Nowadays, it can be very expensive meeting with family and friends over dinner at a fine dining restaurant. Well, of course, the prices may have remained relatively stable but the economy is anything but stable, thus, the shift towards more affordable get-togethers without sacrificing too much on the quality of the food and the friendship.



Back to Basics, Different Rules

Fortunately, you can always entertain at home. On one hand, you will enjoy the many advantages to it like being able to exert more control over the ambience, menu and activities of the small party, being able to spend more time without the pressures of closing time, and being able to do as you wish without the scrutiny of strangers.

On the other hand, you will be faced with challenges like spending for all the expenses and doing all the work from the cooking to the clean-up, both of which can take out the fun of hosting a party. And even if you decide to hold a potluck party, your menu might end up with mismatched appetizers, pastry shells stuffed with mystery ingredients and semi-cold casseroles, to name a few disastrous dishes, no matter the good intentions of the donor. So, what is a well-intentioned host to do? Well, change the rules of entertaining at home, of course, by bringing in the new concept of the Sunday dinner potluck!

Tips on Changing the Rules

Take note that the new Sunday dinner potluck need not happen on Sundays alone - it's just a term to refer to the way the meals are eaten in a Sunday dinner ambience. To move on, here are tips to changing its rules:

• You have to agree with your guests about the ingredients you will all be contributing to the potluck dinner. This way, everything from appetizer to dessert to drinks is assured on the table. Of course, you may need to consult with your guests as a group or act as the party organizer so that everyone is in sync about the dinner plans at your home. Telephones, cell phones and e-mails are there for a purpose so use them.

• You must make it clear that everybody will pitch in to prepare the food although you can set the table beforehand and take care of the cleanup afterwards. Each of your guests can cook his or her homemade specialty, which can then become one of the conversation points later on. Other topics can include politics, food, travels, and shopping, to name a few. Of course, you have the advantage of being able to talk and laugh as loudly as you can simply because there are no other diners at the next table who will shush you up.

• You can also set the mood at the dining table every potluck dinner to add variety, if you and your guests want it. For example, you can have a luau party this week and then a Caribbean party next month.

So, the next time you feel like gathering your family and friends in your home without stressing too much on preparations and spending too much on food, think of the new Sunday dinner potluck.