Save energy by getting on the holiday party train! Keeping a few simple items on hand during the holidays will let you throw a party together in minutes.
Everyone I know is stressed from mid-November until after New Years. There are too many people to see, too many details to handle, and too many pageants to attend. And yet, we want to see our family and friends. We look forward to time together.
This fall, I improved my back porch with new stairs, privacy screens, and composite decking. It’s still quite warm most afternoons and I love sitting there. When holiday activity and friends’ curiosity about the porch naturally fell in line, I accidentally happened on easy entertaining.
Well, truthfully, it started before the porch was complete. My evolving strategy began when I brined some green cherry tomatoes from my garden to create tomolives. They were a delicious bite with an olive beginning and surprise citrus finish. I wanted to show some off in martinis. I invited some people over to sit on the porch and drink martinis.
The first event was small and went well. I made a pitcher of martinis and a cheese plate patterned off one in That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life. Everyone had a wonderful time. In the process, I learned a few things: 1)I didn’t need to worry about making plenty of martinis in advance. They didn’t suffer from being made in bulk. As long as I keep them in the freezer, I can serve them at another party. 2)I had cheese plate items left that could easily expand into another party. 3)With some minor alterations, I could minimize trips back to the kitchen.
I took what I’d learned and ran with it. In the past 2 ½ weeks, I’ve hosted 4 gatherings of various sizes on my new porch and one on someone else’s – all with very little effort. I’ve always said you should have two parties back-to-back. Now I’m thinking it’s a breeze to create a holiday train.
Here’s how to make it easy:
Have one drink that can be made in advance. I like dirty martinis. They’re made to be served ice cold so they can be stored in the freezer and saved for the next party if you make too much. For 8 drinks, I use 2 ½ cups Hendricks gin, ½ cup Dolin dry vermouth, ½ cup tomolive (or olive) brine, and ½ cup water. I freeze this in a beaker style pitcher (make sure it’s freezer safe glass and cover with plastic wrap) and/or a bottle and serve in chilled glasses. Both the beaker and bottle will fit in my vintage ice bucket so once the first round of drinks is poured, the rest sits on ice to minimize my trips inside.
Make more than you need. The second party is easy if the drinks are already made. Make two batches and leave the leftovers in the freezer.
Grab some premixed canned cocktails. Canned cocktails don’t require glasses and can be served out of an ice chest along with bottled water and some mini soft drinks. For the holiday party train, I keep flavored vodka sodas and ginger ale in the refrigerator. I also have a bottle of vodka and some club soda on hand just in case.
Have a bottle of red and bottle of white wine on hand. I don’t open the wine in advance but am happy to if someone doesn’t want a cocktail.
Consider beer. I don’t typically offer beer. In order to enjoy any leftovers, I’d have to serve gluten-free beer. There’s only an occasional beer drinker in my circles so it isn’t usually missed.
On the food front, mix and match from things like:
Cheese: Feta, Manchego, parmesan, fresh mozzarella (balls); Baked brie with raspberry preserves
Meat: Salami, prosciutto
Fresh veggies: Cucumbers, tomatoes
Pickles: Olives, capers, gherkins
Spreads/Dips: Hummus, tzatziki, pimento cheese
Roasted, salted, nuts: Pistachios, cashews
Dried fruit: Dates, figs, cherries
Fresh fruit: peaches, pears, grapes, blackberries
Herbs: Parsley, basil
Crackers/bread: Pita chips, crackers, mini naan
Sweets: Shortbread cookies, dark chocolate, chocolate covered cherries
Holiday related: Party mix, sausage balls
Throw away plates. I like to use real chilled glasses for martinis and I have a ton of serveware, but sometimes it’s nice to throw away the plates and napkins. If you want some classy throw-aways, take a look at Smarty Had a Party.
That’s it. That’s all you need. You’ll be amazed how many parties you can serve by mixing and matching a few of the ingredients above into irresistible platters. Add a martini and light some candles. You can throw a whole party together in a few minutes with very little notice.
Drinks in the freezer and mix and match ingredients let you ride the holiday party train without adding stress to an already stressful time.
Happy Holidays!
