Come Dine With Me: Keeping Out of the Kitchen

12Feb
by Cherryl

I overheard two women on a train talking about entertaining guests – at home. Come Dine With Me (the TV show) sprang to mind, as points are usually lost for a host that is barely ever out of the kitchen.

Woman 1: My husband says he wants to have some of his family round for a party but I said you know what will happen. I’ll spend the whole time in the kitchen and never get to hear what everyone has to say or join in the conversations. I’m sick of it. I’ve told him I don’t want them round. Then he says Oh I’ll help you!

Woman 2: I know what you mean, I felt the same, like the skivvy while everyone else is enjoying the evening.

Relatable.

It’s true. Entertaining guests can end up feeling a bit like – them having a wonderful time while you’re whizzing in and out of the kitchen like you’ve been hired for the evening. Not forgetting all the prep leading up to your guests arrival, and that’s before we even get onto all the cleaning and tidying up afterwards.

If you’re having people round and trying to keep out of the kitchen, are there any good tips you’d share? The list below might be worth considering, subject to space, number of guests, budget, notice period before arrival and the sheer will to bother. Here goes: 😌

  1. Cater the food in, rather than cook (some might think that’s cheating but as long as everyone enjoys the food it’s a win – you’re supporting an independent business, double win, and you get to spend more time with your guests, triple win right??)  Don’t pretend you cooked the food – be honest.
  2. If space permits, find somewhere to set all the food up buffet style and let your guests fill their own plates at will. You only need lay the table. There are various food warmer and heated/electrical serving dish type equipment you can buy online or possibly hire.
  3. Set up a drinks corner or bar area with a good selection of drinks, glasses and a big ice bucket with tongs, making it easy for guests to ponder over and help themselves – add a few bottles on the table as well, but there should be no need for you to be in and out of rooms nonstop with drinks. If you need to fetch extra drinks occasionally, that’s okay.
  4. If you decide to cook (which is probably the less expensive option), try to cook what you can early on and keep it warm/reheat when guests arrive to save you slaving away in the kitchen while everyone’s having a lovely time. Get things organised and easy to find. Salad always tastes better made fresh though, same with fresh fruit….it never looks or tastes quite the same once it’s been sliced up and left in the fridge for a while.
  5. If all of the above sounds like way too much hassle, invite them for ‘take-away’ night instead, keep it simple.
  6. If you’re feeling fancy, don’t mind having strangers in the house and you can afford it, hire waiting staff! Or ask a friend to come over and help.
  7. Try to anticipate the sorts of things guests might need or ask for and have them within easy reach – like a tray of condiments, lemons/limes for drinks….
  8. Get some disposable food containers for guests to take away leftovers, unless you think you’ll have enough space to keep it.
  9. If it all still sounds like too much of a headache, just forget the food. Don’t do food. Simply invite them for drinks and nibbles only, and maybe some deserts.

🥂

Feel free to share any other tips you have in the comments – don’t keep them to yourself!

 

All images from free clip art sources

35 thoughts on “Come Dine With Me: Keeping Out of the Kitchen”

  1. shankjoejoe – Sculpted from tragedy and the loss of those we love, we find our path and ourselves. Who and what would we be without our pain? In some ways, we are our pain. Throughout our lives we make choices. Hard choices bring great changes which can bring even harder choices. A change to both our path, and to our life.

    shankjoejoe

    I understand being trapped in the kitchen. Until I retired from culinary, I worked in Food & Beverage for about 25 years. The second half as a Culinary Chef. I spent years as a Banquet Chef, so whenever a family function requiring food arose, we’d rent a hall and I would break out the buffet equipment I’d amassed over the years. 😢

    Reply
      1. shankjoejoe – Sculpted from tragedy and the loss of those we love, we find our path and ourselves. Who and what would we be without our pain? In some ways, we are our pain. Throughout our lives we make choices. Hard choices bring great changes which can bring even harder choices. A change to both our path, and to our life.

        shankjoejoe

        Nope, not this guy. I began as a dishwasher in a Chinese restaurant at 16. 😅

        Reply
  2. maristravels – Isle of Wight – There are still some countries I haven't seen and some things I haven't done and won't do now (like trekking in Nepal) but I've covered a fair bit of the globe as a traveller. I've been a professional travel writer, blogger, and photographer for some years now, love cinema, theatre, books and art. I try to cover these subjects in blogs when they crop up in my travels. I live in the UK and these days I travel mainly in Europe and Asia.

    maristravels

    Or have what we call here an ‘American supper’ where everyone brings a plate and the meal is then buffet style. That way, no cooking, it’s cheap, and the hostess can’t be blamed if the food isn’t up to scratch! It only works, of course, if you are all good friends.

    Reply
  3. puppy1952 – South Africa – I am making the most of the South African Lifestyle and hope with my blog to share some of the adventures my husband and I are having in our retirement. We live at the Southern Tip of Africa in the small coastal town of Struisbaai. We enjoy travelling around South Africa and are bird and wildlife enthusiasts so are often in game reserves.

    puppy1952

    I am not a brilliant cook, but I enjoy entertaining. I keep it simple and am happy to have people over at short notice. They have to just take potluck. In the past there were six at our table every night and on weekends up to twelve. It was never a problem. My husband and I cook together. It will either be a braai/barbeque or a roast leg of lamb with lots of vegetables and salads. Now that I’m retired, we seldom cater for more than six at a time. In the past and now I would get caterers for a big function.

    Reply
  5. catterygirl – London – I am 73 years old and have done many things in my life, such as being employed in The City of London for several years, starting as a shorthand-typist and working my way up to Assistant Company Secretary. I have lived abroad for certain periods in my life as my father was a petrochemical engineer. I lived in Trinidad at the age of 11 and we moved to Kuwait when I was 14. When the contract in Kuwait finished, we drove home to England by car, which was an adventure in itself, worthy of another book. I am a true Brit, married to an Arab, with a 29 year old son and we had a holiday villa in Spain for many years. In 2002, we moved to the villa and when our savings ran out, we designed a boarding cattery from scratch and I am now writing a book about the experience. Whilst running the cattery, I was approached by the Euroweekly News to write articles about cats. I wrote many articles about cat behaviour, grooming, general cat care and then progressed to write the A-Z of cat breeds. In earlier years, I attended creative writing classes and have written many short stories and am working on a novel set on panother planet. This book “Planet Zu Tu” is about what happens to us when we die. I love to read and am buying lots of books as mine are in storage and I feel lost, without lots of books around the home. I am currently reading lots of Mills and Boon as I might write a romance one day. I have started one already about a young woman who breaks her leg and falls in love with her surgeon.

    catterygirl

    I used to love catering for friends but am too old to bother now. I cook for son and partner and that’s it. I used to get fed up of entertaining with legs of lamb, rice and mixed salads and when invited by my guests was disappointed to be offered things like fish fingers or pizza (not a child’s birthday).

    Reply
    2. maristravels – Isle of Wight – There are still some countries I haven't seen and some things I haven't done and won't do now (like trekking in Nepal) but I've covered a fair bit of the globe as a traveller. I've been a professional travel writer, blogger, and photographer for some years now, love cinema, theatre, books and art. I try to cover these subjects in blogs when they crop up in my travels. I live in the UK and these days I travel mainly in Europe and Asia.

      maristravels

      I know exactly where you’re coming from!

      Reply
      1. catterygirl – London – I am 73 years old and have done many things in my life, such as being employed in The City of London for several years, starting as a shorthand-typist and working my way up to Assistant Company Secretary. I have lived abroad for certain periods in my life as my father was a petrochemical engineer. I lived in Trinidad at the age of 11 and we moved to Kuwait when I was 14. When the contract in Kuwait finished, we drove home to England by car, which was an adventure in itself, worthy of another book. I am a true Brit, married to an Arab, with a 29 year old son and we had a holiday villa in Spain for many years. In 2002, we moved to the villa and when our savings ran out, we designed a boarding cattery from scratch and I am now writing a book about the experience. Whilst running the cattery, I was approached by the Euroweekly News to write articles about cats. I wrote many articles about cat behaviour, grooming, general cat care and then progressed to write the A-Z of cat breeds. In earlier years, I attended creative writing classes and have written many short stories and am working on a novel set on panother planet. This book “Planet Zu Tu” is about what happens to us when we die. I love to read and am buying lots of books as mine are in storage and I feel lost, without lots of books around the home. I am currently reading lots of Mills and Boon as I might write a romance one day. I have started one already about a young woman who breaks her leg and falls in love with her surgeon.

        catterygirl

        Thank you.

        Reply
  6. Cherryl – UK – This and that, an all rounder!! If it amuses, entertains, inspires or proves useful to just one person then it's doing its job! God bless x 💛🔆🌴🎨🌼✈️

    Cherryl

    There are plenty of companies offering these services for events in the UK for anyone who wants to book them – you’d need to get quotes to an idea of cost, catering, events companies etc…as with you’d expect.

    Reply
    1. maristravels – Isle of Wight – There are still some countries I haven't seen and some things I haven't done and won't do now (like trekking in Nepal) but I've covered a fair bit of the globe as a traveller. I've been a professional travel writer, blogger, and photographer for some years now, love cinema, theatre, books and art. I try to cover these subjects in blogs when they crop up in my travels. I live in the UK and these days I travel mainly in Europe and Asia.

      maristravels

      It’s very expensive. Well, it certainly is in my area.

      Reply
    1. Cherryl – UK – This and that, an all rounder!! If it amuses, entertains, inspires or proves useful to just one person then it's doing its job! God bless x 💛🔆🌴🎨🌼✈️

      Cherryl

      Absolutely, I’m with you on this – plus people can eat as much or as little as they want. It’s always a bit awkward if you’re served something on a plate and you don’t like the look or taste of it but you also don’t want to offend the host 🍲

      Reply
  9. Basia Korzeniowska – United Kingdom – British born of Polish parents; educator, teacher, translator, chair of Polish Citizens’ Committee Housing Association Ltd., fundraiser and organiser. I was born in Earls Court, centre of Polish émigré life at the time, then lived in South Kensington and went to a tiny boarding school in Ealing. I read Spanish and English at Sheffield University, and as I always knew I wanted to be a teacher I did my PGCE there in 1978. For the next forty years I taught in a wide variety of schools, eventually specialising in Special Education. The cohesive theme of my career was creative education in the widest sense of the word. My passions are people, education, literature, theatre and inclusivity. I hate sport but enjoy walking and taking photographs and writing. Now on my gap year I am enjoying volunteering my help with the Polish Cultural Foundation, chairing the committee of Antokol Polish Care Home and I promote knowledge of immediate history to school children about the events of the Second World War which led to my parents being here as refugees.

    Basia Korzeniowska

    My husband always does the cooking. mostly in advance for dinner parties. Always something simple but usually very good quality. This Sunday we are having guests. Pre prandial drinks with Spanish ham croquettes (I made those already.) Rolled loin of venison ( he will roll it in pancetta tomorrow, fry it briefly and refry on Sunday) with roast potatoes, red cabbage or horseradish beetroot and something green. I will make a very easy chocolate and almond cake with raspberry coulis for dessert. Then cheese and biscuits and coffee. Nothing difficult. we will both be in and out of the kitchen briefly while the guests are here, but not at the same time. But it will take three or four dishwasher loads later. luckily we do not go to work!

    Reply
  10. annabelharz – I am the author of "Journey into the Dark and the Light". My book features poems and accompanying pictures, depicting my journey of recovery from depression.

    annabelharz

    In Australia people are asked to ‘bring a plate’ – that’s code for ‘bring something to share’. Inevitably there’s always someone who doesn’t understand the nuance and turns up with literally just a plate – thinking that the host is severely crockery-challenged. They look very embarrassed when they realise their faux pas!

    Reply
  11. Awakening Wonders – Everyday life is filled with wondrous things and embraceable moments, but only if we allow ourselves to be fully awakened. I invite you to join me as I share passionate life adventures and ramblings that awaken my spirit. I look forward to awakening your senses to the simple, joyous wonders that are all around us. I feel that we are destined to become soulful adventurers!

    Awakening Wonders

    Some great advice!

    Reply
  12. Ellie Carpenter – United Kingdom – Writing my memoirs, musings, a little fiction and a lot of poetry as a way of exploring and making the most of my life ... ... Having had a break from writing my blog for more than three years, I decided to return to write my memoirs, some day-to-day observations, views and feelings. My passion is non-fiction poetry. I have a disability and use an electric powerchair called Alfie and let nothing get in the way of living life to the full. I believe that you can never do a kindness too soon and should give credit where credit is due. A smile or a kind word could make the difference between a good or bad day for a person - we never know what's going on for another soul. Those little things, perhaps, practised daily like a mantra, could mean so much to someone else. Thank you for visiting my blog and reading a little more about me. Please, make yourself at home here. You are very welcome. Ellie x 😊

    Ellie Thompson

    It’s really good to see you back again, Cherryl. Firstly, thank you for the two blog posts you sent me about writer’s block – both were very helpful. The only suggestion I struggle with is reading enough. I am always writing, either for my blog, but also for my coursework. It’s a writing course, and I have work to do for that every week, mostly essays. I’ve got a book out of the library I’m dying to read. It was suggested to me by another of my readers, Janet. It’s called Room by Emma Donoghue. Apparently, it was a film at one time. I can’t concentrate on reading at home, so I try to go to the library to read instead. I just don’t get enough time to keep up with the story.

    Onto your current blog post … I love your suggestions to make entertaining more of a joy than a chore. When I was married, I used to entertain more often. We usually had a buffet on the circular dining table, where we all sat around and helped ourselves to food. Once I was on my own (my ex left when my children were five and three), I didn’t entertain much. I can’t remember the last time I had anyone here to eat apart from my best friend, who often comes for lunch, and I’ll cook something simple. My family all live too far away for them to come for a meal, so most of the time, I just cook for myself. Now that I’m disabled, too, entertaining would be even more of a challenge – not impossible, though, and I’m always up for a challenge! Now … who to invite?

    I found your clip art interesting. The second image really made me think. What I noticed, as much as anything was that the family were sitting around the table, and not one soul was on their phone, unlike these days when it seems commonplace to have your phone at the table! That always annoys me, especially as my son does it. I think he’s attached to his phone by his umbilical cord!

    I hope you are well, Cherryl and that you have a lovely rest of the week. Xx 😊💕

    Reply
    1. Cherryl – UK – This and that, an all rounder!! If it amuses, entertains, inspires or proves useful to just one person then it's doing its job! God bless x 💛🔆🌴🎨🌼✈️

      Cherryl

      Hi Ellie, I hope you’re well and enjoying the weekend 🤗 🌼

      It can definitely be difficult to find time to read, so true, and you also have to be in the mood to sit and read, which isn’t always going to be the case.

      Dinner party-wise – laying all the food out and everyone helping themselves is also my prefered approach – and I think it helps make things feel more relaxed too.

      🙄 I hear you on the phone thing. Even in restaurants these days, phones are usually on the table. I’m guilty of taking photos of my food sometimes but I try to put the phone away and not to keep it visible the whole time. Sadly, yes – the phone has become the new permanent umbilical cord 🙃

      Have a good week ahead 🐥🌸 x

      Reply
      1. Ellie Carpenter – United Kingdom – Writing my memoirs, musings, a little fiction and a lot of poetry as a way of exploring and making the most of my life ... ... Having had a break from writing my blog for more than three years, I decided to return to write my memoirs, some day-to-day observations, views and feelings. My passion is non-fiction poetry. I have a disability and use an electric powerchair called Alfie and let nothing get in the way of living life to the full. I believe that you can never do a kindness too soon and should give credit where credit is due. A smile or a kind word could make the difference between a good or bad day for a person - we never know what's going on for another soul. Those little things, perhaps, practised daily like a mantra, could mean so much to someone else. Thank you for visiting my blog and reading a little more about me. Please, make yourself at home here. You are very welcome. Ellie x 😊

        Ellie Thompson

        Hi, Cherryl. How lovely to see you back again. My weekend is okay, although far too busy, meaning no reading time today (story of my life). However, when I think about it, I spend such a long time reading other blogs, which counts as reading, that I don’t have time to do much else. I’ve been writing every two or three days lately, but it is quite a commitment, but one that I enjoy, thankfully. Having said that, I have started that book, ‘Room’, that I mentioned in my comment, and so far, it’s excellent, but I’m only reading it at the library, as I always do.

        Yes, the phone ‘thing’ is here to stay; in fact, I’m pretty sure of it. I have to admit that I have been known to take a photo of my food if it’s something special, like a birthday meal with a friend. Other than that, like you, I put my phone back in my bag, even though I know it could ring at any minute and demand my attention. My son has now graduated from having one ear glued to his phone to now having a headset on both ears, so is hands-free. Now, he just walks about all over the house having conversations with the air, or so it seems. I’m never sure whether he’s talking on his headset or whether he’s talking to me. It wouldn’t surprise me, in generations to come, if we are born with a permanent device in place, like an implant, that will do away with having to use phones altogether 🙄!

        How are you doing? I hope your weekend is going well and that you have a lovely week, too. Xx 🌷💛🌹

        Reply
        1. Cherryl – UK – This and that, an all rounder!! If it amuses, entertains, inspires or proves useful to just one person then it's doing its job! God bless x 💛🔆🌴🎨🌼✈️

          Cherryl

          All is well thanks Ellie, just having a bit of a blog binge (long overdue) 😊 💻
          Reading blogs can take up a lot of time for sure, there is never enough time to read as many as I’d like….glad you got to start that book too, it’s nice to get into a good book 👍

          Implantable devices are probably close on the horizon – I think they have something like that already rolling out in Sweden to make payments, watch this space! 🤔

          Reply
    1. Cherryl – UK – This and that, an all rounder!! If it amuses, entertains, inspires or proves useful to just one person then it's doing its job! God bless x 💛🔆🌴🎨🌼✈️

      Cherryl

      I know what you mean. Sounds like you managed to pull it off for Christmas though 💫
      When I have a system going in the kitchen (or organised chaos) and I know where I’ve put things etc, it can be quite distracting having anyone else start getting involved.

      Reply
  14. debscarey – Billingshurst, West Sussex UK – Writer, Reader, Photographer and Random Scribbler. The random scribbling happens at Debs Despatches, I'm a writer for hire at Debs Carey, and I co-host Fiction Can Be Fun, where my fiction and #IWSG reflections can be found. All links below.

    debscarey

    I enjoy hosting friends/family for a meal, and use a mix of methods – not choosing menu items which require being chained in the kitchen, lots of prep-ahead, some short-cuts (shop bought puds for example), and being organized. My mother’s method was to exchange the servants she was used to from a life overseas with her children once we moved back to the UK, so she always got to enjoy her gatherings and hated eating out. Her children always enjoy eating out!

    Reply
  16. Sheila Landry Designs – Meteghan River, Nova Scotia, Canada – I am an artist and designer of decorative painting patterns, woodworking patterns, needlework and embroidery kits and patterns, and original artwork. My Painting and Wood Surfaces for Decorative Painting is at my "Tole Painting Designs" Website My partner Keith Fenton and I sell our scroll saw patterns at our Scroll Saw Pattern website: "Sheila Landry Designs" My needlework patterns and supplies are available at my Etsy shop: "The Stitching Kitty"

    Sheila Landry Designs

    Hi, Cherryl. 🙂 I have missed your blogs. I was happy to see you back.

    My entertaining days seem to be behind me. But back in the day, I would have large gatherings (up to 50 or more people) for parties for the kids birthdays and holidays. Many times this included full meals. Buffet style was the way to go, and many of your tips are what I had followed to make the day a success. I usually cooked everything or most things myself with the help of my dear friend who lived down the block. We raised our kids together and were like sisters. So while it was exhausting, it was really fun. I recently was going through some old photos and many were of parties and gatherings like that. They were definitely good times.

    Now I live in a different country circumstances are definitely not the same. My dear friend had passed away right after I moved here and the kids are grown and all in different places. Life changes. But those days of parties are fond memories.

    Have a great week. 🙂

    Reply

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