Hosting Friends For Lunch

Discussion in 'General Discussions' started by aamrapali, Apr 4, 2018.

  1. aamrapali

    aamrapali Gold IL'ite

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    I try to host friends for lunch at least once a year as a way of keeping in touch. Last year, I had about 5 families over, 2 of which also had kids putting total number of guests at 12. Not a big number but even with this my home was small to comfortably accommodate all. Except the kids, rest had their meals standing up. Not enough chairs and not enough room for the kids to run around and play. Our modest living room is the only place where we can host, neither upstairs nor in the basement.

    This year, one of these friends hosted a whole bunch of families, and I noticed how much space she had to set up the food, set up a seating area for women and another for men where all of us could comfortably have a sit-down dinner.

    This year, in fact, I am looking at a much bigger group to host - add another 5-6 families. I can stagger them as two lunches but most are common friends, all in the neighborhood vicinity. Even they would like that for all of us to come together and take turns in hosting. I also prefer to do this once a year and my turn to not slack off and continue to sustain friendships is done :)

    My husband and I have been brainstorming a few ideas such as:
    1) Community club house
    2) Community park
    3) Any park outside such as forest preserves
    4) How about reserving a couple of large tables at a nice family restaurant for a few hours or I think certain restaurants also have a private wing for family events.
    5) There are some really homely pizza places around and I even thought of a pizza night invitation for whoever wants to join us and it would be on us - even kids would love that.
    We don't want to spend a lot so we don't know how much outside spaces would cost.

    The last time I hosted at my home, I spent ALL of my time cooking, serving, and cleaning that I could barely mingle with the friends I invited. I want to avoid that this time. Of course, I could do a half-cooking and half-catering to cut down on the cooking/cleaning time.

    In India, I have seen guests pop in to my family's home with little to no notice. It was never about the food or the Rasna! People visited to meet one another and catch up, sometimes they would stay over for lunch and we all would adjust with whatever was cooked that day. If there was no place to sit, they would just sit on the floor mat or out on the bench in the yard.

    I feel here in the US, it has become a lot about how one hosts, the home setting, the wine served, the appetizers, the main course, followed by desert or ice cream for the kids. The bonding time itself is lost or very little. Too formal for my taste.

    Spring/Summer is fast approaching and I want to lock in some dates and finalize my guest list. I would appreciate any of your feedback and if you have tried something different. My preference, I would really like #5 above but I don't know how the friends would take it.
     
    sindmani, MalStrom, Sunburst and 2 others like this.
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  2. Sandycandy

    Sandycandy IL Hall of Fame

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    Why not just have potlucks ? That’s what all our friends do. It’s a lot of work to host all these families and one spends an entire day cooking and then cleanup after they leave.
    I like the idea of having it at a park rather than a club house. That means you can’t cook the likes of curry etc. something less messy and easier to eat.
    You can also carry frisbee/ plan for cricket or badminton in the park if there is space .
     
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  3. Sunburst

    Sunburst Platinum IL'ite

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    You should do what’s comfortable for you and don’t think too much about whether your friends will like it or not . While there are always some who can never be pleased no matter what , most don’t care as long as good food is provided and will appreciate the effort that someone puts in for hosting so many people

    For this huge crowd , plan to do this outside. If you have a community club , go for it else parks . If you are thinking of having a wide assortment of dishes then clubs would be more convinient than parks because a) don’t have to worry about weather or the place being windy and plates and cups flying around b ) less driving back and forth in case you forget something . c) with parks I prefer spots with gazebo.

    More than cooking , I get stressed about keeping the house clean and presentable. By hosting outside , you can save all that time and focus your energy on basic cooking for adults along with some ready made pizza for kids .
     
  4. MalStrom

    MalStrom IL Hall of Fame

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    We go to many desi gatherings at the park when the weather is nice. The kids can also run around and play, and even if it rains the shelters will be covered. You can arrange for some simple outdoor games. It will also be less expensive than renting a private room at a restaurant. Make sure you reserve the picnic area spots in advance if the park requires it, and arrive early to set up. You can get chafing dishes and food warmers from places like Costco and then you can serve whatever you want, it doesn't have to be just cold foods. And get disposable plates, cups, serverware and tablecloths for easy cleanup.
    Keep the menu simple if you don't want to do a potluck: biryani/pulao, gravy sabzi, ready made naan, apps like samosa, raita, store bought dessert and just make more quantities of each.
    You can cook the food in advance and not have to worry about cleaning your house before and after the party.
     
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  5. ashneys

    ashneys Platinum IL'ite

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    We usually do potlucks, taking turns at each friend's house. It's quite an interesting discussion in the group about who's making what n ensuring drinks to desserts are covered.

    Parks should be economical n spacious for kids to play n adults to hang out. Pre book the space, if you can get a gazebo, even better.

    So no clean up before, less time spent in the kitchen, use disposables-so no clean up after either. This way, you can enjoy the time with your friends rather than running around. Come up with games for adults as well to make it more fun.

    Once you come up with few easy, workable ideas like this, it may encourage more of your friends to do this as well, thus ensuring frequent get togethers, as some maybe scared of the cooking n cleaning work.
     
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  6. sindmani

    sindmani Platinum IL'ite

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    True.
     
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