Instead of braving the crowds out at the finest restaurants, try making dinner at home. You know that it’s not a romantic to be in a huge crowd of people all trying to woo their spouse at the same time.

Long waits and rushed service makes this day one of the worst to eat out on anyhow. At home you have complete control over what goes into your special meal.

Instead of wine or alcoholic cocktails buy a flavored sparkling water. Make a mock-tail using organic juices and fresh herbs. Try a mock mojito using lime sparkling water, lime juice, and fresh mint. It’s just as good as the original.

Start out with a low calorie shrimp cocktail. You can  buy some pre-cooked frozen ones, and it’s as simple as thawing them out in the fridge. Fancy it up by placing them around the rim of a Noritake Kona footed bowl. Add a dollop of cocktail sauce and your appetizer is ready to go.

Get some bagged field greens and top with dried cranberries, goat cheese, and slivered almonds. This makes a beautiful salad and really dresses up your table. Serve with a low fat balsamic dressing and a whole wheat dinner roll.

Pasta always has a part in a romantic meal. In stores it’s becoming easier to find whole wheat pasta. At my local Whole Foods store they have a low fat whole wheat cheese ravioli that’s amazing. Warm up a bottle of organic marinara. Toss in some veggies to make this another pretty plate. You can even use a frozen bag of California mix that contains broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. Of course, any fresh veggies you have on hand will work. The veggies add great nutrition and fill you up, so try to have extra veggies whenever you can.

You can cheat a little on dessert and get a couple of individual flour-less chocolate cakes. Trader Joe’s has them. They aren’t expensive and you can pop them in the oven at any time during your meal. My favorite option is fresh berries. They are a special treat in the winter. Fresh raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries make a colorful dessert all by themselves. Add a spoonful of whipped cream and elevate them to a perfect Valentine treat. Make it from scratch and add a few drop of vanilla extract.

After a candle lit dinner at home, you may find yourself staying in more often for special occasions. It will save you money and keep you healthier all through the year!

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I’m not a sports fan, but even I am waiting to find out if the New Orleans Saints are going to the Super Bowl. I lived in New Orleans for 12 years and everyone loves an underdog.

Now that I’ve told you just about everything I know about sports, let me talk party food to you. That’s something I really have a knack for. If the Saints do make their way to the big game, make your party center around the food of New Orleans. Have a big slow cooker full of gumbo and another of jambalaya. This way, your guests will be eating the best food of all the Super Bowl parties on your block.

Most large supermarkets have frozen crawfish which adds an exotic touch outside of Louisiana. Use it in the dishes above or in a dip in place of crab. Also, change up the spices a little. You can try some of Emeril’s Essence, which is also available nationwide. Add a little cayenne or Tabasco to spice it up a bit. You can also do it all the easy way with Zatarain’s Mixes. It’s really all up to you.

If the Saints let us down, you can still do better than a table of chips and pre-made dips. Get out your little dipper Crockpot and make a fondue instead of the usual nacho cheese. Even if you use cheddar and beer in it, it’s still a step above. Have lightly toasted bread hunks, steamed veggies, and you can still have a few tortilla chips out for the die hard junk food fans. Turn a plain old bean dip into something special by adding some goat cheese in place of the usual Monterrey jack and puree some chipolte chilies in adobe sauce to replace the jalapenos.

Create a make your own sandwich buffet. Use your Sengware platters to put out an array of thin sliced meats and cheeses. Have and array of interesting rolls - ciabata, oat, whole grain, sunflower and more. Have a few unusual cheeses, including goat cheese, so the vegetarians have something yummy too. Put out smoked mustards, basil aoili, and even steak sauce, they all make a sandwich more interesting.

Have cute mini cupcakes in place of a big cake. You can make them easily at home and even healthy them up with whole wheat pastry flour if you want to. Make sure to put out a fruit tray so your friends can keep their new year’s resolutions at least a little longer.

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Hopefully you’ve gotten a specific goal in your mind and have found someone you can share your goal with. If not you may want to read part 1. If you haven’t found someone that you feel like you can share your resolution with, you can probably find a group on the internet that can help you. It really helps to talk about your successes and setbacks with someone along the way.

I love sparkpeople for this. It’s free and you can track your food and get information on various health goals. Plus they have groups you can join for just about any interest you have. Many even have challenges that you can join to give you some motivation. They are groups that are focused on debt reduction and much more. Check it out and see if they have a group to support your resolution.

Now that you have a detailed map written down, make a list of small rewards you can give yourself each time you obtain a mini goal. The trick is to select things that support your goal. If you lost 2 pounds, don’t reward yourself with a high calorie treat. Same goes with shopping as a reward to sticking to your budget. Try rewarding yourself with some time to read a book or take a nice warm bath. If it’s a beautiful day take a walk outside with your dog. Make a date with a friend to hang out or something that you don’t get to do as often as you’d like.

In addition to rewards you need to be prepared to forgive yourself if you have a setback. Don’t let one moment of weakness take your resolution away. One slip does not mean you should stop. Just get up the next day, look at your resolution road map and remember why you chose to do this. Then get back in there and give it your best. You can do anything you set your mind to!

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It’s easy to keep your head down, hold your breath, and just get through the holidays to the other side. Sometimes the season just doesn’t seem as much fun as it did when we were kids. We let our obligations remove us from the enjoyment.

Don’t try to do everything and don’t try to do more than you really can. We are all Martha Stewart wannabes, but remember that you don’t have a staff of people like she does.

Hanging out with your friends can help drag you back into the holiday spirit. Often the holidays become more about marking things off a list than really giving of yourself. Talk to your friends about volunteering together for the holidays. You could serve food at a mission or soup kitchen. They always need extra help around the holidays. Another option is to help out a food pantry by scheduling some time there. This year the food pantries have been hit hard serving more people than expected.

Of course, you can always donate money if time is not an option. The purpose of this is to get that spirit of loving your neighbors and helping those who need it, anyway you can.

If you are handy you could look into Habitat for humanity or another organization that helps elderly people do painting and repairs on their houses. Or maybe you want to start something that can last all year. Check out idealist.org for hundreds of opportunities you can search for by location and type of skills required. Another wonderful source is Volunteermatch.org.

You and your friends can also adopt a family to bring presents and Christmas dinner to. Children who would go without if you don’t help. Most of us have so much in our lives and it only makes it better when we share it with others.

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Show your friends that you’re thinking of them this holiday season without breaking the bank. It’s nice to buy presents for everyone if you can afford it, but there are ways to spend less money and still have a ton of fun.

The traditional secret Santa requires a little planning but it’s not too late. Each person only buys one present and everyone leaves with something just for them. I like secret Santa because you can match people together and all but assure that everyone’s holiday will be a little happier. Of course you can also leave it up to fate and have people draw form a bag (or you can download a program that duplicates it right on your computer).

Either way you can send out email to let people know who they are buying for. It’s best to have a price range. Usually under 20 dollars, but if someone is making something make sure they take their time into account too. In fact if your friends are crafty you could have a completely handmade exchange.

You can arrange your party around an exchange theme if you want. Exchange ornaments, liquors, funny shirts, anything that you think all of your friends would like. This year I’m focusing on handmade items for my friends. Check out instructables.com or http://blog.craftzine.com/ for great crafty ideas.

Have everyone bring their favorite holiday dish for a nice buffet spread and put out on your bright red Pimento sengware dinnerware to create the perfect table. Ahead of time mix a nice drink with a bottle of sparkling wine and Chambord in a pitcher for a festive red drink. Also grab some lime sparking water and add some cranberry juice for your non-alcoholic alternative that’s just as pretty.

Send out an evite about your little soirée and give all the pertinent details to your friends. No matter how you decide to exchange gifts you will all enjoy celebrating the holidays together.

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I love to give gifts and try to sprinkle them in all during the year. Buying gifts can be one of the hardest tasks during the holidays if you didn’t plan far enough ahead. One of the things I do is start filling up my gift closet the day after Christmas to prepare for next year. (And all the birthdays in between!) It also spreads the cost across the whole year. I don’t know about you but I have to buy for 4 birthdays in early January in addition to Christmas presents.

But it’s December now, and you can’t go back in time and have all your shopping done. Avoid breaking the bank with some of these inexpensive gift ideas.

Gifts from and for the kitchen are always welcome. Think about your friend and what they love to have in their kitchen. A collection of hot sauces for a chili pepper lover, fresh herb seeds or a few herb plants for the locavore in your life, or even a slow cooker for someone that’s having trouble fitting cooking into their schedule. An inexpensive slow cooker and/or rice cooker can really help out a spread-thin Mom everyday to cook for her whole family.

Don’t forget that a tin of holiday cookies or gingerbread can bring the holiday smells into a house that might otherwise go without. This is especially welcomed by elderly relatives or neighbors, students, and new parents. If you know that someone really likes your special muffins or another signature dish of yours, make a nice recipe card for them and include it in a basket of the ingredients to make the dish.

If you have a sick relative or even just an overwhelmed friend, you could fill their freezer with individual homemade microwave dinners. Make some extra for your freezer too and you’ll be assured to start the new year off eating right.

If you have a friend that was diagnosed with a gluten allergy, a great gluten free baking book like ‘Babycakes’ would be a huge help. A basket full of gluten-free holiday goodies would go pretty far too! It can be really hard to avoid wheat during the holidays, so you’ll really be giving them the holiday they didn’t think they would have this year.

The old stand by of coupons for one of their favorite home-cooked meals is still a perfect gift. The most important thing to keep in mind is that a gift supports the person’s lifestyle and hopefully makes it just a little bit easier.

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As you already know, I love to combine things. Almost any chore can be be made fun with a party and friends to work around. In fact, sometimes I even go grocery shopping with friends! Holiday cards can be a tough task for people like me who aren’t so good at getting things into the mail.

Selecting a card can be just as bad. So many boxed cards are geared to specific holiday traditions that aren’t necessarily appropriate for all of your friends. That’s why I’m having a holiday card making party this year.

You’ll need to get a few basic supplies at your local craft store. You can buy paper that is already cut and folded into a card size, or you could buy plain paper and make them in any size and shape you can think of. You can also buy ready made envelopes or make your own.

Pick up a few holiday themed stamps and colored stamp pads. If you have it in your budget, pick up a glue stamp pad and some glitter. It’s awesome to add somebling to your card. You could make paper snowflake cut outs and glue onto your card.

Still not feeling so inspired? Try looking at some of Martha’s cards, which are always breath taking.

This is a perfect party to have your friends bring the kids along. They love to create things and will inspire all your guests - including the adults. Have a sparkling cider or pour sparkling water into a glass half full of cranberry juice for some dressed up drinks for the kids. Go ahead and pop the cork on some champagne for the adults. Have a little Chambord to top the adults sparkly drink for an extra burst of flavor.

You may want to avoid the finger foods or you’ll find grease stains on your beautiful cards. If you think it’s a must, have the finger snacks before or after the card making session. I usually tend to have a cornbread topped chili pie or something thick that you eat with a fork. Of course, the kids should eat before they start making cards no matter what you are serving.

Ask everyone to bring Christmas stamps and you can address the cards and send them all off together in the morning. Have a nice dessert to celebrate your completed cards with. A super quick mousse can be made with a box of silken tofu, and a large handful of melted chocolate chips all blended in a food processor. Add a tablespoon of your favorite liquor and take it to the next level. I promise you, no one will know that it’s a healthy dessert and it takes less time to make than instant pudding!

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Chances are no matter where you were yesterday for Thanksgiving, you have leftovers. Even if you didn’t host dinner, you probably had a bag of leftovers packed up and sent with you. Relatives and friends alike love to think they’re helping us out. Especially when they are overwhelmed with leftovers themselves.

You could heat and eat the same old meal. Or you can think of each dish as a single ingredient and create some new dishes in a mini Iron Chef competition with yourself. By creating new dishes you’ll stretch your food budget, and surprise yourself with your creativity.

Have a pizza shell in the fridge or some dough in the freezer? Try making pizza with some of your leftovers. Try bbq turkey with shredded turkey, pre-made bbq sauce, chopped onions and bell pepper. Add some drained, canned pineapple if you’re feeling adventurous. You could also toss some turkey in pesto sauce spread over a crust, top it off with crumbled goat cheese and some leftover cranberry sauce. Make a vegetarian pizza with sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce on a crust covered in a garlic butter sauce.

Pasta is another great option. You could make a left over casserole with whole wheat ziti, turkey, leftover veggies, Use leftover gravy or a mushroom sauce to bind everything together. Toast leftover dressing and crumble over the top.

Turkey lasagna with a sweet potato cream sauce and spinach is another favorite. Or try egg noodles combined with turkey and green bean casserole - add a little milk to loosen it up if needed.

Have some leftover creamed corn? Try mixing it with diced pepperoncini peppers, and some turkey or grilled shrimp. Toss the mixture with angel hair pasta. Creamed corn is also the perfect base for a corn chowder. Just add milk, diced red peppers, cubed potatoes, more frozen corn if needed, and some fresh thyme. It’s my favorite cold weather soup.

If you made the turkey at your house this year, you can use the carcass to make turkey broth. It freezes great. You can put it in quart containers, or freeze in ice cube trays and store in Ziploc bags. It’s great to be able to take out a few cubes of stock at a time. Much better than opening a carton of stock for a few tablespoons worth.

Don’t forget the power of omelets. Any of the mixtures above would work great. Turkey and goat cheese is one of my favorites, but you can use any cheese you have on hand. Omelets are perfect for using up the tiniest leftovers.

Take these ideas and invite some of your friends over for a Thanksgiving leftover party. It just may be the least expensive party you’ve thrown all year!

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Posted by Myriam under Fall Entertaining & Holiday Entertaining & Hostessing & Occasions & Recipes | No Comments »

Earlier in the week I talked about throwing a no work dinner party. Are you ready for another type of party that you don’t have to clean your house for? Try throwing a craft party for your friends at a local craft store. Some places allow you to rent  space and include materials in the price, in others you will pick out a class and they will provide a teacher. Either way you get to have a private class just for your party.

For my birthday this year some of my friends and I took a soldering class. We learned to make little charms enclosed in glass, how to solder on jump rings, and make a charm bracelet from our class work. None of us had done anything like it before so it was fun for all of us. Remember that it’s really good to laugh at yourself when trying something new. Believe me, with my friends around there was plenty of laughter, not to mention friendly teasing. Being around friends to support you through your new learning experience is a great feeling.

First you need to do a little research to find a craft store or classes in your area. Many places will cater to children as well as adults. There is a place called the Scrap Exchange where I live. They are the ultimate reuse center. And best of all they teach you to turn recycled materials into art! They take donations from the community, as well as businesses including factories. They have everything from fabric to paper, and you’ll always find the unexpected. They have a party menu and even allow you to bring in food.

Some places will let you bring a birthday cake for before or after the class. Make sure to ask if that’s something you feel strongly about doing. If you are doing a craft that involves chemicals, or extreme heat, chances are you will not be able to bring food or drink into the classroom. It’s for your own safety.

Make sure to find out all the class details ahead of time. You will need to let your guests know if they need to buy anything ahead of time, or if they will need to bring money to buy supplies on site. Depending on the event you can split the cost with your guests or take care of it yourself depending on your budget.

Everyone is sure to have a great time and there’s no cleanup after. At least not for you! Plus your guests will have something they made with their own hands to keep as a souvenir.

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There are many reasons to host a dinner party, and one of them is for the chance to get creative with a “themed” dinner party. One  theme you can try for your next dinner party is a mystery dinner. The whole dinner party would be focused around finding out “who done it” and each dinner guests will be a part of the mystery. You can send out murder mystery invitations online which will allow you to send each guest unique information. Tell them what character they will be playing so they can dress the part (dressing up will add to the fun). Check out these murder mystery online invites from My Punch Bowl.

They also have other fun tips to plan your murder mystery dinner party, so get planning!

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