Swap Party - Steps 3 & 4

The Second Post Following The Swap Party - Steps 1 & 2 

Step 3: The Party Plan

So many details, so many options... just one party.  I wish I could have a party every weekend, I really do.  I have THAT many ideas for all the things I want to do to entertain!

So when it comes down to planning a party, I think it's more about filtering than about creating.  It's like that Coco Chanel quote: "When accessorizing, always take off the last thing you put on."

Here are my beliefs when planning a party:

1. Ensure your guests are treated as such, and require nothing but their presence.  If they bring wine or a hostess gift, it's a bonus!
2. An event has stages - from the welcome, to mingling, to the main event, to the wind-down, the last few attendees.  A well-planned event has elements in each phase, even if it's just more drinks!
3. I like to do something different, that people haven't seen before... planning the "different element" is awesome!
4. Use white plates for everything.  It always matches, makes the food look great and feels like it's been catered.  For everything else, I use stuff I find around my house and make it look like I meant for it to go together.
5. Just know this - shit is going to go wrong.  Inevitably I won't be ready when the first person arrives.  I will spill on myself or the dog.  The fire alarm may go off (and they are all connected so the whole house will be in lock-down).  So I thank my husband in advance, pour myself a glass of wine and do all I can to minimize risk.

The Planning Process:  It's not rocket science.  I clip articles and pictures from magazines I get regularly (Better Homes & Gardens, Martha Stewart).  I save the email distributions I get from my fav sites in a file in One Note or PowerPoint and refer back to them for ideas (Oprah.com, DIY, Real Simple).  I love to go online for weeks and look through all of the latest trends in parties (check out My Fav Links for the quick list). Just thinking about all that I COULD do is the best part!

For me, I like to use Excel to do my actually planning.  Here's a snapshot of the file I use.  It's simple template that tracks attendees, decorations and items to purchase (including budget), plus a to-do list. I link right to the recipes or images I need in the file, so it's fool-proof!

Step 4: The Menu Plan

Between Food.com and FoodNetwork.com, I come up with a ton of ideas.  But some of my favorites are things I just make up!  Because this party was on a Friday night, I wanted to have substantial food so my guests could just come straight from work.  But I didn't want anything too hard, since I also had to work and didn't have a ton of time to prep. 

My food principles, generally:

1. I try to balance the entire menu between food I make from scratch, stuff I assemble and stuff I buy.  It makes things so much easier than making everything myself!  
2. I take into account my guests' dietary requirements as much as possible - I had vegetarians and gluten-free guests at the party, so I tried to include food they could all enjoy.  
3. I rarely serve fancy cheese that is hard to eat.  When I first started entertaining, I always bought stinky cheese that I love.  But after doing this a while, I've learned that cubed Tilamook cheese is a best-seller at parties.  I will still do a nicer cheese, but it has to be approachable - like a plate of blue cheese + brie (everyone loves it).
4. I like to do healthy food and a little bit of indulgent food.  I actually think healthier food is harder to do - since I can throw a stick of butter in anything and make it taste great.  Finding a balance with good-tasting healthy food is hard - but many of us are trying to watch our weight, so it's appreciated.
5. I've moved to doing things that are easy finger food, and simple to eat.  I sometimes serve things that require plates but rarely with forks if we aren't sitting down - it's just too hard to balance with a drink (clearly, my priority).
6. For drinks, I try to pick one or two drinks to feature so we don't have to buy a whole bar.  I'll do a signature drink and then usually several types of wine or beer.  I always have non-alcoholic options too, like Peligrino with limes.

 Here's what landed on the Swap Party Menu:

• Crudites of sugar snap peas, carrots, cucumber spears, cherry tomatoes and hummus - served in small individual bowls
• Upside-Down Mushroom Tarletes - served in rows on a rectangular white platter
• Teriyaki-Marinated Grilled Chicken Skewers - served simply in a chafing dish to stay warm
• Antipasti Tray with cheddar cheese, marinated olives, pepper deli turkey, sliced cured meat, and cashews - served in big chunks on a large white tray

And I always do an appetizer that's out when people arrive.  I usually don't stray too far from this classic:

• French bread rounds (toasted simply with olive oil and salt), a head of roasted garlic (made the night before), pesto spread (store-bought), sliced pear, and two cheese options (I used camembert and gorgonzola).
• Wasabi peas - I had them in a bar once and just think they are a cool alternative to nuts.  I get them in bulk at the specialty grocery store.

For dessert, I used a Groupon I had been holding onto for months for Cupcake Royal... ladies love mini-cupcakes!  I also made some chocolate-dipped pretzel rods that I rolled in heath bits (a party hit!) - served in a new pot to look almost like a floral arrangement.

For drinks, I wanted a variety of holiday goodness:

• Pointsetta Cocktail - instead of shaking each one individually, I made up a pitcher and pre-poured them in champagne glasses with cranberries floating in each
• Chilled White Wine - Pinot Grigio is my fav, so it was on hand - served in stemless wine glasses (for clutzes like me)
• Mulled Red Wine - I don't love egg nog, so why not serve a hot beverage that totally reminds me of Christmas!  Cider-y, wine-y, spice-y... yumm-y!
• Hot Beverage Bar - hot coffee and cocoa with all the fixin's, including whipped cream, Peppermint Schnapps, and Irish Cream Liquor in clear glass bottles with matching labels - served in my wedding china cups and saucers (wahoo, get to use them!)
• Pellegrino with limes - always.

Check out Steps 5 through 7 Up Next!