Holiday cocktail parties made simple

Jaime Couden

Staff Writer

The holiday party is something everybody loves to attend. There's Christmas music playing in the background, good friends getting together, great food and awesome drinks. Who wouldn't enjoy all of those things bundled up in one place? I can't think of anybody who wouldn't love it except for the person throwing the party. They probably cleaned their house and worked on the food and drinks for days, up until the doorbell rang with the first guest. And even then, they will be working on food and drinks the whole time and not socializing with their friends. It's hard work throwing a great party, but I have some ideas to make your life a little easier, and to let you have fun at your own party. After all, it's your party and you can have fun if you want to!

Let's start with the invitations. They should be fun and creative, but don't spend five of your lunch breaks at work to finish them. There are plenty of great stationary stores around the Seattle area. Abby's Cards and Gifts in Downtown Edmonds, The Paper Zone which you can find in Shoreline and several locations in Seattle, and located in almost every mall you can find Papyrus. Buy your invitations already made, then get a couple of stamps and stickers to make each one unique.

Too many people at a cocktail party can get crazy, and it's hard to socialize with everyone. I suggest no more than 20 people, and no less than eight. Suggest semi-formal attire because it is a special night, and most people don't get the chance to dress up when they are busy with work, school, and kids. It is so fun to dress up, deep down and secretly most people like it.

So now you know how to send out the invitations, let's talk food for the party. 90 percent of this can be made a day or two beforehand, so you can have fun at the party. You want to have easy, no clean up stuff. Forget plates and silverware, what a mess! Finger food is the way to go, so we are going to start with candied nuts. Take a cup of sugar, a teaspoon each of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger powder, and salt. Put it all into a big bowl and stir. Put a bunch of pecans and/or walnuts into the bowl and toss lightly. Take the nuts out and fry in an inch of hot oil for one minute. Put the hot nuts directly into the sugar bowl again and toss it all together until the nuts are evenly coated. Spread them out on a foil lined cookie sheet until the guests arrive. Find some cute bowls for the nuts and place them around the house for your guests to nibble on.

Another easy trick is bruschetta. It's so easy, and so quick. You need a loaf of French bread, olive oil, tomatoes, red onion, garlic, and fresh basil. Slice the French bread into one inch pieces. Place on a foil lined cookie sheet (no clean up) and brush each piece with olive oil. Put into a 400 degree oven for about five minutes, or until they are getting a little browned and crunchy on top. For the bruschetta mix, just dice up three tomatoes, one red onion, three cloves of garlic, and two tablespoons of fresh basil. Mix together with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Before the guests arrive, spoon the bruschetta mix on top of the bread and arrange on a platter.

Sounds easy so far right? The last type of food that will be served is fondue. You'll need two fondue pots, and if you don't have any ask, somebody who was married in the late 70's or early 80's. I can almost guarantee you they will have a fondue pot you can borrow, because those were the hot wedding gifts back then. Cheesy marinara fondue with crispy mozzarella sticks and friend zucchini for dippers, and a creamy chocolate fondue with fresh fruit and marshmallows, sounds good to me. Your guests will love the flavors, it's easy with no mess to clean up during the party, and fondue is fun! Use two bottles of you favorite marinara sauce, one half pound of mozzarella cheese, and one cup of parmesan or Romano cheese. Thirty minutes before your guests arrive throw everything into the fondue pot, and bake off some frozen mozzarella and zucchini sticks. All the cheese will be melted and ready for dipping.

For the chocolate fondue, just use your favorite fruits. I use strawberries, pineapple, and raspberries. Put one cup of heavy cream and two cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips into the pot. That part is done, so all you have to do is cut the pineapple and wash the berries. Use wooden skewers for all of your fondue goodies, they make dipping easy.

The food has been mastered; now let's get to the best part which is drinks and cocktails. For Spiced Spiked Cider you will need apple cider, your favorite rum, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and nutmeg. Start simmering everything together except the rum, and continue that for a few hours. Once the guests start arriving, put the rum into your simmering cider. Your whole house will be overflowing with holiday smells, and it will put people in the holiday mood. When you combine those smells with some holiday music, you will have a house filled with cheer.

For Red Wine Punch you need your favorite red wine, 7up, and a bag of frozen strawberries. Thaw the berries and put everything into a punch bowl. It doesn't get any easier.

Last but not least, Green Apple Martinis. You'll need apple flavored vodka, and Apple Puckers liqueur. Put apple liquors into a martini shaker with ice, and shake until your fingers get icy cold. Strain into a martini glass, drop a maraschino cherry in the bottom and add a splash of 7up. You are now ready to have the perfect holiday cocktail party! You know how to create the invitations, you have amazing and easy food to serve, you have the smells and the sounds, and of course the red and green holiday cocktails. Be safe and have fun, enjoy your family and friends, and remember the holidays are the best time of year. Good luck!