Entertaining 101
With the holidays quickly approaching, I thought you would appreciate a tutorial on how to throw a mediocre dinner party. Here are my top tips for entertaining.
Start your day with some light exercise.
“Hide and Go Boo” is a good activity to get your heart pumping for the busy day ahead.
Have a light, yet satisfying breakfast, perhaps a Smoothie in a Bowl.
- frozen strawberries
- frozen mango
- frozen pineapple
- almond milk
- stevia
- Kashi Go Lean
- Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice Granola
Conduct physical examinations to ensure that members of your household are non-infectious. Ignore the fact that it feels like Jerome Bettis is sitting on your chest every time you inhale.
Run to the store to get any last minute ingredients. Explain the origin of “Veteran’s Day” on the way there, by stating that it is a day where we honor those who protect us. Nod and smile when Gigi says, “Like angels?” Try not to crash your car when she adds, “And seatbelts?”
Eat a balanced lunch.
- spinach
- cabbage
- carrots
- meatless meatballs
- pickles
- hummus
- barbecue sauce
- almonds
Enlist help in dinner preparations.
Plan a menu you are familiar with, like Thai Chick-Un Pizza from ED&BV. Prepare an alternative selection for your children and/or non-vegetable obsessed guests.
Prepare your child a snack. Act surprised when your child does not eat dinner due to an expanding pizza dough ball in her stomach.
If you are frustrated with the “extra help,” send them to go read, preferably in the dark. Conduct an experiment to see if those 10 lbs. of carrots a week are living up to their end of the bargain.
If worse comes to worse, call in the big guns.
Your home is your castle. Make a clean environment for your guests.
Greet your guests and rapidly make use of any gifts they may bring.
Feel free to decorate yourself and your home, as necessary.
Offer your guests some attractive sides with their entree.
Annoy your guests while they are trying to eat by photographing them. Make sure to use the flash so that they see blue floaters for the five following minutes.
After your meal, attempt to spoon with your company on the couch. If they refuse, try to take a decent picture with your company to prove that you are in fact friends.
This may take several attempts until you realize that you will never be satisfied with said photo because you did not get a new face, body and wardrobe over the course of the evening’s activities.
After your guests have left, sit back and reflect on your night by sharing it with thousands of strangers on the internet.
Finally, wish everyone a happy Angels and Seatbelts Day!
Thai Chick-Un Pizza–This is my sentiments on ED & BV which I think I have mentioned..for some reason, I have reading comprehension issues w/ that book b/c I miss half the recipes that are right in front of me in my book. I need people like you to Spell.It.Out.For.Me.
“you will never be satisfied with said photo because you did not get a new face, body and wardrobe over the course of the evening’s activities.”
Umm that’s epic. I think you need to trademark that. So true!!!!!
I must say your guests seem totally cool with kid antics. I took Skylar to a very uppity yoga studio today with a great boutique and I was there to apply for a job AND drop cash on yoga apparel. She was doing her 2.75 yr old pick up and feel and unfold every item in the store routine and 24 yr old sales girl was soooo crabby about the fact that I had a child. With me. In the store. Basically the opposite of your sweet guest
And the yoga situation? Subbing a class on Saturday, hoping it turns permanent. Thanks for your good wishes you left me on my comments last nite
It meant alot, thank you 
xoxo
Happy Angels and Seatbelts day to you too. Do awesome veggie moms get the day off like I do?
BTW I love that the Big Guns are my favorite cartoon from my childhood.
Honey, moms NEVER get a day off. They get assistance when Daddies are home, but even Daddy works tomorrow. Booo. Don’t they know it’s Angels and Seatbelts Day?!?
That pizza looks unbelievable! I would love to make it soon.
So glad you had a nice night with friends. I always getting together with friends.
omg I lurve Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice Granola!! And once again genius post!!! Tell Gigi to start her own blog and to stop stealing your material
THat looks like so much fun! I’d love to get together with bloggers!
Oh my gosh! That pizza is amazing! I need to whip out ED&BV more often, the recipes are just phenomenal!
Crap – and here I’ve been putting my stickers on the wall! No wonder I failed the Entertaining 101 mid term. Can’t forget… On the rug ON THE RUG!
Mama Pea, great tutorial on entertaining. I think I could give a pretty similar one. Love it and you!! Kids, so sweet aren’t they. Mine asked me yesterday if I would be happy if we died together so we could hug in the sky and so we could hug while we were buried. I was kinda to stunned to speak!! haha
~Justine
1. i’m continue to be amazed by how much gigi looks like papa pea, wow!
2. the pizza looks awesome. i actually thought the chick-un pizza looked more appetizing than the cheesy one (although i’d eat either if given the opportunity).
3. when i first saw your salad w/the meatless meatballs, i thought the lump of hummus was a biscuit, but i didn’t see that in your ingredients so i had to look twice! hahaha. it looked great. you know, i never thought of adding pickles to my salads. i see it’s a staple in yours … hmm, must try.
4. the kicker: “After your meal, attempt to spoon with your company on the couch. If they refuse, try to take a decent picture with your company to prove that you are in fact friends.” LOL! mama pea, why are you trying to spoon w/your guests? LOL.
Yum, pizza and friends. I still don’t have that book. I will have to put that on my Christmas list!
What a cute post! Love the stickers on the face
I want to try that pizza look delish! So glad you had a great night. with friends! Most of my friends won’t touch my cooking harumph.
The girls are so adorable. And I thought they were going to try ballet on the railing!
And I used to love My little Pony!
Yay Pizza!!!
I want that pizza! Also, you both are some of my fave bloggers! So real unlike She Pratt’s face.
Love ED&BV.. your pizza looks fab. As always, you made me chuckle on this lovely Angels/Seatbelts Day. Its crazy we have off work for such a thing?! lol
Those physical exams look intense! So much measuring…
What a fun night!
Happy Angels and Seatbelts Day!! What a fun evening – you two look fantastic, no new face needed there!
we had a fantastic time mama!
i should email you-when josh was playing with the camera he took some horrible pictures.
Thanks for the entertaining tips
Glad you had an enjoyable night!
And hey, sometimes you need to get out the ‘Big Guns’ AKA My Little Pony. That pony has got be to be vegan right?
I’m going to take all of this tips with me.
Hello Mama Pea! Your blog never ceases to make me smile because it combines my 2 loves – cute kids and delicious food! I’m so glad you re-started a new one and you’re featuring your adorable girls!! I’m a huuuuuge fan of your salad and the barbecue sauce over it. I’ve also done your half and half pizza at home! It ROCKS my pants off cuz my boyfriend get the side with all the cheese, and I get to overload mine with seafood and veggies…and tomato sauce.
Hope you have a wonderful veterans day!!
That pizza with pineapple looks so good!
hide and go boo looks like fun!
Glad you guys could have a fun dinner together – the pizza looks great!
I would give anything to babysit those two munchkins!! What’s a house with children if there aren’t any stickers on the carpet?!
Indeed, happy Angels & Seatbelts Day from the land of gargoyles and taxicabs.
That pizza looks great, I really need to find that cookbook somewhere in the rubble of my room.
That Chick Un pizza looks phenom! yum!!
That pizza looks fantastic. I would love to make that!
angels and seatbelts day? that is perhaps the cutest thing ever.
i think you should throw an ED+BV party. i would totally be there. and i am asking for that cookbook for christmas, because of all the rave reviews you give it.
happy day to you and the girls!
That pizza looks sooooooooooooooooooo good! I’m not even a vegan!
I’d happily attend your mediocre dinner party
With all of those tips, my holiday party should be a smashing success! : )
Mama Pea, I love your blog so much. I wish I was that friend on your couch.
Gigi and Lulu are so lucky to have you. Someday when I have little ones running around the house I hope to be as patient, creative, and attentive as you are. Inspirational!
Hide and go boo> hide and go poo. It’s the small things that count, right?
Happy Angels & Seatbelts Day!
Dinner looks great! And I’m all for immediately using any and all gifts guests bring!
Your posts always give me the warm and fuzzies
! Angels and seatbelts <3
I’m with Averie on the ED&BV book – I love it and yet I’ve only ever made one thing out of it. I too have to have the recipes made by someone else before I actually attempt to make them myself. It’s pathetic!
I’m still laughing over Gigi’s “seatbelts” comment – and wondering what Lulu is doing on the kitchen floor to help prepare dinner.
Sarah you look beautiful even in the pre-straightened hair photo you put up the other day. I wish I lived closer – I’d LOVE to have dinner at your place! Food looks delicious and entertainment (the kiddos) is free.
I love reading your posts – you’re hysterical and your kids are ADORABLE.
Oh mah goodness, love your blog SO much, Mama Pea!
Ok, so I might consider having children if they are guaranteed to be as adorable as yours
I’ve been dying to make that pizza forever. Really Mama Pea, you make me feel guilty…I am definitely not utilizing the greatness that is ED & BV. You inspire me.
Pretty sure I had the exact same nightgown that Gigi is wearing when I was a kid. I always knew she was a cool kid.
Yeah for Thai Chick Un Pizza–one of my fave recipes from the book.
This post is hilarious! Thanks for making me laugh–loved the ever expanding pizza dough comment
I love your blog!