OK, everyone loves getting invited to a dinner party, right? No cooking, no dishes, only the fun of enjoying a home-cooked meal, some wine and good company. For me personally, it can be the highlight of my weekend, so I always make sure I get invited back by bringing a treat or some flowers for the host or hostess. I enjoy this almost as much as I love entertaining myself and here I offer some tips to make sure you’ve got guests to entertain:

1. Be present: literally!

Plan accordingly, get help or make sure to start on time and you won’t be MIA and get stuck in the kitchen all night where nobody can see you or chat with you. What fun is that?

2. Stand by your dish: no disclaimers!

Once you serve your guests, just smile and make mental notes if it’s not what you wanted or how you intended the dish to turn out. Nobody wants to know what they *could* be having. Most people are happy to be there for the whatever you serve.

3. Let the food speak: no gourmet over-vocabularizing!

If your guests wanted to get the play-by-play gourmet commentary, they would have stayed home to watch the Iron Chef. If your guests won’t notice how fine the wine, at least you will know you’re indulging your friends with the best.

4. Relax! Nobody wants to party with a basket case.

If you’re constantly stressing when people come over to party with you, they will begin to think that it’s such a hassle for you, they’d rather not impose the extra work on their friend. Go for a quick walk or indulge in a (small) treat before the guests arrive. Breathe!

5. Dress to impress; hence “with the mostest”

I love playing the hostess, so I live it up! Nothing is better than feeling like a queen and getting compliments all night. Remember to smile- it’s almost as gorgeous as a cute dress and heels!

6. Keep a clean and cozy space.

Run the vacuum and stock the bathroom with some clean towels. Light a few candles, grab some fresh-cut flowers and voila-you’re ready to party! How easy was that?!!

7. Don’t try this at home.

Either try your gotta-have-it new recipe before the dinner party or stick to something you can rock! If your new dish fails on the first try, points 1-6 will never work out. Keep it simple and you will eliminate extra hassles pre-bash.

8. Finish strong: Light something on fire.

Dim the lights and throw a splash or rum on just about anything, strike a match and you’ve got flambe! (Be careful, please!)

Or, put just about anything in a martini glass, berries with cream, brownie crumbles with a mousse, etc, and you’ve got instant dessert-sex-appeal.

9. Splurge: if you can.

Hire a cleaning lady for the day after for just a few hours while you go to the movies, brunch or the gym. You deserve the treat!

10. Just hire ME!

If you’ve got reinforcements like me and my staff, all you have to do is points 4, 5 and 9!  I eliminate any worries of throwing a fabulous dinner party by taking care of all the details. You know how it is when you entertain; You end up *working* your own party. Let me handle the shopping, cooking, serving and cleaning while you enjoy your guests. I’ll even help come up with fabulous themes and decorations.