If you throw a Christmas drinks/nibbles party

[Sunsetsupernova]

What do you do to make it extra special?

I think I’ve sorted my menu (with much help from Pinterest to make it extra Christmassy) Any extras or ideas for anything a bit different are very welcome.

@Brainygaga a Christmas music quiz sounds good- do you have any recommendations?

Pre covid, and with many new neighbours we had an open house. There was a theme- balls! So we had meat balls of various meats, felafelal, sausage and egg bites, cheese footballs, cheesy puffs, cherry tomatoes, cucumber balls, fruit balls, and finally, chocolate pudding and ice cream balls and famous chocolate truffles

I serve both alcoholic and non-alcoholic mulled wine. The non-alcoholic mulled wine comes from M&S, but I haven't checked to see if they have it this year. The best alcoholic stuff comes from Aldi and is labelled gluhwein. £4.99 a bottle. I put slices of orange and sticks of cinnamon in the pans for decoration. I serve it in see-through glass tea mugs which have mainly come from Germany, so are very fine and light, but I've topped up with some glass coffee mugs from random UK shops - much coarser, but still OK. If you don't have your own teenagers, it's a good idea to hire a couple to help with the serving and clearing up.

@loopylindi love the idea of a balls theme - I may have to copy that!

I'm thinking of cancelling my pre Christmas party this year.
Isn't that what we should do??
I just don't know!

@Sunsetsupernova

Wow some brilliant ideas here, thank you all! Sadly no children attending to bribe as waiters but food will all be set out buffet style for people to pick at. This is my menu -

Polish martini on arrival (vodka, apple juice, honey liquer)

Smoked salmon blinis
Big board of cheese/crackers/chutneys
Jamie’s garlic bread from last nights episode
Dates stuffed with pecorino, wrapped in Parma ham, baked in the oven
Nigella’s honey cocktail sausages
Homemade cheese straws
Mob Kitchen lamb and harissa sausage rolls
Crisps/pretzels etc
A couple of bits of M&S party food

Chocolate covered strawberries
Pandoro

Mostly things I can easily make in advance and just pop in the oven on the night. Those of you that do mulled wine, what do you serve it in?

We have some clear glass mugs that are meant to be for fancy coffee but we use them for mulled wine. They're like 50p at Wilko.

@SoyMarina

I'm thinking of cancelling my pre Christmas party this year. Isn't that what we should do?? I just don't know!

I’m not sure what the answer is to be honest. The days seeing friends and family around Christmas are what I love about this time of year. And to be honest, I’d give up Christmas Day for them. We’ve made it very clear to everyone that it’s entirely up to them whether they feel comfortable attending and so far only two have dropped out. We have also asked everyone to do a lateral flow beforehand and will have our patio doors open with a gazebo attached so there will be lots of fresh air.

I like to set up a couple of drinks stations, so people aren’t entirely reliant on me keeping their glasses refreshed.

I do a couple of different cocktails (or mocktails) in 5l drinks dispensers, with glasses set out. For Christmas that would likely be sloe gin fizz, plus cranberry and ginger beer (vodka optional on the side).

Then another drinks station in a different room, with a small beer keg, a large ice bucket full of wine (usually that people have brought), and more glasses. If you encourage people to help themselves then it frees you up to chat - or worry about food instead.

Just wanted to say your party sounds amazing!

@SoyMarina

I'm thinking of cancelling my pre Christmas party this year. Isn't that what we should do?? I just don't know!

I'm going lower key this year, just 2 sets of neighbours. But understand why you might think worth cancelling. Its tough to decide what to do. I have been of the opinion we have missed out on so much that these little bits of fun are what keeps us going.

@myanacondamight can I ask do you have two tables then in separate rooms for drinks? I was thinking about doing this but wondered if people wouldn't realise about the cocktail table and leave it all!!

@Sunsetsupernova

Wow some brilliant ideas here, thank you all! Sadly no children attending to bribe as waiters but food will all be set out buffet style for people to pick at. This is my menu -

Polish martini on arrival (vodka, apple juice, honey liquer)

Smoked salmon blinis
Big board of cheese/crackers/chutneys
Jamie’s garlic bread from last nights episode
Dates stuffed with pecorino, wrapped in Parma ham, baked in the oven
Nigella’s honey cocktail sausages
Homemade cheese straws
Mob Kitchen lamb and harissa sausage rolls
Crisps/pretzels etc
A couple of bits of M&S party food

Chocolate covered strawberries
Pandoro

Mostly things I can easily make in advance and just pop in the oven on the night. Those of you that do mulled wine, what do you serve it in?

I serve mulled wine in recyclable paper cups. I don't like it in glasses because it's hot and mugs is horrible.

But given some people here hire string quartets, I'm guessing paper cups isn't really a Mumsnet thing!

I also don't do special cocktails, quizzes or any live music.

I lob some mini sausage rolls in the oven, put out a few bottles of gin, tonics and beers, have mulled wine on the stove, shove a Christmas playlist on Spotify and get tipsy with my friends.

@SoyMarina

I'm thinking of cancelling my pre Christmas party this year. Isn't that what we should do?? I just don't know!

I've thought long and hard about this and decided to go ahead. People need to make their own decisions.

I've got c20 people due to come. Might end up being two of us with 36 sausage rolls each!

@Theblacksheepandme

Is that you Boris?

No it's Nic

@VanGoghsDog 36 sausage rolls each is a problem??
If anyone is thinking of making cheese straws for a party, may I warn you off the BBC "easy cheese straws" recipe? Mine looked perfect, but were dry, chewy and tasteless.

@Bloodybridget oh no those were the cheese straws I had bookmarked to make! Does anyone have a great recipe for them?

@Hostingangst I just get a playlist on my phone, play the first few notes of each song through Alexa like Name that Tune and they have to guess the song. When you stop it though everyone keeps singing and its all very jolly

We had a ‘gathering’ on Saturday for about 20 people. We emailed and asked them to take a LFT test beforehand. No one objected. We are still negative today.,

A bloody good punch. Not mulled wine but cold punch with fruit and rum. Various recipes around. In a great big pot in a bar area which people Can help themselves to. Put a towel on the floor where people are standing to help themselves - there are bound to be lots of sticky drips!!

If anyone is looking for ideas, I saw on TamingTwins Instagram a very easy recipe for halloumi wrapped in bacon with a honey mustard glaze which look delicious. I’m also planning to make her puff pastry Christmas tree but with biscoff spread rather than Nutella

@Sunsetsupernova there are other BBC recipes, and I usually find them very reliable!

Wine or champagne
Parma ham, mozzarella
Blinis and salmon
Chocolate coins
Cheese and pineapple hedgehog- love it

Proof of negative lateral flow tests from all the guests beforehand, or I wouldn't come.

And plenty of open windows.

Games for the children who are invited, parents will have fun if kids are happy!

@Tulipomania you sound fun 🙄