Forgive my lack of posting last week...the parties took over completely. Two huge, smashing successes in a row!
I had several people ask, "Are you crazy? Two major parties, back-to-back, how can you do it??"
The secret is all in the planning...oh and having really good girlfriends too. All of the appetizers were all make-ahead friendly, and spending a few hours each day preparing things helps tremendously on "game day". Tom is above-and-beyond helpful also. He draws the line at making meatballs, but he's happy to do anything else that's necessary.
I decorate the buffets the night before and put sticky-notes everywhere designating where the food trays will go. This is so helpful when others are helping you during the final prep hour, it's a cinch to see where everything goes and also easier for those assisting you.
I like my buffets to be multi-level. It looks so much nicer and it's a snap to do.
I use small remnants of Halloween fabrics wrapped around large mixing bowls (upside down) or over 9 x 13 baking dishes (upside down) and affix the tray of food to the fabric with duct tape rolls underneath for stability. Cake stands are terrific for this also.
One almost fatal snafu I encountered this weekend was the lack of available Sterno canned fuel in our area. Not sure why, but 6 stores were sold out of the stuff which is a must-have for chafing dishes. Finally, five minutes before they closed--Mary made it to the rental center where we'd rented our chairs. They hooked her up with a case of Sterno and we were back in business!
Those faces are worth every ounce of effort we put into it~!
Happy Halloween To All~!
