Does the thought of having a dinner party for 20 make you cringe? Do you envy those who seem to have everything put together at parties they host? By getting yourself organized, you too can be one of those fabulous host's at any get together you host. The secret is to plan ahead, get everything you need ahead of time, and do as much as humanly possible before hand.
When you are in the very beginning stage of planning your function, you need to decide what type of function you are going to have. Will this be a formal or informal, indoor or outdoor, morning or mid-day or night? All of these items should be decided according to what type of event it will be. Are you having a simple summertime get together with friends or hosting a wedding shower for a co-worker? These will affect the formality of the event and possibly the time as well. Also when you are in the planning stage, you will work up a menu. For most, this if often the worst part. If this is to be an outdoor event, then items easily prepared on the grill will be in order and afford a chance for your guests to mingle with you while you cook. For beginners, this is often the easiest and most rewarding type of event. When you are planning the menu, use cookbooks, magazines, television, and the internet to help you decide what dishes to prepare. Try to look for dishes that can be prepared ahead of time. There are thousands of recipes where most of the work for the dish can be completed a day ahead of time and then stored in the refrigerator. Items that are baked are also very easy for a beginner.
Sometime, preferably 2 or 3 days prior to the party, make sure that you get all of the items that you will need. It is not advisable to wait until the day of the party to purchase your groceries or other supplies. You may have trouble finding a particular item. If possible, try to set up any furniture, decorations, etc. the day before, when practical. This will save you huge amounts of time the next day. You can also go over your recipes and see what could be done ahead of time. For instance, there always seems to be items that need to be chopped, rinsed, etc.
On the day of the event, try to get as much done before your guests arrive as possible. Also, set everything up so that you can spend some time, just before your guest arrive, getting yourself ready. If all goes well, you should be able to spend a few moments relaxing as well. And the best tip, is to relax and get your guests involved in setting the food out, cooking, etc. Remember, they came to spend time with you, so having them in the kitchen or around the grill with you is all part of the fun.
