Balloons Are Fun!

Balloons Are Fun!
        by PartyFan

We recently had a graduation party for my sister, who was finally done with nursing school. While waiting for her and other family members to finish up shopping for various party goodies, her 11 year old son and I got into a balloon fight. It was loads of fun for the two of us.

Many decorations had already been put up, some pretty fancy with sparkling letters and wonderful messages, and lots of trimmings like mini mortarboards. Along with all of the jazzed up stuff was a lot of plain ribbon, and some balloons. Only a few balloons had been blow up, and tied in various places, leaving a big bag of them yet to be utilized.

We quickly dove into the bag for more ammunition for our fight, and before we knew it, we had blown all of them up. I hung a few more from strategic locations, but the remainder we bashed off of each other, or played at keeping as many in the air at one time as we could. When we tired of the games, the rest of the balloons wound up in a big pile in the living room.

Great fun for her two boys which turned out to be great fun for all. The pile got more mention than all the fancy decor, and while the boys were awake, the balloons were in constant motion, bouncing off of everything. When the boys went to bed, the adults kept right on playing with them. They got kicked, patted, tossed, zinged at each other, and otherwise stayed in motion. It was great!

So next time you are on decoration detail, don't forget the balloons, and don't just hang them up to look pretty, have a bunch of loose ones. While they might not admit it, even adults think balloons are fun!

Why Do Make-Ahead Recipes Work So Well To Reduce Your Dinner Party Stress?

Why Do Make-Ahead Recipes Work So Well To Reduce Your Dinner Party Stress?
by Margaret Thomas


One of the "tricks" I find most useful for hosting stress-free dinner
parties is to make some of the recipes ahead. I find that too many last minute jobs can overwhelm me, so I plan ahead to eliminate as many as possible.

The more dishes you can prepare a day or some hours before guests ring your doorbell, the more you reduce your stress. Here are some reasons:

• You avoid a last minute crisis if preparation takes longer than you thought it would.

• If you like to cook, you'll have the leisure to enjoy what you're doing instead of feeling frantic about a deadline

• You have time to clean up after you cook.

• If there is a disaster, say you burn something, you have plenty of time to come up with an alternate plan.

• If you have prepared the dessert ahead, you don't need to leave the table for a long stretch just when the conversation is getting really interesting.

Put your imagination to work for you! Try to imagine your way through the last minute jobs you will have to get dinner on the table, and reduce them to a minimum you feel comfortable with. It helps to think about what all those last minute jobs are: setting out the ice water pitcher, lighting the candles, putting items in serving dishes and getting the guests to the table.

By the way, many of these are jobs that your guests can do.

What is your level of tolerance for last minute jobs?
Now ask yourself what your level of tolerance is for last minute jobs? If it is low, then you should think about finding some recipes that absolutely minimize any last minute work. This is especially true if you are an inexperienced cook.

Some of the recipes I rely on are make-ahead, and some are just items that I can bring home from the store and put out in nice serving dishes.

Some cooks even make everything ahead. If you love stews, lasagna and casseroles, then you could do that too.

But I often prefer serving a delicious roast of lamb or beef or chicken as the special item on the menu. Luckily these dishes are ones you can put in the oven and leave to themselves while you do other things.

If you can add potatoes and vegetables to the roast while it cooks you have almost all of the advantages of make-ahead. Once you pop them in the oven beside the roast you can pretty well ignore them until they are cooked.

So I tend to focus on finding appetizers, salads, side dishes and desserts that I can make ahead, or set out straight from the store, or vegetables I can cook alongside a roast. Then I can concentrate on the last minute items like slicing a roast, making gravy, and getting things on the table.

Probably the most important category for me is appetizers. I find it too stressful to be fussing at cooking something while the doorbell is ringing. If you are hosting by yourself you may find the same.

So I try to have a repertoire of make-ahead or buy-ahead appetizer recipes that work for me. Often I serve more than one, since some of my guests like to stick to very light appetizers, and others enjoy heartier ones.

You can build your repertoire of make ahead recipes for your home dinner parties. I suggest you start with appetizers. If you want to see some of my favorites, just go to my Make-Ahead Appetizers page on my website.

Enjoy minimizing your hosting stress and watching your guests' eyes light up at the sight of your tasty, well presented appetizers.

Original Article

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Margaret Thomas - About the Author:

Spiral slicer is great in making vegetable garnishes and Asian salads. Find out how to make amazing spiral salads and vegetable noodles with a spiral slicer

Setting a Stylish Table Can be Simple

Setting a Stylish Table Can be Simple


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Setting a stylish and attractive dinner table is an art that is certain
to make dinner guests feel that extra bit special. If you’re not
artistically inclined the trick is to keep it simple.

Choose dinnerware that
is durable and dishwasher proof. My personal preference is for all white
crockery and
href="http://www.johnjenkinsdirect.co.uk/Tableware_Cutlery.htm">stainless steel

cutlery in a contemporary design. But whatever you do try
to choose crockery that is chip and scratch resistant so that it lasts.

Another thing to consider, when buying a dinner service or cutlery set,
is can you buy replacement items. Inevitably plates and bowls will
eventually get dropped, broken, cracked and chipped. It’s useful to be
able to replace odd damaged items without the need to buy a complete
replacement dinner service.

The same is true for cutlery. My husband will often use a table knife as
a quick and handy screwdriver, although I have asked him not to. Over the
years we’ve been together I’ve had to replace quite a few knives and
spoons that he has chosen to use as tools. So it’s good to be able to buy
replacements.

But there is much more to setting an attractive table than the plates,
bowls, knives and forks. Glassware

is also important and again I recommend simple, but stylish. Like your
crockery, choose glassware that is dishwasher safe and make certain you
have a good stock of glasses. I suggest that you make sure you have
enough wine glasses and general purpose tumblers and maybe a few shot
glasses or beer tankards if you like. And if you like a little bit of
champagne then you will probably want to make sure you have a set of nice
champagne flutes.

Choose crisp cotton or linen table napkins rather than throwaway paper
ones. A few tasteful placemats will work for day to day use but for a
dinner party you will probably want a nice table cloth and some tasteful
napkins.

Choose and attractive centrepiece for your table and you will be ready to
serve the food and wine. But that is another story.

Arranging The Buffet Supper

Arranging The Buffet Supper


Sometimes old advice is still the best advice. This short film from the 1940's is very dated, and obviously a product of the times, but it still has some good advice that is worth following.

"The American tradition of the buffet supper is shown in its simple preparation. A 'must' for the homemaker or hostess."

I'll let the clip speak for itself:

How to Create the Perfect Valentine’s Day Dinner

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February can only mean one thing. Valentine's Day. Normally, when you
think of Valentine’s Day, you associate it with flowers, nice restaurants
and chocolates. This year, change it up and try preparing a Valentines Day dinner for that
special someone. The great part about this dinner is you can create it
while being in the comfort of your own home! This article will give you
some easy ideas for decorating, dinner recipes and what to get as the
perfect gift!

Start the night off by setting up a romantic mood. A nice arrangement of
flowers will set the evening in motion, while also providing a great
centerpiece. Try filling a jar or vase with Candy Hearts and then taking
turns pulling a few out and reading them to each other. Be sure to
include candles and that special music the two of you love. Other things
to add are rose petals and a place card that has a short poem on it
professing your love. The sky is the limit on your creativity!

Next, you need to select what appetizers and/or salads you want to serve
your sweetie. An antipasto platter includes salami, cheese and thin
slices of a baguette or crackers and makes for an excellent appetizer. If
you want to get really creative, you can slice the salami and cheese in
heart-shaped pieces! I like to use Volpi Genova salami. The flavors blend
well with the cheeses. If you want more choices for the platter, try
adding some specialty Italian meats from Volpi Foods.

This is an extremely easy appetizer to assemble and create. As for the
salad, I would suggest mixed field greens tossed with a little olive oil
and balsamic. You can add some roasted red peppers for the Valentine
color. If your special someone likes salami, add a few slices to the
salad.

Now it’s time to select that perfect dinner recipe! Pasta is a perfect
choice for a romantic dinner! I would suggest Fettucini Alfredo. This is easy to
make and allows for creativity. Try adding a variety of cheeses like
parmesan and Romano. Try adding some pecorino cheese. You can mix the
pasta with fresh vegetables like peas or meats such as Pancetta.
Similarly with the salami, you can find excellent Pancetta at Volpi
Foods' online Italian store.

If you like wine, pick up a Sangiovese or Chianti. Either wine is an
excellent addition to the fettucini.

The hardest part will be deciding which dessert you are going to make or
buy. Here are a few choices. I would pick up some cannolis or tiramisu if
you want to stay on the Italian theme. You can carry on the red theme
with a cheesecake with strawberries and strawberry sauce or create
heart-shaped sugar cookies with red icing. If you want to include a
different dessert, feel free. All are relatively easy to make or purchase.

To add the magical touch, don’t forget to pick up a meaningful and
special gift! Try a couple’s massage, favorite movie on DVD,
chocolate-covered strawberries or a picture frame with a special photo?

Any one of these ideas will create a memorable and perfect night for you
and your loved one! Make sure to eat, drink and be merry. Happy
Valentine's Day!

Simply Super Guacamole

Simply Super Guacamole

by PartyFan


Guacamole is a Super Bowl party favorite, but it makes a great addition to the eats at any event. Here's a simple recipe for it that always gets rave reviews when I make it.

Cut avocados in half, lengthwise. You can't go through the large pit in the middle, so just spin the avocado against the knife blade until you have cut all the way around it, to the depth of the pit. Now twist the two half's slightly in opposite directions, and you should be able to pull them apart easily. The pit will most likely still be stuck in one half. You can scoop it out with a spoon, but the more common method of removal is to lightly tap the pit with your knife, like you were trying to chop it in half, which will stick the blade into the pit. Now keeping the knife in the same orientation, move the handle to one side or the other to spin the pit in place, using the same motion you did to twist the two half's apart, and the pit should stay stuck to the blade and pop right out.

Scoop all of the insides out into a bowl, leaving just the rind behind. Once you have all of the avocados pitted and rind less in your bowl, you need to mash them. The best tool for this is a mortar and pestle, like the restaurants use for table side guacamole, but I don't have one of those. Next best is a tool I do have, a potato masher. If you don't have one of those, either, a fork will do. Use the masher or your fork to mash the avocados thoroughly. Make sure to stir and scrape the corners, so you don't leave any major lumps hiding. You don't need to completely eliminate all the tiny lumps, but you don't want any sizable ones, so mash, mash, mash.

Once you've gotten to the well mashed stage, you add whatever flavorful goodies you want to enhance the guacamole, and stir them in well. Here's where my simple trick comes in. For every three avocados, I add one small can (7 oz.) of Herdez Salsa Casera. I normally avoid brand names, but in this case I think the product is superior to anything else I've tried. I prefer using the mild, but the medium or hot will work just as nicely if you prefer to add a little more heat. Make sure it is the Casera type, you want the chunks. If you have a favorite salsa, or are making do with what you have in the fridge, you can substitute 6 to 8 oz. of any chunky garden salsa (make sure it is chunky style, with tomatoes). Stir it in well. Now add two tablespoons of lemon or lime juice. This is to help prevent the guacamole from turning brown.

That's it. Simple, huh? If you are feeling fancy, you can garnish with a little bit of chopped cilantro, but don't overdo it.

A few extra tips:

You want to start with ripe avocados. If they are too firm, they won't mash up easily, and the consistency of the guacamole suffers. Overripe ones can mostly still be used, but will have bad spots (any dark, discolored area) you will need to avoid when you are scooping the rinds clean or trim off once you've gotten the material in your bowl. Be picky when selecting your avocados. They should be dark in color, not bright. Give them a squeeze, they should yield but not feel like mush. Too firm, not ripe yet. Too mushy, and they are overripe. If you already have avocados that aren't ripe yet, leave them out on your counter somewhere for a few days to ripen.

Don't forget the lemon juice. It really does help prevent the guacamole from turning brown. It still will turn, but it will take longer with the acid of the juice added.

Make the guacamole as close to the time you will serve it as you can. It is best fresh, and really doesn't keep well, even with the lemon juice added.

Enjoy!