The pressure of entertaining is sometimes overwhelming even without the stress of not knowing what to serve or the best way to prepare it.
Here are some tips that I have found to be lifesavers.
Collecting a variety of recipes that you have proven to be tried and true may take some time, but it is the basics of serving your spread with confidence.
Some of my favorite recipes came from friends or family, but be careful if you are not sure of your skill in the kitchen.
The directions to these "family favorites" may be poorly written.
They could be confusing and difficult to follow.
When you are given a recipe read it immediately and clarify any questions.
Magazine recipes are also a good resource because they are usually simple to follow.
Be sure to organize them in a binder or notebook so that you can find them easily when you need them.
As you grow familiar with the items in your food library you will notice a pattern of ingredients that you use for a majority of your dishes.
Make a base shopping list that you can use every time you plan and purchase.
Add the other items to your base list as you create your menu.
This saves time whether you are planning a dinner party, your family's weekly dinner menu, or just buying groceries.
There is a cookbook of hundreds of recipes from some of your favorite restaurants that I enjoy using.
It has some incredibly easy to follow, precise instructions.
I found it in the form of an E-Book.
You can print the items you wish to try and add them to your binder of favorites.
Remember to have a filing system in place to store all your recipes before you collect to many.
You can use the standard main dish, sides, salads, etc.
, or I enjoy putting together a table spread in one file.
The main dish, any sides, breads, and desert go together.
This works especially for special occasion dinners or even a luncheon.
You choose the main dish you wish to serve and everything else is there.