Cookie exchange and a Boxing Day open house

[santashelper]

I am not sure if this is the right forum.

I am hoping to host a cookie exchange party this year and an open house on boxing day. I have never done either.

How do I host these two events?

I want to hear how you make these events amazing!!! What have you done or have you seen done that made these parties huge successes?

You ladies have the best ideas and I know I can always count on you to help me out with ideas.

 

[HouseElf]

I have hosted both, and they are fun.

I do the cookie exchange a little differently then most - as I find baking dozens and dozens of cookies too much, I ask the guests to bring (example) two dozen of their choice to share at the party (one dozen for the party to sample, and one cookie goes into a box for home) This mini sampler is not daunting, and they are packaged in festive 'take-out' boxes. At the party I serve a veggie and dip tray, crackers and cheese, a bean spread w/flat bread, and chocolate fondue with fruit & poundcake. Tea, coffee and spiced hot chocolate. It is a relaxed event, festive music and laughter.

An open house on Boxing Day is great!! The rush of the holiday season is passing, people are often more relaxed and commitments are less. I have baked a large ham and a roast beef - had them sliced with assorted cheeses & served along an assortment of buns for sandwiches. There is two kinds of soup in crockpots, a Spicy Sweet Potato soup and Vegetarian Chili. Veggie and dip, cheese and crackers with grapes, a spiced fruit salad, and the assorted Christmas cookies, tarts and bars. Coffee, tea, citrus punch and hot chocolate. This way all food can be prepared ahead of time, and just need to refresh - spending my time visiting, not in the kitchen. As for the kids: puzzle on a side table is a great place for youth to work on, a basket of holiday books beside the couch for the quiet ones, checkers, wood train, blocks and building logs keep little ones busy. In the rec-room there (after much debate) is often a holiday movie playing. I do not let the video games play as it discourages interaction and can cause conflicts in the early teen set. The music is Christmas, lights on and candles lit! A family affair.

ackage:

Good luck!

 

[luludou]

Houself love your ideas. I too prefer to have things ahead of time when I have visitors. Love to read about what pople prepare do for the cooking on these occasions.

 

[SparkleNana]

Good for you for thinking of hosting these two fun parties!

I have not gone to or given a cookie party. But I have given and gone to "open houses". I must admit that the ones I have given have always been in the "good weather" months - so they can be outside. I also had the cold roast meats - turkey and ham - sliced and with all kinds of things for people to make their own sandwiches. Potato salad, cole slaw, fruit salad, and lots of desserts. Where I live, people usually serve wine and beer in addition to soft drinks, water, juices, etc. Thwese parties were always tremendous fun and people stayed on and on for hours -- but it was outside, so it expanded over a lot of space and was fine.

I have also been to open houses during the holidays. If the house is big enough, the party works very very well. It is a lot of fun for the guests. And the guests stay and stay. (My family is guilty of staying and staying too, when the open house is fun.) I remember one open house on New Years Day. There had been terrible weather for a week and all the children had been going stir-crazy! Everyone was so happy to get to the wonderful open house. I remember going into the kitchen after a few hours and the hostess looked at me and said "I feel like killing all these people to get them out of my house!" I just backed out of the kitchen (and I am ashamed to say that I did not leave the party then and neither did anyone else. But the hostess was not able to kill anyone.)

That particular hostess did not give another party for about twenty years. And the one she finally gave after 20 years was at a rented space with hardly any chairs and very little food and drink -- and nobody stayed too long. The hostess was extremely happy with this abreviated "open house".

I went to another Christmas "open house" at a very fancy, very small house. It seemed that hundreds of people were invited. Maybe it just seemed that way. You were directed (by signs) to enter through the back door. You were in a tightly packed line. The line snaked through several small rooms, and you picked up a plastic glass of something to drink - and whatever foods were left on serving trays to eat with your fingers. The line snaked up to the hostess, who was standing at the front door. You said "Merry Christmas and Thank You" and the hostess shook your hand and kind of swung you out the front door in the same motion.

I would love to hear more stories of holiday "open houses" -- and how they worked out. It is quite possible that I just live in a part of the country where people act bizarre at parties.

 

[luludou]

:rotflol: sparklenana!! love your neighbors! :rotflol:

 

[Terrylee5151]

SparkleNana,
You have a wonderful way of telling stories. I bet you are a riot and would love to one day meet you. I always feel I am right there with you when you tell of an adventure. Don't ever lose your humor!!!!