Dinner parties are terrifying for most people. After all, most of us have never thrown more than one or two in our entire culinary lifetimes, if ever. While it is true that there are many things that can potentially go wrong, the good news is that the vast majority of them can be nullified with a little simple planning. Whether you are planning a night of healthy cooking for your yoga class or spaghetti and fried catfish for your bowling team, there is no reason to think you can't throw a successful dinner party. To that end, here are a few tips to help make your dinner party a success.

Find Out About Allergies First Whenever you serve a group of five or more people, odds are that you will run into at least one food allergy, if not more. There is nothing worse than putting hours of work into creating a beautiful meal, only to find out at the last minute that one of your guests can't eat garlic or that the shrimp cocktail you prepared might send someone to the hospital.

The best way to avoid this is to contact every guest before you plan your meal to determine whether or not they have any food allergies or special preferences. Taking a few minutes to make the phone call may seem inconvenient, but you'll be grateful that you don't have to prepare a special meal at the last minute or have to stop the dinner party to call 9-1-1.

Cook Ahead Dinner parties are social occasions, so it goes without saying that most of your time should be spent socializing and spending time with your guests. You simply cannot do this if you spend all your time in the kitchen.

Now, since most of us don't have servants to do the work for us, the solution is to cook as much food ahead of time as possible and either reheat the dishes at service time or prepare dishes intended to be served cold. There are countless appetizers that go wonderfully from fridge to dining room, but good choices for main courses are stews and braises, since they generally don't require any last-minute prep or attention.

Cook More Than You Need Next, it is important that you cook more than you need. In the event that your guests are especially hungry or someone brings a last-minute guest, you need to make sure that there is still plenty of food to go around.

A good rule of thumb regarding this is to prepare three to five more portions of each dish than you have guests. Unless you are cooking for a very large group, this is usually enough to satisfy any requests for seconds and any unexpected guests without having to deal with a mountain of leftovers in the event that neither of these happen. Dealing with a few leftover chicken breasts is a small price to pay compared to the prospect of running out of food.

If You Expect Your Guests To Bring Something, Tell Them Now, you may be throwing a pot luck or other occasion where guests are expected to bring something, whether it is a bottle of wine, a side dish, a loaf of bread, or anything else. In order to avoid embarrassment on everybody's parts, if you need someone to bring something to your dinner party, you absolutely have to spell it out up front. This avoids any confusion and ensures that people who have not attended this sort of occasion know what is expected of them.

Throwing a dinner party can be a terrifying prospect, especially if it is your first time or if you are cooking for more people than you are accustomed. Just take a deep breath, plan ahead as much as you can, and address any potential problems well ahead of the date and you will have little to worry about.

ConAgra Foods established the Healthy Choice line of frozen meals in order to provide a healthier, lower-calorie alternative to the fatty salt-bombs that have traditionally stocked the TV dinner section of the supermarket, but are Healthy Choice meals good for you or do they come with their own set of problems? Below, I have outlined several ways that Healthy Choice meals can be improved in order to make them a truly healthy choice.

The sodium content needs to be dramatically reduced. This may sound like a tired complaint of processed food, but it's one that needs to be made over and over again until manufacturers take it into account and reduce sodium levels in processed and packaged foods to a reasonable level. Sure, salt makes food taste good, but too much of it leads to fluid retention and hypertension. 400 to 700 mg of sodium for a 300 calorie meal is simply too high. There are other ways to add flavor to food.

Instead of filling most of the mass of the meal with pasta, instead replace it with additional vegetables. Pasta, particular cheaper pasta, is based on refined flour, which increases inflammation, stimulates blood sugar spikes, and in general is simply not good for you. It is included in frozen meals because it tastes good and because it is a way to add mass to the meal for a very low cost. The logical step would be replacing some or all of the pasta with additional vegetables, and possibly a little more meat.

Cut back on the sugary sauces. While this is not a problem when it comes to every Healthy Choice frozen dinner, but there are definitely several of them that contain sugary sauces. Teriyaki, sweet and sour, and barbecue sauces are a few examples. No one is denying that sweet sauces taste great, are cheap to make, and lend to the mistaken belief of many people that anything without fat is good for you, but when something is touting itself to be a healthy alternative, it shouldn't be glazed in sugar.

Increase the calorie content. Yes, I realize that Healthy Choice frozen dinners are marketed as weight loss alternatives, which means that they are expected to be low in calories. My argument is that 250 to 350 calories is simply not a meal for most people, and eating meals this size can actually inhibit weight loss efforts. Healthy cooking involves keeping to realistic caloric expectations.

Now, I know exactly what you're thinking. "But, if all of these changes were made, they would cost a lot more," you say, and you would be exactly right in doing so. The costs would definitely go up. Making the meals larger, fresher, and replacing cheap pasta with more expensive meat and vegetables would no doubt increase the cost of the meal. Here is my argument to that: your health is worth an extra dollar or two when you buy a frozen dinner.

Much of the obesity problem in the world is due to a dependence on cheap processed food, but if we spend a little more and get something that is much healthier, not only would our health be better, but we would most likely end up spending less money later in life due to chronic illness. Healthy Choice frozen meals are certainly better than the industry norm, but they can also be made a lot better.

It seems that nearly everyone in the Western world wants to lose at least some weight.  Every magazine you pick up has a plethora of different diet tips claiming to help you lose x amount of weight in x amount of time or they'll tell you about some super duper new super food that has 10 times more antioxidants than the new super food releaved last month.  It's all getting pretty ridiculous really.  Let's just get back to basics why don't we?

The foods we eat today are largely because we've been brought up on it.  In Japan a lot of people eat seaweed however for someone living in America or Europe eating seaweed is pretty strange and takes some getting used to.  That is if you can even buy it locally.  Therefore we end up eating basics like bread, milk, cheese and potatoes.  The problem is that many of these foods aren't really all that good for us which is why we live in a nation full of obese people.

There are little changes you can make in your diet that can drastically increase your chances of losing weight but it won't require any dramatic alterations to your eating habits.

Change Pasta To Quinoa:  We tend to all eat a lot of pasta.  It's so simple, just stick it in a pan of boiling water and add heat up a jar of sauce.  A meal in no time at all.  However the problem with pasta is that it contains gluten and carbs that aren't very good for us.  A simple replacement for pasta is quinoa (pronounced keen-wa).  At first you might think that it's a type of grain however you'll find it interesting to learn that it is actually a seed from South America. 

What's really fantastic about quinoa is that it contains roughly twice as much protein than rice and millet plus it has all the amino acids.  Not to mention the soluble and insoluble fiber which really helps to keep you regular.  There are loads of recipes on the internet that you can try and it's really easy to cook.  So if you're looking to lose weight, are vegetarian or gluten intolerant then you should buy some quinoa then next time you're doing your grocery shopping.

Change Potatoes To Sweet Potatoes:  If you've been doing any kind of reading up about the latest diets in recent years you'll know about the low GI or low GL diet.  Basically it's all about eating foods that release their sugars slowly rather than quickly.  This means that you won't get a spike of sugar in your blood and will feel energized.  Many diabetics are advised to adhere to this type of diet too.

Anyway, if you've been eating large amounts of potatoes in the form of chips and fries it's time to switch to the sweet potato.  Basically you can cook the two types of potato in much the same way but you'll gain the benefit of having the sugar released slowly, therefore helping with your weight loss efforts.

Sure you can try all these fancy different products that contain acai berries, goji berries, green tea and whatever else but ultimately you should simply look at making some small but significant changes to your diet.  Always try to eat proper foods and if you want to take green tea for fat burning benefits, just buy the tea bags.  Green tea is really tasty and not very expensive at all.  If you don't like the taste of green tea you should look for varieties with flavours in it such as lemon, mint or jasmine.  It's certainly a healthier alternative to sugary sodas!

Most people in the world love oranges.  They are so tasty and can be made into so many different dishes.   Here is a recipe for a basic but yummy orange sandwich.

Orange Sandwich Recipe

6 oz of self-raising flour
4 oz of margarine
4 oz of caster sugar
3 eggs
Grated rind of an orange

Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Then well-grease 2 sandwich tins that are about 7 x 1 inches.  Sieve the flour, cream the margarine and sugar so that it's light and fluffy.  Add in the egg little by little along with the flour, clearing well after each addition.  Add in the orange rind and mix well prior to adding the rest of the flour.  Mix lightly by thoroughly until it's smooth and clear.  Pour it out into the tins and make sure the mixture is spread out evenly.  Then bake it near the middle of the oven for about 20 minutes.  When it's cooled down, you can place the sponge sandwich together with some orange cream then finish off with orange glacé icing.

Orange Cream Recipe

3 oz of unsalted margarine
4 1/2 oz of icing sugar
1 teaspoon of orange juice
1 teaspoon of grated orange rind

Cream the margarine and sieved icing sugar until light.  Add in the rind and juice then mix thoroughly.

Orange Glacé Icing Recipe

12 oz of icing sugar
1 teaspoon orange rind
Orange juice

Sieve the sugar into a basin and add in the orange rind.  Slightly warm the orange juice and add in a sufficient amount to make it a fairly thick coating.


Interesting Info About Oranges

For many people, oranges are a major source of vitamin C and lots of people enjoy drinking orange juice.  However you should also remember to eat the segments of oranges too so that you can get the benefit of the fibre which is important too.  In addition to vitamin c and fibre, you can also enjoy the benefits of potassium, folic acid, thiamine plus a small amount of calcium and magnesium.

It's believed that orange trees originated from S.E. Asia and it was apparently Columbus who brought the seeds back to the United States.  It used to be that oranges were pretty expensive because it's was very difficult to grow in colder climates however they are now one of the most popular fruits to be grown today.  In the US they are mainly grown in Florida, Arizona and California.

Stuffed Cabbage Leaves Recipe

1 lb of minced meat
1 oz of butter
1 teaspoon of chopped parsley
Some chopped mint (optional)
2 tablespoons of cooked rice
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon of sieved boiled onion
A pinch of mixed spice
A little stock or gravy
12 medium-seized cabbage leaves

Fry up the mince and cook lightly whilst stirring frequently so that the juices of the meat are absorbed.  Then add in the butter.  Mix in the herbs, rice, seasoning, onion and spice plus the stock and allow to cook for a further 5 minutes.  Whilst this is cooking, you can be blanching the cabbage leaves by placing them in boiling water for a couple of minutes, then drain them.  Put a spoonful of the filling into each of the cabbage leaves and roll it up to create a little package.  Position each of the packages closely together in a casserole dish with stock, cover it and cook for 45 minutes at 350F.

Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe

6 large mushrooms
1 lb of sausage meat
2 oz of breadcrumbs
1 oz suet or shortening
Seasoning
Parsley
Egg to bind
2 oz butter

Take the skins off the mushrooms and remove the stalks.  Place them in a basin and pour boiling water over them.  Allow them to soak for a couple of minutes before removing them from the water and then allow them to drain.  Take the sausage meat and form it into flat cakes and place the mushrooms on top.  The mix the mushroom stalks that have been chopped, parsley, a little bit of egg and then stuff the mixture into each of the mushrooms.  Place some butter on top of each mushroom before baking them in an oven that's been heated to 425F for half an hour.

Stuffed Pimentos Recipe

Cut the tops off some large green or red pimentos and the remove the seeds.  Chop the top slices finely along with 2-3 onions then cook it up in some butter and oil.  Make a tomato sauce using fresh tomatoes and then add in the pepper and onion mixture.

Cook up a handful of rice in the tomato sauce until tender then season it well.  Stuff the peppers with this mixture and moisten them with some stock.  Place the peppers in a dish with some butter and cook them over a low heat on top of the stove.  Finish off the cooking by placing them in an oven at 350 F.

Just about every kitchen in the land has at least a few eggs in it.  Eggs are simply so versatile, healthy and very quick to prepare.  No matter how pressed for time or tired you are, cooking up some eggs require very little skill or effort.  Here are a few recipes that make use of eggs that you might want to have a look at.

Scotch Eggs Recipe

1/2 lb sausages or sausage meat
4 hard boiled eggs
2 teaspoons of seasoned flour
A little piquant sauce
A little beaten egg
Breadcrumbs
Fat for frying

If you are using sausages for this recipe then you need to remove the skins to begin with.  Then remove the shells from the eggs and dust them with the seasoned flour.  Put a few drops of piquant sauce into the meat mixture and divide it up into four equal parts.  Cover each of the eggs in the meat and make sure that it's in a nice rounded shape.  Brush each one with the beaten eggs and then toss them in the breadcrumbs before frying in deep fat that is already hot.

You know when the eggs have been properly cooked when the gold a lovely golden-brown colour.  Remove them from the fat and then drain them well.  When they are cold you can then cut them in half and enjoy with a salad if desired.

Macaroni and Egg Casserole Recipe

4 1/2 oz macaroni
3 pints boiling water
Salt
2 oz salad oil
1 1/2 oz flour
1 pint milk
2 oz minced onion
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon piquant table sauce
3 oz grated cheese
8 oz cooked runner or French beans
3-4 hard boiled eggs

Boil the macaroni in the water with a little salt then drain it off and rinse with boiling water.  Then blend the oil with the flour and stir in the milk and cook it up until it's thick.  Add in the onion, mustard, pepper, sauce and 3 teaspoons of salt.  Then take it off the heat and stir in 2 oz of cheese.  Layer the macaroni, beans and sliced egg in a casserole dish.  Keep some of the egg so that you can use it as a garnish.

Then pour the sauce over and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over it.  Place the casserole dish in the oven which has been set to 350 F for half an hour.  When this is done you should let the cheese brown under a hot grill.  Use circles of hard boiled eggs for the garnish.

Curried Scramble Recipe

1 small onion (chopped)
Oil for frying
1 teaspoon of curry powder
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon of chopped parsley
3 tablespoons of milk
Salt and pepper
Buttered toast

Fry the onion and then add in the curry powder and fry it lightly.  Add the rest of the ingredients and beat it all together.  When it's cooked you can serve it on the hot buttered toast.
 

You'll find that no matter what type of cake you are making you'll need to beat the eggs and sugar together so that they will thicken up prior to baking.  If you want a light finish then you'll want to be beating the mixture for 15-20 minutes.  When adding the dry ingredients they should be added in very lightly as this will prevent the air bubbles breaking up.  That's why a metal spoon is advised for this, it's also important that you "fold" the mixture rather than stir it.

Swiss Roll Recipe

3 eggs
4 oz of castor sugar
4 ox of flour (sieved)
1 teaspoon of hot water
Warm jam

In order to prepare the cake tin (about 9 x 12 inches) , you'll need to grease the tin and then put greaseproof paper into the tin and then grease the paper too.  Make sure that the greaseproof paper is bigger than the tin.

Whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl over some hot water so that it is thick enough for an impression of the whisk to be left.

Sift in the flour then fold it lightly into the egg mixture along with the hot water.  Make sure you use a metal spoon.

Pour the mixture into the tin and then tilt is a bit from side to side so that it's spread evenly.

Place the tin into a hot oven that's been preheated to 425F for about 7-9 minutes so that it's golden-brown and firm.  Then turn it out onto some paper with sugar on it.

Cut off the edges so that it's nice and neat and spread over some warm jam.  With a knife, cut half-way into the sponge that  makes a long cut that is within 1 inch from the ends.  Then roll it up and place it on a wire rack to cool.

No matter what sort of cook you are, everyone should be able to do the above recipe.  It's a great one to try out with kids as it's a lot of fun and the end result is yummy.  Cooking and baking also teaches kids  the needed skills in the kitchen instead of relying on buying ready made meals from the supermarket.