One Hour to a Happy Hour at Home

This time of year – post-freezing, pre-mosquitoes – is my favorite time to invite a few friends over because it requires very little work. And the work, the planning and execution of a gathering when we’re swamped with so many other things, is why we take don’t take more time to hang out with the people we enjoy.

But putting together a Friday happy hour when it's nice outside only takes one hour. I promise. With one hour of work, you can host a happy hour that will provide you many happy hours of reminiscing with your friends.

Ready? Go.

0:00-0:10 – Send an email.

• Keep your invite list short. No more than 15 people or four families, if everyone will be bringing kids.
• The email should be as casual as the event: “Happy hour at my house from 5-7 on Friday. Bring a snack to share. I’ll provide the booze.” (Feel free to cut and paste)
• Keep the event to two hours so friends don’t assume you’re feeding them dinner.
• Provide an end time so the happy hour doesn’t turn into someone sleeping it off on your couch.

0:10-0:30 – Make an alcohol run.

In Between Tip: If you decide you’d like to provide a cocktail, make sure it is one you can make ahead of time and serve in a pitcher. White Peach Sangria and Berry Vodka Punch are a couple of my summer favorites.

• Grocery store list:
  • A six-pack of a craft beer
  • A 12-pack of something Sam Adams-like
  • A big bottle of red. (At 6 p.m. on a Friday, people are more concerned about quantity than quality.)
  • A big bottle of white
  • Plastic cups (The short clear ones allow people to moderate their drinking a bit better than the red Dixie cups.)
  • Water bottles (for kids or designated drivers)
  • Bag of ice
  • Flowers

0:30-0:50 – Clear a path.

• The key to making a happy hour simple is to shove everyone outside. Nicely. So hide the clutter on the walks between your front door, your back door, and your bathroom, and make sure your guests know that the party is outside.
• Ask your guests to come through the side gate, if you have one. Then you’ll only have to clear a path to the bathroom.
• The other option – and this is ALWAYS an option when you entertain – is don't clean and know that your guests are happy to be invited into the welcoming hug of fun friendship.

0:50-1:00 – Prep your outdoors.

My lovely friend Paige's happy hour table

• Set out platters and bowls for the chips and cookies friends will bring. Asking them to bring a snack takes a load off you, and they’ll be happy to offer something to the party.
• Ice down the beer, white wine and water in an ice chest.
• Put out napkins, plastic cups and flowers.
• Graciously accept the "oohs" and "aahs" from all your appreciative friends who are certain it must have taken you hours to put it all together.

Do you have a party shortcut? An easy appetizer, a go-to Pandora party playlist, or a simple way to make the food table look extraordinary? Please share it with the rest of us In-Betweeners on my Facebook page.

Jar Recipes for Summer Parties

This Memorial Day weekend we were honored to be invited to enjoy an outdoor barbecue at a friend's house. And it was an honor.

It seems like people are less and less willing to host a gathering, to do the work that it takes to have friends over. I love to entertain and when the invitations to our house never seemed to be returned by the invitees, I found myself getting bitter. But I had to do a reality check -- entertaining at your home can be hard. From getting the house and yard ready to buying and preparing all the food and beverages to just managing your guests RSVPs, what should be fun starts feeling like a hassle.

So, when we do get invited, I try to acknowledge the work the hosts have done. I try to RSVP as soon as possible, I try to be a fun and appreciative party guest, and if I'm asked to bring something, I try to make it something special. (Notice my caveat "try." I can be damn lazy.) It's easy to bring a bag of chips, but I like to make my potluck offering a gift to the host, a little something to acknowledge the work she or he has done.

Photo by Mariah Smith

The trend that is the Mason jar is the perfect way to offer that gift. It allows you a beautiful way to present your goodie, to make goodies single-serving if appropriate and to designate adult drinks from kid drinks. I've included some of my favorite jar offerings below. Enjoy!

Caponata/MyRecipes.com

This Roasted Eggplant Dip on toasted brushetta is a real crowd pleaser, not only for the hearty, tangy taste of the dip, but the beautiful presentation it makes in a large jar. I bought a 1 liter Weck jar for $5 from World Market and it held all the goodness. Place your toasted bread, a ramekin of ricotta and the jar on a platter and let people make up their own toasts.

White Peach Sangria/Photo by Mariah Smith /Recipe from MyRecipes.com

With the mint and the peaches and the bubbles from the sparkling wine, these White Peach Sangrias are beautiful in Mason jars. If you're using 8-ounce Mason jars, this recipe makes a dozen drinks. Put three peach slices and a spring of mint in every jar, mix the liquids in a pitcher and fill jars about two-thirds of the way. Then ice in a tub and bring to a party!

Cowboy Caviar/MyRecipes.com

I like Cowboy Caviar because it has so many healthy ingredients that it feels like you're canceling out the fried chips you're dipping into it. All the little morsels especially look vivid and colorful presented in a jar. Make sure your avocados are firm so they don't turn into guacamole when you stir.

Berry Vodka Punch/Stylelushblog.com

Many summer parties are all-ages parties. Putting alcoholic cocktails in jars is an easy way to keep kids from pouring a deliciously tempting drink like this Berry Vodka Punch into their Dixie cups. These single servings of hard alcohol also allow your guests to have fun without having TOO much fun!

Tequila-Soaked Watermelon/MarthaStewart.com

Nothing looks more gorgeous than these cubes of watermelon flecked in sea salt sparkling in their jars in a tub of ice. I adapted this Tequila-Soaked Watermelon recipe to offer my guests a refreshing, mildly boozy treat on a hot day. Cutting up the watermelon into bite-sized cubes, distributing it between the jars, pouring the liquid over the top and then sealing them up gives them more flavor than pouring the liquid over the top of slices. 

Chocolate Pudding Parfaits/MyRecipes.com

When we were in our 20s, we took these classic American favorites to an elegant D.C. dinner party. No one was as charmed as we were. But in glass jars on a hot summer day, cold Chocolate Pudding Parfaits are the bomb. You don't really need a recipe -- graham cracker crumbs on the bottom, instant chocolate pudding next, Cool Whip on top. Refrigerate.

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Check out a great recipe for Bourbon Lemonade on my Pinterest board "Recipes for Jars"

In Between Tip: WEEKEND ALERT - Buy your tickets now to Great Tastes of Tysons, a two-day wine and food festival Saturday and Sunday. Deal Chicken is offering the $69 tickets for $20 until 11:59 p.m., Wednesday.