By Tanya Manus
I often wish I had more time just to have parties.
Everyone I know is busy; there’s never enough time to relax over a good meal, talking, laughing, catching up. We’re all running through our hectic lives.
What I wish we could all do is take more time for dinner parties. They don’t have to be big or fancy. But there’s something rewarding about pampering your family or friends by taking time to make them a meal. Even macaroni and cheese can be fun, depending on who you eat it with. And when you take time to invite guests over, you’re not just making dinner, you’re making memories.
I’m not alone in my desire to play the hostess more often. Judging from a quick online search, there are lots of people who’d like to host dinner parties - and there are lots more people offering advice to help make your next get-together memorable and delicious. Type in the simple search phrase “how to throw a dinner party,” and a wealth of information shows up.
You can follow checklists. You can have parties as elaborate or basic as you like. You can opt for a buffet or a sit-down meal.
There’s lots of suggestions about themes and decor and sending invitations, but one consistent piece of advice every site recommended is this: When planning your menu, stick with recipes you know and like. Your next dinner party is not the best place to start experimenting with recipes or ingredients. Busycooks.about.com sums it up like this: “Have fun with this, but don’t overreach! If you are a beginning cook, choose a main dish that you have made before and enjoy, then build upon it by buying dessert, a pre-made salad, and some fabulous crusty bakery bread. It’s a good idea to never make a recipe for the first time for a party. There’s nothing worse than struggling with an unfamiliar recipe when you can hear your guests having fun in the next room!”
I’ve even heard that cooks should have one or two dishes that they know they make really well; these are great tried-and-true recipes to serve when company comes.
One of my favorite company entrees, Angel Hair Chicken, is a recipe I got from a Pampered Chef consultant. It is an easy, uncomplicated dish that has been well-liked whenever I served it. And, if there are leftovers, they reheat well.
Serve Angel Hair Chicken with your favorite green salad, a tasty artisan or garlic bread, and, if you like, a good bottle of wine. Finish the meal with a delicious dessert.
The last time I had guests over for dinner, I served a light and easy dessert - fresh strawberries over vanilla ice cream. It’s a good make-ahead ending to a meal. Put a scoop or two of ice cream into individual dessert dishes, wrap each dish well and put the dishes in the freezer the day before your party. When it’s time for dessert, take the dishes out of the freezer and serve. Your guests can top their ice cream with cut-up strawberries that you’ve prepared in advance (or use frozen if fresh are out of season). Simple and sweet.

Angel Hair Chicken
1 (9 ounce) package refrigerated angel hair pasta
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup seasoned flour (add salt, pepper and garlic powder to flour to taste)
Olive oil or butter
1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce (if desired, saute half a medium onion, chopped; 1 tsp. minced garlic; and 1 (4 ounce) can sliced mushrooms and add to the sauce)
1 cup grated mozzarella or Italian-blend cheese

Coat chicken breasts in seasoned flour; brown the chicken breasts in olive oil or butter.
While the chicken is browning, cook the pasta according to package directions. Grease a large casserole dish and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the cooked, drained pasta in the bottom of the casserole dish. Place the browned chicken breasts on the pasta and pour the spaghetti sauce over the chicken and pasta. Cover and bake until chicken is fully cooked and the dish is heated through, about 30 minutes. Top with cheese and put the dish back in the oven, uncovered, for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Serves 4.

I served this garlic bread for guests recently; it is easy to make for company, and it’s decadent and wonderful. The recipe comes from The Food Network.
Bobby Flay’s Garlic Bread
1 stick unsalted butter
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 loaf Italian or French bread, sliced 3/4 of the way through into 1/2-inch-thick slices

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and let cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Brush each slice of the bread with the melted garlic butter. Wrap the loaf of bread in foil and bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until heated through.

For more advice about hosting a dinner party, go to:
www.thefrontdoor.com/Ideas_Party_Dinner_Party_How_to_Guide.cfm

www.seedsofknowledge.com/hospitality6.html

www.withmarie.com/Casual_Dinner.html

What’s for dinner? It’s a question many of us hear every day from hungry children, spouses and friends. It’s not easy coming up with something quick and tasty, and going out to eat is not always a healthy or economical option. Even if you love to cook, dinner is just so … daily.

 

My sisters and I were bemoaning this very struggle as we chatted after Thanksgiving dinner. We all like to cook; in fact, we spent much of the day discussing and copying recipes from a new church cookbook. But sometimes coming up with dinner becomes a burden.

 

So why not share some ideas? We hope you’ll join us on this new blog to share recipes and time-saving tips, dish about a great restaurant you visited or tell us about your family’s favorite meals. Contributors will include Journal writers and editors who face this challenge every day. We invite you to add your comments, send in a recipe or just tell everyone what you fed your family or friends today.

 

I’ll start with a recipe for Terry’s Chili from my brother-in-law. It’s a quick, delicious meal that can be thrown together in the morning and simmered in a crock pot all day long. My world record for putting it together is 4 minutes. The secret? Brown multiple pounds of hamburger at a time, drain, divide into 1-pound portions and freeze in zippered bags.

 

Terry’s Chili

1 pound hamburger, browned and drained

1 can pork and beans

1 can chili beans

1 small jar picante sauce

1 small can tomato sauce

1 cube beef bouillon, dissolved in ½ cup hot water

2 tablespoons chili powder

Mix in crock pot and cook on low 4 to 6 hours, or until you’re ready to eat.

 

What are your favorite crock pot recipes? We invite you to make a comment, add a recipe or just tell us what you fed your family today. Help!

 

– Deanna Darr