The Ultimate Holiday Party Planner

Every host worries about the success of their party, but planning you can take your guests back the more nostalgic time with music, games, and mixed drinks for a great party!

Set the mood of your party by creating a romantic environment with candles. For entertainment clear room for a dance floor to encourage guest to dance by making sure you get on the dance floor first. For those quests that need a TV on, feature the movie White Christmas and provide movie snacks around the TV.

Remember, the Food doesn’t need to be fancy, if you’re working within a set budget ask a few friends to co-host. Have them bring their favorite appetizers or beverages to cut down on some of the cost.

Set aside an area for a bar and appetizer table. Use a tablecloth for the appetizer table and provide small plates and napkins. If you’re not sure how a cocktail party should work, I recommend you watch White Christmas. There’s a great cocktail party scene in the movie that will give you some ideas on how to mingle and set up.

One thing that is a must is a good bar area. To estimate the quantity of beverages you need, multiply 2.5 drinks per person by the number of hours you plan to hold the party.

To create a bar area you’ll need the following:

• Pre-mix your alcoholic drinks – I like to store mine in pitchers cooled with ice made from the mixer. Most mixers have the drink recipes on the label so just follow directions.

Great drinks to pre make are:

Bloody Marys

Whiskey Sours

Cosmopolitans

Hot Apple Cider – Virgin Drink

• Beer, Wine, and pop will round off the drinks you can offer
• Use the smaller plastic bar cups to convince your guest they’re drinking more than they are
• If you don’t have an icemaker, you will have to buy ice

Cut your party costs by having your event after the normal dinnertime, instead have appetizers so that guest can mingle while they munch. Here are some of my favorite and easiest appetizers to make. All you will then need is dips, precut vegetables, crackers, and tortilla chips! Here are a few of my favorite and easiest dip recipes.

This is my favorite Hot Crab Dip. Thank you Old Bay for creating a Crab Dip recipe I can make in my sleep! I make mine in a small crock-pot to stay heated all night!

Old Bay Crab Hot Dip

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded and divided

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 teaspoons OLD BAY® Seasoning

1-teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Mustard

2 – 6oz cans of crabmeat well drained

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F
2. Mix half of the cheese, mayo, OLD BAY, Worcestershire sauce and ground mustard until well blended. Gently stir in crabmeat
3. Spoon mixture into 1-quart casserole Sprinkle with remaining cheese and a dash of OLD BAY
4. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until dip begins to bubble around edges
5. Serve hot with assorted crackers or pita chips

Velveeta is a great base for a variety of Dips that will not bankrupt you when you make them. Here are two of my favorites.

Velveeta Spanish Dip

Makes 3 cups

Ingredients:

1- 16 oz. package of VELVEETA, cut into small cubes

1 -10 oz. can of RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies – don’t drain the juice!

Directions:

1. Combine the ingredients in microwaveable bowl.

2. MICROWAVE on HIGH 3 min

3. Stir after 3 min. and Microwave another 2 minutes or until VELVEETA is completely melted

This as dip you can also serve with assorted cut-up fresh vegetables! To turn it into a heartier version by adding 1/2 lb. of cooked, crumbled, and well-drained pork sausage.

Velveeta Chili Cheese Dip

Makes 3 cups

Ingredients:

1 lb. VELVEETA, cut into small cubes

1 -15 oz. can of Chili with or without beans (I like the Hormel Brand for this dip!)

Directions:

1. Combine VELVEETA and canned Chili in microwaveable bowl.

2. MICROWAVE on HIGH 3 min

3. Stir after 3 min. and Microwave another 2 minutes or until VELVEETA is melted

Music an important part of any party, it sets the mood and dancing is a great form of entertainment. The best thing about these recommended CDs is that the majority of these songs slow dances!

Bing Crosby/Rosemary Clooney & Friends – This CD is a great way to take people back to a simpler holiday time.

Favorite Songs on CD

1. White Christmas – What can you say about this song. It’s become a Christmas tradition
2. The Christmas Song – Chestnuts, Jack Frost, and Christmas carols what more can you want
3. Good King Wenceslas – I love this version! It has ALL the stanzas
4. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – The way this song should be sung
5. That Christmas Feeling – A very 50’s song sung by Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney. Listen to it and you’ll feel that you’ve gone back in time.

Christmas with the Rat Pack is packed with song sung by Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Frank Sinatra. Traditional Holiday and Christmas Music sung with a smoothness that will take your party back to a more mellow time. This CD also has a live version of Auld Lang Syne for New Year’s Eve sung by Frank and Dean!

Favorite Songs on CD – This CD has so many great songs that I’m only going to list my top three favorites.

1. Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer – You haven’t heard this song until you hear Dean Martin sing it!
2. The Christmas Waltz – This is Frank’s signature Christmas song a must for any party!
3. Jingle Bells – This is the hippest version I have ever heard with the vocals of Sammy rocking us with the sleigh song!

For those of you how would like some spiritual blues music for the evening I highly recommend the CD Christmas with Mahalia Jackson. She was one of the greatest blues singers of her time and this album is a great example of how

Spiritual music is also an art form.

Favorite Songs on CD

1. Can Put My Trust in Jesus
2. He’s My Light
3. Bless This House
4. God Spoke To Me

Another way to entertain guests is by playing games. Always a crowd pleaser, Trivial Pursuit has many editions my recommendation is the Baby Boomer Edition which packs fun, nostalgia and educational, too! This version asks questions from the 50s and early 60s. Though the game is out of distribution, you can purchase it from Amazon.com for as little as $2.00!

Make your next party Memorable by taking everyone back in time, for added adventure encourage people to dress from their favorite mid century era. Who knows you may have a hippy dancing with a 50’s greaser! Either way you’ll have fun and create a memorable evening with not a lot of work.