We all know what it’s like, you get home from work and the last thing you want to do is spend hours in the kitchen. Resident foodie Katy Hofstede-Smith offers some great tips, while we select some quick recipes to try…
There are many words that you may use to describe the end of your working day: manic, exhausting, chore-filled, battle of the bedtime, much-needed downtime. But I’m guessing that ‘hostess with the mostest’ probably isn’t high up the list. With our ever busy lives becoming more and more jam packed and snippets of family life squeezed into ever decreasing weekends, why not make the most of the brief evenings that you have and invite a few friends over for a midweek dinner? Granted, it is unlikely to be your languorous, several bottles of wine type of affair, but midweek entertaining not only allows you to keep in touch and spend quality time more regularly with the people who mean the most, but it also helps to create a better work/life balance and makes the week seem less of a drag.
Before you embrace the extra five potential entertaining days in the week, however, there are some rules that you really need to consider.
Keep it simple
This is not the time to be trying to impress with incredibly fancy meals or new complicated recipes. Think quick, tasty and minimal fuss but make sure it feels as though it’s something special through the ingredients you choose.
Make an effort, but not a lot
The simple things always count. Table linen, candles, chilled wine, nice cutlery or a vase of flowers, but make life easier for yourself and let your guests help. Put all the cutlery in an empty jar, glasses, napkins and crockery in the centre of the table and let your guests help themselves. Likewise with the food – don’t worry about dishing up and making things look pretty – opt for family style dining and wherever possible stove-to-table, to help save on the washing up.
Nearest and dearest
And finally, remember this is the time for inviting close friends who won’t mind that you may be in your PJs, are late back from work or need to keep an eye on the children during dinner. This is a time for sharing with those around you with whom you can really be yourself and just enjoy each other’s company.
Enjoy your midweek dining and perhaps Tuesday will become your new Friday!