L-EAT CATERING

Holiday Survival Guide: Planning a Holiday Cocktail Party

Entertaining Tips:

Tips to Throwing a Successful Party : “Plan Ahead”

1. Get your groceries delivered
2. Set your table the night before
   
3. Refrigerate your white wines the day before
   Put the reds out to be served
4. Ask your guests to RSVP by phone or email one week before the party and ask them to list their favourite alcoholic beverage. Make a list of their favourites and stock up - hard liquor, wine, martinis, etc.
5. Greet your guests with a warm greeting and offer them their favourite beverage upon arrival
6. Let them know that you are organized and relaxed
   relaxed hostess = relaxed guests
   
7. Prep your snacks the night before

Set the holiday atmosphere for your guests

1. Creating background/mood music: Upload some of your favourite holiday songs to create a play list specifically for your party
   
2. Hangover kits are a great party favour. Include aspirin, water bottle, McDonalds coupon, sleeping mask, taxi voucher and a festive DVD.
   
3. Provide your guests with comfortable foot wear to change into during the party. This can be part of their take home party favour as well. For example, hotel style slippers, havaianas flip flops
   or Keds sneakers.
   

Holiday Décor Tips:

Here are some fun and festive ways to decorate for your last minute party...

1. Various sizes and colours (either mixed or mono) of holiday baubles in glass vases
   
2. White orchid plant, which you can purchase from your local flower market, wrapped in last year’s gift wrap
   
3. White twigs in white tall vases (all twigs available from local flower markets)

• Alternatives include red twigs in tall white or red vases or sliver twigs in tall clear vas

Recipe ideas:

Hors d’oeuvres can be very time consuming because each hors d’oeuvre needs to be made and garnished, or heated and served. When you have a party, you want to enjoy yourself and spend time with your guests so we recommend a buffet style cocktail party full of dips, spreads and stationary snacks.

The Appetizers

Citrus marinated olives

These olives can be made in advance and can last three to four months refrigerated.
Our mixture includes the following olives (but you can use any variety):
gaeta, kalamata, bella di cerignola, and air dried black olives.

Directions:
Add sliced lemons, crushed whole fresh garlic cloves, chilies, and fine quality olive oil to olives.

The Dips

Put together a really great dip platter. It’s fast, tasty and made from the stuff in your fridge and cupboards. Add assorted breads, crackers and vegetables.

Roasted red pepper and feta

Ingredients
4 red bell peppers
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 cups crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
Char peppers directly over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in paper bag 10 minutes. Peel, seed, and quarter peppers. Puree peppers, oil, garlic, and cheese in processor. Season with salt and pepper. Chill at least 3 hours or overnight.

Artichoke tapenade

Ingredients
1 (7 ounce) jar roasted red peppers, coarsely chopped
1 (6 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup drained capers
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in food processor, turning off/on until finely chopped.
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt& pepper

Basil hummus

Ingredients
1 (16oz) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
½ cup basil leaves
1 clove garlic
¼ cup of olive oil
½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon soy sauce
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine the garbanzo beans, basil, and garlic in a food processor; pulse several times. Use a spatula to push mixture from sides of processor bowl. Pulse the mixture again while drizzling in the olive oil. Add the vinegar and soy sauce; pulse until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

The Sweets:

Cookies are a great sweet snack that takes little time to prepare. A tip is to make cookie dough on Thanksgiving weekend and freeze it. If you make the cookie dough ahead of time you will have more time for the little things the day of your party!
Easy shortbread cookies
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 cup icing sugar
1 cup butter

Directions:
Cream butter until soft, then work in sugar mixture. Tip sugar mixture onto flour and work in well. Press mixture into a greased pan and bake 30 minutes in a moderate oven. Cut into fun holiday shapes. Cool on rack.

Pecan white chocolate chip cookies

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon milk
1/3 cup powdered cocoa (unsweetened)
1-1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 white chocolate chips
½ cup of pecans

Directions:
Beat the butter until fluffy. Add the sugar, egg and the vanilla, and mix.
Add the milk, and the powdered cocoa, mix well. Then, add the flour, salt, baking powder and mix well. Stir in the white chocolate chips and chopped pecans. Place teaspoon-size balls on non-stick cookie sheet and cook until just barely firm, about 7 to 10 minutes. Let set one minute on cookie sheet, then cool slightly on rack. Best when served warm.

Spice holiday hermit cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons milk
1-3/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon clove
1/4 teaspoon mace
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup chopped sun dried cranberries.

Directions:
Cream together shortening and sugar. Add beaten eggs and milk and mix well. Mix and sift flour, spices and baking powder. Add to first mixture and mix well. Add chopped sun dried cranberries and mix thoroughly. Drop from teaspoon 2 inches apart on greased pan. Bake in moderate oven (325ºF) 15 to 20 minutes.

The Cocktails:

Festive champagne cocktail

Fill champagne flute half way with Veuve Clicquot Champagne add a splash of pomegranate juice and a splash of strawberry juice.

Stoli blueberry vodka martini

2oz of Stoli blueberry vodka shaken over ice with a splash of white cranberry juice garnished with frozen or fresh blueberries.

A hangover’s breakfast

Blend frozen cranberries with vanilla yogurt and cranberry juice and 2oz of Stoli vanilla vodka and two table spoons of protein powder.