Lunch Entertaining Over the Holidays

This is also a great way to polish your hostessing skills before you move on to organizing bigger parties.

Everything about pulling a lunch together is easier than a dinner. While you might feel like you have to send invitations out for a dinner a phone call is more than appropriate for a lunch. How many people are you going to invite? Well how many people will fit around your table. If your table only fits 6 then there is your answer. You are not trying to fill the room with people but have a more intimate time where you can truly talk.

You have so many options of where you could have your lunch. If the weather is fine then why not outside. It could be in your kitchen or you could more your table to another part of the house. If you have a spectacular view then place the table in front of a window where you could enjoy that view. 

Even if you are serving the most casual of meals your table should look spectacular. Have some fun with this. Pick a theme if you would like to or at least a color that you would like to decorate your table around. Do you want this lunch to be formal and elegant or fun and casual, or maybe something in between. 

If you can, set up your table the night before so you will not have to rush that day. Make sure your table cloth or place-mats and napkins are ironed. You can go casual with a checkered cloth or formal with a white one. 

What ever you decide the style should be consistent on the table. It won't look good if you have cut glass crystal goblets but are eating off inexpensive heavy ironstone. That being said it doesn't have to look stuffy. 

If it is your personality go wild with strong colors in your linens and plates. You can layer your table ware with a charger under your main plate. The nice thing about doing this is that you could have your main plate in the kitchen ready to be plated and the table will not look bare as the charger will be on it. Any over sized plate can be used as a charger.

It is always nice to have some sort of arrangement in the center of the table but it doesn't have to be flowers. You could use fruits or vegetables as a center peice or something that fits in with the holiday, colored eggs at Easter, pumpkin at Halloween and Thanksgiving or a glass bowl filled with glass ornaments at Christmas. 

Unless it is extraordinarily dark you really should never put candles on a lunch table it might be decorative but it doesn't make much sense.

One common mistake people make is they first start to entertain is they offer way to much food. These days people prefer to eat light. Make sure you know what everyone food allergies are. You might even ask when you call them during the invitation. If you have an idea in mind what you wanted to serve you could ask, "Are you allergic to any seafood?'. Sometimes it is better to be specific then ask the general question, is there anything you are allergic to .

I personally never offer wine or alcohol at lunch because my friends have to drive to my home and I don't want there to be any problem for them getting behind the wheel of a car to leave.  I do offer different types of drinks, still water, sparkling water and a interesting juice like pomegranate or white cranberry and tea or coffee to finish.

It is nice to be able to offer your guest something just to nibble on as you are in the kitchen making final preparations. Bread sticks are great for this as people know what they are and they now come in some many interesting shapes and tastes.

To have the whole meal pre-prepared is great, that means there will be no panic on your part and will make a more relaxing lunch for everyone. Main course salads are ideal for this as you don't have to worry about keeping everything hot. You could do grilled or flavored, shrimp, sliced steak or sliced chicken on a mixed bed of salad. Individual servings of potted pies, Sheppard's pie, or some other dish that can be cooked and served restaurant style.

Dessert can be as easy as an interesting ice cream served in a dish with a biscuit, something store bought or an home made treat that you plated and garnished with a strawberry or a squiggle of chocolate. 

Finish your meal with a great cup of coffee and you will have entertained almost effortlessly but with a style your friends won't soon forget.