Entertaining Tips That Will Make You Look Like a Star ⭐️
Hello Friends!
Thank you all for the positive feedback from my last newsletter! I am thrilled you enjoyed my Monday Musings! I want to share a few more things that are enhancing my life lately.
Entertaining Friends and Family | If you’ve been with me for a while, you know entertaining at home is one of my favorite pleasures. What you may not know, is that I don’t pull out all the stops when I have my friends over or do things that are above my resources (and by “resources,” I mean money AND time.) My goal is for everyone, including me, to have fun and for that to happen, I need to be relaxed and in a state of positivity and enjoyment. Here’s what I want to discuss today - people are craving socialization right now but most don’t want to make the perceived big effort to host a meal at home. Too much work, right?? It’s impossible to do everything at such a high level to impress my friends!! Ugh, stop it right now. That’s not what entertaining is about.
My guess is that your friends would LOVE to be invited over, so what can you do to make it easy for yourself?
Here are some thoughts:
Host an easier meal like breakfast or a happy hour. I just love a happy hour!! Tell your friends to come over for “drinks and light bites.” I’ll tell you a few of my go-to eats below.
Host a potluck! It’s 100% acceptable and it just means you’re the director. You coordinate who brings what and provide the main dish, plates and napkins and drinks.
Don’t make everything from scratch (unless you want to!) I had a tiki-themed party for my husband recently and I ordered a bunch of things from local restaurants and businesses and I made VERY little from scratch. Everyone had a blast, including Hubs and me!
If your guests offer to bring something that contributes to the meal, let them!
Let go of a perfectionist mentality and flip the narrative to feel gratitude that you are in a position to share your home and a meal with people you care about. Instead of thinking, “I have to make it nice and make so much food, etc.”, think “I get to have my friends over in my home.” What a gift!
Easy recipe idea! My friends Jane and Matt hosted Hubs and me at their house in Los Olivos and made us a delicious and dead simple fish recipe that I couldn’t wait to share with my favorite people (that’s you!) It was basic roasted halibut (olive oil, salt and pepper) topped right before serving with a lot of simply sautéed leeks (olive oil, salt and pepper.) Do not knock it ‘til you try it! Here it is with wild salmon which I made for my sister’s family. Roast fish for 10 minutes per 1-inch of thickness at 400 degrees. Over medium heat, I sautéed 4 cleaned and sliced leeks in a little olive oil with salt and pepper to taste until tender and a little caramelized, about 8 minutes. Put fish on a platter and arrange leeks on top. Delicious!
Happy Hour easy light bites that I love:
Store bought naan treated like a pizza/flatbread. Top it with whatever your favorite pizza toppings are (I always steal ideas from my favorite local pizzerias) and bake on a sheet pan at 400 until warmed through and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.
I love using Banza frozen chickpea flour pizza crusts for gluten-free and grain-free friends, and for a quick lunch or dinner at home.
A pretty cheese board with cool crackers like Ines Rosales olive oil crackers with almond (to die for), or any of the delicious spreads from Divina like caramelized onion jam, roasted tomatoes, or sour cherry spread. I love going to Italian delis or markets or good cheese shops for those interesting condiments that you might not find anywhere else.
Fresh melon cubes or peach or nectarine slices on a plate or board with slices of prosciutto
Small avocado toast with olive oil, flaky salt, and crushed red pepper (avocado toast is still going strong!)
Hummus spread on a plate, not a bowl, and topped with chopped veggies, olives, even cooked ground meat, drizzled with olive oil and salt. If I don’t have time to make my own hummus, local Middle Eastern restaurants are a great source. Pick up some baba ganoush while you’re at it.
Fancy potato chips, salted nuts, and good olives all in the prettiest bowls you have. I recently tried Torres potato chips and they were next level!
You don't have a fancy cheese board? No problem! Take a cutting board and cover it with a piece of unbleached parchment paper.
I am obsessed with these bamboo tongs and bought them in bulk. I have this mini size and this larger size. I use them on cheese boards, for little bowls with olives, for lox and condiments, fruit platters, deli platters and so much more. They are technically disposable, but if they’re in good shape, I’ll wash them and use them again.
Serve it over ice! I was at a restaurant in Amalfi a long time ago and they served a fruit course over ice. It was chic and summery and I stole the idea! Now, when I entertain in the summer, I often serve crudités and fruit over ice. This can also be an advantage if you don’t have space in your fridge to store cut fruit in advance. Cut and allow to chill while it’s out.
Pro tip: be aware of condensation on the outside of the bowl or platter. You don’t want to ruin a wood table with a water mark!
Now go invite someone over!
xx, Pamela