How to Host a Stress Free Small Dinner Party at Home
Yes you can enjoy your own dinner party! The 3 keys to hosting a stress-free dinner party are to keep it simple, do as many chores as you can ahead of the big day, and prepare as many dishes as you can ahead of your guests' arrival.
Steps
Keep it simple: Limit the guest list to eight people, six is even better. Choose a neutral table setting that lets your colorful centerpiece flowers pop. Serve no more than three courses. Feature only one "fancy" dish. Plan a mostly make ahead menu with few items that need last minute kitchen time.
Do ahead. Two weeks in advance, invite your guests and choose a menu with mostly make-ahead dishes. A few days ahead, shop for the non-perishables and clean house. The day ahead, shop for the perishables and set the dinner table and do a last minute clean of the bathroom and living room. Prepare your make-ahead recipes the day before or in the morning of your dinner party.
Tips
Remember that your guests are the real stars of the evening, not your food. The food is only your pleasant excuse for getting together, so don't worry about putting on a gourmet restaurant spread.
Never serve a dish you haven't made before. This way you avoid disasters like apologising for a recipe that doesn't taste the way you hoped it would.
You are part of the company and your guests expect to talk with you. Keeping it simple means you get to spend time with your guests instead of in the kitchen.
Don't get nervous about choosing wine. If you're not sure what to serve, just go to your local wine store and ask for something simple and inexpensive that most people are likely to enjoy. Remember people love to give advice, and wine store staff are no different!
Check the ingredient list for every recipe against your pantry contents. Make sure you already have the item on hand or add it to your shopping list. This has the added bonus of preventing you from buying duplicates!
In your last minute schedule be sure to include time for you to get dressed, set out the appetizers, put on the dinner music and - yes - sit down for a few minutes before your guests arrive. Wow! What a stress-free way to start enjoying your own dinner party.
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Info for Wilton Limousine Service
Wilton is nestled in the Norwalk River Valley in western Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, Wilton is north of the city of Norwalk, west of the town of Weston and east of the town of New Canaan. Wilton’s 17,633 residents live in an area of 26.8 square miles. Wilton is 55 miles from midtown Manhattan and is within easy driving distance from Westchester County, New York. The town is accessible from routes 7, 33, 106 and 107. Wilton is only 1 hour from Grand Central Station on the New Haven Line Danbury branch of Metro-North Railroad, which runs daily commuter service. In April 1995, Connecticut Magazine named Wilton the top overall town in its size group.
Wilton is a rural residential town rich in New England history. The first written records of the areas that are now Wilton date back to 1640, when Roger Ludlow and his friends purchased land from the Indians between Norwalk and Saugatuck Rivers and "a day’s walk into the country." This land was called Norwalk.
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