“Serving tapas allows you to have a larger crowd without compromising the quality and taste of the food,” Purcell says. “Typically, 10-15 pieces per person is adequate for the average appetite. When planning the items you wish to serve, offer a variation of food textures, tastes, temperatures and preparations that will please the crowd and avoid overburdening you and your kitchen.”

Not sure what qualifies as a “bite-sized” appetizer? It’s pretty simple: they should be self-contained bites of food that you can gobble in one bite. So your guests shouldn’t have to spread anything on them or have to hold it together while they balance their drink and plate. Consider serving items that could fit into a teaspoon and always remember to offer vegetarian options, and creative, non-alcoholic beverage options.

Short Cuts

Sometimes you have to take short cuts in life. And with the introduction of specialty gourmet frozen foods, a fancy and delicious meal may be just minutes away. With the growing popularity of sushi, it makes a great option for a slightly less traditional meal (perfect for those Zen-inspired parties). With the creation of frozen sushi, a healthy holiday snack can be kept in the refrigerator or freezer and ready to eat within minutes, so there’s no messy clean up or heating up required. If you’re stuck on what to serve or want to try something different, check out Banzai Sushi of Seattle, which has been producing quality frozen sushi since 1997.

If you find yourself really cutting it close, go to CHOW.com, a food website aimed at the 25- to 40-year old set, where you can find tips on throwing an “emergency” cocktail party—meaning you waited until the last minute to prepare or worse, your other plans fell through and you’ve been nominated to host at the 11th hour.

If you have a little time to spare and want to kill all birds with one stone (don’t really kill any birds please!), head to SAM’S CLUB, where you can stock up on all your party essentials, just like professional caterers. Pick up plenty (and we mean plenty) of frozen hors d’oeuvres like mini quiches, crostini, or cooked shrimp that only need to crisp in the oven or are served at room temperature. Frozen cakes and miniature cream puffs only need thawing, a drizzle of sauce, and a holiday garnish to look and taste great. Affordable luxuries like caviar and fine chocolates are a hit but don’t require hours in the kitchen. It’s surprising but true, you can get it all at Sam’s Club.

For a party without a hitch, let “make ahead” be your mantra. The more food preparation you can do before your party, like making and freezing ingredients or appetizers, the more you’ll relax and have fun. After all, it’s your party.

Party on the Move

You want to have a civilized party, not a feeding at the trough-like frenzy. While you want to keep your guests’ bellies full you want to keep them moving and their minds off of food.

“Instead of putting food in one place, create food stations around the room to get people moving,” says Purcell. “Remember to place small ‘catch containers’ at each station for used toothpicks, skewers and spoons, so guests aren’t left carrying them, or worse, hiding them in plants or bookcases.”

And while you want your guests to feel at ease, you also want all of your guests to interact with each other—especially if you have any solo guests.

“Limiting the number of seats encourages guests to mingle and move. As a general rule, provide seating for half the number of invited guests. When selecting music, choose songs that are not too loud or obtrusive so that guests can converse comfortably.”

When it comes to dessert there are lots of options, from tarts to truffles, but a popular dessert for parties is fondue. “Fondue is an ideal dessert for a festive holiday gathering” Purcell says. “Set out melted cheese with assorted types of breads and fruit or chocolate with plenty of fun dippers like marshmallows, fruit, pound cake and pretzels. Keep other sweets and desserts, such as cookies, cakes, and brownies, bite-sized too. Prepare as much as possible in advance so that you can enjoy the evening with your guests.” You can also use chocolate in addition or in place of cheese.

New Year’s Resolutions in Full Force

After all the eggnog and cheese balls you’ve ingested in the past few weeks, you and your guests are probably ready to start those New Year’s diets (or maybe not!). Either way, you don’t have to completely forget about healthy options when planning your party.

Registered Dietitian Samantha Heller at NYU Medical Center says that it’s easy to be the ultimate host while being health conscious at the same time.

“Follow the trend of being trans fat free and start your party off right with some spruced up dips like a beet and goat cheese dip or pumpkin hummus,” she says. “You can include old party favorites like potato chips as sides but look for the better ones like Lay's potato chips, which have zero trans fats and are now made with sunflower oil, a heart healthy oil. Your guests will never know the difference in taste!”

~A. Covington for Belisi Fashions