Tips For The Harried Hostess (or Host)

Have you thought of throwing a cocktail party, but then said "Eh, too much work," and canned the idea? Well, the time to entertain has come! Find a copy of Good Housekeeping's Appetizer Book (1958, The Hearst Corporation and, yes, those are appetizers sticking out of a candle on the cover), because it has ideas so easy you never even need to turn on a burner, much less the oven!

No serving platter? No problem! Stick your appetizers in a lit candle! It's food AND mood lighting!

(Practically) everyone loves a seafood cocktail! Go bohemian and serve it in the living room! These sauces are all pretty darned quick and easy, but for the truly time pressed, see the final suggestion.

Here's another eccentric serving suggestion for your seafood cocktail - spear shrimp and arrange whimsically around a basket!

For the seafood-abstainers on your guest list, here's an intriguing appetizer from the "slimming" section of the book. I'd never equated canned meat with dieting before.

If you've ever thought you were too much of a kitchen klutz to create adorable raw veggies, Susan is here to show you differently. Don't forget the perky watercress!

Perfect for spearing and sticking into a candle!

With tips like these I'm sure you'll see just how easy it can be to throw a party guests will discuss for weeks! Batch up the martinis ahead of time by the pitcherful and they may even eat!

Door Knock Cocktails

Does anyone else remember the TV show Door Knock Dinners, where Gordon Elliott and a chef would show up at some unsuspecting person's home and the chef would make dinner using only ingredients that the homeowner had on hand? I loved that show! It was such an inspiration, not only for taking a second look at your pantry, but for seeing the items you already have in a whole new way. There are many lists available online for suggested pantry ingredients to keep on hand although, sadly, Door Knock Dinners is no more. Gordon Elliott and the chef du jour may not show up at your house ready to whip up a meal, but a well-stocked pantry means that you'll always be prepared to throw dinner together.

However, what about your liquor pantry? Suppose you've invited a few friends for drinks, but one requests a Martini and you have no gin? You don't need dozens of bottles of hooch to offer a wide selection of lovely libations! By keeping these items stocked you'll be prepared to make many of the classics and you can expand your collection as you discover new liquors that strike your fancy!

The Basics

Gin 

A blended whiskey

Brandy

A light or amber rum

A silver or gold tequila

Vodka

Mixers

Fresh limes

Dry vermouth 

A nice orange liqueur

Simple syrup

Club soda

With the above you can make Martinis, Sidecars, Daiquiris, Margaritas and all kinds of sours and highballs! Add wine and you'll have sangrias and spritzers in your arsenal as well, not to mention the many variations on the French 75 if you have champagne! And, the more juices you keep on hand, the more you can play! As you add new liquors and liqueurs to your collection you'll find that your choices grow exponentially! But, with just these items available, you'll have plenty of choices to please just about any visitor to your home and keep yourself in lovely libations for quite a while! Bottoms up!

The world of liquor is your oyster!