Just had to share this recipe for a killer heavy appetizer.

The proof is in the pot — there was none left over after our Homeowner Association meeting tonight!

Best part? I made ‘em the night before, and then uncovered the cookie sheet and put in the oven for 12 minutes before the party. I just had to transfer to a platter, and they were hot and ready!

They were gone in a heartbeat — proof of a good recipe.

These are wonderful (and are heavy enough to soak up any alcohol great):

Easy Ham and Cheese Appetizer Sandwiches

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons poppy seeds (optional)
1 onion, grated
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons prepared Dijon-style mustard
2 (12 ounce) packages white party rolls
1/2 pound chopped cooked ham
5 ounces shredded Swiss cheese

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.In a medium bowl, mix together butter, poppy seeds, onion, Worcestershire sauce and prepared Dijon-style mustard.
3.Slice rolls in half horizontally and set aside tops. Spread bottoms with the butter mixture. Top with ham and Swiss cheese. Replace tops.
4.Arrange rolls in a single layer in a medium baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven 10 to 12 minutes, until rolls are lightly browned and cheese is melted.

Tip: I cut the recipe in half for a smaller group (this serves 12). Also, you may not need all the butter mixture, but make it a healthy coating.

Worth a re-post from a year ago … how to set up a buffet.

I love entertaining buffet-style, even if it’s just for four people. I find it the simplest way to entertain, in which you can actually enjoy your guests.

A personal pet peeve of mine is what is called “family style” for a dinner, in which all the food is placed on the table and passed about. Invariably, I have to hold either an incredibly hot dish or try to serve myself while balancing a 3-pound casserole. And, of course, I feel as if I am a waiter for half the dinner, passing this and that, all the while my own food is getting cold. If it works for you fine, but I cannot stand it either as a host or a guest.



With that out of the way, let’s get to setting up a simple buffet!

You can arrange the spread anywhere, as long as it is relatively close to the dining area. Normally, I set ours up on a library table adjacent to the dining table, which is preset with flatware, glasses, bread, butter, and napkins. That way, it’s just a matter of filling your plate and sitting down. I’ve also served it on our large island-style counter (always ensure the kitchen is clean) or even on a stovetop in a 1 bedroom apartment.

Our friends at Wynn-Dixie provided this superb graphic for a standard buffet arrangement. Note the plates and main dish first, and then the items go from there. Flatware and napkins, if placed at the buffet, are always last, along with any beverages (but I always prefer to have those on the table). Even if your guests cannot move around a table, you may use this same setup for a single-line buffet.

A couple quick tips:

I plan on doing a buffet for Christmas Day night. Hope this helped give you some ideas.

I was helping my sister-in-law plan Thanksgiving tonight, and it brought to mind my little secret when entertaining large groups — rent!

Of course, if you are entertaining a small group — say 6-8 — then by all means, bring out your best. But when a larger group is on the agenda, think of renting from a party supply retailer.

People think this is out of their reach, but you will be susprised how cheap it is to rent the items you need for a big dinner party, be it Christmas, Thanksgiving or just when you are planning a crowd.

Want an example? We are expecting 16 for Thanksgiving — to rent the ivory china with gold trim and a set of 16 large goblets is only $16.50! No minimum, no cleaning ahead of time and the best part? No washing after! The supplier just expects you to rinse them before putting back in the convenient storage container.

It’s also cheap to rent tables and chairs (chairs only run about $1.10 for a white folding one - much better than asking a relative to haul over their entire set from their dining room set!)

But not all party rental deals are deals. They get you on tablecloths in particular. You’ll rent a table for $10, but the tablecloth is nearly $20. So by all means, it makes sense to invest in some good ones, but I’ve found sheets work great in a tight spot. Keep that in mind.

Hope this helps your Thanksgiving come together. And if you think it’s too soon, I’ve got news for you — we are less than 18 days out!

I made the cornbread tonight for my cornbread dressing I am bringing (be sure and cut the sugar in half on the cornbread). Just going to freeze it to prep time. Doing things ahead of time will make your holidays nearly stress-free. Read more tips here in anticpation of the season.

I will admit it, I am not a Halloween person … just never could get much into it. But I am lucky, Art’s sister and husband love it, so they come over, decorate the outside with tons of ghoulish items — we are talking zombies, skeletons, fog machines, cauldrons, you name it — and all I have to do is make dinner, buy a load of candy and pray that 9 p.m. comes.

But having them over means about two-and-a-half days of entertaining for me. The day before setup is a dinner, then Halloween dinner, and then breakfast the next day (because they stay up late to de-Halloween the whole house afterward and stay overnight).

I already have the strategy, though — a homey chicken casserole Friday night with biscuits, beef stew with homemade bread on Halloween, and a quiche the next day with fresh fruit and banana muffins. How can I do it all? ‘Cause I prep and make days in advance.

The chicken is already roasted and diced in the freezer. I will make the beef part of the stew either in the next day or two and freeze, or a day in advance and let the flavors meld. The banana muffins will be done this week and frozen, and I already bought the eggs and pie shell for the quiche. Going to pre-cook the bacon and just freeze it till next week. A little planning and some cooking each day, and I will have the whole thing covered.

Now just gotta go buy the candy! (By the way, the dollar store here in town has bags for — surprise — a dollar. I think that’s going to be the stop tomorrow.)

Anyway, I guess the moral behind this post is by planning and doing a little every day, such special events as Halloween (or whenever you know people are coming) doesn’t have to be so stressful … or ghoulish.

I am going to be entertaining a lot for the next week. Out of town friends came for dinner Thursday night and I have houseguests coming Monday and Tuesday from New York, then Friday it’s off to LA for the 12th annual Hollywood Underground Dinner, which I am chairman of (70 guests!). Tonight, I was reviewing my own articles to get ready, and I came across this great interview with Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten, which I thought was worth a re-port. That, and I’ve got some planning to do! Hope you enjoy it.

I came upon this interview today that Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa and Food Network fame did with House Beautiful awhile back.

In the article, she discusses her philosophy of entertaining at home, and it’s what I truly believe.

Just a quick, excellent read for anyone who likes to have people over:

You have this way of making people feel instantly comfortable. What’s the secret?
When people come to your house, you don’t ever want them to feel that you’ve been cooking for three days. You want them to feel like this is just something you whipped up and come on, we’re having a party.

Is there any hope for people like me, who love the idea of entertaining but get so stressed out, trying to make it perfect?
Entertaining should be about having fun, as opposed to, Oh my god, why did I do this and who are these people? There was something I read when I was first married that I’ve never forgotten — If you spend the entire day making dinner for your husband, he can’t possibly appreciate it enough, and it’s not his fault, it’s yours. And that’s true for your friends. I actually think it’s counterintuitive, that the most important thing you can do for friends, to make them feel special, is to give them your attention. My whole goal is never to leave the table.

How on earth do you manage that?
Everything is done before they get there. Because I think if you’re worried about what’s going on in the kitchen, people sense that. I don’t care what I serve, as long as people feel like I’m not doing anything. It could just be roast chicken. At the end of the day, isn’t that what everybody wants for dinner anyway? The truth is, I’ve had more experience than most people, but I’m not really a trained cook. I still make little notes for myself — at 5 p.m., do this. At 5:30, do that. I just think the more organized I am, the more relaxed I’ll be when people show up and the more fun we’ll have.

Ina said so much in her answers to these three questions — whether you’re planning a holiday dinner, or just having two friends over for lasagna.

Guests don’t like to see a host or hostess working their tail off when they come over. It makes them feel as if they’re trouble. A little pre-planning and pre-prepping will allow you to make it look effortless. This includes not making anything that requires you to do a hurried or last-minute task. If I see any recipe that says, “serve immediately,” it’s out.

On planning a menu, I always gravitate toward dishes in which I can pop it in the oven, and then enjoy my guests, and always ones that allow me to make it in advance (and clean up the mess before people arrive).

Ina made a very good point about timing. Usually the afternoon of a dinner, I type out a note to myself, indicating all the times when items need to go in and out of the oven, and on and off the stove. I stash it in a drawer and refer to it as I chit-chat with guests. I asked one friend, and she said she never knew that’s what I was doing — she thought I was just looking for something and opened the wrong drawer.

Find another Ina Garten tip here on cocktails and hints from me on cleaning the powder room in 10 minutes or less with this post.

Hope these thoughts give you something to think about when next you’re having guests over. And I highly recommend Ina’s first cookbook for simple, easy and delicious recipes:

People (I hope) are amazed how I entertain so well and with what appears to be so little effort. I tell you the secret — break it down.
That means the P word — planning. When you’re having a dinner party — which I love to do — it’s the only way to go. But if you do a little every day, it’s not so all encompassing. You just need to stay on track.

I’ve got a friend from Texas coming to dinner Thursday and then houseguests coming Monday (and then going out of town Friday), so I am making more of a push than usual, but when it comes to having people over, the secret is to break it down to steps.

I hope these tips help you to see entertaining is not insurmountable. My favorite story was from last year when my pal Jayne invited me for Thanksgiving. She got up in the morning, and all was done. We went out, had some fun, and then just put everything in the oven when we got back — no stress and a great dinner. All it takes is some planning and some strategy. Find more entertaining tips from me by clicking here.

I got a call from good friends last week, asking whether they could come by and visit this past weekend. “Yes,” was my immediate answer and invited them for dinner Saturday night.

I knew within 10 minutes what I was going to make — my favorite roast chicken, my new cornbread dressing recipe and an apple crisp. But what to do for a centerpiece? I didn’t have the budget for flowers, but then I remembered an idea I spotted in the lobby of the 4-star Omni Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles.

Near the check-in desk, the hotel had on display tall, clear vases filled with a multitude of orchids submerged in water — it was truly elegant. I had seen a similar treatment in which lemons and limes were piled in a vase, and then it was filled with water. Much more in my budget!

So, with one pound of limes at $1 and two pounds of lemons at 99 cents a pound, I had my centerpiece for $3, just using a large lead crystal urn I already had. I think it turned out beautifully.

You could do a similar arrangement with oranges, apples, etc. The secret is to fill it totally with the fruit, and then add the water. You can’t be skimpy. But it’s the time of the year to get good deals on fruits (I just got apples for 25 cents a pound today), so it is still very economical.

Just wanted to pass this idea along, and show how it turned out.

Tonight, I found out that we will have unexpected guests tomorrow. My pal Karen will be stopping here on our way to enjoy to celebrate her 40th birthday at one of the nearby casinos. We’re heading out for dinner, so I just need to whip up some appetizers (hot bean dips and chips, and some Hickory Farms sausage) but for drinks, I am already covered — Cosmos in the fridge.

So this post bears repeating, because I call on it so often:

One of the best hints I follow from Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa fame is when you have guests coming is to make one cocktail — this is a simple tip for dinner parties.
Instead of playing short-order bartender, offer your guests one type of cocktail (and of course a non-alcoholic one).

Yesterday, I served Cosmopolitan Martinis — one of my favorites, because they are chic (and you can prepare in advance. A martini pitcher was the in the fridge before my guests arrived — easy-peasy!) If they are too strong, just top with more cranberry juice.

So here is the perfect Cosmopolitan Recipe:

Cosmopolitan Martini Recipe

Ingredients

4 parts Vodka
2 parts Cointreau or Triple Sec
2 parts Cranberry Juice
1 part Lime Fresh Juice

Mix all in a cocktail server, and serve. Or chill, and stir and serve later.

I did the math for you, and this is if for 4 people:

Ingredients
1 cup vodka
1/2 cup Triple Sec
1/2 cup Cranberry Juice
1/4 cup Lime Juice

Enjoy — and enjoy having people over!

I love entertaining buffet-style, even if it’s just for four people. I find it the simplest way to entertain, in which you can actually enjoy your guests.

A personal pet peeve of mine is what is called “family style” for a dinner, in which all the food is placed on the table and passed about. Invariably, I have to hold either an incredibly hot dish or try to serve myself while balancing a 3-pound casserole. And, of course, I feel as if I am a waiter for half the dinner, passing this and that, all the while my own food is getting cold. If it works for you fine, but I cannot stand it either as a host or a guest.



With that out of the way, let’s get to setting up a simple buffet!

You can arrange the spread anywhere, as long as it is relatively close to the dining area. Normally, I set ours up on a library table adjacent to the dining table, which is preset with flatware, glasses, bread, butter, and napkins. That way, it’s just a matter of filling your plate and sitting down. I’ve also served it on our large island-style counter (always ensure the kitchen is clean) or even on a stovetop in a 1 bedroom apartment.

Our friends at Wynn-Dixie provided this superb graphic for a standard buffet arrangement. Note the plates and main dish first, and then the items go from there. Flatware and napkins, if placed at the buffet, are always last, along with any beverages (but I always prefer to have those on the table). Even if your guests cannot move around a table, you may use this same setup for a single-line buffet.

A couple quick tips:

I’ve got two buffets planned — one for Christmas Day night dinner and then having friends from LA over the next day for brunch, so this is why this came to mind. Hope it helped give you some ideas.

I forgot all about this hint, until I was prepping for the Homeowner Association meeting tonight!

When placing a dip — or any bowl, for that matter — on a crystal or silver platter, bunch a thin layer of cellophane wrap under the bowl, and it won’t slip.

Simple, but I know you will use this tip for years to come … I learned it back in 1982!