We all love having friends over and entertaining, but we don’t always have
the budget for it, or do we?
Who does not enjoy a delicious cheese platter? It is my favourite type of
food and I love all the deli meats and the creamy cheeses. Don’t even get me
started on the pickled yummy treats, the crackers, and the fresh artisan bread.
All on one table! I instantly become a helicopter nibbler and generally stick
by the snack table for most occasions.
These snack boards have become entertaining masterpieces, the salami is
shaped like roses and the sweet chili sauce cascades down the milky white
camembert like an erupting volcano! The strawberries have been dipped in
chocolate and the cucumber slithers look like pretty bows on a gift. Putting
these platters together has become an industry in its own right, and believe it
or not, very few people know how to master this culinary, entertaining skill.
However, this type of entertainment does not fall into everyone’s budget, but
that does not mean you do not have to entertain. Here are my 3 tips for
entertaining on a budget.
Tip 1: PLAN
Planning is so crucial when working within a budget. You can not simply pop
over to the store and grab a few things and hope they will be within budget.
TRUST ME!! I am a champion over-spender and impulse buyer. That is why I now
spend so much time on making budgeting and everyday life easier for myself with
my simple 3P method.
Planning does not mean spending 3 hours on excel making pie charts and pivot
tables. Not at all. But what it does mean is taking a few minutes, 20 at most,
and start planning. Start by checking the budget and knowing what you have
available for this splurge. Once you know the available amount, your
entertaining can start taking shape. Another important planning tip is to
consider who your guests are. You might have some dietary requirements to
consider, will it be a meat-free evening or a keto graze table? Taking those 2
considerations into account, decide on your menu and plan how you can make it
work. Another very important budget consideration is to stick to seasonal fruit
and veg. Planning an avocado and shrimp starter when avocadoes are not in
season, will simply destroy your budget!
Tip 2: PREPARATION
Now that we have the budget and a menu that will work for our guests, we can
start preparing for our shop. Don’t leave home without having checked the pantry to avoid spending on things you already have.
Making and preparing things yourself is a huge money saver. Yes, it takes a
bit of extra time, but it allows you to live a little on what little you have.
Let’s pretend our guests are vegan, making your own hummus could be a great start.
You will use chickpeas, sesame seeds ( or tahini ), and some olive oil. Now, I
know what you are thinking – how is buying all these ingredients going to save me
any money at all? Well, something like hummus and the ingredients we use to make
it, could be the star of your canapé table. Sliced cucumber with topped with
beetroot hummus and sprinkled with sesame seeds, not only look great with the
rich contrasting colours, but also taste super yummy! Crackers
plated with some traditional hummus are a great crowd pleaser. The juice from
the chickpeas works wonders in the cupcake recipe as an egg substitute. Now,
I am not going to plan your entire vegan evening for you, I am
merely trying to explain that you can have a wide variety of dishes, that look
and taste great, by preparing them yourself instead of buying different types
of store-bought hummus and store-bought vegan cupcakes etc. You get the drift!
Tip 3: PORTION
Portioning. EVERYBODY gets this wrong, all the time!! There are so many
reasons why getting this right is important, but the greatest reason is to
avoid waste! Waste means literal money has been thrown in the bin! And that is
exactly what we do not want. Some love their leftovers for lunch the
next day, but often leftovers almost always get trashed!
The other day I made potato salad to take to a barbeque and my husband
looked at me like I was trying to starve him. Guess what, yep, you guessed it,
we came back with a quarter bowl of potato salad! It is in our nature to over
cater in fear of not having enough. I assure you, if you consider who your
guests are, and what the purpose of the meal is, it will all work out. For example,
if you are providing canapé or table snacks and drinks before a night out, each
guest will eat between 4-6 canapé in the first hour and 2-4 in the next hour,
and 2-3 in the third hour. A safe number per guest for those 3 hours would be 13
pieces per guest. More than that will be a complete waste! If your table looks
a bit bare, use inexpensive table fillers, like crisps and popcorn. Or pretty
candles and other décor items.
If you have chosen to cook dinner for some friends, research your portion
sizes. Things like rice and pasta are can be tricky to get right. Portioning in
general is tricky. Of course, you don’t want to invite friends over and make
them feel like they are on rations, but you also don’t want leftovers for days!
So next time you need to entertain on a budget, remember to plan, prepare,
and portion!
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MomindaMix 