I had a bit of a lightbulb moment recently. All year, I’ve been talking about the value of gathering and encouraging you to keep entertaining simple.
Invite the people. Use what you have. Take the shortcut. Stop worrying about perfection. Be a guest at your own party. I truly believed that creating my Complete Dinner Party Plans was helping you do exactly that.
And then I realized something. I wasn’t taking my own advice. We’ve all been there, right?
Somewhere Along the Way, I Made It Too Much
I started these plans because I wanted to take away that “I’d love to have people over, but where do I even begin?” feeling.
So I gave you everything. And I mean EVERYTHING. More recipes. More ideas. More choices. More details. Because more must mean more helpful, right?
Except… it wasn’t.
At some point I looked at one of my own plans and realized that even I was overwhelmed by the thought of doing ALL of it. Well, that’s a problem.
If I’m telling you that entertaining doesn’t have to be complicated, my dinner party plans shouldn’t make it complicated!
So I went back to the reason I started Slice, Dice & Dish in the first place. I want to make it easier for you to gather people around your table. Not give you another giant to-do list.
So, I Changed Them.
And I am SO excited about it!
Starting with my newest plan, Summer Abundance, and going forward, my Complete Dinner Party Plans are going to be simpler, more flexible and much more doable.
The calendar may say September, but the farmers markets and backyard gardens are still overflowing with ripe tomatoes, sweet corn, crisp cucumbers, colorful peppers, juicy peaches, and fragrant melons. The days are still warm, the grill is still calling, and the evenings seem to beg us to stay outside just a little longer. There’s something special about these last weeks of summer and this menu celebrates that.
You’re still getting everything you need to create a really special evening. I’m just taking away some of the things you don’t need.
Each plan will give you:
- A complete, thoughtfully planned menu so you’re not trying to figure out what goes with what.
- A printable menu card you can put right on the table for your guests.
- All of the recipes, with my Easy, Easier & Easiest options so YOU decide how much you want to make and where you’d rather take a shortcut.
- A hosting timeline that tells you what you can do ahead so you’re not frantically chopping something when the doorbell rings.
- Ideas for creating the mood and experience—the table, flowers, lighting, music and those little touches that make people want to linger.
- A conversation starter because the best part of dinner isn’t always what’s on the plate.
- Kitchen and serving-piece suggestions—with a very important reminder to USE WHAT YOU HAVE.
- A place-setting guide so you don’t have to Google which side the fork goes on five minutes before everyone arrives.
- A simple take-home treat if you’d like to send your guests home with a little something.
- And, whenever it makes sense, make-ahead options, shortcuts and a slow-cooker option for the entrée.
Most importantly? You are NOT supposed to do everything.
The new plans actually tell you to read through the ideas and choose what works for you. That’s the whole point.
And There’s One Rule I’m Keeping
If you’ve been reading my newsletters, you probably already know this one. Everything comes to a full stop 45 minutes before your guests arrive.
In Summer Abundance, it’s right there in the timeline. Put down the dish towel. Go get dressed. Pour yourself something. Turn on the music. Light the candles. And if something didn’t get done? It probably didn’t need to get done.
Because when that doorbell rings, I want you opening the door excited to see your friends—not thinking about the three things still sitting on your kitchen counter.
This Is What I Want Slice, Dice & Dish to Be
I don’t want to teach you how to throw the most impressive dinner party. I want to help you actually have one. I want you to look at a plan and think, I can do this. I want you to feel comfortable buying the dessert instead of making it. I want you to let someone bring the appetizer when they ask, “What can I bring?” I want you to use the dishes you already own, set a table that feels welcoming instead of perfect, and serve food that lets you sit down and eat with everyone else.
And more than anything, I want you to invite the people. Because the goal was never a perfect dinner party. The goal is gathering.
Now I Want You to Actually USE These Plans
Don’t buy a Complete Dinner Party Plan and save it for “someday.” Pick one. Pick a date. Invite the people.
My brand-new Summer Abundance Complete Dinner Party Plan was created with this new philosophy in mind—a relaxed late-summer gathering filled with seasonal food, easy shortcuts and plenty that can be prepared ahead, so you can actually enjoy the evening you’ve created.
And if you’ve been thinking, I’d love to entertain more, but it just feels like too much work…
This is exactly why I created these.
✨ Shop my Complete Dinner Party Plans, choose the gathering that sounds like you, and put a date on the calendar. I’ll take care of the planning. You take care of bringing the people together.
Don’t wait for the perfect house, the perfect menu or the perfect time. Your table is ready now.
✨ Follow me on Instagram or Facebook for weekly recipes, entertaining inspiration, behind-the-scenes hosting tips, and simple ideas to help you gather more often.
Because great food brings people to the table. Meaningful moments keep them there.
Cheers!
Colleen 🥂