Holiday entertaining : Rooftop Views

Rooftop Views

Holiday entertaining

The holidays are right around the corner and chances are you will be doing some entertaining this season. As with any event, the secret to success is in the planning. Planning helps you stay calm so your guests will enjoy your party in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere.

Lighting is a big part of atmosphere. Add dimmer switches or use lots of candles to create wonderful mood lighting. You might also consider preparing your music in advance. Have a stack of CD's ready or in a multi-disc player. If you have iTunes, you might even consider creating a play list of music for the party and burn a disc for your guests to take home as a memento of the event.

There are other ways to prepare before the big event:

• With all the specialty prepared foods on the market, it's not necessary to prepare all of the food yourself. Cook whatever you do best and supplement the menu with high quality specialty foods.

• Before going shopping, clean out your fridge to make room for all those prepared foods and make-ahead dishes.

• If you are serving buffet style, spread foods out on smaller dishes and platters for portion control. Make your buffet more appealing by adding height to your table. Place platters on items to make them taller. A phonebook covered with a nice cloth is a great example of this.

• Make well-placed and clearly marked areas for trash and recycling.

• Set and dress your table before guests arrive.

• Always prepare a selection of items that can be served at room temperature. That way you don't have to worry that your hot entrée will be getting cold or that your frozen dessert will melt.

• Have plenty of ice handy.

Planning for Portions

• Count on 3 drinks per guest.

• Provide non-alcoholic drink choices.

• Count on 4-6 hors d'oeuvres per person if you're serving a meal. If you're just
serving hors d'oeuvres then the amount goes up to 12 pieces per person.

• A portion of meat per person is ¼ to 1/3 of a pound.

• A portion of vegetables, rice, pasta or salad is ½ cup.

• A 9 inch pie or tart will serve 8-10.

Shopping for the Big Event

As soon as possible plan your menu for your party, this way you will have plenty of time to search or wait for bargains at your local grocery or club store. Keep your menu handy as you write your shopping list according to the menu. If you can, shop solo so you can concentrate and perhaps make last minute changes to the menu based on sale items.