How to Host a Themed Dinner

It has always been my dream to live like a van der Woodsen or a Waldorf ever since I watched the Gossip Girl Series. Though I am not that fortunate to inherit the looks, the body and the bank account, I did inherit something much more fulfilling, PERSEVERANCE. To "feel" a little bit like Blair and/or Serena I planned to host a dinner party at my place.

Below is a list of tips and guides based on what i did last weekend for my American-Themed dinner party

Tips:

1. Never bite off more than you can chew - Do not over and under estimate and always make sure you have a plan B (B for Blair.. teehee). Make sure you have resources and location already covered.
2. The Guest List is like the Ten Commandments - Always make sure that you do not commit mistakes when listing the people attending your shindig. One thing I learned when it came to the guest list was to never invite people that makes you scared, insecure, nervous and/or uneasy, it ruins your night and you'll be focusing more on the mistakes rather than enjoying the night with friends and family.
3. Decide on the Theme or Menu at least a week in advance - the theme is important because it sets the mood and the Menu fulfills the mood (teehee). When it comes to the menu, always have a plan B so your world doesn't end when the ingredients fall apart.
4. Clean you Place - have a general cleaning the day before so you won't have to worry about it on the day of the party.
5. Prepare everything at least an hour before - more than an hour everything gets too cold and just in time doesn't leave you enough time to take a shower and prepare yourself.
6. One of the main reason why people don't like to host dinners or party is the clean up - what i did was clean in between. If I'm waiting for something to boil, i cleaned the pots and pans that I already used.
7. One more thing... HAVE FUN... its supposed to be a gathering of friends and family... relax and enjoy.

I found that Carbon (a local market place in Cebu) is the best place to shop for meats and vegetables and pretty much everything else for a steal but if you prefer to get them from big stores like SM, Ayala, Metro Colon or anywhere else then that's fine too as long as you get everything you need.

The MENU

The Burger - Mixed Meat Patty (Beef and Longganiza, salt, pepper and rosemary to taste), Caramelized Onions, Cherry Tomatoes, Button Mushrooms, Lettuce and some Cheese

Sweet Corn (tip to make the corn more sweeter - when boiling the corn add a tablespoon of sugar)

One of the best seller for the night - quartered potatoes boiled, then seared in olive oil, butter, a dash of thyme and flat leaf parsley

Second best seller that night is the Sun Cooler. Orange Juice with sliced real fruits (Watermelon, Orange, Apple and Calamansi) - Mooon Cafe inspired

It was a Fun night and I really felt like one of the characters in Gossip Girl. Check out the blogs below to see how they felt when they got invited to my Elite (ahem) soirée.

http://theunfoldinggene.blogspot.com/2013/09/saturday-night-dinner.html

http://themoxieme.blogspot.com/2013/09/alics-simple-american-themed-dinner.html

Off to my next Adventure... Japanese, French or Zombie.. teehee.. I don't know.. What do you think? Let me know.. :)