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Host a Stress-Free Holiday Dinner
Tis the season for holiday festivities! Between Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and all the celebrations in between, the fall and winter months are chock full of opportunities to gather with friends and family for a warm meal. If you are in charge of organizing this year’s get-togethers, we’ve got a list of do’s and don’ts to help making your holiday hosting duties easy as pie.
DO Set Your Budget
It’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of the holiday season. With all the parties, gifts, and meals that you may be responsible for, give yourself one less thing to stress about by setting a comfortable budget for your dinner party. If you find yourself feeling a bit of a financial strain, try opting for a potluck-style meal where each guest brings a dish. This is always a great way to try new food and experience how others celebrate the holidays.
Narrowing down your guest list in accordance with your budget is a great first step in planning your dinner. Typically, social gatherings adhere to the rule of fours, based on the theory that the human brain can only mentally manage three other minds (or conversations) at a time. According to Professor Robin Dunbar, author of The Social Brain, “An individual’s share of speaking time decreases rapidly as the number of people in the conversation increases.” Keep the natural flow of conversation going by keeping your guest list small or to multiples of fours.
DON’T Send Out Invites Too Late
The holiday season is a busy time of year, and there is a high chance that your guests will be making appearances at different gatherings over the next two months. Once you know who you want in attendance, make sure to send out invitations so that your guests can add your dinner to their schedules. The sooner you know who can make it, the easier it will be to plan other aspects of your dinner party.
For a holiday dinner, Emily Post recommends sending out invites 2 weeks to 2 months in advance, whether that be by mail, phone or email. For more casual dinners a few days to weeks should suffice.
DO Overstock the Beverages
One of the biggest mistakes a host can make is not having enough beverages for their guests. A good rule of thumb is at least one drink per person per hour, so make sure your bar is stocked with the basic liquors and mixers where guests have options for making their own cocktails. You can also purchase wine by the case to help cut costs if you are hosting a larger group of people.
General calculation for a two-hour party:
Wine: One bottle for every two guests
If serving both red and white, plan to have twice as many bottles of white as red
Beer: Three beers per guest
Two servings per person for the first hour, and one per each subsequent hour
Cocktails: Three cocktails per guest
One 750 ml bottle of liquor will serve 15 drinks
Nonalcoholic beverages: Three drinks per guest
Water: One liter of water per four guests
DON’T Complicate the Menu
As much as you want to knock your guest’s socks off with a jaw dropping meal, now is not the time to get experimental. If it is your first time hosting, stick with what you know and supplement your menu as needed with store-bought food that is already prepared. Check out these easy cocktail, appetizer and entrée recipes if you need inspiration!
Opt for simple recipes or something that you have made before so that you know what to expect; as the Queen of Hosting, Martha Stewart, says, “Practice, practice, practice. If you’re going to host a dinner party, make sure you know how to cook that dish and it’s really good.”
DO Save Time with Mise en Place
Take a page from a chef’s (cook)book and prepare what you can in advance, A.K.A mise en place! Measuring out your ingredients, chopping veggies or making a casserole a day ahead of your party are great ways to take some of the load off the actual day of the event. “Casseroles are great to make the day ahead. They reheat well, and I feel like they actually benefit from being made a day ahead, to give the flavors time to marinate,” advises chef Tony Galzin of Nicky’s Coal Fired in Nashville.
Certain desserts and gravy can also be done ahead of time if stored correctly, but there are a few things that are best cooked the day of for peak freshness like dinner rolls, mashed potatoes and the main entrée!
Being the host of a holiday dinner party is not an easy task, but with preparation and a little creativity, you can create an evening to remember. Happy Holidays!
Written by Makena Schoene
Bellevue Area Pumpkin Patches and Cornmazes
Pumpkin season is upon us and we can’t wait to hit the local corn mazes and pumpkin patches this year. Don’t miss out on the chance to support small farms around the Eastside and beyond for all things fall including cider, doughnuts, pumpkins, mazes, apple picking and more. See below for our complete list of the area’s best.
Here’s your fall maintenance list
Is your home ready for fall?
Fall is an ideal time to tackle maintenance projects both inside and outside. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Gutters top to bottom
Water in the wrong spots can do a lot of damage. Start by ensuring that gutters and downspouts are doing their job. (Don’t attempt this task yourself if you have a two-story house with a steep roof; hire a professional instead.) If your home is surrounded by deciduous trees you may need to clean out your gutters a few times a year, especially in the fall. Check to make sure your gutters are flush with the roof and attached securely, repairing any areas that sag or where the water collects and overflows. Clean out the gutters and downspouts, checking that outlet strainers are in good shape, and are firmly in place. Finally, check that your downspouts direct water away from your house, not straight along the foundation.
If you haven’t already, you may want to consider installing gutter guards. Gutter guards create a barrier so water can get through to your gutters, but debris cannot, limiting gutter buildup (and the time you spend cleaning out your gutters). There are DIY installation kits available or you can always hire a professional to install a gutter guard system.
If you have a sump pump under your house, now is a good time to test it. Run a hose to be sure draining water travels directly to the pump (dig small trenches if needed), and that the pump removes the water efficiently and expels it well away from the foundation. For more information about how sump pumps work go to howstuffworks.com.
Check for leaks
The best opportunity to catch leaks is the first heavy rain after a long dry spell, when roofing materials are contracted. Check the underside of the roof, looking for moisture on joints or insulation. Mark any spots that you find and then hire a roofing specialist to repair these leaks. What you don’t want to do is wait for leaks to show up on your ceiling. By then, insulation and sheet rock have been damaged and you could have a mold problem too.
Don’t forget the basement. Check your foundation for cracks, erosion, plants growing inside, broken windows, and gaps in window and door weathering. Make sure to properly seal any leaks while the weather is nice. This will ensure materials dry properly.
Pest Prevention
Rodents are determined and opportunistic, and they can do tremendous amounts of property damage (and endanger your family’s health). As temperatures cool, take measures to prevent roof rats and other critters from moving in. Branches that touch your house and overhang your roof are convenient on-ramps for invaders, so trip back branches so they’re at least four feet from the house. If you do hear scuttling overhead or discover rodent droppings in your attic, crawl space or basement, take immediate action. The website http://www.thisoldhouse.com has several helpful articles on the topic.
Maintain your heating and cooling systems
Preventative maintenance is especially crucial for your home’s heating and air-conditioning systems. Fall is a smart time to have your systems checked and tuned up if necessary. Don’t wait for extreme temperatures to arrive, when service companies are slammed with emergency calls. Between tune-ups, keeps your system performing optimally by cleaning and/or replacing air filters as needed.
If you have a wood-burning fireplace, a professional inspection and cleaning will help prevent potentially lethal chimney fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. Even if you don’t use your fireplace often, always keep a supply of dry firewood or sawdust-composite logs so you have a backup heat source in an emergency.
Insulate & seal
Insulating your home is a cost-efficient investment, whether you’re trying to keep the interior warm in the winter or cool in the summer. Aside from more major improvements like energy-efficient windows and insulation, there are some quick fixes that do-it-yourselfers can tackle. If an exterior door doesn’t have a snug seal when closed, replace the weather stripping; self-adhesive foam stripping is much simpler to install than traditional vinyl stripping. If there is a gap under the door (which can happen over time as a house settles), you may need to realign the door and replace the vinyl door bottom and/or door sweep. Air also sneaks inside through electrical outlets and light switches on exterior walls. Dye-cut foam outlet seals placed behind the wall plates are a quick and inexpensive solution.
First Posted in Windermere Bolg.
Top 5 Tips for Selling Your Home During the Holidays
Posted in hgtv.com.
Attract homebuyers even during the holidays with these useful tips.
The holiday season from November through January is often considered the worst time to put a home on the market. While the thought of selling your home during the winter months may dampen your holiday spirit, the season does have its advantages: holiday buyers tend to be more serious and competition is less fierce with fewer homes being actively marketed. First, decide if you really need to sell. Really. Once you’ve committed to the challenge, don your gay apparel and follow these tips from Front Door.
Original Photo on melaniekramerrealtor.com
1. Deck the halls, but don’t go overboard.
Homes often look their best during the holidays, but sellers should be careful not to overdo it on the decor. Adornments that are too large or too many can crowd your home and distract buyers. Also, avoid offending buyers by opting for general fall and winter decorations rather than items with religious themes.
Original Photo on 2ladiesandachair.com
2. Hire a reliable real estate agent.
That means someone who will work hard for you and won’t disappear during Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s. Our agents in Windermere Bellevue Commons are committed to you 100%, no matter which season we’re in.
3. Make curb appeal a top priority.
When autumn rolls around and the trees start to lose their leaves, maintaining the exterior of your home becomes even more important. Bare trees equal a more exposed home, so touch up the paint, clean the gutters and spruce up the yard. Keep buyers’ safety in mind as well by making sure stairs and walkways are free of snow, ice and leaves.
Original Photo on burchetthomes.com
4. Give house hunters a place to escape from the cold.
Make your home feel cozy and inviting during showings by cranking up the heat, playing soft classical music and offering homemade holiday treats. When you encourage buyers to spend more time in your home, you also give them more time to admire its best features.
5. Relax — the new year is just around the corner.
The holidays are stressful enough with gifts to buy, dinners to prepare and relatives to entertain. Take a moment to remind yourself that if you don’t sell now, there’s always next year, which, luckily, is only a few days away.
