The smell of warm apple-cinnamon cider permeates the air, mingling with fresh pine as you traverse from the kitchen to the living room with your tray of hors d'oeuvres, including cheeses, fruits and breads. The soft sounds of Frank Sinatra, the laughter of children and the dull roar of a snowplow fill the background. The soft glow of the Christmas lights emanate from the tree, illuminating the smiles of your family patriarchs and matriarchs. Is anything more glorious than a well-planned Christmas party? As much as you'd like to think the laborious toilet scrubbing, the time-consuming tree decorating and the scrutinizing of invitations will be everyone's focus, let's face it, the heart of any party is the food. With the melange of details, you're likely to feel overwhelmed already, so you may want to consider making your party a potluck affair, where everyone brings a dish and you supply some of the basics. Another no-fuss option is to just spend the extra money on a caterer to ensure the most anticipated part of your Xmas party goes off without a hitch. Try to aim for more appetizers or grab-and-go foods to minimize the amount of dishes, mess and seating arrangement hassles. Freshly baked bed, Brie and smoked Gouda cheese, bread dip, fruit trays, nuts and chocolates are all must-have hors d'oeuvres. For any main courses, be sure you stick to tested-tried-and-true recipes; now is not the time to experiment! Don't forget the festive Christmas party drinks! The big bowl of holiday punch is always an easy answer, but there are so many other wintry libations to serve. For instance, you can make eggnog that will get grandma run over by adding some rum, brandy, whiskey or bourbon to the cream, eggs, sugar and nutmeg concoction. Or for a boozy take on apple cider, why not throw a little rum, butterscotch schnapps, apple pucker or cinnamon schnapps in the mix? There are many festive wines to choose from as well. Red wine glogg is a fancy hot Swedish wine drink with aquavit or brandy. Generally, well-liked wines at Christmas parties include Pinot Noirs and Cabernet Sauvignons for reds, Pinot Grigios and Rieslings for whites, or a Zinfandel Blush. Other mixers should be available too: cola, tonic water, ginger ale, tomato juice, and coffee and tea. Be sure your guests know what to expect for the drink situation when they receive their invites so they know if they need to bring anything. Be sure to be a good host at your Christmas party. Keep an eye out for people who've gone rotten on the nog and be sure you've got a collapsible cot or air mattress for them to crash at your pad for the night. You'll want to have some pancake mix or eggs on tap for the next morning in that case too. Though it may seem like a lot of work, few things are more rewarding than throwing the party that everyone's oohing and aahing over for the next year. There's no better way to spread the holiday cheer this Christmas season than to be the party maestro yourself!
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