I love to entertain. The whole buzz of planning a menu, cooking, table setting, getting the house in order and finally, enjoying the company and the meal is something I adore. As I settle into our new rental, I can’t help but think of all the lunches and dinners I want to host here. While entertaining on a budget is what I aim for, I also want our meals with family and friends to be filled with love, good conversation and plenty of laughter.
Here are some simple tips to have a love-filled meal with extended family and your circle of friends:
Be Considerate When Menu Planning
Know of a family member who’s allergic to fish? Or a friend who’s turned vegan? Keep that in mind when planning the menu for the lunch or dinner. A little thoughtfulness can go a long way in making family members and friends feel really special.
Keep the Conversation Light and Stress-Free
It can be easy for conversations at the dinner table to veer towards tricky and stressful topics, especially when extended family is involved. As a good hostess, I believe, you should try to keep the conversation on a pleasant and loving track. Watch out for signs where you feel a guest may be getting stressed out about too much questioning or criticising and step in graciously.
Simple, Wholesome and Frugal Meals
While it is lovely to go all out and have a fancy menu, if you do a lot of entertaining, it makes sense to have some easy-to-make, economical yet wholesome menus in your home management binder. Soup, salad, spaghetti, garlic bread and a pudding/cake to round it off is easy and filling. We also do a lot of biryanis with raitas, pulaos, chapattis, curries or dals and a vegetable side-dish. {Biryanis and pulaos are rice-based dishes with meat or vegetables while chapattis are Indian breads. Dal is an Indian lentil dish and Raita is a curd or yogurt dish seasoned with salt, cumin powder and may have chopped onions, tomatoes or even, pineapple}
Plan Ahead for Happy Entertaining
While unexpected guests are always welcome, if you’re planning a dinner for friends and family, it makes sense to plan for it. If possible, cook ahead and don’t leave things for the last minute. Not only will this keep your stress levels lower, it will also allow loved ones to spend time with you rather than just seeing your rush from kitchen to the living room and back again.
How do you make entertaining family and friends at meals an occasion filled with love and laughter?
Photo Credit: D. Sharon Pruitt
Hi Prerna,
Love the new look…but I miss the sketch of the short hair lady writing which was on the previous one….It looked so much like you…..But this is pretty too….
And nice post (as usual) …..Thanks
Ranjeetha recently posted..Double Trouble!!
Your site looks so beautiful. Always love lurking here to read all your stuff, and now, the new look is lovely. Looks like I’ll have to make a schedule. It’s so “don’t go”
Vidya Sury, Freelance Writer and Blogger recently posted..C for Compassion
While we don’t entertain often, when we do dinner usually consists of either baked salmon or spaghetti, cooked veggies, salad, and some kind of artisan bread. Both meals are typically enjoyed by whoever we invite, even when their are kids involved (and I almost can’t believe how much DS loves salmon).