My amazing husband and I have been married for 10 years. Each year on Valentine’s Day, my spouse treats me to dinner at a wonderful restaurant. The only problem with this annual plan is crowd control. Many other local couples always have the same idea on this most romantic day of the year that we have. If you can relate to this scenario, why not reserve your Valentine’s Day restaurant now? Many eateries take reservations for this special occasion early. Therefore, when you arrive at your destination, you can be seated and served your delicious food quickly. On this blog, you will learn the many benefits of making reservations at your favorite restaurant for Valentine’s Day.
Reserve Your Valentine’s Day Restaurant Today
3 Meal Planning Tips For Your Next Family Reunion
Nora Harper
A family reunion can be a lot of fun for most of the people involved. However, there's often one person who doesn't have as much fun as they might like – the person who's in charge of the meals. Even if your family goes the potluck route, there is usually one person or a group of people who end up in charge of coordinating everyone's contributions, and who have to step in if someone doesn't show up with their promised dish or supplies. Opting to have your next family reunion catered can save time and hassle, and help ensure that everyone gets to enjoy themselves at the reunion. Take a look at some meal planning tips that can help you arrange the perfect catered meal:
Calculate Portions Correctly
It's important to make sure that you have an accurate count of people who are going to attend the reunion so that your caterer can prepare the right amount of food. However, it's just as important to ensure that you and the caterer are on the same page about how much food each person needs. An underestimate of how much people will be likely to eat can lead to cranky, hungry guests.
For example, a good general rule is that you need ½ to ¾ of a pound of meat per person when meat is the main dish, and ¼ to 1/3 pound of meat per person when meat is one part of a larger dish, like a casserole or pasta dish.
You know your family and how your reunions tend to go. Will you be packing up and off to do something else shortly after the meal, or will family members linger and talk, maybe going back for leftovers? If it's the latter, then you'll want to opt for larger portions per person to be sure that there's something left for stragglers.
Include Alternate Food Choices
If you have a large enough family, it's safe to assume that someone will be attending who is vegetarian, vegan, or has a food allergy. You want everyone to be able to enjoy the meal, so make sure that you have some dishes that can accommodate allergies and vegetarian preferences.
Make sure that your vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free guests aren't just stuck with salad. There are lots of tasty and creative ways to accommodate these preferences. For example, barbecue-style food is popular at family reunions. Vegetables like eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, and zucchini are all great on the grill, and there are any number of toppings, fillings, and marinades that can make them into unique and tasty dishes.
Consider The Cleanup
Make sure to give some thought to how you want to handle cleanup. Do you want the catering staff to stick around and serve until the event is over, taking all of their equipment and dishes with them? That may be the easiest way to go, but it's probably not the cheapest.
You can ask your caterer to deliver the food in disposable containers, which means that they don't have to stick around to serve. Everyone can serve themselves, and you can just throw away the containers when you're finished. You can also ask the caterers to drop off food in regular containers that you'll clean and return to them later. If you anticipate leftovers, you may be able to provide the caterers with your own containers. That way, you can simply put the lids on and take home the leftover food at the end of the event.
Talk to a caterer in your area about planning a stress-free family reunion meal. A good caterer will help you anticipate your family's needs and plan the perfect menu for your event. Contact a company like Delaware Provision South for more information and assistance.
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