Great Holiday Parties on a Budget

Your holiday party can be beautiful, entertaining and full of spirit without breaking the bank.

The Little Things

These big ideas come in small packages, and at little cost.

• Peppermints - Save on expensive centerpieces for your holiday table by filling clear vases with small peppermint or wintergreen mint candies.
• Ornaments - Add shimmer to your table with bowls of gold or silver ball ornaments. Scatter matching tinsel over the ornaments and down the center of your table to add extra dimension.
• Wrapped Boxes - Pile simply wrapped boxes in the center of your table for an inexpensive centerpiece. Wrap the boxes with plain white, red or green paper, then tie them with festive ribbons.
• Baskets - Place baskets filled with cinnamon scented pine cones or clove-studded oranges around your home for a natural holiday aroma and look.

Caroling

Organize a Christmas caroling party. Invite a group to meet at your house and then set out as a group around the neighborhood. Afterward, invite everyone back to your home for hot cocoa and Christmas cookies. Don’t forget the mini-marshmallows and peppermint sticks for stirring.

Holiday Warm-Up Party

Make the weather inside so frightful, but the menu so delightful. Decorate your home with inexpensive, chilly items such as paper snowflakes hung from your ceiling, plastic icicles dripping from your chandelier, cotton batting spread across tables, or silver confetti across a white tablecloth. Then break the chill with a warm menu. Serve fondue with a variety of bread and vegetable dippers; allow guests to assemble their own panini with meats, spreads, and cheeses you’ve provided; create s’mores using an indoor s’mores maker or microwave to melt everything together. A large pot of hot cider bubbling on your stove will melt any remaining chill.

Host a Holiday Brunch

Don’t let your friends shop 'til they drop on an empty stomach. Host an early brunch so that everyone can head to the stores after your party. Serve a Smithfield Smoked Sausage Breakfast Casserole, baked ham, muffins, coffee, and juice. Don’t forget to get champagne if you want to add a little kick to that juice.

Cookie Exchange

Few of us have time to bake 10 varieties of Christmas cookies like our grandmothers once did. A cookie exchange is the answer, giving us the same variety to serve our family and guests. Ask everyone to bring a dozen cookies for each participant, plus another dozen for the exchange. As guests exchange cookies and talk about their special recipes, you can eat the goodies that have been brought for the party. As hostess, you only need to supply coffee, tea, juice, a large table, and of course, plenty of holiday music playing in the background.

Arrange a Progressive Dinner

A progressive dinner is a variation on a pot luck party, but instead of being hosted in one home, the dinner moves from house to house, with a different course served at each stop. These are especially nice during the holidays because you get to see more decorated homes.

Skip the Main Course

The holidays aren’t the time to skip dessert. That’s what New Years resolutions are for. Entertain your guests with an appetizers and desserts party. Since you can prepare and freeze many of the items you plan to serve weeks in advance of your party, you won’t have the expense of buying prepared food items because you didn’t have time to cook.

Forget the Full Bar

The holidays lend themselves to special beverages which can be less expensive than stocking a full bar. Champagne punches, mulled wine or cider, and special coffee and cocoa drinks will appear extra special, while secretly reducing your bar bill.

Prepare a Tree Farm Picnic

In some climates, you can pretty much count on not having a white Christmas. Weather permitting, you might want to plan a group outing to a tree farm to purchase your Christmas trees together, and bring along a picnic lunch. Remember to take warm blankets for seating, unless there are tables. Your feast can include thermoses filled with warm soups, hot beverages such as coffee and hot chocolate, sandwiches, and, of course, Christmas cookies.

Focus on Community Giving

Gather you friends for a holiday party devoted to making the lives of others brighter. Ask your church or other charity organization to supply you with information on families in need. Request that your guests bring gifts and food for these families and during your party you can all wrap the gifts and prepare gift baskets for delivery after the party. Or, prepare care packages for men and women serving overseas. Packages might include snacks, toiletries, socks, playing cards, puzzle books, or holiday decorations. Keep your refreshments light, with simple snacks, cookies, and cold beverages. And don’t forget to keep that holiday music going.

Make this casserole the night before for an easy and delicious breakfast. It's perfect for overnight houseguests.