:::Notes on Entertaining:::

Notes from Martha Stewart's book 'Entertaining'

I LOVE Entertaining. I'm not a completely social creature, but I love throwing parties. I like sitting down amongst piles of cook books and brainstorming what to put on the menu. In my mind I've already planned many parties that are just waiting for the right group of friends and the right moment to be thrown. Costume parties of all eras, Outdoor dinner parties, Balls, and Socials of all manners. Parties.

When I was young I loved special occasions because it always meant using the fine Goblets, spreading the table with a nice tablecloth, lighting the candles in our dining room Chandalier, carefully pressed Cloth Napkins, and the good Silver. The rush about the kitchen, all hands on deck to help. And the deep inner joy when our guests - usually our grandparents - would finally arrive. My brother and I would scurry to take their coats and entertain them while Mom and Dad finished up the meal. And what delight when we would put the finishing touches on the table, pour the drinks, and sit down to dinner.

I've always enjoyed working behind the scenes. I'm more introverted than many people and find great joy in making magic happen...even greater than struggling to be a part of it. As a person who loves Entertaining, this is something that I shall constantly strive to better myself in, for a party is not just about the table settings and the meal, it's about a delightful hostess making guests feel at ease.

Here are a few excerpts from the book 'Entertaining' by Martha Stewart on the subject.

"One of the most important moments on which to expend extra effort is the beginning of a party, often an awkward time, when guests feel tentative and insecure. It is time for a guesture to make that person feel he is in a home and not a restaurant. I usually bring early arrivals into the kitchen with me, where I am often still chopping, arranging, or just meditating on what is to come. I give them a drink, and depending on their interests, I might ask them to lend a hand with the salad or the coffee grinding. The kitchen is a warm, seasy place and it breaks any ice. As other guests arrive, the kitchen expands, and when it is full, we adjourn to the parlor."