My favorite, Tablescaping

Love to Decorate the Dinner Table.Food should be a Dining Delight

1. Invite your friends and enough to sit comfortably at the table. 
2. Greet your guests as they come to the door. Have the closet cleared for their coats.
3. Offer guests beverages and hors d'oeuvres. 
4. During hors d'oeuvres, slip out to the kitchen quickly to get the first course on the table before the guests are asked to take their seats (unless that first course is hot, in which case you should wait until the guests are seated). 
5. Call guests to the table and direct them to where you want them to sit, either with place cards or verbally. 
6. Setting the table is the best fun..Nothing has to match but should co-ordinate.Fun dishes,coloured cutlery,napkins and napkin rings are the jewlery on the table. 
7. After each course, remove the plate and utensils used.
8. After the entree, remove all plates, used utensils, salt and pepper, butter, dressing, and so on. The dessert fork and spoon are usually placed at the top of the plate. They would remain on the table until dessert is served.
9. Serve dessert and coffee cups. Place sugar and creamer on the table.
10. After dessert, you do not need to remove the dessert dishes, unless they will be seen from the living room or family room for the rest of the evening.
11. Tidy the kitchen but my philosophy is after spending all that time preparing for the evening,sit down and enjoy your friends.

    12  When guests leave, get their coat and belongings, walk them to the door, say a brief good-bye and return  to     the other guests. 

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