The writer W. Somerset Maugham once said, “At a dinner party, one should eat wisely but not too well and talk well but not too wisely.” A dinner party is supposed to be fun for everyone concerned and Maugham was no doubt concerned that by talking too wisely, people would start getting too serious. At the same time, eating too much can lead into indigestion, so you want to control your appetite without taking all the fun out of eating. If you’re moving into a new home in Tulare, or Hanford or Visalia one of the best ways to meet your neighbors and develop a circle of new friends is to host a casual dinner party and entertain on a generous but affordable scale.

Here are a few great tips from San Joaquin Valley Homes to help you throw a dinner party:

• Find a good caterer. You’ve just moved into your new home. So it’s going to be too much work for you to cook for ten people. Instead, why not do a bit of research and find out which of the eateries around your new place has a good ranking? Try to go with a place that serves bigger portions so that you can economize a little bit.  If money is a bit tight, barbeque the meat yourself and pick up a few impressive sides at a deli or dessert at a local bakery.
• Invite your neighbors. It’s a good idea to try to get to know your new neighbors right after you move in. Why not knock on their doors, talk for a bit and invite them over? You don’t need to know everyone you invite very well. The object of the dinner party is getting to know people. If you don’t take this step right after you move in, you might forget to do it later on. And before you know it, it’ll be too late to start speaking to your neighbors because a frost will have set in! 
• Make it casual. Most people get a bit nervous about the idea of hosting a dinner party. Do you really need to have matching china and silverware? Are you supposed to serve a certain number of courses? Do you need to serve wine rather than beer? There’s no need to worry about all this.  You can keep dinner parties casual. The best way to do this is by hosting a buffet-style party. You can get a few different items to eat and make sure that there’s something for vegetarians. In terms of alcohol, get some nice wine and beer, maybe even splurge and create some retro cocktails that are all the rage (check out this article on Delish for ideas and recipes). This should satisfy most people.

Contact us for more great entertainment ideas in your new home.

Lisa Walker

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