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Food: Party Planning Made Simple
The holiday season is a very special time for my family. We love to share this time with ourselves and close friends, we look forward to enjoying each other’s company during this joyous celebration, and we are lucky in that the entire family loves to participate and make the holidays special. But there are many preparations to think about as well. We take extra time preparing for the special day. For us it is rarely just a dinner – it becomes a daylong event. We work hard to make the party a memorable experience and have fond memories of being there. As a frequent party planner myself, many people have asked me, “How can you put on so many parties at your home?” Well, since our typical Sunday dinner is for over 10 people it seems like every week is a party! So I thought I’d offer our advice on how to make both your holiday season and your general party planning go just a little bit smoother.
We prepare each event using the simple planning tools. I’m a big fan of Excel – it is now affectionately called ‘The Spreadsheet’ by our family. They look forward to receiving the spreadsheet to see what’s going on for the day. The spreadsheet tracks everything about the event including the guest list, food, music and beverages. The spreadsheet can be very elaborate, where you track every movement including the budget, or it can be simple, tracking just the basics of what is needed for the party. I’m somewhere in between.
Planning a party takes time; you need to have a vision of the details. First, think of your basics – budget is always the top priority. What you want to spend for your party will drive the details of the event, including the guest list and what is being served. Once you have established your budget, move onto the next item.
How many people do you want? Do you want an intimate party with just a few family members and friends or a large bash with 50-plus guests? Once your guest list is established, then decide where you will be hosting the event. If you are planning on having 50-plus people and live in a one bedroom apartment, I would strongly suggest looking for a party hall. You want to make sure there is enough space for people to be comfortable and not cramped. You also will want to consider tables and chairs. Is this a sit down dinner or a cocktail party? Also, look at your guest list carefully. Are there any special concerns to take into consideration? For instance, dietary concerns? Vegetarian? Vegan? Physical concerns like wheelchairs or walkers? Again, you want to make sure all your guest are taken care of and enjoy the party.
Another fun facet to consider is whether there is a theme to your party. If there is, how elaborate do you want to make decorations? For instance, do you want a Hawaiian themed party? How about making a beach in the backyard? You can create or buy paper palm trees and place them around the venue. Or provide props and costumes for your guests such as leis and grass skirts to wear. You can have the guests prepare for the party too, especially if there is a theme. Send out an invitation a few weeks ahead of the party and put on the invite the theme and what is asked of them. For instance, wear a Hawaiian shirt or beach clothes. Get people excited about the event. Invitations also can range from elaborate to simple. You can have the traditional printed invites and mail them to your guests, call each of your guests (hopefully, this would be for your more intimate party), create a flier and email it to friends and, for the more modern methods, create an event on Facebook or use Evite. Whichever way you decide, make sure your guests have access to that form of receipt. For instance, inviting your 90-year-old grandmother via Facebook may not be the best method. Perhaps you will want to use a variety of ways to reach everyone.
Now let’s talk food! As you may all know, I love the food and wine portion to any event – these are the things I like to focus on. Based on your budget, are you considering catering the event, making your own food or having a potluck? Any of these are acceptable, if planned and the guests know what to expect. A tip on the potluck, we usually provide the main course and ask guests to bring sides. Remember, if you ask people to bring something, be gracious and thankful for them participating and making your party a success. Also, if you know someone who has a special dish that they make, talk to them and have them make it! Another consideration is cooking space. Does everyone need the oven for 3 hours each and you only have one oven? How about freezer and refrigerator space? So, even on potlucks it is better if you talk to each person and get an idea of what they are bringing (or give them an idea of what to bring) and see what they will need to do at the party in terms of preparation, refrigeration and cooking.
One very important factor is the amount of food at your party. You do not want to run out of food, this leaves a bad impression and very hungry guests. There is a method to the madness – a food calculator. You should plan that each guest will eat 5 appetizers (5 pieces here – not the whole appetizer) or 3 appetizers per hour, per guest. Let’s stick to the Hawaiian theme. Take a look at the commonly served food items for this type of party. For appetizers, you may want to serve ribs and/or a pupus (Hawaiian for appetizer) platter in keeping with your theme. Presentation of your food is just as important to complete your meal. If you have a buffet table, place themed items around your platters and garnish them. Flowers in vases or even on the platters themselves is a nice way of garnishing. Planning for your main course is very important. All your sides will be based upon your main course to ensure proper pairing. Let’s stay Hawaiian and roast a pig – yes a whole pig. Where in Hawaii they will take the pig and bury it in a pit surrounded by palm tree leaves and hot rocks to slowly cook, in your own backyard that may not be so easily accomplished, as much as you try. TRUST ME (we tried to bury a pig.) Slow roasting one all day is just as wonderful but you need the right equipment to do so. You can rent a slow roaster and plan your entire day around the main course from starting the fire in the early morning to preparing the pig for roasting. We take the pig and stuff it with pineapple, apples, onions and garlic. The preparation of the food then becomes a main theme for the party. For the sides, we keep in mind the food groups – starch, protein and veggies. Pasta or potato salad, beans, corn bread, fresh fruit and grilled or sautéed vegetables. Your Hawaiian menu can go on and on. You need to again, calculate the food for your main course. Plan 6 ounces of meat per person, 4 ounces of pasta or 2 ounces of rice, 2 ounces of sides and 6-8 ounces of fresh fruit.
Dessert is always a favorite and if we don’t overeat we even have room for it! Dessert is a personal thing so make what you like. If ice cream sundaes are your favorite, have a sundae bar. If you love to bake, a few days before the event spend a day making cookies. If chocolate molten cake is your favorite, either make it or commission someone to come and make them fresh the day of the event. I think you get the point.
Beverages. Please let’s not forget beverages as again, we must make the guests comfortable. One staple to every event must be water. Whether bottled water or pitchers of water garnished with lemons, oranges or limes, your guests will need water. Yes, let’s also not forget the calculator for beverages: 1 gallon of non-alcoholic beverages per 10 guests. That calculation is assuming the guests will consume a conservative 3-4 ounces each. If you are having mixed drinks, purchase at least 25 ounces or a 750 ml bottle of the following: gin, vodka, bourbon, tequila and rum. However, if you know guest favorites, you can narrow the purchasing down to just those items. For wine the rule is 1 bottle for every 5 guests, unless they are part of our family and friends. We have lowered the guest ration to 1 bottle for every 3 guests, or we supplement the ratio with beer. Don’t forget the mixers for your drinks and ice. For ice, approximately 1 pound per drink type.
At this point your party is well on its way to the final planning stages. You need to think of entertainment. This can be very simple with some background music from your iPod or radio or have a band or DJ come entertain your guests. There also may be a combination of these items. For instance, you may want to have your iPod set up and playing for the beginning of the party and during dinner. However, when dinner is finished and the party is ready to start, the band may kick in and get your friends and family dancing. However you envision your party, remember to enjoy it. Do all your planning ahead of time and if on the day of the event something doesn’t quite go right, just roll with it. Remember that everyone can still have a great time even if some of the food does not turn out perfectly … Happy Holidays everyone!
By: Regina Briseño –
Recognized for her work with her family and talent for seeking out good food and wine. She also invites everyone to come and enjoy the adventurous ride with her!