Ely - Saving dinner for the holidays : menus, recipes, shopping lists, and timelines for spectacular, stress-free holidays and family celebrations

Throwing a party is a lot like fly fishing. You need a little finesse, the right touch, and a little know-how. Like the Kenny Rogers song says, You gotta know when to hold em, know when to fold em. There are certain things a host or hostess can do to achieve an ambience of fun, laughter, and a really good time.

First, you need to take a chill pill. Dont overdo it, making everything from scratch, decorating from floor to ceiling, and getting everything just perfect. Perfect, believe it or not, does not help your guests relax and feel at home. Rather, they feel as if they've entered some sort of party spread from a magazine and it's all an illusion. In other words, you want your party touchablesomething that everyone can participate in, not just observe.

Second, be prepared. I've given you timelines for every party so you dont have to make yourself crazy worrying about the details. Still, that doesnt mean you dont have to think for yourself. There is always plenty to do, even when youre fully prepared.

For most holidays, I dont name the beverage or beverages to be consumed for the evening. Why? This is an area of personal preference and so it is hard to come up with a formula. People pretty much know what they want to do beverage-wise at their parties. Some people choose to serve alcohol; some dont. Some dont mind laboring over drinks, making punches, and so on, as well as the food aspect of hosting a party, but others would rather not. And while the shopping list is already made up for the party, adding a few beverages and a bag of ice or two is no big deal.

That being said, I include a few fun cocktails for some select parties, such as chocolate martinis for the chocolate fest on Valentine's Day and margaritas for the adult birthday bash. The reason I offer drink recipes for only these two parties is to keep the book simple and not overwhelm the party giver. Entertaining, especially if this is something you dont do often, can be downright scary if you take on too much. But it can be a thrill to have people over for a party and a lot of fun when it's taken in bite-size pieces, appropriately accessorized with great shortcuts, easy menus, and some outright cheating. You will see what I mean as you read on.

There are extremely easy decorating ideas in this book as well. Theyre not overly ambitious and actually pretty elementary. That is done on purpose, too; my book is all about being simple and easy. A few of the holiday chapters have nothing in them decorating-wise (like Graduationall you need is a nice-looking buffet table with some flowers), but they are in the minority. And remember that these ideas are mere suggestions and you neednt do them if you dont like them.

On another note, youll find I have used a few of the recipes more than once for different holidays. That's because theyre good basics, they hold up well for entertaining, and they are just plain good. It makes perfect sense to reuse recipes when they work well.

I f holiday meals were royalty, the big Thanksgiving Day meal no doubt would be king. The big turkey is as regal as ever, and the attending side dishes are equally treasured. There is nothing more wonderful than to walk into a home with the smell of a Thanksgiving meal permeating the air.