Search Results for: blog preparing for the dinner party

Preparing for Company

We are down to the wire, our houses need to be clean for company. When I’m having company over I always stress about the house, I want it to look nice and I want people to be comfortable in my home. I love having a houseful of people for the holidays. Big dinners, Christmas parties, I love those things. There is nothing better than being surrounded by the people you love. In order to have everyone here and feel good about it, my house needs to be clean. I have so much cooking and baking to do that I don’t … Continue reading →

Summer Party Eats

I’ve been harping on the fact that summer entertaining can be f-f-f-u-n… fun! The cheerleader in me strongly encourages everyone out there to host at least one outdoor shindig this summer. I’m confident that once you have one party under your belt, you’ll see just how fun outdoor entertaining can be. In previous blogs I touched on the importance of choosing a theme and how to get creative with the decor and the invite list. The next step in your outdoor party planning is devising a decent menu. After all, while you may spend countless hours decorating for your summer … Continue reading →

The Art of Preparing for a Guest

Yesterday our home school consisted of the following lessons: Orienteering 101: Finding hidden dust bunnies. Practical Cooking 101: Preparing roasted chicken and sweet potato mousse for our guests. Cleaning 101: Laundry, bathroom cleaning, and mopping the floor without letting the twins get into the mop bucket. I’m sure you get the idea. Last night, we had a house full of guests, a big dinner with all the trimmings, and a great time. But that’s not why I’m telling you this. So often I get asked what gets taught in home economics and practical arts. Some states don’t require it, but … Continue reading →

Preparing For The Dinner Party

Like all things, a good dinner party requires thought and planning. Don’t get too confident because there’s always that old Shakespearean quote about the “best laid schemes of mice and men that oft’ go a stray” to comfort you. You can never go wrong by planning ahead. Consider yourself a boy or girl-scout and be prepared. After all, the parents of one of them may very well be one of your dinner guests! Spread the preparation for the party over the course of a few days. The more you do beforehand, the less you will have to do at the … Continue reading →

How to Make Halloween Easier for Kids With Autism

Halloween is a holiday that might be difficult for children who have an autism spectrum disorder to cope with. Things get decorated in unexpected ways. Social skills can falter when a person is wearing a costume. Here are some tips to make Halloween easier for kids who have autism. Start preparing your child now! If your child is in a Special Education classroom, there is a good possibility that his or her teacher has been slowly getting the students used to the idea that Halloween is coming, and has been discussing some of the changes that will happen. Awesome teachers … Continue reading →

Prepping for Fluffy’s Holiday Photo

It took working at Families.com for nearly a year before I got my first taste of the term “Fur Baby.” The very first time I saw the words featured in a blog I thought the writer was referring to this. Then, I took a closer look and realized that it was “Fur Baby,” not “Furby.” It didn’t take long to deduce that the blogger loved her four-legged “kids” as much as her two-legged ones. In fact, I became friends with said writer, and the following Christmas I received a hilarious photo card with her furry kids sitting on the laps … Continue reading →

Is Worry Creating Needless Drama In Your Life?

Worry certainly sounds like a negative activity, and it is, but when you’re immersed in it, worry feels like the most logical, positive direction. How else can you prevent bad things from happening – or be prepared to deal with them when they do – if you don’t worry about them first? Unfortunately, “bad” things are going to happen regardless of any amount of obsessive thinking you do trying to anticipate, prevent and prepare for them. All worry does is keep you living in a perpetual state of anxiety for no good reason at all, and what kind of a … Continue reading →

Tips For Stress Free Entertaining for You and Your Spouse

Do you consider your spouse when entertaining, when deciding what to do or who you will invite over for a meal? Do you consider their likes and dilikes. Here are some helpful tips to make entertaining an enjoyable experience for you and your spouse. 1. Don’t overextend yourself or your spouse. Is your spouse one who likes big dinner parties with lots of guests and an elaborate meal? If he is not, I’d suggest you consider something simpler, like a barbecue or a casual meal or a sit down dinner with only a few guests. Mick knows for example that … Continue reading →

Make Your Own Christmas Feast

What are you serving for Christmas dinner? With such an auspicious occasion to celebrate you might consider giving Chef Boyardee a break for the night and instead whip up the following festive dishes for your family. It’s a fancy meal fit for a king, but you won’t have to spend all day in the kitchen preparing it. SHRIMP WITH HOMEMADE COCKTAIL SAUCE Ingredients: 32 to 40 medium to large cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails intact Cocktail sauce (recipe below) 1 fresh lemon, sliced Parsley sprigs for garnish Directions: Spoon cocktail sauce into martini glasses. Place 8 to 10 … Continue reading →

3 Ways to Improve Your Cooking Skills

Have you ever wanted to improve your cooking skills but weren’t sure how to go about doing it? Maybe you want to work on a specific type of food, or learn how to bake. Believe it or not, there are some easy ways you can learn about cooking without spending a ton of money and without going to culinary school. Cookbooks It might be obvious that you can learn about cooking from cookbooks. However, what I find is that most people don’t bother reading the cookbook beyond the recipe. While you certainly wouldn’t read a cookbook from cover to cover … Continue reading →