How do you 'entertain' without it becoming a full day of preparation?

[MsFogi]

This is probably a really silly question and something I should have worked out by now as a adult but humour me - Can anyone share their 'formula' for having people over regularly for drinks and/or dinner? Whenever we have people over I feel like I have to spend 7 hours prepping - making food, tidying the house etc which just isn't possible every weekend when I work FT. I'd love to have people over every weekend but need to understand how people 'do' this without it becoming a huge undertaking. Or is everyone spending their whole Saturday afternoon getting ready for guests in the evening? Thanks!

Hi
I don't entertain that often but I think it's either-

1. Have a ridiculously clean amazing looking house that is constantly kept on top of so it's not a major deal
2. Lower your expectations and standards.

I'm in the latter camp- my focus is on getting all the crap upstairs, making sure the toilet is clean and washing up done, and that's about it. I actually feel more relaxed when I go to a slightly messy and lived in house rather than a show home.

Haha yes @Windthebloodybobbinup you got it! I had guests over on Sunday, luckily it was only buffet food 🍱, so that wasn’t too bad. Lapped up all the compliments about my lovely home etc, but if they could have seen my poor bedroom where I’d dumped all the junk etc that I didn’t want seen it would have been a whole different story 🤣

Restrict the rooms you need to have clean

Enroll anyone and everyone - share the load - so if you have a partner they are on clear up duty, the guests are bringing the pudding

Limit the menus to stuff you know really well and can do without thinking - it doesn't matter if it's the same you served three months ago

I like stuff that can be prepared in advance and just heated at the right time.

Ditch the starter - or a bowl of olives and breadsticks

Get a regular cleaner if you can afford it.
Order in a takeaway or buy in stuff from Cook. Buy nibbles etc from M&S.

Do a few bits over the week. Put your laundry etc in your car boot. Be confident in yourself so that it doesn't have to be perfect.

I think it depends who it is. Family or close friends- run the hoover round and clean the bathroom. Occasionally something more formal so more intense cleaning. I love to cook and so does Dp, so we do rock paper scissors for who cooks and who cleans.

I find the prep expands into the time you give it. Give me two hours to prepare for guests to come for dinner and I'll make a great meal, and the downstairs of my house will look absolutely fine - clean, tidy and ready for guests. Give me 7 hours and somehow... same result, but more random jobs will also be done!

We had people over for drinks last Friday night. I only got home from work about half an hour before they arrived. I think the only preparation I did was to check there was loo paper and a clean handtowel in the loo and light a few candles. Other than that, I had wine open or chilling, and threw some nuts and olives in dishes. When DH came home, somewhat after some people had arrived, as he got stuck at work he made little nibbles (well, fairly hefty nibbles toasted (stale) sourdough with tapenade/cheese/roasted red peppers etc), and after a while, we defrosted some dhal from the freezer and fed people. It was a really nice evening, and wasn't any trouble at all. Mix of old friends, and people we'd only met a couple of times.

Have friends that you're comfortable enough with to let see (some of) the mess. I have 3 people who I don't feel I need to clean for and I find socialising with them so much less stressful.

Main dish needs to be cooked in the oven In preferably one dish/tray.

Desserts - premade or icecreams.

Clean the loo and send the robohoover around.

Sorry, it won't let me edit it enough to get rid of the strikethrough! Grr.