Let's party like it's 1929

Quite an interesting dinner party article by Alex Williams of the New York Times..

"I heard a jingle. No, it wasn't an angel getting its wings. It was my iPhone, carrying word that David Monn, the celebrated New York event planner, was on his way to meet me at Kmart.

I had called Monn with a challenge: to see if he could design a transcendent holiday dinner party for eight at my apartment on a recessionary budget — say, $30 a head (or less than one-hundredth the budget he's sometimes used to) for food, decor, everything."

Let's party like it's 1929 - San Jose Mercury News

Stay tuned for more dinner party ideas soon.

Randa
The Hostess with the Mostess

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The Canadian Press: Cook at the table for a fast New Year's Eve dinner

This story caught my eye - "Want the recipe for a perfect New Year's Eve party? Let your guests do the cooking."

Now is a great time to be planning that New Year's Eve dinner don't you think?

Try out this table top cooking idea by Larry Crowe - recipe ideas and all!

The Canadian Press: Cook at the table for a fast New Year's Eve dinner

Randa
The Hostess with the Mostess

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Celebrate the season with a tree trimming party

An interesting dinner party idea by Nicole L. Gill:

One fun way to celebrate the season is with a tree-trimming party. As the centerpiece of the Christmas season, the tree and the holidays can come to life with a little help from your friends.

Celebrate the season with a tree trimming party | www.jconline.com | Journal and Courier

Randa
The Hostess with the Mostess

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The first Ontario farmers’ dinner party

If you love dinner parties as much as I do you will enjoy reading this story about the first Ontario farmers’ dinner party at the at the Paul family farm as published in Toronto Life..

"There is something special about cooking food for the people who raise and grow the ingredients. This was a five-course meal cooked on the wood-burning stove with everybody sitting around the kitchen table."



"Nights like Sunday strengthen and inspire me. I get fired up to open Union so that I can bring nights like that into the city—nights with the simple beauty of good, clean food, all of it cooked with the belief that it can bring people together on snowy nights, warm them up, and allow them to be who they are. Great things can come out of nights like that. When everybody had left, the bottle of scotch Frank had brought was sitting on the table half-empty. Chase walked by, picked it up and said, “That’s a sign of a good night.” Damn straight."

Read the whole story here..

Toronto Life: Opening Soon: The first Ontario farmers’ dinner party

Randa
The Hostess with the Mostess

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A Make-Ahead Dinner Party Idea

"Chris Kimball, editor-in-chief of Cook's Illustrated magazine and host of "America's Test Kitchen," shares a menu that can be made in the days leading up to your party, so you're not juggling everything in the hours before guests arrive. "

And I've got to say that I have made a variation of this Rustic Caramelized Onion Tarts with Blue Cheese and Walnuts (recipe and all) and it has been a huge hit...

A Make-Ahead Dinner Party, Recipes For Stress-Free Holiday Entertaining - CBS News

A Make-Ahead Dinner Party, Recipes For Stress-Free Holiday Entertaining - CBS News

Randa
The Hostess with the Mostess

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Dinner Party Idea - Don't Forget the Playlist!

This is so true - great music playing softly in the background adds to your dinner party success..

In this article, geeksugar says:

"When you're making a big important meal, the last thing you want to stress over is the dinner music. So you put off making the perfect playlist until now. Big deal — as long as you know some great last-minute ways to do it for you!"

geeksugar suggests iTunes Genius, or if iTunes doesn't grab you "plug in your laptop speakers and head over to Pandora or Last FM, both of which will provide you with "stations" that are exactly what you're looking for."



How-To: Make a Last-Minute Dinner Party Playlist | holiday, How to, iTunes Genius | geeksugar - Technology, Gadgets, & How Tos.

How-To: Make a Last-Minute Dinner Party Playlist | holiday, How to, iTunes Genius | geeksugar - Technology, Gadgets, & How Tos.

Stay tuned for more dinner party ideas soon.

Randa
The Hostess with the Mostess

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Ten Green Dinner Party Tips

Check out these smart eco dinner party tips as included in the New Zealand Herald.. wherever we live, the planet is so important!

Their 10 tips are:

1: Plan and invite wisely. Before you shop, make a guest list. Knowing the number of people coming to your party is the first step to reducing waste. Save paper by sending electronic invitations.

2: Encourage your guests to travel green. In the invitation, indicate clearly how to get to the dinner party on public transport. Is there a bus nearby? If you don't live near public transport, ask guests to carpool.

3: Use eco-conscious decorations. Decorations are often paper and plastic and last only a short time. Look outside for nature-inspired decorations. Why not gather branches, flowers, foliage and rocks?

4: Buy seasonal and local produce. The farmers' market is the ideal place to buy local food, which is good for your health and for the Earth, because it travels only a short distance from producer to your plate.

5: Sip green drinks. When you're planning what drinks to serve, try to avoid those in cans and bottles. But if you do have drinks in these containers, clearly mark a place where guests can recycle.

6: Go vegetarian. Meat production contributes to climate change - producing 1kg of beef requires 14,000 litres of water. Cattle and other livestock also produce methane, a gas 20 times more harmful than carbon dioxide.

7: Choose sustainable seafood. If you're thinking of serving seafood, go the sustainable route and avoid contributing to the overfishing that is devastating the world's seafood population.

8: Use the right tableware. Avoid paper cups, plates, napkins and plastic utensils. If you are stuck on these, look for unbleached or biodegradable products. Or use dishwasher- safe china and glasses.

9: Send guests home with leftovers. Instead of letting leftovers sit in your fridge, send some home with your friends. Lend them your green Tupperware or encourage them to bring their own to fill up after the party.

10: Clean up green. Set up bins that mark where guests can recycle and compost. Composting scraps is great for your garden and easy to do. Be sure your dishes are finding their way into an efficient dishwasher.

The Ten Green Dinner Party Tips - 24 Nov 2008 - NZ Herald: Life & Style News and Reviews from New Zealand and around the World

Great ideas don't you think?

Stay tuned for more dinner party news soon..

Randa
The Hostess with the Mostess

Blogged with the Flock Browser