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![TMCNet: An expert tells how to throw a holiday party for $100 [Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas]](http://images.tmcnet.com/siteart/invisible.gif)
An expert tells how to throw a holiday party for $100 [Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas]
(Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Dec. 1--We know: Money is tight this year.
And in this bleak economy, we felt a little funny about writing the traditional holiday party story. Because really, who has the spare cash for all those festive recipes, fancy decorations and lavish displays of holiday joy?
So we decided to go a little micro: This year, we offer ideas you might actually be able to afford. Because really, the holidays are made for celebrating with your favorite people. And you should be able to do it without cashing out your 401(k).
So. Here's the plan. Let's say you have $100. Is there any way you can spruce up your place, decorate for the season and invite friends over for a dinner bash?
Absolutely.
We asked Fort Worth event planner Melinda Massie to come up with a plan for a $100 dinner party. Yes, it's a far cry from the spectacular events that she's used to planning, but she took the challenge and came up with ideas for decor, drinks and dinner that'll set you back about a hundred bucks.
No, a $100 dinner party won't be a luxe affair with fine wine, multiple courses and a string quartet playing in the corner. But Massie says there's a difference between "inexpensive and elegant" and "cheap and cheesy," and it's all about finding that line (and staying on the right side of it). Here are her suggestions for a fun, casual dinner party that won't wreck your bank balance.
Invitations: Free
This type of party is bound to be casual, so Evites or Facebook invitations are fine. So is e-mail.
Entertainment: Free
Thanks to the wonders of technology, entertainment is free and easy. Tune into a satellite cable music channel, call up Pandora online ( www.pandora.com) or let your MP3 player do the work: Make your own playlist, hit play and don't worry about it again.
Decor: $25
The key to inexpensive decorating, Massie says, is to use what you have, adding a few inexpensive pieces as needed. Some suggestions:
1Cover your table.
Instead of a fancy tablecloth, find pretty wrapping paper and wrap the tabletop. Fold the corners just like you would on a box, then tape. (If you want, you place a large ribbon down the center of the table and tape it in place as a runner.)
Cost: $5 for 175-square-foot roll of wrapping paper.
2Build an easy centerpiece.
Gather all the glass containers you can find in your house -- glasses, bowls, vases, etc. -- and fill each with water and a small floating candle. If you wish, use a few drops of food coloring and tint the water to match your decor. You can place the containers all over the room or group them together as a centerpiece.
Cost: $6 for package of 20 floating candles.
3Add flowers, if you'd like.
If you'd rather have a floral centerpiece, don't feel you have to buy a big bundle of expensive blooms. Instead, buy just a few stems in a single color for an elegant, uniform look. (To coordinate with her blue table cover, Massie bought some white carnations and a handful of white gerbera daisies.) Display each bloom separately in its own bud vase or small glass -- whichever containers you already have. Arrange with a few votive candles to create a centerpiece that looks more luxe than it is.
Cost: $13 for a dozen flowers, $6 for small box of votive candles.
4Set the table.
If the table looks empty, go ahead and set it for dining. All those plates and glasses will make the table seem more full and finished.
Cost: free.
5Arrange things elegantly.
If you set up a buffet, make it visually appealing by placing the dishes at different heights. Here's how: flip over a few bowls to use as pedestals for some of the platters and serving dishes. It'll look more professional.
Cost: free.
Dinner: $33
It's easy to get carried away with food. If you don't watch yourself, you can choose recipes with too many ingredients that you don't have, offer too many buffet options or try to impress your guests with a complicated multicourse menu.
There's no need for that, Massie says. Just focus on good, full flavors. Use seasonal produce that's most affordable. And do a little math to figure out whether it's cheaper to buy something pre-made or to make it from scratch.
What to serve? Comfort foods are trendy right now -- and lucky for us, they're often inexpensive. Here are some options Massie came up with and what they cost to make:
Bruschetta appetizer
Bruschetta is a tasty appetizer that looks more expensive than it is. A variation Massie likes to serve: bruschetta with gorgonzola cheese.
Cut a baguette into slices, brush lightly with olive oil and toast in the oven until the bread is light golden and crisp (about 10 minutes at 400 degrees). Top each slice with a bit of gorgonzola cheese and bake until the cheese is melted (about 3 minutes). Drizzle a little honey over each slice, add some chopped walnuts and serve immediately.
Cost: about $10
Soup bar main course
A "serve yourself" dinner is casual and fun, and it means less stress (and less cost) for you. Try a build-your-own-soup bar. According to Massie, this soup recipe will stretch, especially if you offer multiple add-ins.
Start with the basic soup, a blend of beans and tomatoes:
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes (or use a 28-ounce can)
1 32-ounce container low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained
2 bay leaves
Spices to taste (try Italian blend seasoning)
1 bag frozen green beans
Salt and pepper
In large soup pot, bring tomatoes, juice and all, to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth, cannellini beans, red kidney beans, bay leaves and spices. Return to a simmer. Add green beans and simmer for 3 minutes longer or until green beans are cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6 to 8. Cost to make soup alone: about $8
Add-ins: Once the soup is ready for serving, set out additions for a soup bar. Guests can add pasta, browned hamburger, rice or barley; Massie says the soup is good served over mashed potatoes, too. Cost: about $5 for pasta, meat and rice (cost will vary depending on add-ins you choose).
Total cost: $13
If you have a favorite chili recipe, try a chili bar. Serve up bowls of chili, then offer guests an assortment of toppings -- cheese, corn chips, sour cream, jalapenos, whatever you like. You can do the same thing with mashed potatoes and assorted toppings.
Dessert
Massie says it's easy to make a dessert that looks and tastes far more expensive than it is. One of her favorites:
Wine-marinated pears
Serves 4-6
3 ripe medium pears, peeled and sliced
3/4 cup pinot noir (Massie uses Barefoot wine, $6-$7 a bottle)
1/4 cup sugar
A few dashes ground cinnamon
A few dashes pumpkin-pie spice
1. Place pears in a large bowl. For marinade, in a medium saucepan combine the wine, sugar and cinnamon. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
2. Pour the marinade over pears and stir gently to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. To serve, spoon pears and marinade into dessert
dishes.
If you wish, serve pears over ice cream, waffles, crepes or pancakes.
Total cost: about $10 for ingredients, assuming you already have the sugar and cinnamon
Pumpkin mousse
Massie makes a delicious concoction that involves heavy cream and superfine sugar; it's about $14 for six servings. Here's a less-expensive version of the same creamy dessert. We garnished it with wafer-thin gingersnaps to add texture and flavor. Serves 6.
1 box (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice or ground cinnamon
2/3 cup (5-ounce can) Carnation Evaporated Fat-Free Milk
1 cup Libby's canned pumpkin
1 1/2 cups thawed fat-free frozen whipped topping
1. Combine pudding mix and pie spice in medium bowl. With whisk, add evaporated milk; mix until well blended. Add pumpkin; mix well. Gently fold whipped topping into pudding mixture.
2. Spoon into serving dishes. Top with additional whipped topping and pie spice if desired. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate.
-- Nestle/Libby's Pure Pumpkin
Total cost: about $8 for ingredients and gingersnaps
Drinks: $40 (or whatever you've got left)
1. Offer water and iced tea with everything.
2. If the rest of the meal -- or the hour -- seems to call for it, have coffee on hand, and maybe some hot teas.
3. Figure out how much money is left in your budget, then use it for beer and wine or other drinks. It's perfectly acceptable, Massie says, to offer a single specialty cocktail; guests may bring their own drinks if they'd like something different.
4. Serve a nonalcoholic punch that can be spiced up with champagne or vodka. Nondrinkers and designated drivers can enjoy the punch before it's spiked.
If you want to offer a signature cocktail, search Google for a recipe that doesn't require too many ingredients. Try this recipe for pineapple limeade, from Massie. It serves about 16.
Pineapple limeade
1 2-liter bottle lemon-lime soda (7Up or Sprite)
1 1/2 46-ounce cans pineapple juice
2 8-ounce bottles lime juice
Combine ingredients and serve well chilled.
Note: You can add champagne or vodka to this mix to taste. Pre-mix a batch with alcohol, let your guests mix their own cocktails, or put someone in charge of mixing up drinks.
5. What to buy? Massie's suggestions for inexpensive options that don't taste cheap.
Wine: Find wine that's on sale. And if you need a large amount, it's OK to use a boxed wine. Black Box wines and Target's Wine Cubes aren't bad. Just transfer the wine into another container -- a pretty decanter, if you have one -- and no one will know or care that it came from a box.
Vodka: Try Monopolowa, about $12 for a 750 milliliter bottle; it mixes well into punch.
Sparkling wine: Cristalino Cava Brut; it's usually priced less than $10. Always look at prosecco and cava -- they are often "excellent, reasonably priced options for bubbly," Massie says.
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Event planner Melinda Massie, who accepted our $100 challenge with the enthusiasm of a reality-show contestant, is the owner of Melinda Massie Events and Consulting in Fort Worth. 682-365-1641; www.melindamassie.com. (If your budget's a little more than $100, she still has some openings for holiday parties. Call for details.)
ALYSON WARD, 817-390-7988
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Copyright (c) 2009, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas
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