GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN

The last few years, around Christmas and New Year, I hosted a ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ party. I invited a few girl friends to enjoy some snacks, pretty much all finger food, and my favorite festive cocktail, the Holiday Mule. Everyone has fun and enjoy themselves (at least that’s what they said… ha ha ha). The first year was a little hectic and stressful during the preparation because it was my first one and I just winged it. No planning, just picked what I wanted to make, took a day off and cooked all day. By the time the party started, I was so exhausted and ready for bed. Since then, I have learned how to plan, organized and make things ahead. Those are the keys to a stress-free party.

Tip#1: Don’t make everything yourself. For example, instead of making the Red Velvet Cupcakes and homemade crackers (yes, I actually did for my very first party #facepalm). Get some good mini cupcakes or cookies from the bakery. Trust me, no one will judge you. We all can be Martha Stewart, but keep it in moderation. Ha ha

Tip#2: Organization. First year, as I mentioned earlier, I took a day off from work on the party day and did everything in one day. It was so stressful. The second year, I took a day off one day before the party and made everything I could that day. Last year, with my organized game plan, I made stuff the night before the party. On the party day, I just got off from work a couple hours early. I wrote down the game plan for the day of the party, with timelines – down to the minute, like I’m project managing myself. I needed that because I only had 2 hours before the party started. But it worked! You don’t have to go crazy and write every down to minutes like I did, but you get my point, right? I can’t stress enough how important organization is.

Tip#3: To save a little bit of money, try to find things that use the same ingredients. For example, if one recipe calls for sun-dried tomatoes and you have to buy a jar, find other easy recipes that needs sun-dried tomatoes. For example, if you want to make Marinated Mozzarella then add Sun-Dried Tomato Dip to the menu.

Tip#4: Try to minimize the cooking. You want to do more assembling than actual cooking, so pick things that you can make ahead. Serve things that will taste good at room temperature.

Tip#5: Tell your guests to BYOB – I like having the Holiday Mule, but they can bring whatever they want to drink in addition to that.

Tip#6: I love using real plates and utensils, aside from trying to save the environment, it’s because I think food taste better on a real plates. I know it’s weird. You can use some nice paper plates and plastic utensils if it makes your life easier.

Tips#7: How much food? Martha Stewart once said if you don’t want your party to go on forever, don’t make too much food. Not that you want your guests to have to fight over food, I mean make enough but not too much. Think of it this way, 1 to 10. That’s the estimated guest to finger food ratio, then divide it up among all the finger food. For example, I want to serve 6 things to 12 guests. That means I should have total of 72 servings of everything combined. It’s also important to ask your guests to RSVP at least 2 days before the party, to get a head count.

Now let me show you how I did it.  Let’s cook some food!

For this party, it’s for 12-15 people. Double up the recipes for a bigger party.

Here’s the menu:

Turkey Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches

Marinated Mozzarella

Sun-dried Tomato Dip

Bruschetta

Rosemary Cashews

Charcuterie

Holiday Mule

Here’s the game plan.

Grocery list:

• 20 slices raisin-nut bread (tea sandwiches)
• 1 baguette (bruschetta)
• a dozen of cupcakes (or cookies)
• 10 thick turkey slices (tea sandwiches)
• 2 kinds of meat – like salami and prosciutto (charcuterie)
• 1 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese (buy the pearl or pre-cut to save time) (mozzarella)
• 3 kinds of cheese – like Asiago, Brie and Stilton (charcuterie)
• 1 small container of Marcona almonds (charcuterie)
• 1 lb. roasted unsalted cashews (cashews)
• a handful of dried apricots (charcuterie)
• a small jar of fig jam (charcuterie)
• a box of good crackers (charcuterie)
• a small jar of sun-dried tomato in oil (mozzarella/sun-dried tomato dip)
• a small bottle of balsamic vinegar (bruschetta)
• 1 bulb of garlic (mozzarella/bruschetta)
• 1 container of fresh thyme (mozzarella)
• 1 container of fresh rosemary (mozzarella/cashews/holiday mule)
• 1 bunch of green onions (tea sandwiches, sun-dried tomato dip)
• 23 fresh basil leaves (tea sandwiches/mozzarella/bruschetta)
• 1 pint of red grape tomatoes (bruschetta)
• 1 pint of yellow grape tomatoes (bruschetta)
• 1 small bag of baby carrots (sun-dried tomato dip)
• 1 seedless cucumber (sun-dried tomato dip)
• 1 red bell pepper (sun-dried tomato dip)
• 1 small bag of green or red seedless grapes (charcuterie)
• 1 small bag of fresh cranberries (holiday mule)
• 6 limes (holiday mule)
• red pepper flakes (mozzarella)
• cayenne pepper (cashews)
• 1 small container of mayonnaise (sun-dried tomato dip)
• 8 oz. sour cream (sun-dried tomato dip)
• 16 oz. cream cheese (tea sandwiches/sun-dried tomato dip)
• 1 bag of chips (sun-dried tomato dip)
• 2 small (10 oz.) bottle of unsweetened cranberry juice (holiday mule)
• 1 bottle (1.75 L) of good vodka like Grey Goose or Ketel One (holiday mule)
• 1 12-pack ginger beer
• some ice (holiday mule/beer tub)
• some flowers (decor)
• some good paper plates and forks (optional)

Things that you already have in your pantry (hopefully, if not add them to the grocery list):

• hot sauce (sun-dried tomato dip)
• extra-virgin olive oil (mozzarella)
• regular olive oil (bruschetta)
• sugar (holiday mule)
• brown sugar (cashews)
• butter (baguette/cashews)
• salt
• pepper

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2 days before the party:

• Print out all the recipes. I mean looking on-line is great, but it’s so much easier to have the paper version in front of you because it is going to make it so much quicker. FYI: Use to the links from this page, go to each recipe from my blog, you can print it the recipe card from the bottom of each recipe.
• Grocery shopping. Wash/store your veggies/cranberries/herb in the fridge.
• Make cranberry simple syrup for the Holiday Mule. Separate the cranberries and syrup into different containers. Let it cool and store the syrup and cranberries in the fridge.
• Make Rosemary Cashews, put them in an airtight container.
• Arranges flowers in a vase(s).

Tips:

• Clear your fridge. You will need a lot of room tomorrow.

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1 days before the party:

• Take the cream cheese out to room temperature.
• Cut the cucumber and red bell pepper for sun-dried tomato dip.
• Make cream cheese mix for Turkey Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches. Put it in an airtight container in the fridge.
• Make Sun-dried Tomato dip.
• Make Marinated Mozzarella.
• Set out all the bowls, plates, utensils, glasses, ice bucket, ice tub (for beers).
• Run the dish washer.
• Freeze a few beer glasses in the freezer for those who like to drink beer from a glass.

Tips:

• Label each bowl and plate of what you plan to use it for with sticky notes. This simple task will help you organize and will prevent the problem of not having enough serving bowls or plates.
• Try to put things on a plate or bowl, that you will use to serve, and cover with some plastic wrap and put them in the fridge. This way, you don’t have to transfer them. Less dishes to do.
• You don’t need to spend a fortune on flowers. Sometimes you may not like the combination they have in the pre-made bouquet. If you run into that situation, don’t worry. Separate the same kind or same color of flowers into 3-4 small bouquet, put them in small vases, bottles or mason jars. Tie each with some cute ribbons or kitchen twine and spread them on the buffet table.

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2 hours before the party:

• Take cream cheese mix out of the fridge. So that it will be at room temperature for Turkey Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches.
• Make Bruschetta. Put the tomato mixture in a small serving bowl and the baguette in a serving plate (or medium bowl).
• Make Turkey Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches. Cut them and put them on a serving plate.
• Set up Charcuterie board.
• Set up cupcake (or cookies) on a cake stand or a large plate.

Tips:

• Use some fruit and veggies; like apples, lemon, lime or orange as center pieces on your buffet table. Whatever you have on hands, but no need to buy them if you don’t.
• Invest in a Charcuterie board, knifes, and cheese markers. I love my black slate board and I use it all the time. I usually like white plates and bowls because I think food looks good on white, but the black slate is perfect for Charcuterie.
• I use my kitchen island to set up the food in buffet style. It’s perfect for people to gather around and mingle. For dining table, I line it with the table linen for easy clean up.

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0.5 hour before the party:

• Put chips in a large bowl.
• Turn the music on.
• If you’re in to plugin candle scents, now it’s time to turn it on.
• Put ice in the bucket and set up the drink station. Don’t forget a wine opener for wine drinkers. Set out a bowl of cranberry, syrup, vodka and limes cut into wedges. Leave the knife and a few more limes on a small cutting board.

Tips:

• I like using cartoon animal silicone suction cup as drinking glass markers. Your guests can have a little fun picking the one they like. Or you can use a glass marker to write names, if you have one.
• Invest in a few copper mugs. They are perfect for the Holiday Mule or regular Moscow Mule. I only have 4 right now so 4 of my lucky guests will get them. But regular drinking glasses is fine, too.
• Ask one of your guests to be the bartender, so you can free yourself up from making the Holiday Mule all night.
• I like to fill the aluminium beverage tub with some ice so that it’ll be ready for ginger beers and more beers that friends bring. Set it on a kitchen towel.

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Party time!

• Enjoy yourself and have fun. This is your party and if there are things that go wrong, don’t sweat over it. If you’re stressed, your guests can sense it. Just relax and enjoy. If things don’t go as planned or you’re running late, so what? These are your friends. It’s not like you are hosting a party at the White House. Just roll with it.
• Turn on some fun or good Christmas music (if your party is around Christmas). It will set a good mood for the party.
• Since there’s alcohol involved, make sure your guests drink responsibly. If need be, they can call a cab or Uber home. But I always have our guest room ready, in case someone really needs to crash. 🙂

That’s it! Hosting a stress-free party is not hard. Just take some planning and organization. I hope this is helpful and thanks for following my blog. Have a great party! XO