Today he’s sharing some holiday entertaining tips, including going gourmet on a budget, making your buffet table look fabulous, and some tips for pulling of a successful last minute holiday party.

Enjoy!

Me: Many have to keep a tight rein on their expenses with the economy. What are some of your favorite tips for making your holiday party gourmet on a budget?

Ryan: Think cheaper cuts of meat and braise them to make them tender. Also, think shrimp and pork tenderloin as an alternative to filet mignon and lobster.

Me: What are some of your favorite foods for holiday entertaining?

Ryan: I don’t like to do the classic turkey ham. An herb crusted prime rib, yorkshire pudding, garlic roasted mashed potatoes and spiked egg nog is a family favorite of mine. It’s very easy to do buffet style and everyone can serve themselves. A roast is very easy to serve and you don’t have to worry about individual temperatures as you would with individual steaks.

Me: Do you have any tips for pulling off a successful last minute holiday party?

Ryan: Everything store bought is not a bad thing. A bag of baked pita chips with hummus is a great little chips and dip alternative. Procuitto wrapped dates stuffed with Parmesan is a quick and easy appetizer that you can pop into the oven and get done in 5 minutes. You can make a great mimosa with Zipang Sparkling Sake, Pomegranate seeds and Eldeflower Liquor.

Me: Any secret ideas for making your holiday buffet fabulous?

Ryan: Use chafing dishes to keep things warm and affordable. They range anywhere from $40-$75 and will pay for themselves throughout the year. These can be found at any restaurant supply store and look fabulous on a buffet table.

I want to thank Ryan for taking time out of his busy schedule to share some holiday entertaining tips with She Knows Party readers.

Image: Istockphoto.com

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The wine glasses pictured here are the Personalized Initially Yours Wine Glass Set. Here’s a description:

Choose from 10 Monogram colors! A toast to your good taste and individual style! Make a perfectly impressive statement to party guests with crystal clear wine glasses, artfully personalized with your single, scrolled initial. Specify any initial and preview the monogram below. Sold as a Set of 4 (same initial appears on all 4 glasses). Measures approximately 6 3/4″ in height and holds 8 1/2 oz. Available in your choice of 10 monogram colors, to coordinate beautifully with any decor.

If you know that your hostess drinks wine, then this would make a beautiful hostess gift that she could definitely get some use out of and enjoy.

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The gift pictured here is the Personalized Initially Yours Hostess Gift Set. This is a set of cocktail napkins that you can have personalized with the hostess single initial. They come in rich burgundy and evergreen colors and the initial is done in your choice of gold or silver. There are 50 of each color and they come in a beautiful box that is tied with a satin ribbon.

Imagine the look on the hostess face when you arrive at a party with this gift in hand. This is something that is sure to make your hostess smile and feel appreciated.

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It’s a good message about making sure your guests are safe from walking out the door with too much alcohol in their system. I would hate to ever be responsible for someone causing a wreck after leaving a party from my house. Be a responsible host and make sure your guests have fun but can also drive themselves home safely.

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The tin comes with four different cheeses:  a 3.75-oz. box of Camembert and a 3.75-oz. box of Brie pasteurized process cheeses, a 4-oz. triangle of Wisconsin Hot Pepper pasteurized process cheese and a 4-oz. triangle of Wisconsin Cheddar pasteurized process cheese. It also comes with a serving spreader knife, which the hostess can also use over and over again.

If you don’t know your hostess very well, this is a good moderate gift to give that almost anyone could use and enjoy.

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Over the next few weeks, I’ll give you some great hostess gift ideas. Some you can make yourself and some are a little more extravagant.

I love this first hostess gift idea and I got this idea from the book Make It Memorable: An A-Z Guide to Making Any Event, Gift or Occasion…Dazzling!, which is just a fabulous book that I highly recommend.

Five Fabulous Things…You Can’t Live Without

This is as much fun to give a hostess entertaining you as it is to buy: Think of five of your favorite things, the most fabulous things you love, enjoy, andjust couldn’t live without. For one person, that’s a certain magazine, and for another, it’s a gadget. It can be anything that you just adore. Fill a box, or basket, or bag with these items, and a note that says, “Here are six fabulous things I can’t live without. You already know you’re the first!”

I just love this idea and have so many ideas spinning around in my head. When I think of some of the things I can’t live without I think of my favorite wine, a good book, some luxurious lotion, my favorite chocolate and my wine preserver. What are five fabulous things you can’t live without?

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Post from: She Knows Parties