Dinner parties

[MustardSeed]

Recent events have me motivated to host dinner parties again .  I used to entertain a lot til we got dogs and the smell of my house deterred invitation, I’m afraid.  So I got out of practice. 
 

I think I’d like to start with my neighbors. I’ve only been in the neighborhood for two years. It’s a very old neighborhood and I think people are sort of in a comfort zone, socially. But I am thinking I would like to shake it up a little bit.

I’m really nervous about it! But I’m holding myself accountable here.  
 

Wish me luck! 

[Rain]

5 hours ago, MustardSeed said:

Recent events have me motivated to host dinner parties again .  I used to entertain a lot til we got dogs and the smell of my house deterred invitation, I’m afraid.  So I got out of practice. 
 

I think I’d like to start with my neighbors. I’ve only been in the neighborhood for two years. It’s a very old neighborhood and I think people are sort of in a comfort zone, socially. But I am thinking I would like to shake it up a little bit.

I’m really nervous about it! But I’m holding myself accountable here.  
 

Wish me luck! 

Good luck! 

[Jeanne]

I will be right there!!  Shrimp and rice please!  

 

[sunstoned]

We host a party once or twice a year, usually on our backyard patio. We set up a table for the food, allowing guests to serve themselves. This approach makes it easier for us and reduces the cleanup afterward.

[Calm]

Speaking of making easy cleanup, to cut down on time and not having to run two loads if you have a lot of guests, there are some decent looking paper plates that are thicker, don’t bend, so have a good solid feel to them that I use for larger family parties to speed up cleanup (every pot seems to get dirtied, so lots of time has to get spent there so I try and and save effort where I can).  They are also square, so ‘read’ a little more elegant.  I have yet to find nice looking and nice feel plastic glasses, but since it’s just liquid, it’s a simple matter of putting our regular glass ones in the dishwasher.  Silverware is the biggest problem as I hate any kind of plastic (there are actual studies showing people like food better when eating with heavier silverware, so it’s not just me apparently), but dishwashers are made to clean off food particles these days, so it’s scraping off excess using our regular set, so pretty quick too.

https://www.amazon.com/ECOLipak-Compostable-Disposable-Eco-friendly-Biodegradable/dp/B09F368W46/ref=sr_1_6?

Edited March 16, 2025 by Calm

[Dario_M]

Oh my. When i used to live in my old home together with my parents i sometimes went to nice dinner party's as well. Because my parents had a lot of friends right and left, and sometimes they allowed me to go with them. And it was always a blessing. Light refreshments, finger buffet, and a lot more offcourse. And it was also just a great opportunity for me to socialize with other people. Some of them where quite interesting. Artiest. 

Men..i miss that so much. 😓

Edited March 17, 2025 by Dario_M

[Rain]

Another thing to make it easier - keep the menu simple.  I used to have Christmas openhouses, was ward activity chair and did things for RS.  I found the more food options you have the harder it is to prepare and the more food people eat - because they have to try it all. 

The biggest thing I found is that if people feel loved then they don't care near as much about the other things - the food, music, games etc.  So keep in mind all the details before the party, but once the party starts focus on the guests   That doesn't mean you you don't need to think of guests while you plan. It just means to set aside any anxiety you have and just be there for them.

[Stargazer]

[i]Test[/i]