Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Life

Tag: Entertaining Ideas

  • Three Classic Dining Arrangements

    Explore how to make every meal a pleasant experience with these three dining arrangements. No matter the placement, a dining table and its accessories must function to make meals enjoyable and allow for loved ones to move around freely. As such, chairs should be placed around 18 inches apart for ample elbow room. Additionally, rugs should extend 18 inches beyond the back legs of the chairs with the dining table in the center.

    Use windows as the focal point

    For sunshine-filled breakfasts and a view to set the ambiance, move the dining room table next to windows. Casters will make this rearrangement doable if this only works for weekends or special occasions. While Mother Nature may be the best accessory, the right type of window treatments will make your décor shine. Roman shades offer a casual style with minimal fabric. Corniced and woven blinds enhance the color and pattern of a dining set when the sun hits it. These blinds also give off a sense of continuity and provide architectural interest. Swags generate a luxurious feel for traditional dining rooms. If you are seeking an unexpected treatment, consider going asymmetrical or creating depth and a dramatic mood with black curtains. Dashes of pink create a whimsical glamour, while traditional draperies in any color provide privacy and light control.

    Invite every loved one

    Thanksgiving and other holidays are the perfect reason to invite a large number of guests to celebrate at your home. Don’t worry about having enough space for everyone; placing your dining table in the traditional position at the center of the room is ideal for a formal atmosphere or large groups. To make any shared meal extra memorable, focus on crafting the perfect tablescape. Gorgeous linens will ground your feast and express creativity. If serving a meal with sauces as part of the piece de résistance, consider darker colors and laundering tablecloths as soon as possible. Try patterns such as paisley in seasonal colors for an inviting look on a large or small scale. While florals for spring may not be groundbreaking, you can select unexpected hues, such as gray or Pantone’s Color of the Year, Ultra Violet. Fabrics can include burlap or velvet for any occasion. Think about layering or using a runner to set the right tone for your gathering.

    Serve the perfect meal on a grander scale

    For a buffet service, push the table right up to the wall. This will leave ample room for traffic in the center of the room. As the host, consider the following etiquette tips to put guests at ease. Serving a bounty of food offers the opportunity to sample a wide variety of dishes. Give guests a tour of the food stations beforehand or while placing dishes on the table. Ensure that there are plenty of tongs, spoons and serving forks to fend off the use of fingers. Encourage guests to place all serving utensils in their original dishes to avoid cross-contamination and allergic reactions. Keep in mind that spills happen. Provide plenty of napkins or paper towels to keep guests from feeling embarrassed. Handle any mess graciously and discretely if it requires more than a few wipes. Announce whether guests can start eating as soon as they are seated or if you would like for everyone to wait until a prayer is said, speech given or guest of honor is seated.

     

    Serve meals in any of these three arrangements to create a memorable feast that were inspired by the September 1958 issue of Better Homes & Gardens magazine.

  • Ten Tasty Finger Foods for Party People on the Move

    Get the party started with delicious nibbles that will make entertaining fun for every host. Finger foods are easy to grab, reducing the stress of guests who may not have room to sit down for a traditional meal and giving guests a tasty way to start conversations. Explore 10 finger foods that will have loved ones already saving the date for your next event.

    1. Stuffed mushrooms

    Stuffed mushrooms are easy to make and gobble up, making them the ideal choice to serve at a party. They can be made for vegans or meat lovers/carnivores. Combine a black rice, vegetable stock, vegan cheese and crushed walnuts for your veggie-lover friends. For carnivores, add sausage.  This incredibly rich blue cheese and Parmesan option for friends who fall somewhere in the middle will be a hit.

     

     

    2. Pigs in a blanket

    For many decades, pigs in a blanket have been popular. Kids love them just as much as adults, and they are easy to make. Just pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees, wrap mini hotdogs in crescent roll squares and bake for about 10-15 until golden brown.

     

     

     

    3. Avocado and pesto tomatoes

    You can thank us for this one later: avocados, tomatoes, and some lemony, cheesy sauce, all secured on the same toothpick. This is one of the easiest finger foods for a party, and all you need is a food processor.

     

     

     

    4. Bacon water chestnut wraps

    Because it’s impossible to eat just one these hors d’oeuvres, you can expect they’ll disappear quickly. Cut some bacon strips in half, heat until almost crispy and wrap each strip around a water chestnut. Secure with a toothpick and glaze with brown sugar and a little mayonnaise. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Serve hot.

    5. Potato salad bites

    Potato salad is a favorite dish at a sit-down BBQ. However, at a party where guests are mingling, it’s not exactly convenient. Thankfully, you can halve small red potatoes, bake them at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes with a little olive oil and then, once soft, scoop out the inside, mash it with some sour cream, chives, salt and pepper. Voila, potato salad bites!

  • 5 Amazing Tips for a Successful Housewarming Party

    Do you have a new place, and are you ready to share it with those you love? There’s nothing better than involving friends and family in the joy of your new home and set-up, so when you’re ready, you should consider throwing a housewarming party.

    In need of inspiration to make it truly successful? Here are some housewarming party tips that will take your hosting to a whole new level and will help you set roots in your new community.

    Bhgrelife.com - 5 Amazing Tips for a Successful Housewarming Party1. Decide on the Type of Housewarming Party

    The first step is to decide on the type of housewarming party you want to host. There are many different kinds, and determining which one is best for your needs will help set the mood, theme, and the to-do-list before your grand unveiling. It’s a good idea to take into consideration the following housewarming party ideas, but remember, this is your party, so you can combine a few ideas together to create the event to your liking. Here a few options to consider:

    The Open House, where guests can mingle and come and go as they please. This is best when:

    • Your guest list exceeds the number of available seats
    • You don’t want to plan housewarming party games or activities
    • You’d like small groups of visitors coming in so you can provide personal tours

    Party Before Unpacking, where guests can visit before your new home is fully decorated. This is best when:

    • Your guests want to see the house now instead of weeks down the road when you’ve finally unpacked everything
    • You want a more casual party
    • You want to mingle with close friends to relax in your new home after a big move

    Decorating Housewarming, where guests can visit before you’re done furnishing your space, and can make a game of contributing to the final look and feel. This is best when:

    • Your home isn’t completely set up yet, but you’ve unpacked and are ready to have people over
    • You want your friends’ suggestions for decorating and need inspiration
    • You want to design party activities around the set-up of the actual ambiance of your new home

  • Tropical Guacamole Bites Recipe

    Just about everyone loves a refreshing bowl of guacamole—so whether you’re hosting, or simply hungry, consider upping the ante with a seasonally thrilling twist, including lime crema and a little kick! Use your favorite sliced bread, from wheat to rye and more. You can even add a sprinkle of paprika, celery seed, or black sesame, to enhance flavor and presentation. Follow the simple recipe below, and you’ll be serving stunning guacamole with style in no time!

    Tropical Guacamole Bites with Lime Crema

    Yield: about 24 bites

    Ingredients

    6 slices multigrain bread

    Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing on bread

    3 ripe avocados

    1/2 cup diced red onion

    3 tablespoons lime juice, add more if desired

    3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

    1/2 teaspoon salt, plus extra for sprinkle for bread

    Pinch of cayenne, optional

    1 cup diced mangoes

    Chopped cilantro, garnish

    Refreshing Crema

    1 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream

    1 tablespoon lime zest

    2 tablespoon lime juice

    1/4 teaspoon salt

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
    1. Cut the crust off the edge of all the bread slices and use a rolling pin to roll flat the bread slices, one at a time and in both directions, until very thin. Place flattened slices on a baking sheet, lightly brush the top surface with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Bake for about 8-10 minutes, or until golden and crisp.
    1. Remove and cool. Cut each slice into 4 squares.
    1. To make the guacamole, remove the pits and scoop the meat of the avocados into a medium bowl. Add red onion, lime juice, cilantro, salt, and cayenne. Use a wooden spoon to mash the ingredients together until combined, but still a bit chunky. Add mango to the bowl and gently combine. Taste to see if more seasoning is needed.
    1. To make the crema, combine the yogurt, lime juice, lime zest, and salt in a bowl.
    1. To assemble, put about 1 tablespoon of guacamole in the center of each toast crisp. Top with crema and garnish with cilantro. Serve immediately.