CULTIVATING ADULT FRIENDSHIPS: THE SECRET RECIPE FOR THROWING A DINNER PARTY

1. Don’t Stress Yourself Out

Meal planning can be hard, but it doesn’t always have to be. No one comes to your home expecting to be served a Michelin-star menu. There’s a reason why we have Gordon Ramsey and Bobby Flay to take care of that.

Your guests come to your dinner party to be with you and enjoy your company. So here are things that you should keep in mind:

- You don’t have to cook more than two main courses (that’s a lot of work)

- Avoid making any dishes you have never done before (too risky)

- Stay away from dishes that require major preparation right before the meal. Your guests come expecting to talk to you face-to-face and enjoy a good time with you. So don’t keep yourself too busy deep-frying something.

2. Go family-style

There’s a lot of dietary restrictions these days and you can never accommodate every person’s special meal choices. Go with fresh pasta and organic veggies, a huge salad bowl, or a yummy pot of soup.

Soups can be a great soothing comfort food that can be frozen days ahead of time with no loss of flavor. It’s a great time-saver for anyone too busy with work. On the dinner-party day, take the soup out of the freezer and heat it up when you’re home. Serve it with a loaf of bread and you’re done!

3. Create a playlist

Music is one of the most important parts of any party, don’t you think? There’s no better combination than drinking (if that’s something you’re into) and listening to good music.

Crafting a playlist can be fun, but don’t go too crazy. It should serve as a backdrop and not be too distracting for your conversations.

Martha Stewart created great selection of playlists on Spotify, just for your dinner parties.

So… cheers! Have fun, you’ve got this!