We still have a few days of Vegan MoFo left, so I thought I?d finish out my month of recipes and tips for throwing the ultimate vegan party with some tips for making your holiday gatherings run as smoothly as possible.
If you?ve ever hosted a party, you know that things can get hectic pretty quickly and before you know it the evening is over and you?ve barely spent any time socializing with your guests. I know that I?ve found myself in this situation ? either cooking and cleaning in the kitchen or mixing cocktails as guests arrive throughout the night, and barely having any time to talk with my friends and family.
Here are a few tips that I?ve picked up along the way that will help you spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your guests during your holiday parties.
Tip #1 ? Serve drinks that can be made in large quantities ahead of time. Things such as punches, bloody Mary?s, mimosas, and my whiskey spiked cider can be made in punch bowls or pitchers before your guests arrive and you can simply put them on ice or in a warmer and guests can refill their own cups all night long so you don?t get stuck playing bartender.
Tip #2 - Put together edible parting gifts. Before the party starts, create a party favor for your guests that doubles as a late-night snack. By putting this together beforehand you can avoid the late-night munchies requests from your guests, thus keeping you out of the kitchen at the end of the evening. These wrapped cookies are an adorable, functional, and easily customized option for any occasion.
Tip #3 - Use your slow cooker. Slow cookers are perfect for party food prep because not only are they one-pot meals with very little cleanup, but you can get the main course started well before your guests arrive and you won?t be stuck in the kitchen trying to prepare dinner just before serving time. Slow cookers are also handy when you go to a potluck or someone else?s holiday party ? this way you have less prep time and you can put everything together when it?s convenient for you. My vegetable soup is perfect for serving out of the slow cooker and you can tons more ideas from The Vegan Slow Cooker cookbook.
Tip #4 - Label everything. By adding cute labels to all of your dishes and drinks you?ll avoid having to spend time walking your guests through their dining options. You can either do this by labeling each dish individually with some sort of flag along with the ingredients list (for those with food allergens or preferences) or you can create a larger menu that you display next to the dining area. I love this DIY idea from The Kitchn.
Tip #5 - Have enough seating available. Ok ? so this one isn?t food or drink related, but you?d be surprised how much time party hosts can spend trying to find enough seating for their guests. If you have enough seating planned for ahead of time, you?ll ensure more time spent mingling and less time scrambling. Once you have your guest list confirmed, figure out how many people you?ll have in the house. Even if not everyone will be sitting at the same time, be sure to have a seat available for everyone plus a few extra in case of crashers. If you are lucky enough to have an outdoor holiday party, this hay bale seating is decorative, cost-effective, and easy.
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I hope you find these tips useful and that you manage to find more time to spend with your guests at your next holiday party! I?ll be back tomorrow with some more tips and tricks!
29
OCT
Source: http://theunintentionalvegan.com/vegan-mofo-5-1-tips-for-spending-more-time-with-your-guests
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