Hosting a Christmas Dinner Party

Every year my friends and I have a Christmas meal together and this year it's my turn. Que carefully planned preparation. ... except it isn't like that at all which is why I have prepared this handy guide to getting round the kitchen with ease for those parties that I'm am sure you will be having!

It's always a good idea to sit down before and plan. Make a list of all the food you will need and when you are going to prepare and cook the meal. Luckily I have the day off before our meal so will be doing a ton of prep work and pre-cooking to help me out before the main event. If you don't have the whole day off then try and do bits in stages when you are free in the evening. I have also enlisted the help of my friends as feeding for thirteen is no easy task and not particularly cheap either! One couple are bringing desserts, whilst another are bringing carrots, another tray of potatoes and a big, fat meaty bird to add to the 3 others that I have cooked. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it!

To make sure I get all my timings right I have created a grid so I know how long everything needs to be cooked for. I need it to be all ready to go at the same time so this should help. How much do you want to bet that I still have to microwave something though?!

If you are having a dinner party for anyone over 4 people then it might be an idea to make a seating plan. Seating plan politics are not something that you should take on lightly. I spent a LONG time trying to seat everyone and opted for the separate the couples option which should enable people to break out of their comfort zones a little bit and be paired with new people for the games,

Speaking of games, it is always fun to have a few lined up. We normally tend to play Taboo, Cards against Humanity and Heads Up when we get together and they are always competitive! This year I've also bought some really brilliant Dinner Party Napkins which have games like battleships and drawing activities printed on them - you can get them here. Try and think of a few games to play after the main meal and before dessert.

Create your playlist for the evening. As it's Christmas this was particularly easy for me as I already have one on my Spotify ready to go each year. It includes old classics, choir pieces and some pop songs too. A Spaceman came travelling is my favourite Christmas song.

Decorate the house! Try and fill it with messages of goodwill and fortune and the odd piece of tinsel. We will be eating in our Kitchen/Dining Room which currently isn't particularly festive so I will be hanging a few homemade snowflakes from the ceiling and stringing up some garlands.

Remember not to stress. At the end of the day if you ply your guests with enough drink they won't care anyway! Cheers!

C x