5 Comments »

Hot dogs are the perfect cookout foods and they work great for parties too. I always plan a few parties a year around them. I like to have campy parties and weenies scream campy!

Have your friends wear their best touristy gear for a fun costume party addition. It’s easy to forget the stress of your week once you’re in plaid Bermuda shorts, sandals with socks and have binoculars or a camera around your neck.

Make sure to have a tropical fruity drink to accompany your festive fare. Something that looks good with an umbrella straw tucked away in it. I usually choose a pina colada or strawberry daiquiri. They may be predictable, but everyone loves them.

You could even go red-neck gourmet and make a hot dog enchilada casserole. Spread about 2 cups of pre-made chili over the bottom of a greased rectangle baking dish. Wrap a tortilla around each hot dog and arrange on top of chili. Top with the rest of the chili and shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake in a 400 degree oven between 30 - 40 minutes. Serve topped with crumbled Fritos.

If you go for the traditional hot dog feast, make sure to have tons of toppings for your guests. Ketchup, mustard, and pickle relish are requirements. Make a Carolina dog by topping it with cole slaw and chili. You could also make a Greek salad dog with feta, olives, chopped tomatoes, red onion, and touch of Greek dressing. Feel free to add gourmet extras like roasted garlic, red peppers, goat cheese or even nacho cheese.

If it’s raining or you just don’t feel like cooking outside, use your slow cooker. I have a Crockpot trio that has 3 small slow cookers on one base. If you have lots of time you can heat the hot dogs up in the slow cooker. Personally I like to heat them on the stove and keep them warm in the slow cookers. I put veggie dogs in one, turkey dogs in another, and veggie chili in the last one. This way everything’s ready for people as they drop in.

Posted by Myriam under Drinks & Hostessing & Party Food & Spring Entertaining & Summer Entertaining | 5 Comments »