Planning the perfect dinner party Planning a dinner party does not have to a daunting task. Learn how to host the perfect dinner party with this guide.  Party Supplies

Parties can be so much fun if they are planned and organized and the host has the basic party supplies. A party needs to be exciting, especially a birthday party. It needs to be magical and fantastic. No matter what style of party you are planning you'll want it to be remembered by all. You want to feel great planning and having the party and you want also the person or persons you are giving the party to remember it always.  Parties celebrate the person and the occasion. That person will receive presents and privileges in front of his friends. He is the center of attention and the acknowledged star of the day. The party should be exciting, fun, and joyful. Every minute of the party should be planned and you'll need to make lots of decisions.  A well-planned Diwali dinner party or matter of fact any dinner party is well within the scope of even the most modest cook and homemaker, and once you successfully have one party, you will be pro. The first step is to decide on your guest list. Of course you can invite all couples, but if you are inviting single folks as well, make sure that there is an even number of people. There is no need to attempt to play matchmaker, just having an even number will make for an easier presentation of dinner, as well as make it easier to socialize without someone feeling left out. You can invite as many or as few people as you like, but eight is really a good number to start out with. This is enough people to keep the conversation going, but not so many as to be a burden to cook for.  Count number of kids, generally I will count in two batch ages from 3-7 and from 7-17. Less than 3 don't worry about it, gallon of milk will be enough for those babies.  Number of People and kids Now that you have narrowed down your list of invitees, it is time to mail out the invitations. It is generally best to mail out the invitations at least two weeks before the party, but around the holidays, you may want to give yourself a full month. As you start to get R.S.V.P.’s back, you can begin to plan your menu. Email is good idea and phone call is personal touch. This depend what's the occasion. Reminder is very important specially in US where everybody runs faster than clock. This will gives you exact number of counts and that way you know how to prepare. Invitation by Mail, Email and Phone There are several ways to plan your evening meal. You can have hors d’ orves, served buffet style, or you can have a sit down meal around the dining room table. If you go for the buffet style meal, plan your meal so that there are plenty of options for your guests to choose from.  Dinner Seating arrangement If you wish to serve refreshments you will then need to plan what type you might serve such as;  coffee, punch, ice cream, mixed drinks or liquor. Make sure that you have separate location for drinks. Don't keep drinks and food together. Keep towel or cleaning material very handy specially when you have new carpet or furniture. Make sure that you have drink for kids. Drink ?? and Location While some people will think nothing of diving hand over fist into tandoori chicken or samosa, others will go hungry rather than risk walking around with sauce on their shirt all evening. A good mix would be to have about half cold food and half hot, including a tray of cheeses and crackers, or samosa or mix pakoda and some fruit. Everyone will enjoy these, and will allow you to try some adventurous dishes, confident that there will be something everyone will like. If you decide on a sit down dinner, you will want to provide a light first course, perhaps a soup or salad, as well as the entrée, with side dishes, and a dessert. You may also plan to have some fresh fruit for dessert, for those people who do not eat sweets. Make sure you have different menu for kids, generally kids will prefer sandwich, Pizza or something light yet tasty. Dinner What's in Menu Once you have decided on a menu, make sure that you know how to prepare everything. This is not the time to experiment with new dishes, if you want to try something new, test it on your family ahead of time. Be certain that you have all of the necessary ingredients. Nothing will throw you off schedule quicker than having to make an emergency run to the grocery store.  Don't Try New things Try to have as much done ahead of time as possible so that on the day of your party you only have to prepare the food and get yourself ready. This means having the house cleaned and any dishes that can be prepared ahead of time completed. The day of your party, relax, prepare the meal and allow yourself plenty of time to shower and dress for the party. Be sure to have some music selected and playing softly. Once guests start to arrive, take time to great them, invite them into the kitchen if the seem interested and enjoy yourself. The preparation should pay off, and you should have a wonderful time.  Party supplies check list: the basics you'll need Party supply check list. Do you have the basic party supplies you will need?  There will be a need for napkins, plates, glasses and silverware. You might want to buy all paper  to dispose of easily and have less work in cleaning afterwards or you might want to use your  very best dishes or china. The theme of the paper products might need to be in line with the event.  Place cards would be very nice for a sit down dinner at your party, even party hats if you just want to have lots of fun. You might want to decorate the area where the party will be held with decoration such as balloons or streamers.  Note: Print this page and highlight every point or amend according to your ideas and party. Author's name omitted by request Send your experience and suggestion to Mira_Nu_kitchen@wegujarati.com