So the end of the term is approaching, and you want to have one last get-together with your girlfriends before everyone goes their separate ways for the summer. As we all know, that can be easier said than done, and sometimes it feels like everything that could go wrong, does – but not anymore! Arm yourself with these five fixes for common dinner party woes.
1. You don’t have enough fridge space to chill all your drinks.
We’ve all been there: between the extra food you’ve bought for the party, the random leftovers you haven’t gotten around to throwing out yet, and whatever else is lurking in there (we don’t judge), it’s looking like your guests are going to be treated to lukewarm pop. There are a few different solutions you can go with here:
-
If it’s winter, an hour or so before the party starts, put the cans outside in the snow! As we all know, Waterloo can get pretty cold, so we might as well make the best of it.
-
If it’s not winter (AKA those two weeks in September, after Labour Day), try getting a big bowl and filling it up with ice (if you don’t have the freezer space to make any, most convenience stores sell huge bags of ice for relatively inexpensive). Put the pop in the ice and it’ll help cool it down before your guests arrive.
2. You have one oven, but more or less a billion things you want to make.
This is a struggle everyone has on a daily basis, nevermind when planning a party. You want to have appetizers and a main course with side dishes and dessert and… You have one oven. Not a problem:
-
Plan out your meal: which component is going to take the longest? What can be done in advance? What’s gonna be eaten first? Can anything be cooked together at the same temperature?
-
Put your microwave to work! Preparing appetizers can be so much easier if you microwave them instead of baking them, plus it helps to free up the oven for the main event.
-
This part relates to the planning above: you might have to end up asking yourself what your kitchen can seriously handle. While it can be really tempting to want to make a full five-course meal, most Waterloo kitchens just don’t have the space for it.
3. Your friends have very different tastes and/or dietary restrictions
When it comes to wildly different tastes and dietary restrictions, planning ahead is key. It’s important to learn in advance (preferably when your guests RSVP) if they have any dietary restrictions so you can make sure you have a little something for everyone. One tip to make things a little easier is to make a buffet-style set up so your guests can pick what works for them. A few ideas:
-
A baked potato bar allows for your vegetarian and vegan friends to still have a filling meal without being reliant on meat or cheese.
-
A pasta bar is another flexible option that tends to work well for large groups!
-
Another option could be a Subway-style sandwich bar! It can be pretty easily scaled up or down to feed large and small crowds.
4. Your first guest is reeeeally early.
Is there is any food left to prep or any little things, like putting chips and pretzels into bowls for your guests that you need help with? Involving your guest in the party-making process means you get a bit of help and a conversation buddy until the rest of your guests arrive.
5. You don’t want to have to keep getting up and changing the music all night
Sounds like you need a playlist! Spotify has some good, mellow options to put on in the background that won’t detract from your guests’ conversations (a good one to check out would be Dinnertime Acoustics). However, here are some suggestions for building your own playlists:
-
Assume your party is going to last about four hours or so when you’re deciding how much music to include.
-
Artists such as Lowell Fulson, Bonnie Raitt, Nat King Cole, Rosanne Cash, Chet Baker, and Mary Chapin Carpenter make music that works very well in the background of a party, without being boring. They often have smoky overtones that make them interesting, not imposing, to have on.
-
However, if you do want to include more well-known artists on your playlist, try doing a mix of songs of theirs that are more popular with ones that are lesser well known. (Or, on the other hand, if you really like a song, try finding a cover of it to add to your playlist.) This variety helps to mix up old favourites, keeping them from getting stale.
Now go forth and host some awesome dinner parties!