I’m a very sociable person and I think about what it will be like when I am finally able to start my snowbird journey in a few years. At home, the beach, and at the campsite, I always want to be surrounded by family and friends to cook and share good food and drink with them. Since I’ve heard that snowbirds are usually sociable and enjoy hosting dinner parties and other events with their fellow snowbirds, or family and friends that might visit, I figure I’ll fit right in.
I like to make things special for my guests so when they arrive they can just relax, have a good time, and enjoy one another’s company. After all, that’s why they accepted the invitation. If they’re there, that means they CHOSE to be there, they WANT to enjoy being with others, and they don’t have to do anything except sit back, relax and enjoy. It’s about being together, connecting, and making memories. Maybe invite friends of friends that you don’t know very well or haven’t met. It’s a great way to make new friends.
Most importantly, YOU don’t need to stress at all. Remember, it’s just food, so you can make your dinner party as simple as a good bowl of chili with all the fixings, or you can go all out and make leg of lamb. The options are endless and since you’re the host, you decide! You can make recipes that you love and are used to making. This will give you comfort in knowing how long it takes, that it will be a success, and you won’t be in the kitchen cooking when you’d rather be enjoying time with your guests.
Tips For The Party
After you have your invitation list together, you should then think about any food preferences or allergies that your guests might have. Add a note to your invitation to call or text with any food allergies your guests might have. If you plan to serve alcoholic beverages, you should take in account that not everyone at your dinner party will want to drink alcohol. Be sure to have non-alcoholic drinks available such as tea, coffee, water or soft drinks. Another option would be to have everyone BYOB and then you take the guesswork out of what your guests might prefer, and it might save you some money as well.
If you do plan to serve wine, chose a wine that pairs well with your meal. If you’d like to shop local for your wine, be sure to stop by Panama City Beach Winery or the Duplin Winery to find your favorites. They will be more than happy to help you with your wine selection for your dinner party. Or, if you feel like a good Bloody Mary, take a look at our Build The Perfect Bloody Mary Bar blog. Our Sunkissed Cocktail blog series also offers several drink options that are sure to please all of your guests! A taco bar would be great for any party! No one can say no to a great taco!
Do as much of the preparation as you can ahead of time. If you’re planning to have appetizers, have them plated and ready to put out for your guests a few minutes before their arrival. Have some recipes in your collection that can mostly be prepared in advance. Something as simple as shrimp cocktail served in clear mini cups will impress, but don’t require a lot of prep. A vegetable tray is always a bit hit and can be thrown together in minutes with purchased pre-cut veggies. For some quick and easy appetizer ideas that are ready in 15 minutes, from Caprese Salad Kabobs to Beer Dip, Taste of Home has a great selection.
As mentioned, get as much done as you possibly can ahead of the arrival time of your guests. It’s so important to allow you less stress and more time with your guests. That doesn’t apply to just the food and drinks. Get the dinnerware and serving dishes out ahead of time. Some foods can be frozen or refrigerated and you just have to thaw and reheat the day of the party. If you’re having a theme dinner party, such as an ugly sweater or New Year’s Eve party. and plan to decorate, do that ahead of time.
The Party
Speaking of theme parties, there are so many ideas you can choose for your dinner party. One of my favorite choices for a dinner party theme is always a food theme. Ideas like comfort food, make your own pizza bar, taco bar or a potato bar come to mind. You can also host a theme party that is specific to different times of the day, like breakfast, brunch, afternoon tea or just do appetizers and hors d’oeuvres. How about an ice cream bar or sundae bar for dessert?
Consider seasonal themes like football or other sports themes, President’s Day or Valentine’s Day, Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday. Fun themes like a Roaring Twenties, Cinco de Mayo or a movie night would also be fun. The options are endless.
If you choose to go “elegant” for your dinner party, here are 107 dinner menu ideas that are perfect for any party or special occasion. From the main course to desserts, they have it all at Epicurious.com.
Dessert
To me, dessert is the final hug to all of your guests to show your love and appreciation for their good company and fellowship. We all need a little sweetness in our lives, and to me that is family and friends! And, while all of your guests are the best part of the party, dessert can easily become the next best thing!
You should choose a few different dessert options, like a cake and a pie, or cookies and brownies, cheesecake and cupcakes, but you can make these ahead of time and just set up a dessert table to showcase them. If you need some dessert ideas, here are some “insanely good” dessert recipes that will be sure to please your guests.
“Dessert is probably the most important part of the meal, since it will be the last thing your guests will remember before leaving the table.” – William Powell
Progressive Dinner Party
If you’re still thinking about having a dinner party, but think it’s a lot of work for one person to do, you should consider throwing a “progressive dinner party”. This is where the different courses of a meal are eaten at different people’s homes. One person is responsible for the appetizers, another for the main course, and another for the desserts. You can set your time frame, but typically you would stay at each home for 45 minutes to an hour and then move on to the next. You can choose a theme, like Christmas or New Year’s, share with each participant what you plan to serve so there’s no repeats, and enjoy little bites and drinks at each place. For more on this idea, check out our blog Dining With a View – Progressive Dinner Party.
If you’re still looking for some great ideas what to serve at your dinner party, from nachos to pastas, be sure to check out our Dining With a View blog series.
In this fast-moving era of convenience food, it’s so nice to slow down and host a nice dinner party. How long has it been since you invited friends over or showcased a special occasion with family by having a dinner party? It’s especially nice to host your dinner party while staying with us at Premium Beach Condos. Our kitchens have everything you need to create your menu ideas and it all comes with amazing views from your beachfront condo!
