Let’s entertain! How to impress your guests without spending a fortune on decor and food.
By Alice Crann Good / Photos by Getty Images & Kate Treick Photography
Despite many of us singing the budget blues these days, it’s still possible to keep holiday spirits soaring by entertaining family and friends at home. A plethora of clever ideas are ripe for the picking this season for decorating and menu planning.
Simply start by shopping your house room by room and thinking outside the box, agree two savvy and creative women — Kaylee Christian, designer/manager of Garden Street Fabrics & Interiors and Jennifer Lowry, owner of Conchitas Personal Chef and Catering LLC.
FLIP THE MOOD SWITCH
Sitting at a long dining table upstairs in her shop’s open loft, Christian explained, “A lot of what you see here is an ever-changing set. It’s not constantly about new items coming in; it’s about moving each piece to another set and refreshing the spaces.”
And that’s what you can do for at-home entertaining, she said.
“To get started in refreshing your space, I would certainly start with your base pieces such as the furniture you’ve got that isn’t going to leave that space,” Christian said. “By just maneuvering those pieces around in different places, you can refresh the space.”
You can also move pieces from one room to another. For example, if you have a long bench in the foyer, move it into the living room for more seating. The same goes for accent chairs, ottomans, poufs and pillows — whether it’s for indoor or outdoor entertaining.
“Just see what fits and works,” Christian said. “Then add accessories, versatile pieces.”
For instance, Christian picks up a large rattan tray with a seagrass base and explains how it can be used as a table centerpiece with Luminara flameless candles, which can be made of real wax, plastic and other materials.
Garden Street Fabrics & Interiors has a great assortment of regular candles and Luminaras — tapers, pillars, votives, etc. Two of the most popular Luminaras are the real wax birch bark and fern designs because they are great for all occasions and seasons when decorating.
“You don’t have to worry about fire or dripping wax with a Luminara candle, and the timer allows the candle to stay on for hours until you change it,” Christian said. “Candles overall are one way to provide lighting and a lovely ambiance.”
Another inexpensive and enlightening Christian suggestion: Use a mirror you already have as the base for candles. It’s literally brilliant.
Sitting in front of swatches of exquisite fabrics, Christian offers more food for thought: Enhance the color scheme and tone of your gathering with a tablescape that complements your theme.
“You can select an affordable fabric for tablecloths, runners and napkins,” she added. “And you can also get them embroidered.”
Also, think of durability and ease of cleaning.
“The key factor in all of the ideas for sticking to your budget is versatility, what you can use over and over or in a different way,” Christian said.
To stress her point about versatility, Christian points to what she calls “the bunny rabbit branch bowl” that consistently grabs customers’ attention. The brass-finished, 21-inch-tall, English garden branch bowl from the Eric and Eloise Collection is a whimsical piece that makes a stunning centerpiece for every occasion. The bunny ears hold the bowl up, allowing you to fill it with whatever suits you — greenery and flowers from your garden, fruit, nuts, candy, ornaments, etc.
“We fill the bowl with candy or use it for a live floral arrangement,” Christian said. “It’s great for fruit and all types of arrangements.”
Moving to some shelves of haute home accessories, Christian picks up a black and white striped box.
“The natural bone boxes are some of our favorites, a nice touch for any area,” she said. “These small pieces can also make a big difference because you can stack them and use them in many ways — to hold nuts or candy, cocktail napkins and even smaller serving ware.”
Take inventory and shop your house first, but if you don’t have what you need, consider investing in a few “versatile pieces that won’t break the bank,” Christian suggested. Start by visiting shops that specialize in interior design and home accessories. It doesn’t cost a cent to look for ideas.
“We are happy to be your inspiration,” Christian said.
BE A FRUGAL FOODIE
Whether she’s prepping for open-fire cooking, creating hors d’oeuvre or sushi displays, charcuterie graze tables, pans of paella or wheel cakes for elaborate or simple events, food artist/designer Lowry knows how to serve an abundance of delicious fare with little dough.
“People have the misconception that a dinner party means purchasing expensive groceries, but it’s not true,” Lowry said. “You don’t have to have the high-priced tenderloin and filets. There are so many other choices that are affordable such as lamb, pork, chicken and turkey.
“For example, if you like lamb, do not buy the already-cut lamb lollipops, they are always more expensive. Buy the whole lamb loin and cut it yourself.”
Lowry says the same goes for a dinner-party favorite, boneless pork loin.
“If you slice it thin, you should get about 50 slices.”
Learning how to “stretch” every food item is key to stretching your menu budget.
“Charcuterie is a big trend right now,” Lowry said. “But when you buy whole pieces of Genoa salami, pepperoni and ham, you can cut it yourself. Cut the slices in half or even into quarters. Do the same with inexpensive blocks of cheese, such as cheddar and Swiss, and even with bread and crackers.”
When it comes to cans/jars of olives, pickles and marinated items, you should keep them stocked in the pantry because they practically last forever, Lowry insists. This allows you to “get creative and make your own bruschetta” with different toppings.
And avoid buying expensive pre-cut veggies and fruits commonly found at grocery stores. Instead, start thinking about the seasons and seasonal produce, Lowry strongly advises. When you do this, you can easily prepare all types of budget-friendly sauces, soups, stews and various dishes using vegetables and fruits available at local farmers’ markets.
“Pay attention to farmers’ markets and when their fresh shipments of veggies, fruits and herbs arrive,” Lowry said. “Farmers’ markets offer the best fresh products of the season, and many have calendars on their websites showing you what’s in and what’s coming.
“I use the calendar on Baily’s Produce & Nursery website all the time and love seeing the full schedule for the year,” Lowry said.
Once you do that, “get creative,” added the inventive chef, whose ancestry is a blend of Mexican, Salvadorian and Filipino.
“For instance, you see squash everywhere this time of year. Do you know how many ways you can use spaghetti squash? —Many!”
Yes, indeed. Spaghetti squash is a hot topic among foodies. This healthy squash with a mellow flavor is used for oodles of recipes because it can resemble noodles. It’s frequently used as a substitute for pasta. And if you are cooking for vegans and vegetarians, you’ll feel the love.
Lowry has a bottomless supply of cost-saving ideas and says you can too by visiting local farmers’ markets, using recipe generator apps, and chatting with others who love to cook —and even learning about the ecosystem right outside your door.
“Many people have gardens and grow hibiscus,” Lowry said. “Did you know you can eat hibiscus?”
Lowry is in step with culinary celeb Martha Stewart, giving hibiscus superfood status. Hibiscus is sweet and nutritious; you can eat the flowers from the plant or use them for teas, jams, relishes and as a garnish. Some fans even candy the petals for decadent desserts and use them for sorbets.
After you have fine-tuned your ideas and methods, whatever you decide to prepare, simply serve it family style, Lowry recommends.
“When you do it family style, you put all of the food on platters on the table and let each guest serve themself.”
Remember, family style typically means low stress for the host/hostess and is perfect for more casual and intimate settings.
And, says Lowry, family style has a low-budget reputation.
