Hosting a get together, whether a small dinner party or a full blown Christmas Party, can be a lot of work. However, it is fun work as you and your guests get to enjoy each other’s company. There are lots of easy tips for hosting dinner parties to help make it easier so you can spend more time being merry. Today I will share some of my ideas for easy dinner entertaining from tips to trick to products. This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of Single Edition Media.
Easy Dinner Entertaining Tips, Tricks, & Products
I love having guests over and during the holidays it is a must. Enjoying the company of those we love is an opportunity we shouldn’t pass up. Here are some useful easy holiday entertaining ideas to help make entertaining a breeze.
Easy Dinner Entertaining Tips
Plan Ahead.
The best way to ensure the evening goes off as smoothly as possible is to plan ahead and get done what you can get done ahead of time. Make a list and delegate to ensure everyone pitches in so that you can entertain with ease and not feel overwhelmed.
As part of planning ahead, you will want to make sure the bathrooms are cleaned and well stocked with an abundance of toilet paper, clean towels, and a lovely handsoap. The Simplehuman Foaming Soap dispenser is great because it is touch free. (You can find more in depth information on any products I mention down below.) Also, don’t forget to have a plunger, just in case.
Don’t Try A Brand New Recipe.
If you are captivated by a new recipe, try it ahead of time. It may not turn out how you like and you don’t want that to happen when your guests are there. Consider a tried and true favorite so that the cooking will be easy and not stressful as your guests arrive.
Play List Ready.
Music sets the beat for any party mood so have a play list or channel picked out and have it playing when your guests arrive.
Snacks A Plenty
Nothing says relaxed fun like chatting and nibbling on appetizers and snacks. It is pleasant to visit and snack for awhile before dining. Have a few easy, healthy snacks like Sunsweet Pacific Tropicals Dried Fruits and Snack Factory® Original Pretzel Crisps® available so guests can help themselves.
Kid-Friendly
Some children will eat just as the adults do so be ready for that. But also be ready with typical “kid-friendly” options because some kids will not want to even try anything off your adult menu! Annie’s Homegrown Soups are the perfect organic kid soup to have on hand as an easy child’s meal. Ella’s Kitchen makes The Red One Pouches and Strawberry Lemonade Juice Boxes to complete your kid-friendly options.
Entertaining Dinner Ideas & Tricks
Centerpiece
Don’t fuss too much over coming up with the perfect centerpiece. Just get a gorgeous bouquet (like the Rainforest Alliance certified flowers at Whole Foods) and you will be all set.
Ambiance
Set a festive air with some soft party lighting- you can use candles up high on mantles or you can use a few strings of white lights to easily create a beautiful party mood.
Make It Sparkly!
As your guests come in, grab them a sparkling drink. Sparkles are just so festive and fun and a great way make it feel like the party has started. Serve sparkling wine or LaCroix Sparkling water.
Easy Side
Pick a side that can be quickly prepared. An easy side like Wild Garden Heat and Serve Pilaf is perfect because in just 90 seconds the Heat and Serve Pilafs create mouth-watering side dishes that are appetizing on their own or mixed into a salad.
Easy Dinner
Another easy dinner entertaining trick is to not have to do the cooking all yourself! You can get gourmet rotisserie chickens and have them to cut the chickens up neatly for you. You can arrange them nicely in a baking dish with fresh herbs and sliced lemons and place them in the oven on a low temperature to keep warm until you are ready to serve at your convenience.
Easy Clean Up
Keep clean up easy! Use dinner table cloths that won’t stain. Have a large, double-bagged trashcan available so guests can clean up after themselves as they go. Use healthy ceramic Non-Stick cookware like the GreenPan Lima collection to help make cooking and cleanup headache-free.
Easy Dinner Entertaining Products
Entertain with ease throughout the holiday season with these great products:
Simplehuman Foam Cartridge Sensor Pump & Soaps
Simplehuman demonstrates ingenuity in solving simple, often overlooked problems and you will love their foam soap dispenser that delivers luxurious foam soap while being touch-free so that no germs or smudges are left behind. The pump is rechargeable and one charge lasts up to 3 months! The click-in cartridge system makes refills fast, easy and totally mess-
free. Refills are available in a wide range of soaps and scents.
Learn more or purchase at simplehuman.com
Sunsweet Pacific Tropicals
Sunsweet Growers Inc. was founded in 1917 and is the world’s largest handler of dried fruits including prunes, apricots, mangos and more. They deliver an amazing taste of the tropics. Available in re-sealable bags Sunsweet products are perfect as a mid-morning snack, before a workout for a quick energy boost, or to delight your holiday guests. You will enjoy having easily accessible, guilt-free snacks like Sunsweet Philippine Green Mangos on hand.
Learn more or purchase at sunsweet.com
Annie’s Homegrown Soup
Annie’s Homegrown Chicken Noodle or Vegetable Soup are perfect to have on hand to warm up cold guest or serve a child as an easy meal. Kids love Annie’s Organic Vegetable Soup with Farm-Shaped Pasta! It is made with yummy veggie broth and 1/2 cup of veggies per serving. It is certified organic and free from any artificial flavors, synthetic colors, preservatives or high-fructose corn syrup.
Get a coupon to save $0.75 on any Annie’s Organic Soup here
Learn more or purchase at annies.com
Ella’s Kitchen
Ella’s Kitchen The Red One Pouches are made of only certified USDA organic squished strawberries, raspberries, apples and bananas. That’s right- just organic raspberry smoothie and strawberry smoothie fruits all mixed together with nothing else added, not even water!
Keep kids happy with delicious juice blend drinks that are made from real fruit, not from concentrates. Babies and toddlers will love to squeeze the tasty fruit smoothies that are easy to serve and clean up during a busy holiday meal.
Learn more or purchase at ellaskitchen.com
Snack Factory® Original Pretzel Crisps®
Pretzel Crisps are the world’s first – and original – pretzel-shaped cracker. These flat,
crunchy, crackers have a simple ingredient list containing NO trans fat, saturated fat or
cholesterol. Original Pretzel Crisps are Non-GMO Project Verified so you can feel great about this healthier snack that is perfect for dipping, topping, or enjoying plain. Pretzel Crisps are available in dozens of savory and sweet flavors, and also in several Gluten Free
varieties. You can find them in the deli section of grocery stores nationwide.
Learn more or purchase at pretzelcrisps.com
LaCroix 100% Natural Sparkling Water
You will love this natural sparkling water with no sodium, no caffeine, no calories, no fat, and no sweeteners! It is Non-GMO, Kosher, Paleo and Whole 30 Friendly! It is an ideal alternative to sugary beverages, colas and diet colas. LaCroix is also a mocktail friendly mixer. Your guests will enjoy trying fun new LaCroix Cúrate flavors like Melón Pomelo- ripe cantaloupe essence infused with pink grapefruit… a tangy duo with a touch of sweetness!
Learn more or purchase at lacroixwater.com
Wild Garden Quick Marinade + Heat and Serve Pilaf
This chef-driven Wild Garden Taste of the Mediterranean line offers three authentic marinades and three tasty pilafs, blended with over 13 spices and oils for rich, wonderful flavors. With Wild Garden Quick Marinades, proteins are fully marinated in just 10 minutes and ready to be baked, grilled, pan fried, or roasted. With the Wild Garden Heat and Serve Pilafs, it just takes 90 seconds create mouth-watering side dishes that are appetizing on
their own, mixed into a salad, or paired with a marinated protein. My favorite pilaf is the Rice and Lentil made with basmati rice and caramelized onions. Turn average meals into easy exotic Mediterranean food dishes with just a few simple steps. Wild Garden products are on shelves at an affordable price in major national grocers.
Learn more or purchase at WildGarden.com
Cookware & Co 10 inch GreenPan & Bamboo Turner
The GreenPan Lima collection are made of hard anodized aluminum with modern stainless steel handles to give them an elegant accent. Whether you use the Lima collection in the oven or on the stovetop, the ThermolonTM ceramic non-stick coating will remain intact and guarantees professional performance. I love that the GreenPan line is all about Healthy Ceramic Non-
Stick Cookware with no toxic chemicals (no PFOA, no PFAS, no lead, no cadmium). The pan’s excellent heat conduction offers even cooking using less oils and easy cleaning!
Learn more or purchase at greenpan.us
Now that you armed with easy dinner entertaining tricks, you can spend more time on your DIY Christmas decorations! Which easy dinner entertaining tips, tricks, & products are your favorite? Leave a comment or tweet me your answer with #HostToastBabbleboxx
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