Sr ee eee a Y= . te a re 4 25 a “—_ -.* ———s 4 5 3, , i 4 B ree 2 “=.a UF, = or a FsPe e & + t oe = = ie Ze leI es, te, mSxe AS 4 iy SFee <>) eos ee eS aa Sere Tips And Tricks For Eas y, Elegant Get-togethers ~ (NAPSA)—Party hosting duties can be rewarding and exhilarating, yet daunting when confronted by the level of cleaning and preparation that goes into even a casual get-together. Food Network star Sandra Lee has a few hints for time-starved hosts and an easy, tasty recipe to help decrease time When it comesto parties, planning pays off—with a fabulous gathering, delicious food and a stress-free hostess. Planning lets you put all the elements together at a comfortable pace. Start a month ahead for a formal party and two weeks ahead for a casual gathering. Feed a crowd and still be cost conscious. To save money, shop smart. Keep track of sale items and buy staple items in bulk. Top name-brand items often go on 7 and money spent on entertaining, as well as increase fun. Chef Sandra Lee’s Party-Planning Tips Prepare smartly. Eliminate mul- tiple shopping trips by planning storage space ahead of time. You can be all set for a crowd of just about any size with the help of a fridge that holds enough to feed everyone at your party. sale the first of the month, when For instance, the largest French-door model available, LG’s Mega-Capacity Refrigerator, offers state-of-theart storage space, keeping all your dishes fresh until festivities begin, leaving you more time to mingle. Photo courtesy of Mac Jamieson Little slider sandwichesare easy to make and can be a big hit at holi- day parties. close to the kitchen, so it’s easy to replenish trays without walking through the crowd. Every party has a few guests who arrive early. Provide small snacks such as nuts, olives and cheese for them to nibble while you finish setting up. When you're cooking for all age groups, from young cousins to grandparents, try serving comfort food favorites that work well for everyone, such as Stuffed Mushrooms, Personal Chicken Potpies or these BLT Sirloin Sliders. Photo credit LG Electronics A top-notchrefrigerator can help you party hearty and happily. Keep it simple and casual. Serve food buffet style and allow guests to help themselves. Just make sure the buffet station is =e@ Size Up, Size Down Sliders Makes 24 sliders Prep: 40 minutes Cook: 16 minutes 34 pounds groundsirloin 3 tablespoons Montreal steak seasoning, McCormick Grill Mates 24 slider buns 12 slices bacon, cooked and cut in half crosswise 24 small lettuce leaves 24 tomato slices % cup mayonnaise % cup mustard 24 dill pickle slices In a large bowl, gently combine sirloin and seasoning. Using hands, form into 24 patties. Spray a large nonstick grill pan with nonstick nonflammable cooking spray. Heat pan over medium-high heat. Lightly coat patties with spray. Add half of patties to pan and cook 4 minutes on each side, or until done. Remove from pan; repeat procedure with remaining patties. Serve on buns with bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayon- naise, mustard and pickles. many people have more money in their pockets. At the end of the month, when people have less money, the store brand or tier-two name brands go on sale. Buy things in season when you can. Whenitems are out of season, the price more than doubles because of all the shipping and handling involved. Whenyoufill your pantry with great food, there’s no end to the possibilities for great (and spontaneous) parties. Some items—such as cheeses and_ precooked shrimp—you have to buy fresh but there are many items you can store in your cupboards for months at a time. Stock up on salted roasted nuts, wines and spirits, flatbreads and crackers and olives, and you've got a great head start to a gathering you can enjoy along with your guests. Food should be fun. When youre getting ready to host a dinner party, plan your appetizers, desserts and drinks accordingly. Assume each guest will have at least three appetizers and two drinks. Hungry for more? You can find further facts and tips at www.lg.com/us/kitchen/ refrigerators.jsp. Editor’s Note: LG’s Mega-Capacity Refrigeratoris the largest-capacity, standard-width, French-doorrefrigerator; excludes other LG-manufactured products.
