Sunday, April 11, 2010

How to Make your Party Stress Free

By Christine Szalay-Kudra

Everyone has hosted a party that left them drained and exhausted. Trying to do everything yourself leaves you stressed and unhappy. You do not get to enjoy your efforts. Take a look at these secrets, which will help you host a stress free party that you get to enjoy. Can you imagine being the perfect hostess and still having time to have fun?

Planning ahead is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Make as many lists as you need to outline what you need to purchase and where to get it. Get all of your dishes ready and make sure the house is clean. Doing this early leaves you a lot more time on the finer details of your party. You will be able to plan the music you want, what food you want to serve and everything.

The day before your party, make as much of the food as you can. This will alleviate the stress of cooking everything on your party day. Many casseroles and appetizers can be made and refrigerated. At least wash or chop your vegetables and package them so they are easily accessible the next day. Every task you do today will save you time on party day. Double check that you have everything you need. Shop for anything you have forgotten.

The morning of the party, do any last minute spot cleaning that needs to be done. Set out your best towels in the bathroom and make sure it is ready for guests. Set up your serving tables and set out all of your dishes and utensils. Attend to any last minute decorations that need to done.

Start cooking everything that had to wait for the day of the party. Try to time them so they will be done about the same time. This will leave you time to clean up your kitchen before your guests start arriving. An hour before your guests arrive, check for any last minute touches that need to be taken care of. Now you can get yourself ready! Get dressed and relax.

Put any food that needs reheating in the oven. Appetizers or main dishes made the day before can easily be warmed up just before your guests arrive. Arrange all of your cold appetizers so they are ready to greet your hungry guests. Put some music on and relax while you wait for everyone to arrive.

You can use this method of party planning with any party throughout the year. For the holidays, use some delicious holiday appetizer recipes to get the evening started right with rich, tempting bites. You will find that planning ahead like this makes your job as host much easier.

During the party, enjoy yourself! Visit with your guests and have some fun. Quick trips into the kitchen to replenish appetizers or set out the next course will take only minutes. As you pass through the party, swiftly pick up any trash that accumulates to make your clean up easier. You will be amazed at how much more relaxed you will be.

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