Thank you Darragh Doiron Castillo for the article about Which Fork Do I Use? in your recent Port Arthur News blog! It’s true “Which Fork” does help to reduce your stress when entertaining. This is a wonderful time of year to try out one of the 14 place settings featured in the book and invite a friend or two over for dinner. Entertaining doesn’t have to be daunting and certainly knowing a few guidelines before you begin can make the experience enjoyable for both host and guest.
One of our favorite tricks is to set the table in advance…and we aren’t talking about setting the table 30 minutes before the meal begins. Certainly that works for family dinner, but we are talking about a special dinner. If you only have one table and children at home and that use your only table daily, this doesn’t apply. But, if you have a dining room table or the space you plan to have your event (I’m digressing in my mind to the ottoman in front of the fireplace….) than get out the flatware you plan to use, napkins and napkin rings, plates, and glassware as much as a week before the dinner party. By setting the table in advance you will find yourself adding fun items to decorate the tablescape. Maybe you have the luxury of a Cedar tree in your backyard and can cut some fresh branches to add to a bouquet of red roses you picked up at the grocery store. The Cedar smells great and adds that outdoorsy feel to your table. Or, perhaps you will find a new battery-powered, lighted snowman and small trees that can add to your theme of snowman dinner plates.
Have fun with your table settings. It’s all part of the experience for you and your guests. The joy of entertaining begins when your guests arrive and tell you how much they enjoy your festive home. It makes all the planning and time invested in your efforts pay off. And when asked for the “family recipe” that was actually a store bought lasagna they just ate, you know you hit a home run. Joyful. Yup, joyful
Click here to read Darragh’s blog post.