Posted on: Saturday, December 7, 2002

Throw a good one!

With the holidays at hand, it's party time. If you are going to all the effort to clean and decorate your home, you might as well invite friends in to celebrate the season. Photo by CORY LUM; photo illustration by Martha Hernandez • The Honolulu Advertiser

With the holidays at hand, it's party time. If you are going to all the effort to clean and decorate your home, you might as well invite friends in to celebrate the season.

Inviting guests to your home is a warm, friendly gesture. It's a good way to get to know someone better and to thank people for special help or previous gatherings. Don't be intimidated. Your guests are your friends, and you'll be glad later that you invited them.

There are a few simple ways to make the experience fun:

• Know your entertaining style. Choose what works well for you, your lifestyle, your budget and your home. Creativity is the key. If a casual occasion — such as a chili supper or a cookie-decorating party — works best, no doubt it will be fun.

• Know your limits. Don't spend more time and money than you can afford. Decide if you can do everything yourself. If not, consider hiring someone, such as a neighborhood teen, to help with errands or cleanup. Or plan a potluck or progressive dinner, which moves from house to house, where the work is shared.

• Be inclusive. Casual parties are great ways to introduce a new neighbor, acquaintance or co-worker to your circle of friends. For a new family, include children.

• Reciprocate in your style. When it's time to reciprocate for earlier invitations, you don't have to return the favor in the same manner. A formal dinner can be returned graciously with a casual Sunday soup supper. If you can't entertain, treat your friend to a restaurant meal or a movie ticket.

• Collect menus and ideas. Look for simple do-ahead recipes. You might feel more like entertaining if you have a stockpile of menus and dishes you can make with confidence.

• Make your parties memorable. Pick a theme, such as pizza night or fondue night or chocolate dessert night, and have fun.

For holiday meals, buffets are good ways to accommodate a larger crowd. Plan your traffic flow and arrange your table with stacked plates, flatware and napkins at a logical starting point. If needed, rent extra chafing dishes to keep food hot, and extra wine glasses. Arrange a separate table with drinks, glasses and coffee service. If guests will be sitting at a variety of places, be sure they can eat easily while sitting with a plate in their laps. Make food easy to eat.