Effortless Dinner Party Guidelines

A few nights ago I had some of my best friends from high school over for a little dinner party at my cottage. Even though the party was planned last minute, I figured out a few ways to make it very effortless. First of all I picked a theme: Mediterranean (my personal favorite type of food). Then I made my way to the store and with a list of mediterranean toppings for pita bread: feta cheese, greek olives, hummus, etc. The only item on the menu that I planned on actually preparing was a salad which I chose to be a cucumber fatoush. It consisted of chopped cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, balsamic vinagrette, a little olive oil and some chopped parsley. Delicious. All the toppings were placed in small bowls and the pitas were popped in the oven.

As soon as everyone arrived, we all assembled our own Mediterranean masterpiece and enjoyed every bite. It was by far the easiest party I have ever thrown and inspired me to throw more like it. Letting everyone enjoy a little creativity with their meal was fun to watch (and cut down on the work for me!). Perfect. I've come to realize that slaving over a rediculously gourmet meal and hoping that it turns out perfectly is unnecessary. Hosting parties is an art that can only be mastered with practice but my best piece of advice is to keep things simple!! I am always amazed and reminded after nights like this how much people appreciate genuinely fresh wholesome food. The time that I skipped in the kitchen was spent enjoying the company of my friends and of course savoring the yummy food myself! What a memorable night. Throw a party yourself! 

Lauren and Shannon enjoying their creations...