Post by Loupy on Dec 9, 2013 16:28:54 GMT -7
Throw a Memorable Party Without Breaking the Bank
From: food52.com/
When you take a mental tally of all the purchases that come along with the holiday season -- it can get a little overwhelming: Gifts, plane tickets, wine, more wine. But because the most important part is being together with the people that you love, we have a few ideas for how to entertain on a budget, without sacrificing style. Listen up: When in doubt, DIY and BYOB.
*Forget about expensive cheese platters, try picking one cheese and fancying it up. Go retro by wrapping a wheel of brie in puff pastry (store-bought is fine -- use the rest for tarte tatin!). Add a layer of your favorite jam or hot pepper jelly.
*Make your own version of crackers, which will cost next to nothing, instead of buying them from the store. food52.com/recipes/20233-homemade-fennel-seed-crackers/
*DIY dips: Make a white bean dip and your own pita chips.
*Don't go crazy with the cocktails. Make one signature cocktail or punch and then serve wine or beer. For the signature drink, don't be afraid to use boxed wine for a punch or sangria -- it can (and will!) taste good, even on the first drink.
*If you are planning to stock a full bar, provide the mixers -- like the gingery one we have for you below -- and have friends bring the bottles
*Who says that you have to serve a roast on the holidays? Or avoid it entirely -- try a vegetable as a main and fit meat in elsewhere in the meal, like in this salad or this side. No one will notice. But if you want to go big, bone-in pieces of meat are generally cheaper and can be transformed.
*For dessert, serve a burnt caramel pudding; try vanilla extract instead of the vanilla bean to cut down on costs.
*Have fun with it -- host a themed white elephant game. You could choose anything from making homemade edible gifts to re-gifting that present from last year you never opened. Or try an ornament exchange; limit the dollar amount to no more than 5 dollars. Everyone contributes, and the pressure of buying expensive gifts is instantly lifted.
*Most importantly...enjoy your own party!
From: food52.com/
When you take a mental tally of all the purchases that come along with the holiday season -- it can get a little overwhelming: Gifts, plane tickets, wine, more wine. But because the most important part is being together with the people that you love, we have a few ideas for how to entertain on a budget, without sacrificing style. Listen up: When in doubt, DIY and BYOB.
*Forget about expensive cheese platters, try picking one cheese and fancying it up. Go retro by wrapping a wheel of brie in puff pastry (store-bought is fine -- use the rest for tarte tatin!). Add a layer of your favorite jam or hot pepper jelly.
*Make your own version of crackers, which will cost next to nothing, instead of buying them from the store. food52.com/recipes/20233-homemade-fennel-seed-crackers/
*DIY dips: Make a white bean dip and your own pita chips.
*Don't go crazy with the cocktails. Make one signature cocktail or punch and then serve wine or beer. For the signature drink, don't be afraid to use boxed wine for a punch or sangria -- it can (and will!) taste good, even on the first drink.
*If you are planning to stock a full bar, provide the mixers -- like the gingery one we have for you below -- and have friends bring the bottles
*Who says that you have to serve a roast on the holidays? Or avoid it entirely -- try a vegetable as a main and fit meat in elsewhere in the meal, like in this salad or this side. No one will notice. But if you want to go big, bone-in pieces of meat are generally cheaper and can be transformed.
*For dessert, serve a burnt caramel pudding; try vanilla extract instead of the vanilla bean to cut down on costs.
*Have fun with it -- host a themed white elephant game. You could choose anything from making homemade edible gifts to re-gifting that present from last year you never opened. Or try an ornament exchange; limit the dollar amount to no more than 5 dollars. Everyone contributes, and the pressure of buying expensive gifts is instantly lifted.
*Most importantly...enjoy your own party!
