Planning for a party; Russian Festivus 2015
My final goal for January is to plan/ execute our Russian Festivus. You may be asking what in the world is a Russian Festivus? Well, this started several years ago as a fun dinner party event we host for friends. My husband, Greg, was raised in the Russian Orthodox church and the Eastern European culture was alive and well in his home through foods they ate and holidays they celebrated. Being from a family which did little to embrace our heritage and culture, this was a very unique and interesting learning opportunity for me. I had never heard of a pierogi or haluski before meeting Greg. I quickly became schooled in these foods and embraced them myself!
At Thanksgiving each year, it is a tradition in his family to have a traditional Thanksgiving meal, but also a more authentic Russian or Eastern European meal. You may recall from my Thanksgiving blog post, that we made a visit to the Westside Market when we were visiting in Cleveland. The Westside Market has all the meats and ingredients we need to prepare the meal.
It became a tradition of ours to host a Russian meal for our friends in January following the holidays. Over the years, it has become an event we look forward to hosting. This year, as our friendship circle grows, we are having 16 for dinner. Yikes.
This week I will spend time organizing for our Saturday night party. My preparations include.
1. Taking stock of dinnerware, silverware, glassware
I actually had to buy more water goblets since several had broken since last time I hosted this many people.
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I always add something new each year and this year, I invested in dessert plates and shot glasses from CafePress. They make customized and personalized products. If you are interested in checking them out online, here is their website.
16 little shot glasses, each one different. Aren't they so cute??
2. Checking linens and tablecloths for stains and making sure they are pressed and ready
3. Making a menu and shopping
4. Ordering the dessert
We order all of our speciality desserts from Puffins in Cincinnati, OH. They have beautiful desserts.
5. Bringing up the extra table and chairs
I have to use a card table to extend off the end of my dining table, so I cover that with a linen tablecloth.
7. Cleaning the house and restocking bathrooms
Nothing is worse than going to a friend's house and using their facilities and realizing there is no more toilet paper to be had.
8. Pulling out decorations and candles
We have a lot of little Russian tchotchkes which were given to us. These make cute table decorations.
I also found these cute little babushka place cards on Etsy.
As many of you know, I am a list maker. I will be in heaven as I check and recheck the lists throughout this week. Greg is the chef in our family and he will spend most of Saturday prepping and preparing our meal.
It is always a joy to open our home and hearts to our family and friends. I look forward to lots of laughter and fun.
I hope these tips can help you to organize the next event you are hosting.
I will be back with you after the party to share some pictures!
