If It’s Summer, It’s Party Time!

April 29, 2013-Have you ever decided to have a party, invited your friends then as the date approaches, you just wish it would all go away? When panic sets in, help is at hand. Epicurious .com has a helpful and fun party-planning tool. For summer party ideas, go to http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/entertaining/partiesevents/summerpartymenuplanner

Not only will you find menu suggestions and recipes, they also suggest wines to serve – just the type of wine, not brands. But further down the page is a short video tutorial on food and wine pairing. Check it out.

Now if only someone would do all the shopping, clean the house, set a fabulous table, and, well all the things one has to do to throw a party. At Country Living, they don’t offer to clean the house but they do have a solution for shopping – go to Costco or Sam’s Club for bulk hors d’oeuvre items such as dips, then stock up on everything else such as meat, wine, spirits, soft drinks, desserts and flowers. It will save a lot of time and if served in pretty containers (not the plastic tubs!) it will taste even better. For inspiration go to www.countryliving.com.

If you are short on plates and serving bowls or simply don’ t have storage space, try your local party store or go on line. There are so many elegant designs at http://www.paperstyle.com/is-bin/tableware we had a hard time choosing. For fashionable serveware and a huge choice, check out www.partyatlewis.com. Many of their items are described as disposable but actually can be reused if treated gently.

Entertaining is a lot of work, especially if you don’t do it that often. So don’t get too ambitious and don’t be too hard on yourself. Remember your guests are thrilled that someone else is doing all the work. They ‘re delighted to get away from their busy lives for a while. Keep it simple and avoid a menu that requires a lot of last minute preparation. Stylish presentation of the food and drink will cover a multitude of sins and leave you time to enjoy your party too!