Hostess Hint

The party, not the cupcake. Sorry if I got your hopes up.

You all know I love to eat. I also love to feed people. Luckily, I’m a decent home cook. My stuff comes out well enough that people clear their plates and occasionally ask for seconds. That’s saying quite a bit because I believe in putting enough different dishes on the table that if somebody doesn’t like or want to eat something, they can still get uncomfortably full.

As you can imagine, I enjoy throwing the occasional dinner party. We had one tonight. (Happy Birthday again, Jim!) Here’s where the helpful hostess hint comes in. No, there’s no humor in it, just sincere truth.

I’ve thrown parties for up to 100 people, not for years, but I have. There’s one important thing about the process: no matter how late it is, or how tired you are, clear everything away that doesn’t fit into the sink before you go to bed. Trust me. There’s something so satisfying about waking up and remembering the party and not seeing bits and pieces all over the place. I’ve woken up to domestic battlefields that can retroactively spoil an otherwise lovely event.

So yeah, half the sink is full. But the table is pristine and the kitchen is clean. Let me know when you’re available, and maybe you can join us next time.