No matter what type of life you lead, there inevitably will come a time when you will be asked to host a get-together on the spur of the moment. Last-minute entertaining, familiarly known as “crisis entertaining,” is a modern reality in our busy world of overtime, rush hour and shuttling the kids from activity to activity. However you can effectively pull off a gracious get together in your home, with only an hour or two of notice, when you can employ an extra pair of willing hands!
First Priority
As soon as you learn of the impending arrival of guests, assess your current situation. Take a quick look at your public spaces and evaluate whether you have the time to tidy and declutter for guests. Remember that your home does not have to be sanitized or clean enough to eat off the floor in order to host guests. Christopher Lowell, a wildly popular entertaining guru, is famous for saying that if your guests get close enough to notice that your floor isn’t perfectly clean, then they aren’t really your friends!
Gather your spouse, your kids or your best friend, give them an empty laundry basket and send them throughout the public spaces to gather up all the unnecessary clutter. They can also quickly wipe the counters and vacuum the floors and carpets in the rooms that will be used for the event.
Second Priority
As you’re tidying up, think about the menu selections. (For this example, an impromptu brunch will be planned). Assuming that you live in an urban or suburban location, you can get an entire brunch on the table in less than 90 minutes, simply by using your local resources. Make sure to use all the techniques you’ve learned about effective buffet design and about using beautiful serving pieces, so that your non-homemade food and beverage items will look homemade!
From your local Panera Store, Einstein Brothers Bagels or Corner Bakery, purchase a selection of traditional and premium bagels. Plan on serving one half bagel per person, unless you will be supplementing this item with other food selections. In addition to the bagels, purchase a container of whipped cream cheese plus two containers of flavored cream cheeses. When you plate the bagels for the buffet, be sure to slice them in half both horizontally and vertically. This technique creates the most convenient serving size, while it also minimizes bagel waste.
This article will be continued with additional food and beverage suggestions.
