Cookouts/Dinner Parties/Entertaining

[ElizabethB]

Planning, organization and prepping in advance are the keys to a successful party. A day or two before your party is not the time to decide your windows need washing. When the house was clean and organized we did entertain. I made myself crazy with food that required a lot of last minute preparation or cooking. Now I know better. Unless you are hiring a caterer or have help the ideal cocktail party is limited to 3 or 4 savories that can be served at room temperature, maybe one that is served hot and a couple of small, simple sweets.
My Aunt was a wiz at dinner parties. She would set her dinner table several days in advance and drape the table with dry cleaner bags to keep the dust off. She cooked froze most of her menu items in advance. She had beautiful flowers in her yard and did her own arrangement. I miss Aunt Lurnice.

 

[caseydog]

Tip One: When cooking for guests, never, ever cook something haven't cooked enough times to have it mastered. My annual Meatfest was easy. My neighbor and I prepped, and drank, so then we could cook, and drink. What we were cooking was second nature. No stress at all!

CD

 

[TastyReuben]

My stress doesn't just come from preparing the food, that's just the tip of the iceberg.

There's stressing over whether every single person is enjoying the food, the drink, did I remember to get the right bourbon for this person and the right wine for that person.

Did I remember to refill the toilet paper holders, even though I know I checked the six times...did I remember to get in all the corners...is the music right...does everyone have room to sit...OMG, is that a <bleeping> cobweb in the third bedroom, where no one will even go?!?! Did someone see that?! How many other cobwebs did I miss?! Must surreptitiously go on a cobweb hunt!...is there enough ice?...I shouldn't have gotten an extra bag...did I remember to vacuum under the couch? WHAT IF SOMEONE TIPS BACK THE COUCH AND SEES DIRT?!?!?! WILL THIS HELLISH NIGHT EVER END?!?!

That's a start of what the inside of my head is doing nonstop from about 30 hours before the party until the last person leaves.

 

[rascal]

My stress doesn't just come from preparing the food, that's just the tip of the iceberg.

There's stressing over whether every single person is enjoying the food, the drink, did I remember to get the right bourbon for this person and the right wine for that person.

Did I remember to refill the toilet paper holders, even though I know I checked the six times...did I remember to get in all the corners...is the music right...does everyone have room to sit...OMG, is that a <bleeping> cobweb in the third bedroom, where no one will even go?!?! Did someone see that?! How many other cobwebs did I miss?! Must surreptitiously go on a cobweb hunt!...is there enough ice?...I shouldn't have gotten an extra bag...did I remember to vacuum under the couch? WHAT IF SOMEONE TIPS BACK THE COUCH AND SEES DIRT?!?!?! WILL THIS HELLISH NIGHT EVER END?!?!

That's a start of what the inside of my head is doing nonstop from about 30 hours before the party until the last person leaves.

Lol, we had a house keeper for years, really nice lady my wife knew who had a slight mental illness and found it hard to find work. Just repeated herself among things and took liberties. Like drinking the last can of fizzy in the fridge. And leaving it on the bench. Anyway the night before she came it was funny to watch my wife going around cleaning up before the cleaner came!!!
Raewyn (cleaner) left when she moved into a blokes house. I must ask my wife how she is?

Russ

 

[Burt Blank]

There's stressing over whether every single person is enjoying the food, the drink, did I remember to get the right bourbon for this person and the right wine for that person.

Mate here is my magic release key, when you sit down to eat. Look at your guests (men, women and children ) and realize they all to a lesser or greater degree have the same faecal matter in their bowel as you.This was imparted to me by the greatest wing man Gerry. I had been married 10 years when I got divorced. I was very rusty about dating. Gerry quickly noticed I never went for the most attractive woman in the room for fear of rejection. He worded it slightly differently. Just imagine she has 1 lbs of steaming xxxx inside her. It's a great leveler.

 

[HairyHeaven]

...did I remember to get in all the corners...OMG, is that a <bleeping> cobweb in the third bedroom, where no one will even go?...did I remember to vacuum under the couch?
[

I used to stress over the house not being absolutely pristine until a friend told me "we're here to see you, not the house".

Now I still stress about the house being presentable but not about the windows being clean or the odd spiderweb. It's taken a while to get there though

 

[TastyReuben]

I used to stress over the house not being absolutely pristine until a friend told me "we're here to see you, not the house".

The funny thing is, if I go to someone else's house, I don't care about any of that (as long as it looks like the kitchen is clean and the food is safe to eat). I can't stand the thought of other people judging my house, food, hosting ability, etc.

 

[CraigC]

When we lived elsewhere, we've hosted a couple of Halloween parties. Not really into social gatherings anymore, except for family.

 

[XstarX]

I love cooking for others, before lockdown I always had family/friends round for dinner, Halloween is my favourite time by far🎃, I do kids party & do all the food & make all decs, Christmas is brilliant as I make loads for people/pets & drop it off to them, had 25 for Christmas dinner once, it was brilliant to cook for so many, Alot went wrong that day, that none of us could of helped😔 oh & me accidentally nearly killing myself as I nearly got electrocuted 🤣, but my food was perfect 🍗
🍠🥕🥔🍨🍧

Sad I may not be able to do Halloween party this year, kids will be so disappointed😔, I'm thinking they will be back at school by then to, I could ask all parents to decorate a face mask for them as part of their costume, I don't know what our rules will be by then either, but kids will be sad if I can't, they start talking about it in summer🙈

 

[HairyHeaven]

So yesterday was my Xmas in July. There were 8 of us & unfortunately it drizzled rain through most of it but it was a fab afternoon / evening. Menu included canapes of sliced baguette with home-made mustard cream & smoked salmon, tuna take, & prawns with home-made wasabi cream.
Mains were a big roast beef cooked in honey infused with rosemary & port (the juices made the gravy), roast turkey breast, roast potatoes with rosemary & truffle salt, swede gratin, carrots & pine nuts in thyme & butter, & wilted greens of lettuce peas & Brussels sprouts, plus the aforementioned gravy which I reduced down & added wholegrain mustard to then strained off.
Desserts were a raspberry cream filled chocolate roulade & a deconstructed tequila-orange cream cheese tart. It wasn't meant to be deconstructed but I had an equipment failure making the pastry so I ended up adapting the pastry into a biscuit & crumbling it

 

[ElizabethB]

So yesterday was my Xmas in July. There were 8 of us & unfortunately it drizzled rain through most of it but it was a fab afternoon / evening. Menu included canapes of sliced baguette with home-made mustard cream & smoked salmon, tuna take, & prawns with home-made wasabi cream.
Mains were a big roast beef cooked in honey infused with rosemary & port (the juices made the gravy), roast turkey breast, roast potatoes with rosemary & truffle salt, swede gratin, carrots & pine nuts in thyme & butter, & wilted greens of lettuce peas & Brussels sprouts, plus the aforementioned gravy which I reduced down & added wholegrain mustard to then strained off.
Desserts were a raspberry cream filled chocolate roulade & a deconstructed tequila-orange cream cheese tart. It wasn't meant to be deconstructed but I had an equipment failure making the pastry so I ended up adapting the pastry into a biscuit & crumbling it

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Impressive. You must have been prepping and cooking for days. Nice job.

 

[Morning Glory]

So yesterday was my Xmas in July. There were 8 of us & unfortunately it drizzled rain through most of it but it was a fab afternoon / evening. Menu included canapes of sliced baguette with home-made mustard cream & smoked salmon, tuna take, & prawns with home-made wasabi cream.
Mains were a big roast beef cooked in honey infused with rosemary & port (the juices made the gravy), roast turkey breast, roast potatoes with rosemary & truffle salt, swede gratin, carrots & pine nuts in thyme & butter, & wilted greens of lettuce peas & Brussels sprouts, plus the aforementioned gravy which I reduced down & added wholegrain mustard to then strained off.
Desserts were a raspberry cream filled chocolate roulade & a deconstructed tequila-orange cream cheese tart. It wasn't meant to be deconstructed but I had an equipment failure making the pastry so I ended up adapting the pastry into a biscuit & crumbling it

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How fantastic this all sounds. Happy Christmas!

 

[XstarX]

So yesterday was my Xmas in July. There were 8 of us & unfortunately it drizzled rain through most of it but it was a fab afternoon / evening. Menu included canapes of sliced baguette with home-made mustard cream & smoked salmon, tuna take, & prawns with home-made wasabi cream.
Mains were a big roast beef cooked in honey infused with rosemary & port (the juices made the gravy), roast turkey breast, roast potatoes with rosemary & truffle salt, swede gratin, carrots & pine nuts in thyme & butter, & wilted greens of lettuce peas & Brussels sprouts, plus the aforementioned gravy which I reduced down & added wholegrain mustard to then strained off.
Desserts were a raspberry cream filled chocolate roulade & a deconstructed tequila-orange cream cheese tart. It wasn't meant to be deconstructed but I had an equipment failure making the pastry so I ended up adapting the pastry into a biscuit & crumbling it

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All looks amazing 🎁

 

[Backbay]

Entertained two other couples tonight - summer cookout with cocktails outside by the pond and we ate inside in the AC as it was still about 90 degrees F @7pm.

Cocktails were Coastal Breeze. Vodka, Rum, Peach schnapps, OJ, pineapple juice and cranberry juice. A little too sweet for me, if I make them again I will lessen the amount of OJ and pineapple.

Main course - Marinated chicken thighs in rice vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, oil and Italian seasoning. Grilled them off with some Italian sausage, grilled onions, mushrooms, sweet peppers and grilled zuchini. Served it with a salad of mixed greens, peas, oranges, green onions, and blue cheese dressed with olive oil and lemon dressing. Hubby went to the farm and picked fresh sweet corn served on the cob with lots of butter.

Dessert - key lime pie and an Ice cream pie - Tasty, the ice cream pie was made with Graeters (sp?) ice cream!

It was a GREAT summertime meal but, I am wore out and ready for the couch 🥱🥱

 

[ElizabethB]

Your menu sounds great. I understand why you are exhausted.