Desperate Non-Housewife

[cjsmith]

How did I get myself into this?

In two and a half weeks I'm hosting anywhere from thirty to sixty people (RSVP percentage is still low). There will be a lot of "walk around and talk to people" going on as I do not own anywhere near that many chairs. The start time is advertised as 7pm. I have NOT specified pot luck, and it's a bit late to change my tune. There will be wine. That much I know how to do.

WHAT DO I FEED THESE PEOPLE?

I do not "cook". I can make a basic meal, but it ain't party food, and in general it will impress no one. Plus I'd like to be able to enjoy myself; last time I "cooked" for guests I spent all day and evening in the kitchen and merely heard rumors later that others had had a good time. So I'm looking for something requiring no or little or simple preparation, and something that can be fully prepared well ahead of time.

- They'll be mingling and carrying both food and drink. Finger foods?
- Some may arrive as early as 7. Something substantial?
- It'll go on all evening. Foods not requiring heat or chilling?
- There are a LOT of people. Foods I can distribute over several tables throughout the place?

Any ideas meeting these basic criteria are very welcome. :)

edit: Likely closer to 30 people. If all our maybes and nonresponders show, we get 40; if our nonresponders all bring guests, 50 tops.
edit2: The party was billed as an "informal gathering", holiday, no gifts.

Comments

Re: Cooking for Lots

[inflectionpoint.livejournal.com]

I've scanned the comments and they all look pretty reasonable. Good luck with taking on a new challenge. This could be good fun indeed.

I assist at a private party that usually has about twenty folks, and have helped with larger gatherings...

Start with a plan like Noel has outlined. That lets you look at shopping trips - probably one Trader Joes's run, and one run to a grocery store or such.

Then you need to get a better head count, closer to the date of the party. Perhaps two or three days before, so plan final shopping to be done closer to the party. (This is shopping for perishables, things that you won't eat yourself, and extra things. The shopping for things like soda, frozen things that you will eat, if guests don't eat them, dishes and plastic silverware and cups, cookies, etc... can be done earlier. Shopping for cheese, cold cuts, fresh fruit that you are prepping can also be done about a week ahead of time.)

Then the last minute shopping is done two or three days before the party. Figure the head count is about right - some folks will show up without telling you ahead of time, and some may have to cancel. It is likely to even out.

It is useful to plan the shopping trips out like this, because it lets you plan the other things that need doing - vaccuming, tidying, any furniture moving that needs doing, and all that good stuff. Also, planning out the time needed lets you see when and if you need minions to take on part of cleaning, shopping, etc...

If you have minions/partners/elves ask them to assist and tell them what needs doing. It is often good to have a minion who is in charge of kitchen stuff - they can put hot food into the oven, fill trays up, and clear up old platters as they are empty. I wish I could be there to do that, that is actually something I enjoy doing a lot.

Re: Cooking for Lots

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Oo, good planning tips. Thanks. I do have one minion who has basically told me "If you deal with the food I will deal with EVERYTHING ELSE" (and he's making good on it, too). So the cleaning, the furniture repair (I wish I were kidding), the furniture moving, the hiding of clutter, the decorating, the invite/RSVP list, etc are all stuff I don't need to deal with. PHEW!