Whenever I plan to host a dinner party there are lots of things to do besides the basic grocery shopping & cooking. Here’s a simple list:
Four Weeks Before:
1. Invite guests & collect preliminary RSVP’s
2. Begin collecting recipes & decorating ideas
Two Weeks Before:
3. Inventory Dishware & Supplies
- Dishes, Silverware, Glassware, Napkins, Serving Utensils
- Pots, Pans, Thermometers
One Week Before:
4. Finalize menu
5. Confirm with guests & get final headcount
6. Create shopping lists, divided by store
7. Begin shopping throughout the week
Two Days Before:
8. Clean house
9. Finish grocery shopping
One Day Before:
10. Come up with cooking plan – sequence cooking & assign tasks to family members
11. Do as much prep-cooking as possible
12. Choose your outfit
Morning Of:
13. Pick up any final ingredients – anything that must be fresh or was forgotten (grab some flowers)
14. Straighten up the house
15. Set the table
Evening Of:
Enjoy the cooking, the eating & the good company!
Does this list simplify your life? I sure hope so.
Resources
Martha Stewart Living Party Planning Guide
Busy Cooks on About.com How To Plan a Dinner Party
thedinnerpartyplanningsite Thanksgiving Dinner
Food & Wine The $60 Dinner Party
Katie Brown Simple Recipes & Ideas (16 Menus 16 Occasions 16 Tables)
Man. This is really helpful but it makes me nostalgic for those ‘younger’ days when everyone lived near each other and basically had the same schedule so an adhoc dinner party didn’t require a month of planning… then again… the menu was usually pizzas and a keg so I guess there are pros and cons to everything!
I speak from personal experience when I say that Katin throws great dinner parties. Katin, how about posting some of your famous “simple” recepies such as the grilled asparagus and veggies and also all the fine salads you make with easy homemade dressing?