Tips on throwing a Caker Christmas party

Pictured (counter-clockwise) are Delicious Corn Bake, Peanut Butter Cauliflower Casseorole, Popcorn Salad, Caker Lasagna and Polynesian Rice Salad

The date has been set, the invites are being prepared and the menu is being finalized. My annual Caker Christmas party is only a few weeks away! 

Non-Cakers may think it’s a snap, but hosting a Caker Christmas party is a lot of work. I mean, there are all those cans to open. But with a little preparation, patience and electrical tape, you’ll be a Caker Christmas pro in no time. 

Here are a few tips I’ve learned over the years.

1) Be prepared

Have an assortment of caker recipes ready for when the panicked procrastinators call the day before. If you’ve invited Italians, you’ll have to clarify the concept of “pot luck.” The idea of going to someone’s house for dinner and bringing a dish can be difficult for them to comprehend.

2) Approve ALL dishes ahead of time

I’ve had guests show up with some of the most inedible crap. People still talk about the year someone came with a bridge loaf iced with green cream cheese. It sat on the table like a satanic Yule Log. Then there was the Special K meatless pot roast. Remember: If you’re scared to eat it, don’t bring it.

3) Sharing is caring

I always ask guests to gather around the table and tell us a little bit about their dish. It makes everyone accountable.

4) Stock up on water

One word: sodium.

5) Decorate the shit out of everything

Wrap garland around banisters, curtain rods and pets.
Lay sheets of cotton batten over every bare surface to create snow-covered landscapes.
Divide your windows into smaller panes using electrician’s tape. Then spray snow in a sweeping motion to give the illusion of a winter wonderland.

Hang your holiday cards on a string. It’s like a laundry line of love.

Don’t forget the bathroom. A Santa toilet seat cover and some pine-scented Avon soaps can add that special touch while someone is dry-heaving.

Coming up Monday: Holly Cookies!