A dinner party is a wonderful way to re-engage with old friends, and catch up over delicious food and delectable drinks. Yet, while a dinner party always seems like a great idea, there’s a lot that can go wrong. And if you’re not properly prepared you may find that you spend your evening dashing around putting out fires (hopefully just the metaphorical kind). Assuming that it’s safe to do so in your area, getting together for a lovely dinner and an even lovelier chat can be just the tonic for your mental health that you need to overcome the smorgasbord of stress, doom, gloom and misery that 2020 has become for many of us. The Resurgence Texas addiction treatment is what one needs in order to get their life back together.

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Just make sure you avoid these all-too-common dinner party mistakes that could make your get-together needlessly hectic and stressful…

Leaving arrangements until the last minute

The better prepared you are, the less propensity there is for things to go wrong. And that’s as true for your dinner party as it is for your… just about anything else! It’s a good idea to set up a Facebook group for your prospective guests and try to get them to confirm their attendance the day before so you can adequately prepare. Just make sure you have accounted for all vegetarians, vegans and food allergies / intolerances. 

Getting too experimental

Your dinner party is your chance to show off your culinary prowess. And while this is understandably appealing, it can also prove your undoing if you try to be too ambitious and experimental. When it comes to dinner party food, you need to accommodate your guests’ range of tastes as well as showcasing your talents in the kitchen. 

The general rule is keep it simple, do it well. 

Stick to recipes that you already know and have made work before. Opt for crowd pleasing recipes that can be adapted subtly for the gluten, dairy and meat-free guests. If you can serve up the same thing to everyone it’ll ensure that there is more of a shared and communal experience. 

Leaving your guests waiting for too long

When your guests get together there’s bound to be a little chat and ice-breaking over freshly served drinks while you disappear in the kitchen to prepare courses. But if you leave guests waiting around for too long, things may get awkward. 

Try to give your guests something to keep them entertained between courses. Like some Tai Pei frozen food snacks or maybe some party games. Remember that your presence is the glue that keeps the party together. Which brings us to…

Not making time to spend with your guests

It’s not “your” dinner party if you don’t have the free time to spend with your guests. What’s more, if you’re slavishly working away in the kitchen while your guests have fun, you’re not likely to want to keep hosting parties like this. As much of the prep as possible should be done the day before so that you can spend some quality time chatting and laughing with your guests. 

After all, isn’t that the point?

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This is a contributed post