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Fun Entertaining Tips

Posted by HIM on Sunday November 21st, 2010

Get Quirky: Ideas for a not so typical gathering

Starting to feel like the bars are all the same? Tired of the same dance music and line ups just to get a drink? As Autumn descends upon Vancouver, there’s no better time to host a little quirky gathering. Entertain your guests with fun and playful party ideas found below or visit [insert hyperlink on ‘here’]. Remember to brush up on your entertaining etiquette too while you’re at it –especially if you have been behaving just a little too wild over the Pride party season. Enjoy and I’ll be expecting an invitation in the mail soon ;)

Get the details: http://lifestyle.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=1026753

- Alby K.

33 Quirky Gatherings (by Rebecca Davies)

Throw the most unique food 'n' drink do with our guide to quick entertaining ideas.

1) DIY barbecue. Load a pit with hot coals and rosemary and gather friends round on upturned crates to sizzle their own steaks.

2) Cocktail challenge. See who can shake the best sazerac or whiz the best gin fizz.

3) Ready, steady, cook! Get each pair to bring a $10 bag of ingredients to swap with another couple, then come up with a fabulous dish in 20 minutes!

4) Fondue crew. Dunk chunks of bread and apple into melted cheese, meat into oil, then fruit into liquid chocolate.

5) Tuscan finger-feast. Drape grapes on tables, serve fizzing prosecco by candlelight, then feed greedy guests with salami, pecorino, breadsticks and olives.

6) Theme dream. Throw a Thai banquet, a Thanksgiving feast or a kiddies' tea party.

7) Pool platter. Ask guests to dive in then bring the cosmopolitans and nibbles to them, poolside.

8) Sushi seminar. Create mess and giggles with buddies as they try to make a nori roll.

9) Sports scoff. The boys will love this one! Wait until the game is on, then get a keg of beer and make a selection of pies.

10) Tasty tapas. Not into formal sit-down meals? Lay on a tapas spread of meatballs, chopitos and garlic prawns.

11) Pitchy picnic trick. Thread fairy lights through trees, lay rugs on the lawn, fill hampers with cakes, sandwiches and wine.

12) Pizza do-ugh. Make a bumper batch of pizza dough and see which friends make the best tossers and toppers.

13) Live off the land. Grow herbs, tomatoes and salad leaves for a few weeks, then catch your own fish with friends and serve with homegrown produce.

14) Pyjama-rama. You're never too old to party in pyjamas! Set up a big screen, cover the floor with pillows, serve popcorn and hot chocolate!

15) Public party. Ask all your friends to a barbecue by the beach and get them all to invite people. You'll have a big gathering with new faces and food!

16) Earn your tea. Call us cheeky, but wouldn't it be fun to ask pals over to spring clean your closet or muck out the shed in return for a yummy feed?

17) Five-year-old feast. Take yourself back to when you were little. Wear a party dress, bring your fave munchies from back then and play kids' party games!

18) Wine time. Buy and learn about a variety of Australian wines, serve with cheese and crackers and ask friends to give marks out of 10 for each.

19) 'Licious lottery. Each guest brings one meat and one vegetable. You have to turn each pair into a dish from a different country.

20) Eco courses. Do online invitations, use local produce and sustainable tableware and decorate the table using herbs or flowers from your garden.

21) Meat-free tea. Your veggie pals will love you for banning meat for one dinner party a year and you'll learn lots of new recipes.

22) Retro grandma cha. Think coffee cake, doilies, tea in china cups. Nanna would be proud!

23) Colour chomp. Throw an "all white" dinner with potato dauphinoise, chicken, cauliflower puree, cheesecake. It works with any colour!

24) Gorge the senses. Separate courses into sight (fruit display), sound (chocolate fountain), touch (marshmallows), smell (mint mojitos) and taste.

25) Breakfast banquet. Forget evening meals. Serve mashed avo, fresh sourdough, sautéed mushrooms, gourmet sausages and champagne-laced OJ!

26) Degustation do. Serve 10 little courses such as pate, chargrilled chorizo or a dollop of zucchini risotto.

27) Reverse serve. Start with dessert and work your way back to nibbles. It will play with your guests' senses!

28) Destination dining. Nibbles on the deck, entree in the kitchen, main in the dining room, dessert on the sofa, nightcaps for overnight guests in their rooms.

29) Treasure hunt. Make chums search for their dinner ingredients by leaving clues around the garden. Beware of greedy dogs getting there first!

30) Raclette set. Invest in a raclette, so friends can gather round trays of bubbling cheese, sliced vegetables and chunks of crusty bread.

31) Slowly does it. Leave a leg of lamb to slow-cook overnight in wine, garlic and root veg, then move to table where guests can pull off chunks themselves.

32) Taste test. Every second guest gets a blindfold and the others have to feed them various dishes, while they guess the ingredients.

33) Local yokel. Each guest has to source the most local produce that they can — you have to figure out how to cook it!