Final Touches: Bonnie McDaniel

BONNIE MCDANIEL

It is my pleasure to introduce our guest blog writer featuring tips on what to wear and do to make you and entertaining look effortless.
Bonnie McDaniel is expert chef, writer, gardener, TV host and now lou lou model! She graciously agreed to do a photo shoot with us featuring holiday looks and entertaining. The moment we met I was inspired to entertain because she brings another meaning to the word; to her it means giving back to and caring for ones you love. Read the prelude to her cook book, Farm Girl in the City and you will see in her own words how much she brings to the table. It has been an early Christmas gift for me to have had the pleasure of working with her this holiday season.

Final Touches

The halls have been decked, the menu set and you are in the final stretch before your guests are set to arrive. All that is left are those important final details, the ones that will make your holiday gathering sparkle, and that includes you. So how do you pull it all off with ease? Here are a few tips that can help you join in the fa-la-la-la-la without becoming a scrooge!

1. Plan what you will wear in advance of the party, and the best way to do that is to leave it to the experts. As one who loves to entertain, one of my least favorite things to do is to spend a lot of time worrying about what to wear. One good way around the worry is to find a clothing store with styles that fit you and have a stylist pull together a couple of good looks for the occasion. Boutiques are my favorite because the personalized service tends to be more in line with what I expect. Also, be sure to have the stylist work in a complete look such as jewelry and accessories, making sure that the clothes are not too fussy and safe to wear around open flames. Long loose sleeves are perhaps not a good choice.

2. After you plan your menu, spread the work over three or four days, and if you have members of the family who can help, get them involved. For instance, if you are baking, prepare the crusts or bread dough at least two days ahead of actual cooking and place in the refrigerator until ready to use. I will also do any chopping of vegetables and place in zip lock bags leaving the actual cooking until the day of. Plan to bake a day before the occasion. Place any meats into marinade a day ahead of time as well. Be sure to pick up floral arrangements a day before the occasion and check table linens and place settings.

3.Schedule to have all food prepared at least two hours before your guests arrive and keep warm, that way leaving plenty of time for getting dressed and not having your clothing smell like food. Typically any food that produces steam is a no-no after you are dressed as the smells will settle into your clothing.

4.Check your tables for any final touches that might be missing such as serving pieces. A good way to do that is to use your menu as a guide for the dishes that will be served.