Most of you may fret at the idea of hosting an elegant Christmas soir\u00e9e or a simple get-together with\u00a0cocktails. Imagine all the work and the planning that it will need; needless to mention cooking, cleaning\u00a0and organizing to take care of.<\/p>\n
Some of you may already be breaking into a sweat simply imagining that\u00a0massive to-do list. This is one Christmas list that is better left for the perfect housewife like Brie from\u00a0Desperate Housewives to get done, while you binge on the Hors d’oeuvre and eggnog leaving all the\u00a0heavy lifting to others.<\/p>\n
But wait, hosting a Christmas dinner party or get-together might not be such a nightmare after all.Simply follow these easy steps and be the perfect party-host and the envy of neighborhood ladies.<\/p>\n
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Step 1<\/p>\n
Do you want a sit-down dinner, or a casual happening with cocktails? The first step is to determine that.An easy option is to host a buffet dinner party, serve the dishes hot, put out the plates and crockery and\u00a0smile cordially while your guests help themselves out.<\/p>\n
In case of a casual cocktail party: well-stock the pantry and keep the hors d\u2019oeuvres prepared in\u00a0advance. Make them look pretty and serve them on time. Make sure you only keep one or two hours of\u00a0prep time necessary to dish them out on the D-day i.e. the day of the event.<\/p>\n
Step 2<\/p>\n
Get on with the guest list and invitations: While to the untrained eye or a dinner party-hosting virgin this\u00a0might seem like the easiest of the jobs. But it is in actuality the most important one. Imagine preparing\u00a0for the perfect dinner party only to discover no one showed up for it! Why? Because your forgetful\u00a0partner forgot to send out the invitations.<\/p>\n
Fix a date (convenient for most), prepare the guest list, determine the menu and send out the\u00a0invitations. We recommend that you send out the invitations well in advance, at least 3 to 4 weeks if\u00a0possible.<\/p>\n
Step 3<\/p>\n
Keep your menu simple yet impressive. If you are only serving appetizers with cocktails or high-tea, we\u00a0suggest you prepare recipes that can be made in advance.\u00a0Another nifty idea is to keep a self-serve cocktail bar ready for your guests to take care of refilling\u00a0themselves. Who likes to spend their party slaving out fixing drinks in their Dior dress? Keep a few pretty\u00a0pre-cut garnishes ready to go with some easy to make vodka cocktail recipes on a counter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"