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Simple Entertaining Doesn't Exist -- Plan Ahead: The most frustrating part about reading how "easy" it is to entertain is the notion that all you have to do is plan ahead and you'll be fine. That's only partly true. Before you can plan, you've got to know what you're planning for. It doesn't mean the work will be any easier when you do it, but at least you'll know what you're in for. Here's some basic guidelines and tips: Formal Cocktail Parties Food -- If all you're serving is appetizers, plan on about 10-12 "pieces" per person. I'm from the Italian "Better too much than too little" and I like to plan 15 pieces. I also keep some other things around the house just in case the food runs out -- microwave popcorn, frozen pizzas cut into bite sized squares, or cheese and crackers. Drink -- You don't want your guests to get tanked, but you don't want to end up mixing vodka with Yoohoo either. I don't know many people that mind having "leftover" booze, so guestimate at a little less than a drink per hour per guest. A "drink" serving is:
Your mix may end up doubling as non-alcoholic beverages for your non-drinking folks. Keep this in mind, because while you've planned screwdrivers for the evening, someone might slurp down all your OJ before you know it. Going to make the bar self-serve? Got a printer? Here's a PDF with 9 cocktail recipe cards so your guests can expand their horizons. Cocktails.pdf. (FYI, the file is large, because it's set to print quality, not screen quality. Be prepared to download half a MB.) Space -- It's nice to have a place for everyone to sit at a formal cocktail party, but it's not necessary. If you've got 12 places to sit, then you can probably manage a party for 16. Don't think you'll be using any of those chairs, and one or two people will probably be wandering around as well. Beer Bashes Food -- A few bags of chips and candy thrown on a table will leave you with a house full of people too drunk to drive home, so plan some hearty food. A crock pot full of soup or chili, rolls and lunchmeat to make sandwiches, and solid "appetizers" will be your friend. Things are going to get warm in there, so try to make things as oven free as possible. The more appetizing your food table looks, the more they will eat and the better off you'll be, so even though it can be work, try to periodically tidy up your table. Drink -- People tend to drink a lot at these parties. If it's a beer bash, plan on a little more than a drink per person per hour. A 8 gallon keg is 152 beers, a 16 gallon keg is 304 beers. If it's a margarita party, a little less than a drink per hour is more accurate, but make sure to plan some sodas, because a night of tequila can be scary! A bottle of tequila, two bottles of mix and half a bottle of triple sec will yield you 15 medium to large margaritas (6 ounces). Space -- Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, people will happily stand through a beer bash, and stand close to each other at that. Keep in mind that people will congregate around your food or beverage stations. Imagine these areas full of people standing with one arm outstretched, this will help you calculate how many people you can comfortably fit. Dinner Parties Food -- Food is obviously the main attraction for a dinner party. I used to do lavish appetizers at dinner parties. Then I realized that while I was working away in the kitchen, all my guests were in the other room getting too full for dinner. Now I'll put out something small like a bowl of nuts or crackers that are flavorful without spreads -- and I make sure that dinner is fairly early in the evening. It's not fair to make them wait too long with nothing to eat. If you do appetizers, they recommend two or three "pieces" per person. The general rule for meats is a quarter of a pound per person. Judge your guests though -- if you know you've got some heavy duty meat eaters, throw in a couple of extra chops. If you've got vegetarians, make an alternative -- two kinds of enchilladas, or pasta sauces, etc. Drink -- Beverages at a dinner party are a four part issue. Before dinner, people will often like to have a "cocktail" which may be a glass of wine or a mixed drink, but then usually only want one (provided your dinner isn't taking longer than you planned. During dinner, wine and water is nice. If your guests aren't wine drinkers, or it's not appropriate with the meal, plan something else. Lots of people love having coffee after dinner, but caffeine can be a problem for some folks. Get yourself an insulated thermos and brew one kind of coffee as people arrive. Set your coffee pot up with decaf and set it to brew before dinner starts, that way you'll be able to offer folks both. Don't forget how lavish cream or cordials can be. After dinner, you may be back to cocktails. If this is the case, plan a little less than a drink per person per hour. Space -- Unless you do this buffet style, which is never quite as gracious, you're limited by the size of your table. To count, put the chairs around it. If they're touching, you can do it, but it will be less than comfortable. If you have a couple inches on either side, that's better. Pull out the chairs and make sure everyone could get in and out. If not, adjust the location of your table, or take some of the leaves out and invite less people. Resources >>
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