Take a Load Off - Go Simple

(Apr 19, 2014) We are often under so much pressure to pull off the perfect dinner.  And what we do is prepare so many snacks and drinks pre-dinner that by the time dinner is served, the guests are too full to eat.

Last week I had some friends over and instead of going OTT, I kept it simple.

The coffee table had 2 dishes:

• Haloumi cheese squares with stuffed olives and local cherry tomatoes

• Ikhlas dates - half dried.  Still juicy on the inside.

Dinner was buffet-style.  The cutlery was already organized in napkins and I found a neat trick online on how to fold napkins.  I know that sounds really domesticated but trust me they are a life saver.  For several reasons: first, it avoids having different containers or vases to store your cutlery; second, it avoids the cutlery from scratching against each other; and third, it's pretty.

Depending on how close you are to your friends, you could always do a potluck where everyone brings a dish.  That's how this dinner was and honestly, it was such a relaxing event.

So don't go overboard - that way, you will socialize more often and who can say no to that?