Food

Don’t let guests leave empty handed. Write or print up the recipes from that evening’s dinner, roll up and secure with ribbon and tie around a mini bottle of wine or champagne.

Guests arrive and you’ll still be cooking? Have small ramekins filled with mixed nuts (preferably heated with some spices) stacked by the wine or beer you’ll be serving. Guests will be impressed by the mini treat individually prepared. It’s like traveling first class on Continental.

Once the menu has been decided, print a menu to be displayed on the table or have a small printed menu folded within the napkin on each guest’s plate. Or display in a frame lit from the back.

I’m a big fan of vintage shopping and antiquing and had been making plans to shop the famed Rose Bowl in Pasadena for months when lo and behold my hair stylist friend extraordinaire, Theodore Leaf  (www.theodoreleaf.com) and I learned that Eddie Ross (www.eddieross.com) was coming to town to lead a group through the masses of flea market finds.  We were both fans of Eddie’s work on Bravo’s Top Design and I’m always a fan of a preppy guy. So we signed up for the “walk along.”  There were about 15 of us and with coffee in hand and my tote bag empty and ready to fill with negotiated bargains we headed off into the rows of booths and tables filled with silverware, glassware, fabrics, knick-knacks and furniture.  Eddie would stop at a variety of outdoor booths and give the lo down on how to re-do furniture to update it, give advice on how to determine the worth of an object and what’s good stuff from the “trash.”  Let’s be honest it shouldn’t all be someone’s trash is another’s treasure, some of it is just junk.  Theodore, his boyfriend Matt and I had so much fun—how could we not?  A warm, sunny day, Eddie and his main man Jaithan to escort us through the finds of The Rose Bowl plus he gave us some nifty ideas on hostess gifts and table settings. It was a relaxed atmosphere and we met many other gals and guys to socialize with along the way.

Eddie suggested and Theodore literally translated into a hostess gift a small jar of olives with the antique fork and personalized ribbon for me the next time he came to dinner. I added my version of a spoon with a colorful ribbon and lavendar honey.

Anything can work just by taking antique silverware and pair with cheese, olives, jam, or chocolate sauce and tie with a ribbon and small note.

I took his suggestions and created my own small, but charming gifts for my next dinner outings at friends’ homes.

Besides, silverware and vintage cloth napkins I also bargained for this camel saddle (walked away only paying $25) that with new leather became a cool footrest in my living room.

Choose a celebrity chef to base the meal and theme of the night. Make up a menu by choosing recipes from his/her cookbook or find their recipes online at sites like www.foodnetwork.com. Call his/her restaurant and ask for a suggestion from the chef or even a quote to add to the menu that you will display on the table. Or pull fun facts from his/her cookbooks.

For an outdoor BBQ head to the grill for dessert. Grill fruit and offer various dipping sauces that are warm and cold from chocolates and caramels to fruit sauces and whip cream.

Wary of the onslaught of pesky ants when it comes to having a picnic? Don’t fear. Create your own nearly impenetrable boundary by sprinkling talcum powder on the grass around your picnic blanket.

Don’t have the cash for a meal at the top restaurant in town? Browse food websites and print out an exotic recipe to make at home. Make the meal together while enjoying wine and good music. A night in is no longer ho-hum when you enjoy good food and good company without the paying for the tip.

Swinging into the coffee shop every morning for your fancy brew can set you back an average of $20 every week. Instead make your coffee at home and carry it in a fancy travel mug. You could save up to $1,000 per year. OMG, that’s a vacation. With that kind of savings you could buy a $10 frother and try a new coffee flavor every week and still save big.