Does the thought of throwing a cocktail soiree leave you needing a drink? Well dont let it stress you out. With finals approaching, the last thing you need is more stress, right? Throwing the perfect pre-finals get-together is the perfect way to make these upcoming weeks of test torture something to look forward to.

Drinks

Dont let the cocktail part of cocktail party leave you with an empty checking account. First, decide on a few drinks to serve at your party. Pick up to five drinks that you can multitask with. For instance, choose drinks that all have the same main ingredient such as vodka (see drink recipes below). This way you are not splurging on too much alcohol and all you will have to worry about are the mixers.

Decorations

Just because this is a party, dont think balloons, streamers and noise makers will be on your shopping list. Decorating for this party is more technical. You need to remove a lot of your seating such as chairs and couches. Push them off into another room. This allows for more mingling and ensures a lively party.

Keep the party space limited to the dining room and living room. Shut the doors to other rooms so guests dont go snooping around. If you are planning on lighting lots of candles to set a soft and chic environment, you better call the E.R. ahead of time and tell them to stay on standby. With all of the drinking and talking going on, it is easy for your candles to become a buzz kill once someone burns themselves.

Keep them to a minimum and in a low traffic area. Hang some white Christmas lights, pop in some disco music and adjust the dimmer switch â?¦ decorations could not get any easier.

Food

If you are inviting people over to your house for a classy evening, you have got to feed them, especially if you are serving drinks. Finger foods are the best way to go. No plates or forks are needed. Pinwheels, lettuce wraps and bruschetta (see recipes below) will look fabulous on your table, but not for long. The more drinks you serve the more hungry your guest will be and that means you need to have an exit plan.

Ending the Night

The best way to avoid a friend who just wont leave the party well after it is over is to plan ahead. Everyone coming to your soiree should know beforehand (via invites or word of mouth) that you all will be going out for a night on the town after a few hours. Make sure to tell people to start coming over around 7:30 or 8 p.m. That way in a few hours, everyone will be ready to flock over to the bars. Make sure to call the cab companies in advance and have them show up at a certain time. This ensures that the party ends and your night starts.

Absolute Stress

½ oz vodka

½ oz coconut rum

½ oz peach schnapps

1 oz cranberry juice

1 oz pineapple juice

1 oz orange juice

Love Potion

1 oz vodka

1 oz amaretto

1 oz peach schnapps

1 oz cranberry juice

1 oz orange juice

Cosmopolitan Cocktail

½ oz lime juice

1 oz vodka

½ oz triple sec

½ oz cranberry juice

Zombie

½ oz vodka

½ oz coconut rum

½ oz melon liquor

1 oz orange juice

4 oz pineapple juice

Lettuce Wraps

1 head iceburg lettuce

Brown rice

Chicken breasts, grilled and cubed

Diced tomato

Take one leaf of lettuce and fill with cooked rice, chicken, and diced tomato.

Pinwheels

8 oz cream cheese, softened

4 oz chopped green chiles, drained

4 oz canned black olives, drained

5 flour tortillas

Mix all ingredients, spread onto tortilla shells, roll up tortillas. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, refrigerate for three hours. Unwrap, cut into slices and serve with guacamole and salsa.

Bruschetta

1 baguette

Tomatos, diced

Onion, diced

3 fresh garlic cloves, minced

Basil

Cut the baguette a diagonal and put on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and pop into the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes to make the slices crispy. Dice up the rest of the ingredients and spoon onto the baguette.

> Comments