If you’re following me on Twitter, you would know that I had a major shocker last night.
Your day is moving along smoothly without bumps and then it happens. You receive a phone call…
6:30 pm *Phone rings*
Me: “Yo! Watap?”
Tom: “What’s for dinner?”
Me: “I don’t know. Soup?”
Tom: “I bought chicken breasts.”
Me: “Soup and grilled chicken then.”
Tom: “By the way, I have more people interested in my artwork.”
Me: “Cool.”
Tom: “I invited them for dinner at home so that they can view the photographs.”
Me: “Cool. When?”
Tom: “Tonight… At 8pm.”
Me: “Nakakaloka ka, Tom!”
Tom: “Soup and chicken, right?”
As you know, I’m still dealing with some dining table issues, now this. Haaay!
After the initial shock, I immediately got into my hostess mode. Since I love cooking, I love entertaining and because I love Tom, this should be fun and easy. All I need is a bit of help from everyone at home and a glass of wine. Woosah…
6:45 pm I was parking the car when Tom dropped the bomb. On my way up on the elevator, I was thinking already of what to cook for five people.
The menu:
Appetizers:
Spicy sausage
Kalamata olives
Saltine crackers
Starter:
Garden greens salad with Japanese sesame dressing
Main course:
Pasta Primavera
Grilled chicken with lemon butter sauce and capers
Tip: A quick dinner can be as simple as pasta with bottled marinara sauce (both of which can find space in your pantry/cupboard) and some grated parmesan cheese (keep a container in your freezer). Also, chicken is easy to prepare, filling, and great-tasting, so what’s not to love about chicken!
6:40 pm I got home and rounded the troops (read: our helper Liza, our nanny Gina, and Aryanna).
I asked our helper to start chopping the veggies for the pasta and slice the spicy sausages. Yaya Gina spruced up the place while Aryanna helped me set the dining table. After I gave everyone got their “mission”, I spent a few minutes with my darling Dylan.
I set-up one place setting and Aryanna helped me fix the rest of the table setting. Thanks sweetheart!
7:15 pm Tom finally arrived with the chicken breasts. He grilled the chicken, boiled water for the pasta, and had a glass of wine too.
7:30 pm Tom and I played tag team with Dylan — it was his turn to put our baby to bed while I cook the veggies for the pasta and make the lemon butter sauce with the capers for the chicken.
7:50 pm Dressed up the console table for the buffet.
Thank God our four-day old flowers are still presentable.
Tip: Light candles. They add warmth and elegance to the room. Just make sure to blow them out when you leave the room.
Buffet style dinner. Serving a meal buffet style not only offers the hostess convenience but provides the guests with an informal setting with time to mingle and enjoy.
8:00 pm Dinner is ready!
(Photo taken using Instagram)
Can I just say, decluttering the last few weekends at home really paid off. It saved us all time from making our home presentable and leaving more time to cook and alleviated some stress.
Tip: A cleaning routine can make entertaining unexpected guests a possibility rather than a pipe dream.
To get more quick & easy entertaining tips, yummy recipes, and style advice for all occasions, grab a copy of my book “Fashion + Food: Entertaining at Home in Style” (P995) at all National Book Store and Powerbooks branches nationwide.
Life is full of surprises, are you ready for them?