#WhenIsDinner?

One thing I LOVE to do is host dinner parties for my friends--not only do I get to test out new recipe inspirations on a larger crowd (don't worry, they all come willingly and plenty of wine is provided), but it also means I have an excuse to break out my iron chef skills and get fancy in the kitchen--who doesn't love to get fancy??

Cooking is freakin' FUN, eating even better and clean up, well clean up is a necessary evil. I don't mind wiping off counters and putting the remaining dessert away...in my stomach. That's easy. It's the washing dishes and packing up left overs that usually makes me second guess throwing a festive shindig with friends. Seriously, who likes washing dishes?? Even loading the dishwasher is a task I could live without. In any case, as I've grown into my culinary skills over the last (?) years, I've mastered being able to cook and clean simultaneously and use a few pots/dishes utensils as possible (unlike my dear, sweet loving partner who I sincerely cherish and love, and who somehow manages to create a mountain of dishes from simply making a sandwich).

Whoops sorry, back to the point--I've mastered being able to cook and clean simultaneously and yes, it means I have to wash dishes as I cook, but 1) not all things we do are glamorous, 2) If I did not clean as I cooked, an even bigger mess would await me after all my taste testers have left 3) If I leave them in the sink over night for a "soak" we all know that = TROUBLE. 

So why am I babbling on about cooking and washing dishes when clearly this blog is about event planning and resources? I'm glad you asked-- and I appreciate you being so inquisitive. The answer is short; cooking is just as much about planning out the logistics of each step, as let's say, planning a birthday party. And so is the clean up. When you cook and clean as you go, it's a juggling act of anticipating what needs to happen to complete your meal and what you can do ahead of time to make the after meal experience less awful.