Family get-togethers are one of the reasons why I love the Holiday Season so much. From Halloween until the last of the 12 Days of Christmas (that's January 6th, by the way), I try to spend as much time with my family and friends as I possible can.
Of course, when it comes to those get-togethers, the thing I want least is to stress out and not actually enjoy myself. That's why I was SO excited to talk to entertaining expert Rachel Ray when she launched her new line of Holiday dinnerware. She shared some of her best tips for having stress-free holiday parties and, coupled with a few tried-and-true tips that I've learned myself, here are the top 5 tips for truly enjoying this time with your family.
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1. Let kids decorate a large paper sheet: Entertain all of the family kids the minute they walk through the doors. On the main table, lay out a large piece of paper that's the size of the table, place a bunch of colorful crayons in the middle and let them go at it! As they have fun drawing, remember that this is the "tablecloth" that you'll be using later. It'll be special and personalized.
2. Prepare dips in the slow cooker beforehand: Personally, one of my favorite things to do for a party is spend a little time preparing dips and other favorites the night before. I use my slow cooker to make something delicious overnight and just serve it with some chips. And yes, it's definitely always a crowd pleaser!
3. Serve just red and white wine: Don't stress yourself out with having a full bar menu at family or friend gatherings. Keep it simple with just some red wine, white wine, sparkling water, either one cocktail or one type of beer and, of course, non-alcoholic refreshments for the kids. Don't feel like you have to have a million options since these classics will just have to do.
4. Make decorating part of the fun: When I threw a get-together last week, there was one big thing that I forgot to do: decorate the Christmas tree! To be honest, I was just too busy running around and didn't have much time for anything else. Instead of freaking out that my house wasn't perfect, though, as guests came in, I gave each one an ornament and let them make decorating part of the party fun.
5. Lay out your food in a tapas style: Try some delicious easy snacks to serve at your party. Don't spend a lot of time preparing everything, though. Buy some long bread and put it in a vase, then lay out plates with chorizo, your favorite Latino cheeses, some sundried tomato tappenade and chimichurri sauce. Now dig in and enjoy!
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