My Favorite Hosting Tips 🌸

A spring refresher

Warm weather hosting is almost back, with Passover, Easter, and Mother’s Day right around the corner, and barbecues coming after that. No matter what season it is, hosting does not have to make you crazy.

I repeat: Do not drive yourself crazy!!

Today I’m reminding you of some of my tried-and-true hosting tips to make having people over a joy, not a burden. As long as there’s delicious food—which there will be, duh—and good vibes, everyone will have a great time. Including the host!

Today’s the last day to enter the Sophistiplate giveaway for a $150 gift card. I love their tableware for hosting bigger celebrations like Mother’s Day and Passover. They feel really special and save me from cleanup at the end. (Yes, they have compostable options!)

To enter, comment your favorite hosting recipe below. I’ll choose a winner Monday! *Giveaway open to all subscribers (free & paid) located in the US.

• I have a restock of my favorite shirts in the mail and I can’t wait for them to arrive.

• Somehow my lemon juicer is still in stock at Target. (For now!)

• Lately I’ve seen a lot of questions about nutritional yeast in comments and DMs. The one I use is linked here; I store it in these containers. It makes vegan recipes cheesy and creamy!

• My book is still available at a wildly low price, perfect for more hosting inspo.

My Favorite Hosting Tips

Tip 1: Make as much as you can in advance.

I love to set out dips like this one for people to snack on while I finish cooking. That’s actually how the eating-salad-with-a-chip thing began—my friend Bari would sit at my counter while I cooked and eat the finely chopped salad I had made with a chip. She was onto something.

There are so many salads you can prep the night before, too. Do all the chopping ahead of time and cover in the fridge overnight. Keep the dressing separate (you can make that the day before, too), then dress the salad when you’re ready to serve.

Tip 2: Serve everything in the bowl you make it in.

This tip will save you headaches and dishes. Stop transferring the salad, or the protein, or the sides onto a pretty serving platter. It will taste just as good—and save you so much time—if you serve it in the bowl or pot you cooked it in. And less dishes for later!

Tip 3: Ask for help.

If your kids are older, enlist their help in setting the table or peeling vegetables. Just have them focus on the tasks you don’t need done immediately so you don’t go insane.😅

When I was little, my mom would ask a cleaning lady to come help her with dishes after a big meal. That’s definitely more of a splurge, but worth it if you’re having a lot of people over. You’ll be able to enjoy their company so much more if you aren’t dreading what’s in the kitchen sink.

the perfect mixing/serving bowl

Tip 4: Start your day by writing out everything you’re making.

I do this every Thursday before I shoot content. Having the list of what I want to cook keeps me focused and makes me feel accomplished at the end of the day when I’m crossing everything off. Gameify it!

Tip 5: Don’t sweat the small stuff.

I’ll shout this from the rooftops. Trust that no one you invited will be judging the menu, the setting, or the side you forgot to take out of the oven. If you’re having a good time, your energy will rub off on your guests!