Pizza Party! Tonight I have invited two couples to our home for homemade pizza…yummmy!

It’s been a little while since I’ve entertained because my husband has been working out-of-state, but I LOVE to have people over. We rarely get invited to gatherings in our friends’ homes- family yes, but friends, almost NEVER! I think many people are uncomfortable with entertaining in their home… I’m not sure why, but I have a few entertaining tips that I would like to share today. I hope these tips will help you be more comfortable entertaining in your home.

 

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Stop-Breathe-Eat Pizza 8 X 10

Stop-Breathe-Eat Pizza 5 X 7

 

 As I was running my vacuum around for a quickie spruce up, my mind started to go over the plans I had made, what I had chosen to do and what not to do before this little party. I have some entertaining tips that I think are worth passing along.

Things NOT TO DO before your party

 

Entertaining at home doesn’t need to be overwhelming or a load of work. I think a fear of this keeps some people from entertaining. Keep it simple and casual so that you can be a guest at your own party.
My first entertaining tip is this:

Don’t wait until you have a nicer or bigger home!

Don’t wait until you have nicer furniture or nicer dishes!

I decided decades ago that people are more important than things. Your friends just want to share a fun evening with you. They don’t care how your home, furnishings or place settings measure up to someone else.
My next entertaining tip is:

Don’t put it off!

Set a date, invite guests and then worry about the details.

There will never be a perfect time to invite friends over. Just make a basic decision about what kind of evening you want to host; game night, casual dinner, barbecue, picnic. Then set a date and time, make the calls and invite your guests. Now that you are committed you can finalize the details; menu, shopping lists, decor if any, activities if any.

The next tip:

Don’t deep clean your house!

Don’t overwhelm yourself with deep cleaning or you will never have anyone over. You don’t need to clean out all your kitchen cupboards, the office, the garage, or the basement. Just stick to the public areas that your guests will actually see. Clean the entry, the powder room and the area that you will be entertaining in. If I have a bunch of people coming over I will run a vacuum around and dust but I don’t mop all my wood floors unless of course they are filthy! I mop AFTER a bunch of feet have tracked dirt all over the floors.

Another tip:

Keep the food simple, yummy and easy!

First of all, if you aren’t confident about the food, just have everyone bring a snack or appetizer- you don’t need to serve dinner. Or just serve dessert. You can also order in or combine store-bought items with one or two home cooked dishes. When I’m serving dinner I usually plan something tried and true for which I can do a lot of preparation ahead of time. I also usually spread the work by making food assignments to my guests. For the pizza party I did most of the prep the day before- cooked the sausage and bacon, made the sauce, chopped all the veggies except the mushrooms, shredded the cheese. I also set the table the day before. Since my guests were bringing the salad and dessert, all I and had to do the day of the party was make the pizza dough, assemble the pizzas and bake them. After assembling the pizzas I wiped the counters and put everything away. I put the pizzas in the oven about five minutes before my guests arrived-  no last-minute rushing around.

This is a great entertaining tip:

Same menu- different guests!

I have hosted a Halloween luncheon for many years. Quite often I serve a menu that I’ve served several other times. I just invite different ladies. My planning is already done because I keep a record of my entertaining; recipes, shopping lists, notes etc. Find a menu that you love and are confident with. Use it over and over again with different guests each time.

A final tip with a caveat:

Don’t try a new recipe before testing!

Don’t tell, but I actually do use new recipes quite often without testing them first. But I’m an experienced and confident cook and party guru. If I’m planning food for a more formal occasion like a baby/bridal shower, anniversary or wedding, I will definitely test the recipe first.

 

Now for some entertaining tips about what you SHOULD do before a party.

Things TO DO before your party

I’ve already covered some of these tips in the DONTs above but let me mention a few more.

 

Plan ahead and make lists!

As I plan my menu I add the ingredients to  my shopping list and also schedule when to by them based on how early items can be purchased and stay fresh. I also schedule when I’m going to do certain things like iron table cloths and napkins, clean house, food prep etc. Make sure that your powder room is supplied with paper guest towels, toilet paper, room spray and a plunger. Keep a record of who you have invited in the past, what you have served, what worked and what didn’t work. Make notes on your recipes about amounts, cooking times etc. Shop ahead of time except for last-minute perishables.

 

Pamper your guests!

Little details and special touches will make your guests feel welcome and a bit pampered. Pay special attention to your front door and your entryway. Light some candles on the porch, add a seasonal touch to the door, place some dishes of candy around. Use cloth napkins. This is an easy way to make guests feel a little special. Maybe a little take-home favor for your guests is appropriate.

 

Be Generous!

Running out of food is bad form. Make plenty of food, buy or make lots of ice. I would rather have food left over than let guests feel that they can’t go back for seconds.

Be a guest at your own party!

Get dressed and primped in plenty of time so you can greet your guests. Make food assignments for casual get togethers. Most friends are happy to bring something and my friends usually offer. If something burns, somebody cancels and doesn’t bring some of the food, you forget to serve the bread… it’s all good. Nobody cares, stuff happens, just laugh it off and enjoy your guests. I even caught the carpet on fire at one of my caroling parties. Thankfully someone noticed the smoke coming out from under the buffet table. We doused the fire with water and the party went on.

Just relax, have fun and let go of stress… It’s just your friends!

Thought you might like to see my pizza. Here’s the pizza ready to go in the oven.

 

Here’s the pizza ready to go into our mouths…can’t wait! I DO make great pizza!

 

Written by Cherice Steinhour
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