How to Host a Stress Free Small Dinner Party at Home
Yes you can enjoy your own dinner party! The 3 keys to hosting a stress-free dinner party are to keep it simple, do as many chores as you can ahead of the big day, and prepare as many dishes as you can ahead of your guests' arrival.
Steps
Keep it simple: Limit the guest list to eight people, six is even better. Choose a neutral table setting that lets your colorful centerpiece flowers pop. Serve no more than three courses. Feature only one "fancy" dish. Plan a mostly make ahead menu with few items that need last minute kitchen time.
Do ahead. Two weeks in advance, invite your guests and choose a menu with mostly make-ahead dishes. A few days ahead, shop for the non-perishables and clean house. The day ahead, shop for the perishables and set the dinner table and do a last minute clean of the bathroom and living room. Prepare your make-ahead recipes the day before or in the morning of your dinner party.
Tips
Remember that your guests are the real stars of the evening, not your food. The food is only your pleasant excuse for getting together, so don't worry about putting on a gourmet restaurant spread.
Never serve a dish you haven't made before. This way you avoid disasters like apologizing for a recipe that doesn't taste the way you hoped it would.
You are part of the company and your guests expect to talk with you. Keeping it simple means you get to spend time with your guests instead of in the kitchen.
Don't get nervous about choosing wine. If you're not sure what to serve, just go to your local wine store and ask for something simple and inexpensive that most people are likely to enjoy. Remember people love to give advice, and wine store staff are no different!
Check the ingredient list for every recipe against your pantry contents. Make sure you already have the item on hand or add it to your shopping list. This has the added bonus of preventing you from buying duplicates!
In your last minute schedule be sure to include time for you to get dressed, set out the appetizers, put on the dinner music and - yes - sit down for a few minutes before your guests arrive. Wow! What a stress-free way to start enjoying your own dinner party.
Town of Eastchester, New York
The Town of Eastchester is in the southern part of Westchester County, New York. The town includes the villages of Bronxville and Tuckahoe.
Communities and locations in Eastchester
Bronxville -- The Village of Bronxville.
Bronxville Heights
Cedar Knolls
Crestwood
Tuckahoe - The Village of Tuckahoe.
Waverly
Local History - Interesting Facts, Famous Names & Places
The Town of Eastchester began settlement in 1664 when ten families migrated from Fairfield, Connecticut. Thomas Pell, who at that time also owned the territories known now as New Rochelle and Pelham granted a deed to the group to "settle down at Hutchinsons," where the home of Anne Hutchinson had stood some twenty years before. The ten original families were shortly joined by another twenty-six.
Laws for the region were established the following year, in 1665, under an agreement called the "Eastchester Covenant." The covenant was a rare document for this period. It contained twenty-six provisions such as: education of children, disposition and upkeep of property, support of a minister, etc.
Eastchester's rural makeup began to change with the coming of the railroad in the 1840's. Three hundred-seventy acres of land were incorporated at the village of Mt. Vernon in 1853 by a group of New York businessmen; the village of Bronxville was incorporated in 1898; and the village of Tuckahoe in 1903. Today, Eastchester is bound by Scarsdale on the north, New Rochelle on the east, Yonkers on the west, and Mt. Vernon on the south, the town covers approximately five square miles, including Bronxville and Tuckahoe. 
Hire a limo for your weddings, birthdays, proms, and romantic dates, or treat your guests and clients to a Westchester limousine shuttle service for a tour around town, to and from hotels and airports, and during special corporate events. And for your limousine service needs only one name can be trusted: Westchester Limousine Service. Five years of first-class quality limousine service by our professionally trained chauffeurs and staff have earned Westchester Limousine Service a reputation as the New York limousine service company to hire for every function or occasion. Our stable of limousines is widely arrayed from simple elegant town cars to stylish sedans and luxurious stretch limousines. Our services cover all cities, towns and villages in Westchester County, New York.