Delightful Dining: Entertainment and Menu

Stock PhotoIn parts one through four of our “Delightful Dining” series, we discussed the people, planning the meal, preparing the meal atmosphere, and service. Today we’re going to offer tips for entertainment, and give menu suggestions that include links to recipes online.

Entertainment

Options: The entertainment is optional––you may choose to just have company over for dinner. But if you’d like to make an entire evening out of it, feel free to plan a little after-dinner entertainment––just make sure your guests know in advance so they can plan ample time to stay. Be sensitive to the guests’ needs––if dinner ran long, and they need to get home, graciously accept their declination of the offer to stay. (If you had a great game night planned, the hosts can still play after the guests leave!)

TV-Free: A note of caution: unless all of your guests are movie buffs, keep the TV off! If they are movie buffs, and you choose to watch a movie, make sure the movie is clean and appropriate to watch. (Plugged In is a great movie review website.)

Talk: If the conversation is going strong, everyone can just sit around and talk for awhile, but that may put more pressure on people to keep the conversation flowing, especially if they’re not used to being together for extended periods of time, so it may be better to have actual activities planned.

Games: The other option is to play a game. Someone in your group may bring a fun game that all ages can enjoy. Cards are an easy choice, as games can include an indefinite amount of people, and rules can generally be adapted to meet the needs of the players. Depending on the ages and interests of the players, games like Catch-Phrase and Clue may also be good options.

Menu

Click on a menu item below to be directed to that recipe. Feel free to use these ideas, or to come up with your own.

cc24Beverages
Lemonade or Iced Tea
Milk
Coffee (make sure it’s decaf!)

Dinner – Option One
Chicken – grilled or baked
Fruit Salad
Broccoli and Cheese (use fresh or frozen broccoli)
Fettuccine Alfredo
Dinner Rolls

Dinner – Option Two
Spaghetti or Lasagna
Salad
Fresh Fruit
Garlic Bread

Dessert
Lemon Meringue Pie (use an unbaked homemade crust for best results)
Brownies

Departure

All good things must come to an end, including the evening (and this series!). When your guests begin to leave, gather their coats and purses, and see them to the door. Make sure to thank them for coming and sharing the meal, and the evening, with you.

Romans 12:10–13 “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor…devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.”

By Davonne Parks

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