Prepping Your Kitchen For A Party - Inviting Atmosphere in Your Kitchen

Party
Source: Moyan Brenn, cc-by-3.0, flickr

The hub of any dinner party or social gathering in your home is the kitchen.  From prep work to clean up, the kitchen is where all the action happens.  You’ll want to be prepared and organized, so here are some simple ideas to help you get your kitchen in tip-top shape for your next celebration or get together:

Before your party, deep clean the kitchen. You’ll feel more comfortable allowing guests in the kitchen if the room is clean and inviting. Doing food prep in a clean kitchen will also help you stay on track and lower your anxiety level as you prepare. What does deep cleaning mean? Start with scrubbing the countertops and floors and cleaning out the refrigerator.  If you have more time you can clean cabinets, organize the pantry and do other tasks that will make your kitchen sparkle.   If you don’t have time to do the deep cleaning yourself, consider hiring someone to do it for you. 

Create an inviting atmosphere in your kitchen by displaying fresh flowers, playing light music and lighting candles.  While you probably won’t be entertaining in the kitchen for the entire event, you’ll want your kitchen to give off the vibe to your guests that they are welcome and you are glad they are there.  These little extras in the kitchen will add a lot to the overall ambience of your gathering.

If possible, prepare food ahead of time.  Dishes that can be easily frozen and warmed up on the day of your party are ideal as you can make them several weeks in advance.  Be sure to shop for food a few days before and double check that you have all of the necessary ingredients for your recipes.  Put components for each dish together so you won’t be pulling items from all over your kitchen when you start to cook and prep.

Make sure you have enough dishes, utensils, glasses etc.  Set out dishware, including serving dishes, a day in advance to ensure that you you aren’t missing something and that the dishes are clean and all set to be used for your party.  Putting everything out beforehand, means you won’t be scrambling at the last minute to get a dish ready to serve to your guests.

If you’re still in the kitchen when guests arrive, they will want to join you.  One way to set up your kitchen for guests is to add a few extra chairs or bar stools.   You could also consider setting up a bar where guests can make a drink or enjoy an appetizer while they chat with you.

Let guests help if they ask.  You may be tempted to tell them you are fine and don’t need help in the kitchen, but don’t. They wouldn’t ask if they didn’t want to lend a hand.  Give guests easy tasks like plating food, picking out music or filling drinking glasses.

Having your kitchen ready to go before your party will lower your hostess stress level and will allow you to make delicious dishes your friends and family will love.  Your guests will feel welcome and you’ll feel relaxed as you enjoy time together. 

Written by Darla, a mother of four, fitness enthusiast, cookbook collector and freelance writer for Cabinet Coatings.  Other writing topics include family finances, parenting and health.