'Tis the Season: Hosting A Holiday Dinner Party

The Christmas season is in full swing. This is the time of food, fun, and fellowship with family and friends.  Aside from the traditional dinners that are held during this time of year, why not try something a little different and host a dinner party.  This party can be as small and intimate, or as large and extravagant as you want it to be. With these simple tips, you can have a party that your friends will look forward to year after year, so be prepared. Here are some frequently asked questions and answers to help make your event a success.

How Should I Decorate?

This question is actually quite simple considering the fact that it is Christmas, there are a couple of ways you can use this time for your ambiance.  You can always go with a red and green color scheme, the traditional colors of the season. If you would like your event to be a little more formal, you can incorporate more of the silver and gold tones in your décor. To have that warm, intimate feeling, candles are always a good idea when decorating.  If you're on a tight budget they will make excellent centerpieces for your dining and can usually be bought at a really nice price.  You can also use small boxes as little presents or even ornaments to add a little more depth to your table arrangement.



Should I Play Any Music?

Although this is going to be a party where you will probably be mingling and holding conversation with your guests, it would be a good idea to have music playing softly in the background.  In doing this, it provides a little bit of noise as you converse with one another.   With it being the holidays, there are a wide list of Christmas songs, and hymns that can be played to fit along with the season. Just keep in mind you don't want the music to be too loud causing a distraction.  When it is time for dinner, conversation will usually be at its lowest.  You may want to change from the Christmas songs to some light jazz. This will ensure no singing at the table, and provides a mellow mood so that the meal can be thoroughly enjoyed.

What Should We Eat - Cook or Cater?

The answer to this question depends on you. It depends on how much time you want to spend on preparing the meal, or if you want to prepare it at all. Again, depending on your budget, you actually can do both options to save money, and it will also save you time. You want to make sure you have hor d'oeuvres of some sort. They can be as simply as a cheese and crackers plate to bacon wrapped shrimp. Having these appetizers will help keep your guests stomachs occupied while the final preparations of the meal are completed. You can place them on little trays throughout your entertainment space and they can take them as they please while they visit with each other. During this time you could also begin serving any cocktails you wish to have. Depending on your crowd you can have a variety of wine or even incorporate a signature holiday drink for the evening. You can also include non-alcoholic beverages such as your traditional warmed apple cider or eggnog if that's you're thing.

For the main course of the evening, this is what is dependent on how much time you want to spend in the kitchen.  If you would like to cook for your guests create a menu that is easy to prepare. If you decide to cater the affair, simplicity is still the key here.  Try not to pick things that are extremely saucy. You wouldn't want to have the possibility of your guests becoming dirty while trying to enjoy your party.  Also, try to stay away from the traditional holiday food (i.e. turkey, dressing, etc.). Pick foods that you know will be different and not something they will usually get at the parents or grandparents for the holidays. Since you are entertaining guests, remember that it is also all about your presentation of the food.  Make sure you use real dishes and utensils. Leave the plastic in the cupboards for another day. Just make sure you have an excellent dishwasher whether it be the machine or your two hands.

For your desserts, this can also be a money saver. Go to a local bakery or even your grocery store and buy a variety of desserts and sit them throughout your entertainment space.  Small cookies and brownies cut into little bites gives your guests the ability to try a little bit of everything. You may also decide to provide coffee, tea, or hot chocolate to go with your desserts.

Any Final Dinner Tips?

Yes, that this is the most important one - HAVE FUN!  Don't turn your dinner party into something you feel like you worked too hard to enjoy it. You want to be able to relax and have a good time just like the people you invited.  Just makes sure you plan ahead and when that day comes you can work on the final touches, and when the doorbell finally rings you will be able to answer it with confidence knowing you are about to have the best time just like your friends.

Silver and Gold or Red and Green?

In our last post we showed you all about the lights on the outside of buildings and we just had to feature our city. On this post, we decided to focus on how to transform the inside of your home to display your love for the season.

There are multiple ways that you can do this. For the sake of this post, we are going to focus on two popular ways. One way is to go the traditional, festive route with your color schemes. The other way is to take on other color combinations for a more subtle or muted look to your decor. Of course we will take a look at both.

More times than not, when you see inside Christmas decor, you will normally see the bold red and green color scheme for the holidays as well as many options for lights that can be used. Of course what comes with this is snowmen and traditional Santa Claus. There are different areas of your home where you can decorate. Of course there is all aspects of your living area. A lot of people do it in the living/family room as well as the entry way of the home.

Now if you are the type that doesn't go for the traditional, there are definitely other options that you can choose for your home's holiday feel. Another common color scheme is to go with bold metallic shades in silver and gold, and over the past year or so rose gold has gotten a lot of attention as well. You could also have your home the Winter Wonderland vibe and stick with cool tones of blue and what all over.

No matter which color scheme you pick, the most important thing so to make sure that it is how you want it. You want it to be something that you want to show off has you welcome people into your home. Happy decorating!!

It's All About The Lights

It is officially December. It is time to bring out the lights and the tree. Truth be told, I'm pretty sure the day after Thanksgiving everything was brought out and hung. However, for those late ones (like myself) you still don't know exactly how you want to set up your home inside and out. For this blog, it's all about the outside and letting the lights shine.


I decided I wanted to brag on my hometown and what we do for the Christmas season. We are based in Kansas City, Missouri and our city, each year, turn on lights throughout the city. The most well known site is our Country Club Plaza which are switched on Thanksgiving Day.

Country Club Plaza

We also have something called the Mayor's Christmas Tree that is also illuminated during December.

Crown Center

Both of these events bring out residents of Kansas City to take part in the celebration of yet another Christmas season. You will see displays like this all over the city whether it be in shopping centers, on hotels or in the many residential areas.

Kansas City Marriott Downtown

The Legends

Residential Home

Residential Home

As you can see, our city knows how to make good use of lights. Our next post will show you how you can dress up the inside of your home to make it feel like Christmas.

The Turkey Alternative

With Thanksgiving coming up in 8 days (man, where'd the time go) I am sure that you are already starting to plan out your menu. Traditionally speaking, it starts with a big turkey, plus all the fixins'. One question that may come up is, "Do we have to have a turkey?" I know this is a question that my family has asked at one point.  One reason why this question may come up is that soon after Thanksgiving comes Christmas and most times the same dinner is served once again right down to the turkey. So for those of you looking to try something a little different, I think the below 4 choices that I have found could be substituted in for those who want to save turkey for your Christmas holiday.

Cornish Game Hen

This is something that my family as used as a substitute for turkey. Cornish game hens are basically chickens that are not full grown. They are smaller in size and weigh no more than 2 pounds. These hens do not take as long as turkeys and can also be roasted in the oven. They have a good flavor to them and when cooked right, can easily fall off the bone. For one turkey you purchase, you could easily purchase 5 or 6 game hens to feed your family because of their small size.

                                             

                              

Lamb Chops

Lamb is usually associated with the Easter holiday, however, it can be used as an alternative to having turkey meat. Lamb is surprisingly a very tender type of meat and can be cooked on the grill as well as roasted in your oven. When purchasing them the come with usually 4 in a package. The price point for these

could possibly be on the high side if you figure you'd like everyone to have 2 chops a person, but if you are not expecting a lot of people at your dinner, you may try this option out. 

                               

                              


Grilled, Fried or Baked Fish

If want to go a totally different direction all together, why not have a good ol' fish fry and throw some fillets on the grill?  This is the time where you can get creative and maybe try a new type of fish or go for what you know. Whether it be catfish or salmon, you can use the Thanksgiving holiday too work your seafood magic and reserve the turkey for a later date.

                            

                            
                            

Let's Do Italian

If you are trying to get away from all things traditional (for me it'd be sweet potatoes, dressing, mac and cheese..ooo we!) then maybe you should try all thing Italy. Perhaps a good lasagna would be just what you need. It can be meaty or of the vegetarian variety.  Maybe you want to try a new chicken parmesan recipe. Whichever element you choice it is a great alternative.

                                     

Of course there are a host of other options out there to choose from. These are just something to help get your ideas going. I would love to hear what you're thinking about cooking for Thanksgiving. If you want, leave a comment below.