Entertaining

Posted by Janice Benoit

I was watching Food Network's The Next Food Network Star, when I realized how much information I could gather from these wonderful young cooks. Kelsie, the self-proclaimed queen of homestyle cooking, has an ease about her that radiates as she is preparing the dish du jour. The lesson learned here is that regardless of how the food tastes, Kelsie makes you feel comfortable and welcome at her table -- GREAT hospitality lesson!

Aaron is a teddy bear of a man who creates buttered, barbecued and fried comfort food that is phenomenal. His passion for his work is intoxicating, and the joy he gets when people sample his food indicates that his work is an expression of love for the lucky recipient. I would LOVE to be a guest in his kitchen!

Adam understands that a host can be an entertainer, however, it's important to NOT be the center of attention at your own event. To truly be a great host or hostess, you need to make the guests feel special, and that is difficult to achieve when you are drawing attention to yourself.

Posted by Janice Benoit

I've just found a wonderful tool that will compost all your organic scraps, in a clean, efficient, and quick manner. Nature Mill makes a home composter that will change the way you deal with all the kitchen scraps generated at your next function. Check out their website and see if it's something that will work for your family!

Posted by Janice Benoit

Once your guests have left, you've cleaned up the majority of the party items, and you're about to go to bed, don't forget to treat yourself to a post-event spa pampering!

Arbonne International makes the most phenomenal products that can be used in your own home, to relax, rejuvenate and inspire you to take on your next entertaining challenge! Follow these simple instructions to create an amazing foot spa in your own home.

Fill the bottom of a dishpan (about $1 at any discount store) with marbles (can be found in the craft section of the same discount store). Pour hot water in to a depth of 2 or more inches. Stir in a scoop of Arbonne Aromassentials Unwind Bath Salts and two squirts of Arbonne Aromassentials Unwind Massage Oil, and swirl the products into the water.

Soak your feet, massaging them over the marbles until the water cools (about 15 - 20 minutes). Towel off your feet and apply a light coating of Arbonne Aromassentials Unwind Body Lotion or Arbonne Intelligence Herbal Foot Cream. Enjoy the fact that you're now relaxed, your feet feel phenomenal, and with Arbonne's everyday wholesale pricing you can purchase your products at 35% off the catalog/internet price.

Email me at Janice@ChezBenoit.com for more information.

Posted by Janice Benoit

Whenever you have a group of more than eight people to dine at your home, it's always a great idea to consider serving the meal buffet style. Even for a more formal dinner, unless you have help to serve the pre-plated meals, a buffet set up will work wonders for minimizing the time spent filling a plate and maximize the time spent enjoying one another's company at the dinner table.

For best efficiency, check out my previous article on Effective Buffet Design, and remember to walk through the buffet line before the guests arrive to make sure that everything is within a comfortable reach, is intuitively ordered, and the appropriate serving spoons, forks or tongs are handy.

Posted by Janice Benoit

The other evening, I hosted a group of female friends for dinner. Rather than slave over a hot stove (or a buzzing microwave!), we all divided and conquered and ended up with a totally enjoyable menu.

Here's what we did --- half of the women brought appetizers (all cold) and the other half brought salads. I prepared the buffet set up, incorporating levels and decorative elements. Once the dishes were placed, I added a basket of sliced french bread, a couple of dessert options, and pitchers of iced tea, water and lemonade.

We each got to make up our own custom plates with all the different food options, and not one person spent more than 20 minutes creating their dish to share. What a great use of time and resources! You should try it yourself.

Posted by Janice Benoit

If you're hosting any summer parties for larger groups, consider swappping out the assorted soft drinks for a more economical option that is equally simple to offer. Rather than filling a huge cooler with ice to chill individual cans of soda or leaving out 2 liter bottles of pop to gradually heat up and explode, it's a great idea to offer lemonade, iced water and iced tea. All three of these beverages can be made ahead of time, put into the large dispensing coolers filled with ice (like the ones NFL teams use) and set out for the guests to serve themselves.

You can rent these large coolers at your local rental center, or you may wish to consider purchasing 2 or 3 of the coolers at Walmart, Target or your local sports store.

Posted by Janice Benoit

The other morning, I received a 9am distress call from my husband. In Chicago for a business meeting and working lunch, he had forgotten to plan any type of meal service. The group was at the office, and couldn't spare the time to go out for lunch.

While most people would've stressed about what to do, I merely responded, "Try Panera." Within 5 minutes, I used Panera's website to locate the nearest restaurant, called the "Via Panera Catering Manager," and confirmed delivery of a working lunch for the group. Simple, delicious, cost-efficient, and absolutely painless! Try it yourself, the next time you're in a pinch!

Posted by Janice Benoit

It's already the end of baseball season for my son's town recreational league, and we always love to celebrate the players' accomplishments with an informal get together. You can do the same thing, without stressing too much. Just click here for some great resource articles.

Posted by Janice Benoit

Rush out to your discount stores and party stores today and tomorrow to take advantage of clearance sales on Memorial Day and patriotic supplies. American flags and red, white, and blue materials abound this weekend, and with the Fourth of July and Labor Day still upcoming, plan ahead for your Party Closet!

Posted by Janice Benoit

Memorial Day is right around the corner, and with the price of gas, everyone is contemplating staying home. Take advantage of this opportunity to invite a couple of neighbors over for an informal barbecue. Fire up the Weber, grill some dogs and burgers (I always use frozen -- so much easier!), and set out the condiments. Ask your guest to bring a selection of chips, pretzels, cookies, brownies and cupcakes. Add some iced lemonade, iced tea and pitchers of water, throw in a cooler full of popsicles, and you've got a quick picnic that's effortless!