Hosting for the Holidays
We’re sharing all of our favorite tips for hosting for the holidays. If it’s a small gathering with a friend or two, or a large family gathering, we’ve got you covered.
Jesse and I decided this weekend we wanted to start a new tradition and have a fancy dinner party with our kids for the holidays. Our calendar fills up so fast, and our kids go in so many directions this time of year (so do we), we thought it would be important to roll out the china and do it up the way we want to.
Our first order of business is to protect our calendar, and add the date with ink, no changes, no other invitations will get in the way, consider this done.
Second, take this opportunity with the holiday sales (while we are limiting our own purchases this season) to gather any new kitchen wares, bakeware, pans, etc. to replace the ones that are in need. We haven’t done this since we blended our family, so our wares are over 10, even 15 years old. It was time to refresh a few new pieces. You may have heard us talking about our favorite new gadget, the sous vide wand. This is at the top of the list and makes a multi course meal possible. We’ve also replaced all of our plastic, non BPA safe, plates the kids were using to a few like this shown below.
featuring Beko Appliance 18″ dishwasher
Holiday decor refresh is something to consider when hosting a dinner party. It’s always so easy to grab new pieces when out and about, so many shiny new options. We’re fans, but love the idea of repurposing existing decor, or finding seasonal pieces that can easily transition fall through winter. We snuck into the #goodrichtudor to do this exact thing. Insider tip: use simple greenery and faux floral, you can store and use year-after-year. Our friends at Tonkadale have it all.
Black Vase, Champagne Flutes, Red Napkins, Gold Antler Napkin Ring, Faux Dried Flowers
Prepping the kitchen space is the next step for me, and the ease of cooking with Beko’s appliances makes my life so much easier. Their 36″ French door fridge easily stores all of my food with accessibility and proper storage for all my refrigeration needs. This time of year, I am gushing over the 30″ pro-style range with the 5th burner capability and the dual fuel option. We’ve chatted about this in a previous post here, but dual fuel is really the best for me when I am cooking. The electric oven for more consistent cooking is critical when timing is everything at a dinner party (I am recently playing with baking my own bread, convection is the way to go for all baked goods). I am also a traditionalist. While many appliance companies are rolling out induction ranges, gas will always be the way to go for me. Immediate and direct heat, again for consistent and reliable cooking methods.
In addition to a set table, I highly suggest a buffet set up for appetizers, for those hungry stomachs of our growing kids. It’ll also buy me more time in the kitchen to finish the dinner preparation. Nowadays you can find me buried in the newly released Half Baked Harvest cookbook, many holiday themed options as well as quick + easy one pot dinners for day to day meal planning.
Setting the scene: you can never overdo it. And, the ‘special’ occasions details are the ones our kids remember from year-to-year. While they may not verbalize it, they do appreciate the effort, and I like to think these are the memories that’ll keep them coming back once grown and out of the house.
You know what’s next… the cleanup. Life is made so easy with Beko’s 24’’ tall tub dishwasher. They use a 3-way filtration system, and if you can believe it, dishes do not need to be thoroughly cleaned before loading. Also, we recently launched our sustainable gift guide, we should have Beko’s appliances listed, as their award winning appliances fit right in. Also, Beko is listed as a 2019 Energy Star Partner of the Year. I always love how their sleek design fits right into our aesthetic.
Don’t forget to give each of your guests a small task, especially if they are your family, for cleanup. In our house, our kids clear the table and help load the dishwasher while Jesse does much of the cleanup of the table, sweeping, etc. With everyone pitching in, there is plenty of time to relax with my favorite glass of Willamette Valley pinot noir in hand.
Happy Holidays,
Katie + Jkath Team
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