Kitchen

[feline groovy]

To answer your question, 'Cat:

Nope; I don't entertain often... actually, never. 

I guess it's just not one of my natural traits.

Meeting up somewhere to chat, walk, hike, eat, have a cuppa, etc. is more my style.

I know you're a born introvert like I am, so I initially found this surprising.

But I think that since one of the enjoyable ways of showing you care is to cook/bake, entertaining a bunch of people is just a form of expressing it.  8)

[debic]

So far I still really enjoy it.   Don't do it often anymore now that we live so far away.   I love holiday cooking as it gives me an excuse to do elaborate cooking, even if it's just for my husband and I.   

[house_cat]

Actually, Feline Groovy, I did bathe the dog!  I didn't furminate the cat, because last time I tried it didn't go well.  I thought having blood in the food I was serving might be a turn-off!  I set her up in the bedroom with the door closed. Setting a table with her around is more of a challenge than I could handle.

[HB glamma]

I love to entertain mostly because I love planning and serving beautiful food dishes BUT the high cost of food these days really has become an issue and entertaining at home has just about stopped. Combine that with all the work, just as you listed the steps, house-cat (I would be the same way...about 3 days of work!)  and it isn't worth it anymore.  Less fun to go out, but it's less work on this aging body and less costly!

[Mominohio]

---

@house_cat wrote:

I'm hosting a luncheon for five friends today. Lunch and brunch are my favorites. There will be six of us, including me.  It sounded so simple, but turned out not to be.  That's probably because I'm a fuss-budget when it comes to food.

I spent all day Monday cleaning.

I spent all day Tuesday shopping and cooking.

I'll spend all morning today doing last minute preparations and all afternoon hosting and all evening cleaning up.

I love to do it, but it always surprises me how much work is involved. When I had a young family, I hosted parties very frequently and didn't think twice about it.

I guess I'm just old.

Do you entertain often?

What's your favorite type of gathering to host?

---

I haven't read all the replies yet, but I do have to say that I agree about the work. 

I only entertain a few times a year, and I feel like a simple lunch with family takes weeks to get ready for, and like you, I'm quite the fuss budget as well. And we have a very large property to ready for company. I like everything to be perfect, but with 5 acres, three drives to maintain, and a big pond, it can be quite and undertaking.

That said, there is nothing like getting together at friends and loved one's homes. I have one friend and a couple of cousins that pretty much only meet in restaurants for our visits, and while I enjoy them, it isn't as wonderful or memorable as when I get together with people in their home or mine. 

Having get togethers at a home says, to me, that people are making more of an effort, and care to share on a deeper level, themselves and their lives, compared to those relationships that are always just in public places.

I always feel more special, and work to make people feel more special when entertaining at home. Just something about it that isn't replaceable.

[PamelaSue72]

Yeah, it can be a pain, esp as we get older. But I still love to invite people in for dinner and to have pool parties in the summer. It's so much more comfortable to have people here for dinner than to have to go to a restaurant. We sit out by the pool and relax. We do a lot of picnics and BBQs during the summer.

I love everything about entertaining....choosing dishes to serve, doing the cooking (I just love to cook), and just being around my friends. Yeah, the cleaning isn't fun, but I don't go overboard with my cleaning too much; I clean regularly as it is, so it's not a big deal. 

Even during the winter months, I can always find some excuse to have friends in for dinner. Although we're not outside, we can still find an excuse to party. Sometimes, depending on what's going on, everybody will bring a dish to share, but sometimes I will cook, just because I like it. One of my best GFs will often come in to cook with me as dinner prep. I even enjoy that. 

We really don't go to restaurants that often anymore. It's really not worth it to us.

[AuntG]

It takes a lot of confidence to entertain successfully. I'm one who frets about things so I'm glad I married into a family that is very informal. DH has a large family, so we stick to potlucks and eat off of paper plates. I can remember that as a child, we always ate off of the good china when we had company over.

[shoekitty]

I hate entertaining, just hate it.  I love hearing from those who love it, because that is probably the way it should be.  In my job at the museum we were always in charge of art shows, kids arts programs, tours, and Victorian teas and Christmas events and events at the MUseum.  Everything involved food and decorations..  Of course the City could afford little, so us employees did everything,  The planning, invitations, shopping, meal planning, and the dang elaborate decorations.  Then as head of our church women's steering committee. it was always the women's events.  Fashion Shows, dinners, luncheons, teas, boutiques. Deep sigh and whew!

I am a perfectionist, so it is hard. Nothing is easy, or perfect enough.  I was so burnt out.  When I had family for Christmas Day it was paper plates and a buffet.  The food would be good but the presentation really left a lot to be desired.  In the last 15 years I fly into a panic at the thought of Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.  No, I do not like it.  Love the people, hate the work, shopping and preparations!!

One of the best things in the last 15 years is having a house cleaner service.  At least the house is clean and ready.  Before I would be in tears, because my house was always messy.  I took care of grands, worked and also had a seasonal business. and my home was neglected.  I had to have everything perfect, and it took days and late nights to prepare.  It shouldn't be that way

I envy people who are so talented and at ease cooking and entertaining!