Easy Entertaining Tips

    Pull together a party in no time with our top entertaining tips.
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    DRINKS

    entertaining tips
    • A shaken-versus-stirred rule of thumb: Shake mixer-heavy drinks that can be hazy and frothy, and stir liquor-laden cocktails you wish to keep clear -- such as martinis (no matter what James Bond might say).
    • Make Brunello wine sauce on the cheap by substituting Rosso di Montalcino.
    • Keep white wines like Chardonnay in the fridge and remove 15 minutes before serving.
    • Use a Thermos as a cocktail shaker. It keeps the ice extra-cold and doubles as a strainer.
    • Slice and freeze fresh peaches to use as ice cubes in lemonade.
    • Freeze cocktails overnight for a party -- the liquor makes the drink slushy.
    • Stir leftover chocolates into steamed milk to make instant hot cocoa.
    • Freeze tea and coffee into cubes so iced drinks won't get watered down.
    • Rim cocktail glasses with crushed hard candy insead of sugar.
    • Dunk champagne bottles in ice water instead of ice for a faster chill.
    • Place stoneware mugs in a 200°F oven for a few minutes before serving hot chocolate.
    • Keep a jar of simple syrup in the fridge to sweeten iced tea or lemonade.

    FOOD

    • After a spicy main course, serve scoops of lemon sorbet as a palate cleanser before dessert.
    • Ask potluck dinner guests to bring copies of their recipes with the dishes.
    • Upgrade bread and butter for a party by whipping chopped herbs into softened herbs.
    • Eat dessert on the porch and give dinner-party guests a change of scenery.
    • Skip dessert and bring out a tray of dried fruit, nuts and chocolate.
    • Line your cheese tray with butcher paper so you can write the name of each piece right next to it.
    • Dress up ice cream with ground espresso beans.
    • Scoop sorbet into hollowed-out oranges for dessert.

    INVITATIONS

    • Mail old 4-by-6-inch photos as invitations to your next dinner party.

    TABLE SETTINGS

    • Liven up your next holiday dinner party -- just ask everyone to change seats before dessert.
    • Label glasses with a grease pencil at your next party -- the names will wipe off later.
    • Elevate your serving platter by using chopsticks as a trivet.
    • At your next dinner party, use paint-chip cards as colorful placeholders.
    • Add uncooked rice to your shaker to keep salt from clumping.
    • Toss a few pieces of chalk in the silverware drawer to keep utensils from tarnishing.

    DECORATIONS

    • Dress up a wreath with strung cranberries and bunches of rosemary.
    • Add a little lemon-lime soda to your vase to keep flowers fresh.
    • Rub a little olive oil on candlesticks to keep wax from sticking.
    • Dim the lights -- a 45-watt bulb casts a flattering glow, and is still bright enough to encourage mingling.
    • Push a small pin through the tops of stems to keep tulips from drooping.
    • Place candles in the fridge for an hour before a party. They'll burn slowly and evenly.

    PARTY FAVORS

    • Send guests home with a mix CD after your next party.
    • Pamper your guests with steaming washcloths -- just dampen and roll up the cloths, then microwave for 45 seconds.
    • When you're giving away holiday candy, present it in a large mug; the candy will disappear but the cup won't.

    OUTDOOR EVENTS

    • Place a bunch of fresh basil on your outdoor table to repel mosquitoes.
    • Keep a picnic tablecloth in place by tying small rocks onto the ends.