Successful Holiday Entertaining

Successful holiday entertaining doesn’t mean you need to be stuck in the kitchen while your guests are having all the fun. 

Here are few tips, for a fun holiday party that everyone can enjoy!

Make as many dishes as you can the day before your party.

Keep the number of recipes that involve last-minute preparation to a minimum.

Avoid recipes that must be cooked at different oven temperatures.

Don't experiment, make recipes that are tried and true.

Think about contrasting colors and taste of the food. 

Avoid repeating flavors, each dish should stand out on its own.

Consider the presentation, and make a list the day before the party, of every item you will need to serve up the food.

My “Five Steps for Creating the Energy for an Outrageously Successful Party,” will provide you with all the necessary ingredients to plan and host memorable events that you and your guests will rave about. Whether you’re planning a fundraiser, grand opening, holiday party or family celebration, let my 30+ years in the party planning and catering business be your guide to hosting an outrageously successful and stress-free event. Order your book today!

 

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Planning The Details

The weather outside is hardly ever frightful.  Most of the time it’s very delightful. But despite the relative unchanging weather in Southern California, the calendar unbelievably points toward the upcoming Holiday Season.

Have you been thinking about throwing that perfect Christmas cocktail party, holiday office party, or an elegant sit-down dinner?  

It doesn’t matter if you're planning to do the work yourself, or hiring a professional caterer/party planner; if you want your event to be successful, you must begin planning the details... ASAP! 

With all the gatherings that will be happening at homes and businesses this holiday season, one major party planning detail that is often times missed, is the proper handling and disposing of Trash! 

It’s best to plan for the trash in advance, then having to spring into action when the first guest questions what to do with his plate full of garbage. (Hopefully he’s not talking about your food…) 

Planning in advance is the key to the success of any party or event!

  

If you want to do something special this Holiday season, give PartyCharlie a call.  I specialize in traditional parties to out of this world extravaganzas! 

My “Five Steps for Creating the Energy for an Outrageously Successful Party,” will provide you with all the necessary ingredients to plan and host memorable events that you and your guests will rave about. Whether you’re planning a fundraiser, grand opening, holiday party or family celebration, let my 30+ years in the party planning and catering business be your guide to hosting an outrageously successful and stress-free event. Order your book today!

 

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PartyCharlie's Thanksgiving Food Safety Tips:

The safest way to defrost a frozen turkey is in the refrigerator. 

Allow 24 hours of defrosting for every five pounds of turkey.

Before buying your turkey, make plenty of room in your refrigerator.  Make sure you have a plate big enough to accommodate the turkey, so the leaking juices do not contaminate other foods.  

Before preparing the turkey, thoroughly clean the counter as well as all the equipment you'll be using.  Clean immediately with hot soapy water anything, including sponges and hands, that come in contact with the raw turkey or juice.

Do not trust the "pop-up" thermometer that comes with the turkey.  It's always best to check the temperature with a conventional meat thermometer.  Cook the turkey until the temperature reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit in the inner thigh.

The safest way to cook stuffing is on the stove or in the oven, but separate from the turkey.

Be sure to refrigerate leftovers within two hours of cooking the food.  The turkey should be removed from the bone and used within four days.

My “Five Steps for Creating the Energy for an Outrageously Successful Party,” will provide you with all the necessary ingredients to plan and host memorable events that you and your guests will rave about. Whether you’re planning a fundraiser, grand opening, holiday party or family celebration, let my 30+ years in the party planning and catering business be your guide to hosting an outrageously successful and stress-free event. Order your book today!

 

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Thanksgiving Day!

It’s that time of the year for turkeys, stuffing, Indian corn, and holiday parades. Thanksgiving Day!

Traditions are a big part of the Thanksgiving holiday, and every American family has their own. 

Football, homemade desserts, and unique side dishes are just some of the things that make Thanksgiving…Thanksgiving! 

If you truly want a unique Thanksgiving experience, why not celebrate the holiday at a Malibu Carbon Beach Cottage on the Sand!

This is a 3-bedroom 2-bathroom beach cottage on one of the best beaches in all of Malibu - it's called Carbon Beach and there are some spectacular homes here.

Carbon Beach is excellent since it is relatively quiet, there is plenty of dry sand, the contour of the beach is relatively wide and gently sloped, there are some stately homes and mansions nearby, and it is relatively close to 'town' - Santa Monica, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, etc.

So why not give yourself a break, and celebrate Thanksgiving in style!  Call me now!!!

My “Five Steps for Creating the Energy for an Outrageously Successful Party,” will provide you with all the necessary ingredients to plan and host memorable events that you and your guests will rave about. Whether you’re planning a fundraiser, grand opening, holiday party or family celebration, let my 30+ years in the party planning and catering business be your guide to hosting an outrageously successful and stress-free event. Order your book today!

 

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Charlie’s Tip for carving a Jack O'Lantern:

Select a pumpkin that is ripe, has no bruises, cuts or nicks. 

Cut a hole in the bottom, large enough to reach in and pull out the seeds and stringy membrane. 

Draw an outline of a face on a plain sheet of white paper. Tape your paper to the pumpkin where you want the face to be. 

Score the design onto the pumpkin by punching through the paper into the pumpkin with a large nail or pin. 

Carefully cut out the design with a plastic knife. When you are finished cutting, simply push out the pieces to view the final results. 

Now you're all set to light up your home on Halloween night!  Have Fun!

My “Five Steps for Creating the Energy for an Outrageously Successful Party,” will provide you with all the necessary ingredients to plan and host memorable events that you and your guests will rave about. Whether you’re planning a fundraiser, grand opening, holiday party or family celebration, let my 30+ years in the party planning and catering business be your guide to hosting an outrageously successful and stress-free event. Order your book today!

 

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Halloween Game Ideas:

Traditional Bobbing for Apples:

Fill a large, galvanized washtub with water after thoroughly cleaning it. Float a couple dozen apples in the water. The object of the game is to retrieve an apple with your mouth. It's extremely wet and messy, but a ton of fun. To make the game more complicated, remove the stems from the apples. For an evil flair, use ice water.

Pin the Hat on the Witch:

Pin the Hat on the Witch is a variation of Pin the Tail on the Donkey. Before you can play, draw and color a hatless witch on a piece of posterboard and make hats to be placed on her head. When you are ready, spin the player around three times and watch them attempt to put her hat on straight. If drawing a witch is a bit beyond your creative talent, substitute her with a jack o' lantern and pin its eyes or nose on instead.

Skeleton Race:

For this game you will need several paper skeletons. You can either buy them in the Halloween section of a general store or make the body parts yourself. Make sure each person has all the body parts before they begin: skull, two arms, two legs, two hands and so on. The object of the game is to construct an entire skeleton as quickly as possible. Whoever completes their skeleton first, wins.

My “Five Steps for Creating the Energy for an Outrageously Successful Party,” will provide you with all the necessary ingredients to plan and host memorable events that you and your guests will rave about. Whether you’re planning a fundraiser, grand opening, holiday party or family celebration, let my 30+ years in the party planning and catering business be your guide to hosting an outrageously successful and stress-free event. Order your book today!

 

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Halloween is just around the corner...

Halloween is  just around the corner, but that doesn't mean you should let the kids have all the fun!  

Follow my tricks to treat your friends and family to a ghoulishly fabulous costume party with a grown-up twist!  

Hollow out pumpkins of various shapes, sizes, and colors. Drill small holes in them to create your designs. Add votive candles and arrange near the front door.

Play scary Halloween sound effects, and horror movie music as the guests arrive.

Have a door prize for the best Halloween costume.

String fishing wire over the buffet table and hang orange paper lanterns. Scatter Halloween confetti over the tablecloth.

Plan a simple party buffet menu.  A variety of soups, salads and sandwiches will make it easy on you and your guests.

Make a graveyard cake for dessert. Cut cookie dough into tombstone shapes and bake. Use icing to write R.I.P. on the cooled cookies and personalize them with guests' names. Stick the tombstones into a chocolate cake to resemble a graveyard.

Create a refreshment station. Fill an aluminum tub with ice, and pack it with all your favorite canned and bottled drinks, and let everyone just grab an go.

Or  give me a call, and let me turn it into a Monster Bash!

My “Five Steps for Creating the Energy for an Outrageously Successful Party,” will provide you with all the necessary ingredients to plan and host memorable events that you and your guests will rave about. Whether you’re planning a fundraiser, grand opening, holiday party or family celebration, let my 30+ years in the party planning and catering business be your guide to hosting an outrageously successful and stress-free event. Order your book today!