An Unfettered Thanksgiving

My husband and I are both from the East Coast, but now live in Southern California.  While I do have some family here in Sunny CA, most of my family and ALL of my husband’s family are still back East.  To make the most of our holiday without the big family feast, we decided to throw a pre-Thanksgiving Soiree 2 years ago.  Knowing that most people have family obligations on Thanksgiving Day, we figured the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving would be the perfect opportunity to have our friends over to show them just how thankful we are to have them as part of our extended family.  To make things a little easier we decided to serve Thanksgiving inspired hors d’oeuvres.  The first year was a hit!  We had a house full of people and had a fabulous time.  Here’s what we served:

• Turkey Meatballs
• Cranberry Bruschetta
• Mini Sweet-Potato Tarts
• Caramel Apple Slices
• Stuffed Mushrooms
• Mini Quiches

Last year we moved to a bigger house.  We have a whole 2 bedrooms and a backyard now!  So needless to say we had more people and more food!

• Turkey Kabobs
• Turkey Sausage en Croute (turkey kielbasa wrapped with puff pastry)
• Spicy Cranberry Relish
• Sweet Potato Samosas
• Cheese Plate
• Brazilian Cheese Breads
• Mini Quiches
• Spiced Cider
• Mini Caramel Apple Tarts
• Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Frosting

Here are a few pictures from last year.  Stay tuned to find out what we’re planning this year!

Entertaining 101

It’s crazy to think there are rules involved when throwing a party.  It’s just supposed to be fun, right?  Nevertheless there are a few things to always remember when you’re hosting an event.  Some of these are just common sense and common courtesy.  A lot of them have stemmed from pet peeves I’ve experienced when attending parties.  You want your guests to be comfortable and have fun and keep the evening flowing as smoothly as possible.  Comment back if you think of a few more!

1. Be fully dressed when your guests arrive – this may sound silly, but when you’ve spent all day cleaning and cooking you may find yourself scrambling to put the last few apps in the oven still dressed in sweatpants with your hair in a bun when the doorbell rings.  Imagine how awkward your guests will feel when they know they’ve arrived before you’re ready for them. About 45 mins. before your party is scheduled to start, it’s T-shirt time!!!!  Get dressed, put on your makeup, and curl your hair.  That way even if you are still putting the finishing touches on something, you’re ready to greet your guests looking your best, and your guests will feel at ease.
2. Have some drinks and appetizers set out before guests arrive – this sort of goes along with the previous rule.  When your guests arrive let them help themselves to something to eat and drink even if you’re still working on a few things.
3. It’s better to have too much food, than too little food – maybe this goes along with my Indian culture, but not having enough food at a party is a serious infraction!  Just overestimate what you’ll need and make sure your table looks full.
4. Not every party is a potluck – if you know you’re throwing a big party and you feel like it’s too much to handle by yourself ask a few of your close friends/family to help out by bringing one item each.  Please do not overwhelm them with too many requests, remember, they’re your guests too.
5. You should always provide the entree – you’re the one throwing the party so you’re the one that should provide the main course.  If you can’t cook, buy it!  The main course is generally the most expensive item at a dinner party as well, so inviting someone over for dinner and then essentially asking them to provide the dinner is just tacky.
6. You should always provide at least one appetizer and drink yourself – your friend with the bruschetta might be running late, and then what will you do?  See rule #2 for more info.
7. Paper or plastic? – this might just be personal taste, but it’s weird to have a mix of real dishes and fake dishes.  If you’re going paper, go all the way and vice versa.  Personally I prefer real dishes, silverware, glasses, and cloth napkins.  Stores like Ikea have great options for just a few dollars.  Check out these wine glasses that I bought for a soiree last year, they were just $4.99 for a 6 pack.  Another great option is your local thrift store.  A mix of different plates and glasses can be eclectic and charming. 
8. Seating – I live in a pretty small house and my dining table only seats 4.  When there are more than 4 people over we eat in the living room, just make sure you have enough hard surface to set drinks on.  Depending on how casual or what the theme of the party is, you can even put floor pillows around your coffee table to act as a kid’s table or even have some of your guests sit there.  Check out an Arabian Night Theme party I had   where floor pillows fit in just fine
9. Music – Have some ambient music playing in the background.  Nothing is more awkward than the first part of a party when only a few people have arrived and perhaps they don’t know each other well.  Music helps create a relaxing atmosphere and helps people loosen up.  You don’t want it to be too loud unless you’re throwing a keg party.  I also like to have something graphic playing on TV with the sound turned off.  It just creates another level of ambiance and can be a conversation starter.  Some good options are cartoons or old black and white movies. Do not let the first guest plop down on the couch and turn on the TV to watch the game, the news, etc.  This is such a mood killer.  Just politely ask them to turn it off.  Believe it or not this has actually happened before.  Awkward!
10. Lighting – you never want it to be too bright, but too dim can also create an awkward atmosphere.  See my post on creating mood lighting on a budget.

The mini-bar

For larger gatherings it’s nice to stage your home in a way that’s functional and keeps guests moving around. You want to have clearly defined areas for food, drinks, and seating. When working in a small space, get creative about what constitutes a bar. It could be a sideboard in the dining room, an end table in the living room, or even a card table set in the corner of the room.

Check out my DIY bar cabinet that was originally a 1930’s medicine cabinet. A little sanding, wood stain, and updated knobs transformed this $50 thrift store find into my favorite piece of furniture.

A few accessories and bottles complete the bar

Check out another great thrift store DIY bar project by Shes.No.Martha

 

Ikea Hacking at its best, take a look at this creation by Shoebox Decor

Use a bookshelf, another great idea by Apartment Therapy

 

A cozy setting

It doesn’t get much cozier than this

Lighting on a budget

When the sun goes down and you’re hosting an event, lighting is a critical element to the success of your party.  Too bright and everyone’s a little too self conscious to really have fun, too dark and you’ll be chasing your meatballs around on your plate.  This is not the time for overhead lights!  Focus on table lamps and dim floor lamps.  Another inexpensive way to create mood lighting is with candles.  Visit your local thrift store to find inexpensive votives and hurricanes, or get creative and re-purpose something into a candle holder.  Check out these cheese grater inserts I found, spray-painted, and filled with tealights.  Mix your thrift store finds with your nicer pieces for an eclectic feel: