dinner party

Guys, do you know when The Office was last on the air? November 15th. November 15th! That's almost five months ago! I mean, I know five months isn't five years or anything, but that's still a super-long time.

Finally, though, there's real proof that the show is about to return to the air: these new promos and clips from "The Dinner Party," which will air at last this coming Thursday. You can probably guess the premise from the title alone: Jan and Michael throw a dinner party, with typically disastrous results. Jim and Pam will be there, as will Angela and Andy — but poor Dwight gets left out of the crowd. On a scale of 1 to 10, how excited are you?

Here's NBC's promo for the episode:

To check out a clip that Jay Leno played during Steve Carell's visit to The Tonight Show last week, just read more

In her private life, Kate Walsh — actress and star of Private Practice — is an avid dinner party hostess. In her prescription for the perfect dinner party she praises placecards and Mark Bittman. — Well Fed

It always happens, you plan for a perfect Thanksgiving with just the right number of folks and then pow! Someone's brought an extra guest. If this happens to you, take a deep breath and don't panic. Yesterday we gave you a few tips on how to deal with unexpected guests, and today we have a few more.

• If you're cooking portioned meals for Thanksgiving — such as individual game hens — split the portion between the unexpected guest and the person who brought them. If this is not possible, sacrifice by splitting your own in half. When serving just simply state that you're sorry, but you thought you were cooking for a different number of people.
• If you only have the exact number of dishes needed, you may want to consider picking up a few festive Thanksgiving themed plates. They'll also work as plates to pack leftovers on; just wrap them tightly in foil.
• Remember, you're the host, so stay polite. However, if you honestly believe you can't handle the unexpected guests — let's say someone drops by with four other guests and you were only expecting six total — it's completely fair to send them away. They may not like it, and you may be called rude — along with other names — but it is your dinner party. Alternatively, let them have appetizers and a drink and invite them back for dessert later.
• Don't forget it's a holiday, so just have fun! If you're truly upset by it, privately explain your frustration to the offender on a later date.

Do you have any tips on how to handle unexpected Thanksgiving guests? Tell us what you would do in the comments!

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You've sent out your Thanksgiving invites and the guests have RSVP'd. However when the big day arrives, someone brings three other guests, so what do you do? Do you send them away? Tell them they can stay for drinks, but can't stay for dinner? You could, but it wouldn't be very host-like of you. So instead of panicking, graciously invite the guests in and figure out a new game plan.

Here are a few simple tips you can do to accommodate unexpected Thanksgiving dinner guests:

• Remember, your extra guests are probably going to be embarrassed that they didn't RSVP or are someone's plus one. Don't make them feel worse, invite them in, get them a drink and quickly squeeze in their place setting at the table. Don't worry if you have to use makeshift seating with office chairs or outdoor chairs.
• If you don't think you have enough food for everyone, whip up a quick side dish such as spaghetti and jarred pasta sauce. It's not exactly standard Thanksgiving fare, but at least this way there's enough to go around.
• Holidays are generally full of family and friends, so you may want to anticipate extra guests and havesome extra crackers, tapenade, mixed nuts, and cookies on hand just in case.
• If you're setting up fancy place card settings, prepare a few extra blank ones. Keep them in the kitchen drawer with a pen; this way if an extra guest stops by, you'll be prepared.

Come back tomorrow for more tips on how to deal with unexpected holiday guests!

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Have you ever had company over for cocktails and one drink lead to two, which lead to an impromptu dinner party? Well, if not, it's bound to happen sooner than later so there are some tips to keep in mind so you can always be the hostess with the mostess!

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I've been planning so many large bashes these past few weeks, that I decided to do something a little more intimate this week. Dinner parties are my favorite kind of party and they are even easier to host when you have a theme to plan everything around. There is no better theme for summer than a fabulous tropical soirée! Bright flowers, plush textures, soothing waves, and cool cocktails bring you and seven close friends together for a tasty dinner. This party can be held anywhere from a deck with an view of the Pacific, to a teeny apartment with no balcony, just adapt the theme to fit your needs. To get things started, I'm making a gorgeous invitation that will get guests in the mood the second it arrives in the mail. To see step by step instructions on how to make this invite, read more

So you've been invited to a dinner party and the inevitable question looms: Gift for the host, yes or no? You may be thinking, it's only a dinner party, so why should I bother to bring something for the hostess? Well, simply put, you should because it's common courtesy! If a friend or relative has taken the time to invite you into their dining room for a homemade meal, you must return their efforts and express your thanks. For an informal dinner party, an extravagant gift is not necessary, don't spend more than $20. An interesting bottle of wine, a fragrant jarred candle, or a fun salt and pepper serving plate are exceptional gifts that will delight and please any hostess. For close friends, splurge on an animal print serving tray. Baked goods, like a coffee cake that the hostess can enjoy the morning after the dinner, or a small bag of crisp and delicious cookies show your host that you appreciate the invitation to dine. Lastly, my all time favorite gift is a large, beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers from a friend's garden. Likewise if you have ripe fruit trees or an abundance of fresh mint, give the home grown produce to your hostess. Do you have any great host/hostess gift ideas? Share them with us in the comments!

I ended up throwing an impromptu dinner party last Wednesday. Instead of panicking, I took a deep breath, came up with an easy, manageable menu, and wrote out a grocery list. If you ever find yourself on the hosting end of an impromptu dinner party, be sure to check out my no fail planning tips.

• For appetizers make one dip (I made a quick Sun Dried Tomato Dip that involved no chopping) and round it out with store bought goodies. Bowls of burst-in-your-mouth blueberries, salty black olives, crispy flatbread, and buttery french bread crisps can be plated in a matter of minutes. Chunk a few pieces of smoked gouda or other cheese and slice up some salami.



• Choose a menu that is quick, easy and meat-free in case any vegetarians unexpectedly show up. Fresh Basil Pesto with pasta and a Green Salad With Citrus Vinaigrette is a simple meal that can be put together in under an hour.
• For dessert, have everyone help out and make ice cream sandwiches.
• Ask your guests to bring a bottle or two of wine.

What do you cook for your last-minute dinner parties?? Share your menus with me below!

To take a look at a gallery of images from my middle-of-the-week dinner, read more

Every year, a big open air white dinner party is held in Paris. The location is kept secret until 15 minutes before the meal begins. How do I get invited to next year's?! - Paris Daily Photo