Happy New Year! I can’t believe we are officially in 2019! I absolutely love the new year and cannot wait to plan out everything I will be doing for 2019. I will say I am a little late and officially starting the new year today – who thought Wednesday was a good idea?? Seriously! I also thought writing this post today would be good for everyone that has already set their goals. I understand that when planning your 2019 mindset and writing down all the goals you want to accomplish this year – hosting your friends over for a games night usually does not come to mind and that is completely understandable. Not that entertaining is not important but I do think the main focus of inspiration for your goals should be about bettering yourself as a person overall and entertaining goals may fall down a little bit under the top categories. Although not to be overlooked because coming out of your comfort zone and cooking more or having friends and family over will definitely fill your cup of happiness at the end of the day!
I’ve created an entertaining goals spreadsheet that breaks down into 3 different categories. Each category to help you focus on one aspect of entertaining and get you out of your comfort zone. Get ready to plan out one fun year!
GATHERINGS YOU HAVE WANTED TO THROW
Whether you are a seasoned entertainer or a newbie looking to start, there are always various different gatherings that come to mind when you think of your perfect dinner party. Some people may dream of putting together the perfect Thanksgiving table for the family while others cannot wait to throw a murder mystery dinner for all their friends. I always have many different ideas swirling in my mind (book club dinner, games night, fondue party etc.) but the year sometimes gets away from us and the holidays come fast and furious and I don’t end up doing anything I was anticipating on accomplishing – sound familiar? I hope so otherwise, it’s just me here! Planning out (and scheduling) at least 3 different gatherings you want to throw throughout the year helps keep you accountable and forces you to actually plan for them and not let the year pass you by.
Also do not feel the pressure that every single gathering requires a full production filled with games, meals and decorations. Out of your three, you can have one that is the grand accomplishment you are working towards while the other two can be on the smaller scale. If you are new to entertaining choose one item to focus on per party – ie. for your first party focus on your decor (setting the table etc) but cut yourself slack when it comes to the food and order some pizza or get some store made dips. Next one can focus on the food portion more and you can experiment with the new recipes you have been trying and for the last one you can combine the two. Not every gathering has to be a full grand party – the most important thing
NEW RECIPES YOU HAVE WANTED TO TRY
Every year there are tons of recipes I pin, tear out of magazines and bookmark on my computer….and then completely forget about them! Starting with just three is an easy number that will not overwhelm you and hopefully inspire you to continue experimenting. These recipes are meant for you to get out of your comfort zone and try new items or ways of cooking that may intimidate you at first. If it’s a hit you have the perfect item to serve at your next gathering!
Some categories of items to try:
– Various cultural cuisines (French, Indian, Polish etc.)
– New methods of cooking (air fryer, blanching, poaching, steaming etc.)
– Complex recipes (those 12 step ones that you never think you can attempt)
– Specific categories (perfect your salad dressings this year etc)
ENTERTAINING ADVENTURES YOU WANT TO PARTCICIPATE IN
This category lets you be creative and explore some parts of entertaining that do not fall under just recipes and hosting. These adventures could consist of:
– joining a cooking class to enrichen your cooking skills
– learning calligraphy to make your own place cards
– start a cookbook club of the month with neighbours
– experiment with 1 new spice/addition per month to broaden your meals
– sign up for a pastry making class
– participate in a cake decorating class
And the list goes on! There are so many fun things out there to participate in that will enriched your entertaining skills and help with the extra special touch when it comes to making your gathering stand out.
I hope these ideas inspire you to think outside of the box when it comes new year’s goals and add entertaining to the list!
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What is on your New Year’s Goals list for 2019? Comment below!
Amazing post, it really encourages me to start my own goals list. I am curious to know what blanching is or air frying- sounds like you could put that under the recipes and adventure categories! 🙂
I’m so glad to hear Patryk – I always love this time of year to regroup on my goals! Blanching is a different way to make vegetables by putting them in boiling water for a brief moment and then removing them quickly and putting them in ice cold water to stop the cooking process. This helps keep the quality and nutrients of the item that is being cooked. Air frying is a way of making food crispy without all the added fat of deep frying. Most common you may have seen the T-FAL machines that air fry – they circulate hot air around the food and adds a crispy layer to your food without adding additional calories. I hope that helps!