Making a List and Checking it Twice
Planning ahead can simplify your holiday entertaining
By Heather Cameron

Ask people how they feel about the holiday season and their responses are as different as snowflakes in the sky. But whether they love it or hate it, many people seem to get caught up in the hectic rush of the season. If you offered back in August to do some holiday entertaining, you might be thinking a Caribbean cruise sounds good about now. Before you book your tickets, why not try an organized approach? As with any project, a little planning — and a detailed checklist — can go a long way, so here are just a few ideas to make entertaining easier, anytime of year.

Pick your party. Before you start making your list and checking it twice, think about the type of event you want to have. Let’s face it, an informal get-together is pretty much guaranteed to be more relaxing for both the host and the guests. Serving a casual buffet, or inviting people over for a few drinks and munchies, allows for plenty of mingling and can often save the host a sleigh-load of stress. And buffets can often allow for a pot-luck approach, easing some of the strain on the host. One of the nice things about an open house-style of event is that you have a much greater chance of visiting with everyone who walks in your door. Greeting dozens of people within a few hours is like being on the campaign trail during an election, but chit-chatting with people as they trickle in at different times is much more manageable.

Make-ahead menu. You want to be a part of the party, not apart from it, so be sure to look for recipes that allow for as much pre-preparation as possible. Dishes that you can prepare ahead of time and freeze, or that need at least 24-hours to sit in a fridge, will free up your time so you can enjoy your own party. When possible, bake goodies a few weeks ahead of time and freeze them. Try to choose make-ahead recipes that can be prepared in advance and simply warmed up before your guests arrive so you can be relaxed and sipping a toddy before the doorbell starts ringing. Desserts like fruit salad can be prepared the evening before — save for the bits that will brown if cut up too early. These can be chopped up and added just before guests arrive.

Making a list (or two). Write out your menu and plan to pick up non-perishables — food and household items alike — well in advance of the party so you don’t face an overwhelming — and time-consuming — list when you are shopping for your perishable foods a day or two before your party. Create a to-do list and be sure to grab a calendar and schedule the tasks — such as sending out invitations, house cleaning, seasonal decorating, etc. — on the list so you know what needs to be done when. Too much to get done before the party? Now is the time to arrange for assistance — be it paid or unpaid help.

Think like a guest. In your mind, take yourself through the guest’s experience. Who is greeting you? Where do you put your coat? Are the drinks easily accessible? Thinking like a guest is a good way to figure out ahead of time if your party is missing something.

Go for self-serve. Make sure that you make it as easy as possible for guests to find items and serve themselves. Set up a drinks station with cups, glasses, and beverages easily accessible so your guests can help themselves if you are tied up. If you have opted for a buffet-style event, think traffic flow — getting people from point A (the empty plate) to point B (the food) should be easy as (mincemeat) pie.

Whatever type of entertaining you opt for, remember that the holiday season should be about sharing good times with the people you love. A little planning ahead will go a long way to helping you enjoy holiday entertaining — even if there are no white, sandy beaches to escape to.

Heather Cameron operates Edited Interiors, an Ottawa-area business that offers professional organizing, home staging, and interior decorating/redecorating services. You can contact her at 613 831-6398 or visit www.editedinteriors.com.

SIDEBAR:

Party-time tips

Pan of attack. If you are providing most of the food, pull out — a few days ahead of time — the baking pans and serving dishes you plan to use and place them out in the area where you will be using them. This allows you to see in advance whether you have enough serving dishes, and you can also see if you have enough room on your table or tables. A few dishes short? Ask a neighbour or friend if you can borrow some pieces (and maybe invite them to the party, too!) The same goes for chairs, cutlery and cups — why buy extra only to cram your space with extra items that you will rarely use? Beg, borrow or rent, instead.

Keep it clean. Slip off to a powder room during a party and you might not find yourself alone. Washrooms can be harbingers of germs any time, but no more so than during peak party and flu season. Make sure your liquid hand-soap dispenser is topped up pre-party and offer your guests their own personal “towels” — a.k.a. thick, restaurant-style paper napkins. You can display a stack of them on a pretty tray or plate right by the sink and use a little sign to direct people to drop the used napkins in a basket by their feet. This allows you to pop the pile straight into your recycling box. While we are on a paper trail, make sure you have plenty of toilet paper rolls available — whether visible or stored under the sink — in the powder room.

Cold storage. Running out of room in the fridge? Try Nature’s kitchen — your back step. As long as it’s cold outside, you can fill a plastic tub or your regular cooler with drinks and drop them in the snow bank. (Just don’t forget and leave them out too long. A wicked wind chill reading may result in some mini-explosions.)

This article originally appeared in the  Winter 2007 issue of Due West/Due East magazine, a publication of Coyle Publishing Inc.

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