Just Plain Joy

One of my favorite activities is entertaining. I recently came across these seven great ideas contributed by Sunset magazine readers.

1. Stone soup party. Ask everyone to bring something to go into homemade beef soup. Make the stock and some bread rolls. Simmer while having a drink or watching a sitcom. Ideas for ingredients include onions, carrots, garlic, sweet potatoes, squash, and hearty greens (kale, swiss chard, and spinach).

2. Dessert night. Instead of inviting people for a whole meal, just have them over for dessert.Make a fresh pot of coffee or tea and serve cheesecake or pie.

3. Annual dinner. Find a few other couples and each host a dinner once a year, that way you will get to catch up every few months. Decide with your friends if you will either prepare the whole meal, or just the main course, or if it will be a potluck.

4. Cookie decorating party. Bake sugar cookies in advance an put out decorating supplies. Stock up on pastry boxes for your guests to bring home their lovely cookies.

5. Bring your own steak night. Provide all the side dishes (potatoes, corn on the cob, salad, etc.) and ask guests to bring something to grill.

6. Fondue night. Everything tastes better with cheese (or chocolate)! Dig up a fondue pot from a friend or garage sale if you don’t have one, and serve meatballs, cubes of sourdough bread, and apple slices.

7. Cookie exchange. These aren’t only for the holidays. Consider other themes like Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, and Fourth of July. Each guest brings 2 dozen cookies and the recipe. Every leaves with lots of new recipes and yummy cookies.

Finally, if you don’t like to entertain but love to socialize, consider having a No Host Girl’s Night – everyone brings their own drink and a snack to share while the host prepares nothing!

What other entertaining ideas do you love?

photo by Snippets from Suburbia