What do we need in order to
host with the best laid plans and top shelf execution so guests walk away
feeling like they’ve just attended a gathering worth getting together for? Let’s peek in a hostess tool bag to learn
some tricks of the trade . . .
A Plan –
Every good hostess starts with a good plan.
An event, a theme, a date shared with plenty of notice, lists of to-dos
and to-buys, and a timeline to get it all accomplished are all things a hostess
incorporates into her master plan.
An Invitation
– Some are formal, some are casual; some arrive with a stamp, and some arrive
in an inbox. However it’s shared, a good
hostess makes a point to extend an invitation so guests are welcomed and
prepared for what they can expect.
New Menu Items
– The old favorites are still delicious, but working new menu items into her
spread is a token move to try new things and share what she’s deemed great
enough to repeat. That’s often how new
recipes start making the rounds.
The Right Tools
– If a recipe calls for a steamer basket or a roasting pan, a candy thermometer
or a springform, she’s got it. If it’s
worth making, it’s worth making right. To
keep things efficient in the kitchen, having things on hand like multiple sets
of measuring cups and good quality silicone spatulas and spoons is no surprise.
Fitting
Serveware – We all know the iconic image of the turkey being served on that big platter to a table filled with
enthusiastic recipients. A hostess worth
her weight in salt will also have serveware on hand that fits her menu. That could include anything along the lines
of mini appetizer plates, tiny spoons and forks for a selection of small bites,
little dishes for sides of ketchup or ranch like you’d get in a restaurant,
good tongs or pie servers, or theme items like popcorn boxes or cupcake
containers.
The Goods –
We’re talking about the paper goods, that is.
When the setting is right, you’ll find a stack of paper or plastic
plates that go with the theme, and dinner and cocktail napkins ready for
pick-up on the serving line. These are
easy items to stock up on in colors, prints, and patterns you like that will
come in handy for a future shindig.
Sounds and Scents – Nothing helps set the mood for a party like the tunes and the smell
of what’s cookin’. The perfect party
playlist or tuning in to the right music channel on TV can be a nice background
for the conversations taking place. And
letting the oven and stovetop do the talking for what’s on the menu, or
creating her own scent environment by baking some vanilla in a pan can call
them to the kitchen. Lighting scented
candles that are available for any season and feel can do wonders for creating
that welcoming environment from the moment the doorbell rings.
The Personal Touches – Every hostess has her own style, and that is usually evident in the
little personal touches guests find.
Custom place cards, flavored syrups for drinks or coffee, the garnish on
serving pieces or drink rims, little signs spread throughout a buffet line, handmade
favors to-go, or countless other special extras all add up to a hostess who
wants you to know you’re not only invited, you’re welcome to enjoy the fruits
of her labor and the tricks in her tool bag.
DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star September 21st.
