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Entertain with ease this Thanksgiving

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Thanksgiving dinner
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, many people start to feel anxious about how to host a large family dinner without becoming stressed in the process.

Too often, we lose sight of the reason we gather around a table because the nervousness of creating the “perfect dinner and atmosphere” is almost too overwhelming for many.

But unless you are a professional chef or a celebrity party planner, I’m going to guess that the reason people come over to your home is to spend time with you and the meal you provide them is merely an added bonus!

Give your nerves a break this year and take these simple tips and words of wisdom from me, someone who cooks and entertains for a living, but also does it for the pure joy in spending time with my loved ones! *


Procrastinators: listen up! There is no need to nervously leave all the planning and prep of your next party to the last minute. There is plenty that can be done ahead of time in small chunks. By stretching out tasks such as table setting, shopping and cooking over a few days, you`ll be more organized and all the little tasks won`t seem so overwhelming.

Small advance jobs like clearing out the front hall closet in anticipation of needed space for coats, setting the table a day in advance and digging out flower vases to be handy for hostess gifts, can help save time later on. And let`s face it – all those little things that you tell yourself you can do the day of the party seem to add up quickly, especially if you still have family and work responsibilities to take care of.

People begin to panic when they are confronted with too much, too soon. If you are a great entertainer, but not a confident cook, it`s perfectly acceptable to order dinner in (yes, you can order a pre-cooked turkey with all the fixings at most local grocery stores), or hire a caterer to prepare 2 or 3 dishes that you can easily heat up. Then, put together a selection of high-impact but low-effort nibbles on your own, such as premium cheeses, good olives, artisan breads and specialty pâté. If you are a great cook but not a great planner, then use shortcuts to gain you more time in the kitchen, such as renting dishes and hiring a bartender, wait staff or a one-time cleaning service.

This shortcut strategy can also work well for the budget-conscious hostess. Everyone invited to a party always asks, “What can I bring?“, but most hostesses don`t take them up on the offer. Why not plan a potluck party, and ask your guests to bring a specific dish with a copy of their recipe to share or a story about the contribution. This ensures you don`t end up with 10 mashed potato dishes and no main course! My own Thanksgiving dinner this year will be shared with 35 friends and family and all the hostess has to do is provide the location and the turkey; the rest we all divvy up and it works fabulously!

Another way to reduce the effort of the hostess is to opt for a self-serve bar option. I always like to get my guests their first drink, and then tell them to help themselves after that. Keeping your bar to the basics of beer, wine, soft drinks and maybe a specialty drink makes it a no-fuss area. Whether you choose a paired down bar or a fully loaded one, plan for plenty of ice and lay out more glasses than you think you would need. Rental glasses are always a good option, first because they are inexpensive, and also because you get to send them back dirty, which if I had my way would be the case every day in our house!

However you plan your Thanksgiving event or next big dinner party, remember that food is usually the last thing people remember about a gathering. They will go home talking about who they sat next to or what the hostess wore, but rarely about the food. With this knowledge fresh in your mind, just remember that the important part about entertaining is enjoying each other`s company and the rest will come easy!


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