ideas
S T Y L E M A K E R
Canning jars make nifty containers
for Sara’s homemade party favors,
such as a body scrub she makes,
m
ixing salt and jojoba oil. Guests
can help themselves to fruit juice
punch,
right,
and m
ix in sparkling
wine or spirits as they please.
“Think about where you want guests to congregate, then place
beverage and food stations there,” Sara says. That includes placing
recycling bins front and center, so that no one need hunt through
the kitchen to do the right thing.
•W hen I’m planning a m enu, I think of
foods that also might inspire people to try them on their
own,” Sara says. “A simple pasta dish with locally grown
tomatoes and basil doesn’t cost much, and it works for
guests who don’t eat meat” She’s doesn’t overdo
dessert, either, opting for “
just something people can
take little nibbles on, like fair-trade chocolate and fruit.”
Spring through fall, weekly produce deliveries from a
local CSA (go to
localharvestorgfor
locations of
community supported agriculture outlets) ease the
shopping time crunch. “You never know what you’re
going to get from week to week, so it encourages you to
try different foods,” Sara says. In grocery stores, she
shops the organic section. “Organic tends to cost more,
so I encourage people to look at it as an investment in
their family’s or guests’ health,” she says. She
recommends choosing organic for items that, when
grown conventionally, tend to have the most pesticides,
such as peaches and apples, but sticking with
conventional for produce that you’ll peel, such as onions.
(Go to
foodnews.org
for more information.) And she
gives special thought to beverages, offering a variety of
juices and sparkling waters to mix and match. “The first
thing you hand a guest is a drink,” Sara says.
30 APRIL 2009 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
