Loads of great recipes inside!
Your first aid kit for holiday entertaining Tis the season to be
exhausted from all that shopping. And that's why we put together this special guide. Packed with easy-to-follow recipes and expert tips on entertaining, it will save you time and hassles and help you prepare picture-perfect holiday feasts. For more great recipes and ideas, check out: Cooking For Dummies® by Bryan Miller and Marie Rama Entertaining For Dummies® by Suzanne Williamson with Linda Smith Bartending For Dummies® by Ray Foley
Discover how to: Host a very merry holiday party Cook the perfect turkey Whip up yummy side dishes Serve festive holiday drinks Create delectable desserts
Get smart! www.dummies.com
Table of Contents: Introduction.
Why You Need This Book.
How to Use This Book.
How This Book Is Organized.
PART I: Entertaining like You Do It All the Time.
PART II: Cooking Up a Storm.
PART III: The Part of Tens.
Icons Used in This Book.
Where to Go from Here.
Chapter 1: So You Want to Entertain.
Deciding What Kind of Party to Have.
Figuring out and focusing on the real reason you're throwing a party.
Remembering tradition as you plan your holiday shindig.
Duck, Duck, Goose: Figuring Out Whom to Invite.
Setting your priorities.
Looking at how many people you can invite.
Sizing Up Your House: How Much Space You Have to Work With.
Using your resources wisely.
Evaluating the seating capacity of your table.
Setting a Date.
Inviting Your Guests.
Chapter 2: Preparing for the Big Event.
Making a List, Checking It Twice.
The shopping list: Everything you need to buy.
The task list: Everything you need to do before the day of the party.
The last-minute to-do list: Everything you have to do the day of the party.
Timing Is Everything: Creating a Timetable for Your Big Day.
Setting the Mood with Music.
Setting Up Your Bar.
Steering the traffic flow.
Keeping your bar in or near the kitchen.
Serving smartly.
Knowing how much liquor to buy.
Knowing how many supplies to buy.
Organizing a Spur-of-the-Moment Party.
Chapter 3: The Big Day.
Setting the Table.
Figuring out which pieces of silverware you need.
Knowing where to put the forks, knives, and spoons.
Coming Up with a Seating Arrangement.
Being a Good Host.
Greeting guests.
Making guests comfortable with food.
Moving your guests to the table.
Vamoose!: Getting your guests to go home.
Coping with relatives.
Planning Activities to Keep Your Guests Busy.
Chapter 4: The Dinner From Salad to Main Course.
Starting with Salads.
Making a basic salad.
Whipping up three quick salads.
Making the Main Course.
Roasting a turkey.
A one-pot meal: Making a Shepherd's Pie.
Including vegetarians in your holiday meal.
Serving Up Side Dishes.
Honoring tradition: Mashed potatoes.
Making wild rice.
Getting crazy with couscous.
Chapter 5: Getting It Started and Wrapping It Up: Your Guide to Appetizers, Drinks, and Desserts.
Greeting Your Guests with Quick and Easy Appetizers.
Serving Drinks.
The one-two: Making a mean punch.
Knowing how to make a few popular drinks.
Offering up a nonalcoholic beverage.
Delighting Your Guests with Desserts.
Baking an apple pie that would make Grandma proud.
Making your own hot fudge sauce.
Christmas cookies (Sometimes nothing else will do).
Chapter 6: Ten Ways to Clean Up Your House for Surprise Holiday Guests.
Shut the Doors.
Get Rid of the Clutter.
Make Perfect Piles.
Freshen the Bathroom.
Tidy Up the Kitchen.
Dust Off Anything Big.
Make Something Sparkle.
Clean Off the Floor.
Polish the Telephone.
Freshen the Air.
Chapter 7: Curing Ten Common Holiday Ailments with Herbal Remedies.
Cold.
Depression.
Fatigue.
Hangover.
Headache.
Heartburn.
Indigestion.
Motion Sickness.
Stress.
Weight Gain.
Index.
