LoisHaving friends and family over to your house for a holiday dinner doesn’t have to be stressful.
As long as you plan ahead and stay organized, you can enjoy time with your guests and have fun too.
Here are a few last-minute holiday entertaining tips to help with your holiday celebrations.
Keep it Simple
Create a simple menu with recipes you know are delicious. Now is not the time to try a new recipe.
Decide on How to Decorate your Table
When it comes to decorations, think small. Save space for food by displaying low arrangements of flowers instead of a large centerpiece. Use small accents, such as pine cones or votive candles to fill any empty spots on the dining or buffet table. I also love bringing in pine branches as well to use on the table.
Serve Buffet Style
It really is the easiest way to serve your meal when you’re having guests over. Think about where you want to set the buffet table up. I usually set ours up in the kitchen. We actually move our kitchen table out onto the back porch and bring in two folding tables that are the perfect length to hold quite a lot of food.
Set up a Drink Area
Whether you’re serving alcohol or non-alcoholic beverages, it’s always best to have them set up somewhere NOT in the kitchen. I made this mistake a few times and now I set up a separate table in the corner of our dining room with the drinks and glasses all ready for guests to help themselves.
Prep Ahead of Time
Try to do as much of the cooking before your guests arrive. Of course, some of the items on your menu cannot be made ahead of time, but you can try to get all the prep work done so all you’re doing is putting the final touches on your meal as the guests are arriving.
Easy Serving
Figure out which platters and bowls you need the day before. Get them out and place them on the buffet table and label them. Yes, label them. That way if someone is helping you, they’ll know exactly which bowl to use for the green beans. I do this all the time and even place a label on the table telling me where to put which dish.
Music
We still have a CD player
that I like to have ready to go when guests arrive. Plan out the music you want playing softly while you sit down to eat. Christmas Music CD
that I like to have ready to go when guests arrive. Plan out the music you want playing softly while you sit down to eat. Christmas Music CD
Enjoy Yourself
Your guests are happy you invited them and want to spend time with you! Enjoy your guests and have fun.
