Join the Discussion "Last week I attended a dinner party with my husband...Everything seemed to go wrong...No one, in all honesty, could find one nice thing to say about the food." VITALE309

Related Resources • New Year's Resolutions for Entertaining

Start your party planning off on the right foot by making sure you don't commit these sins which can ruin your reputation as a fabulous hostess.

Sin 1: Not having enough food to serve to your guests.

Sure, you may be on a diet or believe the French have gotten it right in terms of portion sizes, but you'd better beware. If your guests have hearty appetites, they'll head out of your party to the nearest diner at the first opportunity.

Sin 2: Spending all of your time in the kitchen cooking.

If your guests' only goal was a great meal, they would have gone to a restaurant. Rather, they came to spend time with you. One exception to this rule is that if your guests enjoy spending time in the kitchen too, you can involve them in the preparations.

Sin 3: Serving sloppy food to your guests.

This is especially a sin if they came to your party in dressy clothes. They will not appreciate the grease marks resulting on their new silk suits from the meatball sandwich or the filling oozing out the back of the overstuffed hors d'oeuvres.

Sin 4: Having a dirty powder room.

This the the one room where guests can inspect your housekeeping, or lack thereof, at their own leisure.

Sin 5: Leading your guests to expect that food will be served at a specific time and then disappointing them.

Don't tell your guests to come over for dinner at 6:00 and then find yourself running so late with preparations that nothing is served until 9:00. Unless you have very substantial hors d'oeuvres to tide them over (which may risk the loss of appetites), your guests will become very cranky on an empty, starving stomach. You may also spoil plans they had for later that evening. Committing this sin is a good indication that your menu was too ambitious for either your skill level or available time.

Sin 6: Serving extreme food to your guests.

By extreme food I'm referring to things like very spicy hot food, heavily seasoned food (such as using lots of garlic), organ meats, and wild game to name a few. Unless you know your guests are comfortable with your chosen extreme cuisine or are adventurous gourmets, you risk sending them home hungry. On a similar note, respect your guests' dietary restrictions (kosher, dairy allergies, etc.) when you are aware of them.

Sin 7: Mixing the wrong people at your party.

Don't seat two very quiet people next to one another.  Never sit together two people whom you know argue when they meet. Be aware of your guests' professions with an eye toward positive interactions as well. A rocket scientist and the dog-catcher might not have a lot to discuss, but the dog catcher and a veterinarian may spend a very chatty evening together.

The bottom line for all these sins is that the better you know your guests, the greater your chances are for making it into the entertaining hall of fame and not the hall of shame!

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