Entertaining Made Easy

Entertaining does not have to be a difficult task at all.  With these tips and pictures from my Halloween party, I hope you can find entertaining a little easier and more enjoyable.

As illustrated in the picture above, if you have an island in your kitchen, use it as the central food location and keep your table clear so guests can relax and enjoy their snacks there.

Prepare as much as possible ahead of time, and clean up as you go.  This will make the last minute crunch far less stressful, and cleanup is a snap.  You will want to relax and enjoy yourself when your guests arrive, not stress about making food or cleaning up.  For this particular party, I got my candy bowls ready, baked the cupcakes, and chopped my vegetables (both the veggies for snacking and the veggies for the soup) the day before.

Serve foods that are in season for a more festive feel to the occasion.  This party included toasted pumpkin seeds, butternut squash soup, apple cider, and other fall favorites.

Be safe!  Keep cold foods (particularly dips) on ice, and refresh the ice periodically if necessary.  This way, as guests trickle in and out throughout the course of the evening, you can relax and serve your snacks with confidence.

It's great to have a few more involved snacks if you choose, but simplicity is not a bad thing either.  Some easy snacks at this party that went over well were sliced veggies and hummus, crackers, and sliced apples with caramel dip.  There were also small dishes filled with a mix of salted peanuts and candy corn set on the island and smaller tables around the room.

Use slow cookers and other small kitchen appliances to keep food and beverages warm.  This easy hot spiced cider is made with a gallon of apple cider, a sliced lemon, a sliced orange, and cinnamon sticks.

Use food as decoration.  Fall is an especially nice time for using food as decoration, with pumpkins and the huge variety of brightly colored squashes available.  Play with arrangements until you find something you like.  Be creative!  Pair these fall vegetables with bowls of candy to draw your guests' eyes to a tasty snack.

Be mindful of your guests' allergies and dietary restrictions such as gluten and dairy sensitivities.  Be sure to offer plenty of options so that ALL of your guests can enjoy themselves!  Any grocery store carriers gluten free snacks, as pictured below.  Be sure to know ahead of time what your guests cannot eat, and carefully check labels so you know what you are offering is safe for them.  Point out these foods when your guests arrive so they know what to enjoy and what to avoid.

Above all else, have fun.  Enjoy the small details and your guests will too!

Happy Entertaining!

Jillian