An Expert's One-Hour Entertaining Guide: Simple Entertaining for Unexpected Visitors
During this holiday period, when there is plenty happening which even lively people may occasionally anticipate the calm break of January, it's all too easy to overlook things. I believe I cannot be the sole one who's ever felt jolted back to reality while at my desk by a message from someone asking, "What time are we expected over tonight?" Fear not; if you are absent minded, and simply prone to last-minute gatherings, I have some solutions.
The Key to Successful Get-Togethers
Firstly, though I cannot stress it enough, whether you have planned long in advance versus just a quarter-hour, the greatest parties are the most straightforward. What everyone expects is engaging talks, something to sip, and enough nibbles so guests do not end up gnawing their arm on the bus back. Unless you're a fictional millionaire, no one anticipates a full bar, gourmet food or entertainers.
The greatest gatherings tend to be the easiest. That said, an idea helps to cover up the fact you've only put the party on on the way home from work.
Choosing a Style to Guide Your Party Planning
Nevertheless, a theme works well to conceal that you have only thrown this thing on while returning home from work. And with a theme, think of something like Christmas. Getting slightly more specific (Scandinavian Christmas, for instance, with spiced drink, aromatic cocktail, cured seafood and rye crackers, folk tunes selection; or Mexican Christmas, including ponche navideño, chilled brews and cocktails, along with heaps of tortilla chips, spicy sauce & green spread, with Luis Miguel on the stereo) will focus your choices on the upcoming grocery run.
Practical Purchasing to Support The Event
While shopping, select a couple of drinks (one alcoholic for drinkers, one not for some prefer not to) plus a couple of nibbles that fit your concept, and get as many as you can afford, instead of fretting about giving people too much choice. No thing appears as generous and cheerful as abundance – I'd consistently prefer to enter with a tub stocked with cold bottles of affordable bubbly over one glass with fancy bubbly. (Add a few bags for chilling, too; you'll find never plenty of ice.)
Drinks and Party Beverages Streamlined
If you must show off and provide a cocktail, make sure to prepare ahead a sizable amount in a container so you're not left busying yourself with preparation when it's time to socializing. Once underway, ask a partner or helper to watch it and top up if required until it runs out. Do the same with the non-alcoholic punch; guests love to have a task during gatherings so they may share in a share of positive vibes.
For large-batch drinks, whatever mix you choose (there are many via search), avoid any recipe overly sugary – children there ought to have kid-friendly options – and if you own one, plonk aromatic bitters within reach (refrain from putting them to the bowl as they are inappropriate for those who do not consume drinks altogether). Take care with presentation so that the alcohol-free drink doesn't feel unimportant; it only takes a short time to cut several pieces of citrus to the punch.
Snacks That Work With Minimal Preparation
In my view, I would avoid the pre-made assortments of "party foods" available in shops during the holidays; they come across as fussy, and frequently involve turning the oven on (if you must opt for these, know that everyone quietly favors toasted bread or cocktail sausages anyway). I truly believe it's hard to top two sizable bowls of tasty snacks (plain salted will offend no one), and, assuming no allergies, a package of great-value bags with nuts often sold in the South Asian section at the market, and maybe a few ready-to-eat olives for color (you don't want to discover pits in your pot plants months later).
In case, as my mother says, you don't consider snacks proper food, a single large piece of tasty cheese served simply with crackers and some artfully draped grapes often appears visually appealing. A plate with some salted or prepared prosciutto or seafood laid out there (only one type, unless you have a large budget), or an attractive pre-made pie, of the type that pop up on deli counters seasonally, is even more filling, and you really will succeed by serving homestyle chunks of flatbread, since there's no need for buttering.
