{"id":1442,"date":"2016-01-09T13:28:19","date_gmt":"2016-01-09T13:28:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.redmasque.co.uk\/news\/?p=1442"},"modified":"2016-01-03T13:30:54","modified_gmt":"2016-01-03T13:30:54","slug":"how-to-entertain-the-simple-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.redmasque.co.uk\/news\/how-to-entertain-the-simple-way\/","title":{"rendered":"How to entertain the simple way"},"content":{"rendered":"

Universal Party Truths: The first guest will arrive early. The pots and pans won\u2019t be washed. And a half-dozen people will squeeze into the kitchen while you\u2019re still slicing and dicing. Instead of fighting the facts, finesse your game plan. With these clever tips, you can keep your guests happy and occupied\u2014and make yourself less stressed, from hello to good-bye.<\/span><\/p>\n

For the smoothest entry, give arriving guests a clear destination. A small table done up with essentials is a friendly gesture, and it frees you to get back to the kitchen if needed. Try to offer bar access from more than one side, to prevent a cue. Stock generously and make sure you chill white wine for two hours in advance so guests won\u2019t need to come looking for anything\u2014ice, glassware, bottle opener, condiments\u2014but reserve some surface area for mixing drinks. Nobody wants to mix up a Manhattan in mid-air.<\/span><\/p>\n

Guests go where the action is\u2014besides, they want to socialise with the host. Be ready to make them feel welcome.<\/span><\/p>\n

Give over the far end of your kitchen counter or island to appetizers, so people know exactly where they can linger without being too in-your-face.<\/span><\/p>\n

Welcome help. Reserve certain small jobs for early birds and those who shy away from being chatty. Offer the sorts of tasks you could give to an older child: setting out dishes and cutlery, plating hors d\u2019oeuvres, filling the water jugs, or putting bread rolls in a basket.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hide signs of stress. If anything makes a guest feel guiltier than watching the host do dishes after the meal, it\u2019s watching her do them before the meal. Use the dishwasher as a hiding spot for dirty dishes even those you\u2019ll ultimately wash by hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

Go with the sort of low-key nibbles you would find in a classy bar: small bowls of nuts, Bombay mix, and olives.<\/span><\/p>\n

Spirited conversation is a dinner party\u2019s bread and butter, but sometimes it needs a nudge.<\/p>\n

Manage moods. At holiday time, people tend to arrive hungry (and ready to indulge), so don\u2019t make them wait too long for the main event.<\/span><\/p>\n

Use a white tablecloth, white dishes, and just one or two rich accent colours and centrepieces should be tall enough to talk under or short enough to talk over.<\/p>\n

A place card for everyone. Seating plans may seem formal, but they actually make guests more comfortable. Think about who would benefit from particular placement: small children (seat near a parent), couples (split them up to encourage mixing), and hearing-impaired guests (reserve a quiet corner chair or seat them front and centre, depending on personality). Then fill in the blanks.<\/p>\n

Turn a table into a convenient, arm\u2019s reach refilling station. Load it with wine, jugs of water, and spare utensils to eliminate supply runs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Be present. Each time you get up to fetch something, you essentially abandon your guests. A host\u2019s primary duty isn\u2019t to feed people but to spend time with them. Serve family-style, and forget cleaning up mid-event. Carrying plates to the kitchen is one thing; but once you turn on a tap, you\u2019ve dissolved the festivity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Relocating for sweets and coffee lets guests stretch their legs and switch up conversation partners.<\/p>\n

Cheer at the finish line. Champagne after the meal is a nice surprise. It\u2019s one of those delightful little touches that people remember.<\/p>\n

To really spoil guests, set out the dessert \u2014fancy chocolates or salted caramels\u2014while you ready the baked goods. (Don\u2019t forget the desserts that guests brought!) Sweet cheeses and nuts with a dessert wine provide the right coda for the sugar-averse.
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Universal Party Truths: The first guest will arrive early. The pots and pans won\u2019t be washed. And a half-dozen people will squeeze into the kitchen while you\u2019re still slicing and dicing. Instead of fighting the facts, finesse your game plan. … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[25,547,24],"tags":[476,36,114,274,399,333,32],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.redmasque.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1442"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.redmasque.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.redmasque.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.redmasque.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.redmasque.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1442"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.redmasque.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1442\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1443,"href":"https:\/\/www.redmasque.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1442\/revisions\/1443"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.redmasque.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1442"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.redmasque.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1442"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.redmasque.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1442"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}