Hosting Christmas Dinner

If you're planning to host a dinner party this Christmas for your family and/or friends, you're going to be nervous - which is why you're reading this aricle. Follow these tips and try to make your dinner the best dinner they will attend over the holiday season.

Planning is the key to any successful project, and hosting a christmas party is no different. The first thing you need to decide is the size of the party. You can either make this a small and informal gathering, or a a large extravagant party but you need to decide as soon as possible.

Finalise the invitation list and send out the party invitations at least six weeks in advance for Christmas lunch and insist they RSVP so that you can have a really good idea how many people will attend. Follow up on the phone, by email, via MSN and even Facebook, do whatever it takes to get a reply from everyone and make sure you know whether they are bring along their partner and children.

You can either cook the meal yourself, or get someone to do it for you. If you're a good cook, this is your chance to shine (or crash and burn) but hiring a caterer over the Christmas holiday isn't a practical proposition so we need a plan B.

Plan B stands for Buffet and it's the practical solution because they can be a formal sit around the table affair or informal so decide in advance and plan accordingly. There are some great Christmas Hampers available online and some great online stores like Natoora which deliver fresh organic produce to your door.

Your local butcher, greengrocer and delicattesen will also be pleased to help you so long as you place your order well in advance - the start of December would not be too early!

If you're planning a sit down meal make sure you have enough tables, a seating plan, and for a buffet somewhere to lay the food out.

Plan the food menu carefully. If you're cooking yourself, keep the meal simple and choose recipes where you can do most of the work in advance to save you last minutes stress. Dishes that require baking time and do not need you to be in the kitchen until the last minute are ideal as you will have time to socialise instead of slaving away in the kitchen.

On the day of the party put up the decorations (if they're not already) and clean and prepare the crockery on which you're be serving the meal or buffet. Set the table and make sure everything is ready for your guests at least an hour before your guests are due to arrive so you have time to get ready and look your best.

Good luck!