Holiday Themed Pot Luck Party

If you are anything like Himself and I (and our littles) the month of December is a whirl wind of busy and it feels as if you are always on the go.  This year I am determined to change that up a bit and carve out some time to enjoy friends.  We are always so busy with family obligations and commitments that we don't spend nearly enough time with our "family of our choosing"... our friends.

So this year I got the bright idea (hopefully so?) to host a holiday themed pot luck party.  I wanted to do a theme, to kind of create some fun and excitement around an ordinary pot luck.  So we decided upon Christmas Around The World.  Each family coming is bringing a different dish from an area of the world that is traditionally made at either Christmas or Hanukkah.  It should turn out to be a tasty evening for sure.

When throwing a pot luck you can either let the menu be carved out by the individuals ideas of what to bring (be aware, however, this can lead to everyone bringing a pie or a plate of cookies), or you can assign different dishes that you want people to bring (some people resent being told what to bring), or you can put guidelines or a theme.  (this is my preferred method).

In the case of our theme from Christmas around the World, I instructed 1/3 of my guests to make an appetizer , 1/3 to bring a main dish, and 1/3 to bring a dessert.  I allowed each of them to choose what region from around the world (this should make it fun).  They are also going to bring copies of their recipes in case others enjoy the dish and want to make it at home.

We are also doing a White Elephant exchange (also known as Yankee swap, gettem keepem, and a whole host of other names).  Essentially you set a dollar limit for a gift.  Everyone attending brings one gift.  you don't label who anything is from.  Then you draw a names or numbers from a hat to determine the order that people pick a gift from.  You can then either pick a gift from under the tree, or pick one that was already picked.  We have a rule (some don't use this rule) that you can't "re-pick" a gift more than twice.  So when a gift is picked a total of 3 times, its with it's final home.

The advantage to hosting a pot luck with a White Elephant type of exchange, is it lowers the cost of parties for all involved, everyone gets to enjoy a variety of good food, gifts, and camaraderie, and you aren't on the hook for the entire event.  A win for everyone.

It does take a little bit of organization prior to the party but you won't regret that effort spent when you are enjoying a fun evening with friends.

If you've never hosted a pot luck party, here are some links you might find useful to guide you in your first endeavor.

How to Throw a Holiday Potluck Party

Pot Luck Themes

How to host a potluck

10 crowd pleasing pot luck themes

Hope your next potluck or first potluck as the case may be turns out to be just as much fun as I'm sure we will be having this month with ours.

After the Party

The party has ended and now you have lot of leftover food, wine and decorations.  Here are some ideas to help you use them in other ways....

1. Food
* Omelets, Quiche or Frittata - leftover veggie trays, sandwich meats, sausage, and cheese
* Chips or Bread - leftover chips or left over bread can be ground into crumbs and frozen to use on the tops of casseroles
* Dips - use in a casserole or as a sandwich spread 

2. Wine
* Freeze left over wine in an ice cube tray to use in recipes later. Such as stew in the slow cooker.
* Pour wine into a smaller bottle and recork.
* Make a mulled wine syrup to serve on top of pancakes, ice cream or fruit 

3. Decorations 
* Use ornaments and garland for wrapping gifts 
* Christmas lights - are great fairy lights to use all year around the house 
* Wreaths can be converted to holiday wreaths for other holidays or celebrations 
* Greens - evergreen tree, wreaths, garland can be used to decorate packages or pine needs used to protect flowerbeds or garden during the cold months.

Tips on a Stress Free Holiday Season

For many of us the holiday season is truly a wonderful time of year, but it is also a stressful time of year.  I know that often times when the stress gets to me that I no longer enjoy the spirit of the season and get bogged down in getting things done 'perfect'.  I get lost in the details instead of simply enjoying it all.  So each year I strive to "de-stress" my holiday season.  Each year it gets a bit less stressful and a bit more enjoyable.

Here are some tips for keeping your season a bit less stressful.

Be Realistic:
Families change and grow, adjust your expectations with those changes.
Set realistic goals for family traditions.  Sure it's nice to be able to include all 100 various family traditions handed down from generation to generation.   If those traditions are going to add stress instead of enjoyment, however, it no longer is fun.  So be practical and realistic.  Pick a handful of traditions you would like to share and enjoy with your loved ones and get rid of the rest.
Don't try and do it all.  Whatever that "all" might be for you.  Accept that there are only 24 hours in the day and no one can possibly do it all.

Pace your Work Load:
There are 24 days leading up to Christmas, so pace your work load.  Make a list of all the things you need/want/desire to accomplish and spread out the work load over the 24 days leading up to the big day.  When broken down into smaller more manageable pieces its easy to accomplish many things and enjoyable at the same time.

Share the Work Load:
Figure out which items you must do yourself, which items you can hire out for, and which ones you can share with a loved one.  And then delegate.

If you are like me delegating is probably one of the hardest things to do.  I have a definite problem in letting go of control with regard to all things holiday and family related.  Yet I know that in order to focus on the big picture and remain sane throughout the holidays, some amount of delegation is necessary.

Throw Away The White Gloves:
No one is going to care if your home passes the white glove test, but everyone will care about having a great time and enjoying that time with you.  If you are too busy making sure everything is perfect and can pass the white glove test you will likely miss out on some of the best moments of the holiday season.

Schedule any heavy cleaning to be done at least 5 days prior to the holiday.  Then 2 days before the holiday go back over the carpets, floors, and bathrooms.  The day of your holiday hostings, dust lightly, straighten up the bathroom and kitchen areas again, and do a once over on the floors.  All else will fall into place.

Stick to a budget:
If you haven't already set your budget for the holiday season, don't delay.  One of the biggest stressors for people is money and debt.  No one wants to be paying into the new year for the holiday that they enjoyed today.  So set a budget, make it realistic, and stick to the budget.

Stay Healthy:
It's a difficult time of year for germs, and if you get sick then you won't be able to enjoy even one moment of the holiday.  So take your vitamins, eat well, get enough sleep, drink plenty of fluids, and stay healthy.

Have Fun:
Last but definitely not least is have fun.  If you aren't enjoying yourself chances are you shouldn't be hosting that holiday in the first place.  Holidays are meant to be enjoyed, so relax, sit back, and enjoy.  Everything else can wait five minutes.