HomeStyle: 6 Tips for Cozy Winter Dinner Parties

Friday, January 28, 2011

HomeStyle by Cynthia Bogart, GoLocalProv Style Expert

When you were young, did your parents have 'company' come over for dinner? Many people still practice this gracious form of entertaining, but for those of us who are juggling kids, home, job, volunteer work, pets, parents.... it could seem like an unwelcome and daunting task. Perhaps you should reconsider. It is not as hard as you think and it could very well be the highlight of your winter. The secret is planning ahead. Here are a few points that might help you put together a great evening with friends.

Step One: Invite

Set a date and choose a total of eight to ten people that you feel are compatible. If you are a crazy person with not an ounce of time, call and invite them on the telephone. If you plan ahead and want to do it with panache, you're going to send invitations. Meander on over to New England Invitations in East Greenwich. They carry exquisite invitations such as Mr. Boddington's Studio, or easier still, order invitations online from Polka Dot Designs. If you are totally über hip and you have your friends email addresses, consider an evite from Paperlesspost.com

Step Two: Choose the Menu

Decide if you are cooking, using a caterer or having each couple bring something. It all will work. If you are looking for inspiration, click onto The Perfect Pantry or the Soup Chick over at Ninecooks.com where Chef Lydia Walshin will inspire, share great recipes and menu tips. If you really want to put a twist on your dinner party, you and your friends can attend a private cooking class held at the Ninecooks log house kitchen in northwest Rhode Island. What better way to prepare than learning from the great chef first hand! For other great cooking blogs, check out Providence's Jennifer Hess's Last Night's Dinner and Savoring The Thyme, who always has fabulous local foodie ideas, and FarmFreshRI.org for great tips on where to buy local and fresh foods.

Don't forget to find the right wines for your meal, either. They call it wine pairing nowadays. Make the trip down to Newport to Bellevue Wine & Spirits. The fellows over there are very wine savvy and will tell you exactly what you'll need to go with your meal.

Step Three: Set Your Table

If you have china, silverware and linens, you are all set and you've probably set your table before. If you don't, hightail it over to Providence Place Mall and go to Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma or Crate and Barrel. Honestly? They have the basics of what you'll need for any dinner party. The secrets to setting a pretty table are starched linens, plenty of candles, a pretty floral centerpiece and little touches like place cards and napkin rings. If you don't have those, find some pretty satin ribbon, write the person's name on the ends of the ribbon in marker, and tie the napkins with a big bow. Right before your guests arrive, tuck a sprig of one of the flowers from the centerpiece in the knot of the bow.

Step Four: Hire Help

This might sound extravagant, but it really isn't. If you know a couple of high school kids who want to make $10 an hour, wouldn't it be worth investing in two of them for the evening? They can serve and clean up. It might cost you $100, but you are going to enjoy your own party. Wouldn't that be nice? Oh, and P.S. have one of them keep an eye on the kids during the party!

Step Five: Get The House Ready

The finishing touches are soft music (perhaps a little Paolo Conte?), a tidy house and a roaring fire in the fireplace. In other words, make sure the kids toys aren't between the cushions in the couch, makeup and wet towels are out of the bathroom the guests will be using and make sure the dogs are happy and fed elsewhere so they won't be begging for food at dinner.

Step Six: Relax

Put on your party dress. Yes, that's right, get all dolled up and mix up a batch of pomegranate martini's to welcome your guests. How could you NOT have a good time with good wine, good food, good company? Enjoy!

Cynthia Bogart is a Regional Editorial Editor for Better Homes & Gardens Magazines and the Editor-in-Chief of the www.TheDailyBasics.com, a website dedicated to one quick magazine like article a day on homestyle, lifestyle and youstyle. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter. Cynthia will also co-hosting a radio show, At The Table, which will be hitting the airwaves in the next few weeks.