The Ultimate 60-Minute Party Plan: Simple Entertaining for Unexpected Visitors
During this busy season, when there is so much happening that even lively people may sometimes look forward to a calm break in the new year, it's very simple to forget details. I expect I'm not the sole one who's ever felt startled back to reality while at work by an inquiry by a friend asking, "What time should we come us tonight?" Fear not; if you are absent minded, and just prone to last-minute plans, I have you covered.
The Golden Rule to Great Get-Togethers
Firstly, and I cannot stress it sufficiently, if you've planned for a year versus just 15 minutes, the most enjoyable events tend to be the easiest. What everyone really wants are a good chat, something to sip, and sufficient food that guests don't end up chewing their arm during the ride back. Unless you're throwing a lavish ball, no one anticipates professional bartending, Michelin-starred catering or entertainers.
The greatest parties are the simplest. Still, a theme is useful to cover up the fact you've just put the party together on the way back from the office.
Selecting a Theme to Focus Your Preparations
That said, a theme is helpful for disguising the fact you've only thrown this thing on on the way from the office. And with a theme, think of such as the holidays. Getting slightly focused (Nordic holidays, for instance, featuring spiced drink, aromatic cocktail, cured seafood and rye crackers, folk tunes playlist; alternatively fiesta-style party, with traditional drink, cold beers or tequila drinks, and lots of tortilla chips, salsa & avocado dip, and upbeat tunes in the background) can narrow the selection on the upcoming supermarket sweep.
Smart Shopping for Your Gathering
In the store, select a couple of drinks (an alcoholic option if you drink, one not for some don't want to) and a few nibbles that match the style, and purchase a generous amount within your budget, rather than worrying about giving people too much choice. No thing appears more abundant and celebratory than abundance – I would consistently rather to enter by a tub stocked with chilled bottles with competitively priced crémant or cava than a single glass with expensive bubbly. (Include some bags for chilling, too; you'll find seldom sufficient ice.)
Drinks & Punch Made Easy
Should you show off and provide a special beverage, then pre-mix a sizable amount in a pitcher so you're not stuck messing about with it while you should be enjoying yourself. Once the party begins, enlist a significant other or volunteer to monitor it and refill as necessary until it's gone. Follow suit for the non-alcoholic punch; people enjoy to have a job at a party so they can experience the positive vibes.
Regarding punch, whatever formula you go for (there are many via search), avoid any recipe overly sugary – young ones there need their own drinks – and if you have one, put a bottle of bitters within reach (refrain from putting any in the mix as they're unsafe for those who avoid alcohol altogether). Take care with how it looks so that the alcohol-free drink isn't perceived like an afterthought; it doesn't take a moment to slice some slices of citrus for garnish.
Snacks That Shine With Minimal Effort
In my view, I would avoid the pre-made assortments of "party foods" that pop up in shops seasonally; they come across as fancy, and frequently involve using the oven (should you opt for these, remember that everyone truly prefers garlic bread or cocktail sausages anyway). I truly believe nothing beats several large dishes of tasty chips (plain salted pleases everyone), and, provided there are no dietary restrictions, one of those large and economical containers of nuts often sold in the international aisle in stores, and maybe a few pitted olives for colour (try not to still be finding pits in odd places months later).
If, like my mum, you feel chips real food, a single sizeable chunk of good cheese on a board with crackers and some beautifully placed grapes tends to seem artistic. A serving dish with some salted or prepared prosciutto or seafood arranged on it (only one type, except if you have a large budget), alternatively an attractive store-bought tart, like those available at delis during festivities, is more filling, while you truly will succeed with artisanal slices of Italian bread, since they require no buttering.