7 Helpful Tips to Be the Ultimate Guest at Your First Adult Holiday Potluck
Now that we’ve successfully managed to adult our way through autumn (AKA we learned how to actually decorate for fall and elevate last year’s wardrobe with some cheeky autumnal DIYs), we’re ready to take on our next big seasonal event: the annual holiday potluck, Friendsgiving or other. While trying everything from Chrissy Teigen’s cookbook is always an option, we’re going to go ahead and say that we might need to start with something a *tad* easier. To help us avoid any potluck guest blunders, we’re sharing seven expert dos and don’ts for adulting newbies. Enjoy!
1. Bring everything (we mean EVERYTHING) you’ll need. Sure, bringing the actual dish is a must… but so is serving ware, a dish towel and extra napkins. “Bring everything you’ll need to serve your dish,” says Danielle Walsh from Bon Appetit. And yes, that includes an extra trivet.
2. Avoid needing to use the host’s oven. While your host knows that some dishes will need to be warmed up, the best way to prevent an oven bottleneck is to skip it altogether. Potluck enthusiast and culinary guru Jamie Oliver suggests bringing slow-cooked joints of meat as an easy option. “Cook a marinated shoulder of lamb on low heat for four to five minutes, wrap it tightly in a double layer of foil and make it airtight with cling film, allowing it to rest while you transport it,” he advises. Done and done.
3. Try something interactive. If you want to ensure your dish is a hit, try making it interactive. “People love wrapping, dipping and eating with their fingers,” says Jamie Oliver. Get creative with your presentation and watch your dish fly off of the buffet table.
4. Stay away from theTriple-S: Stinky, spicy and strange. According to Danielle Walsh from Bon Appetit, simple spices are definitely a winner when it comes to communal potlucks (AKA cool it with the garlic and curry — at least for this gathering).
5. Don’t forget about food safety. We’ve all licked and dipped a cooking spoon when making a dish for one, but it’s probably not the best idea when preparing a dish for your holiday potluck. “Headlines about people getting sick at church potlucks are enough to make anyone nervous,” says Kristin Donnelly at Serious Eats. Try to procure quality ingredients, ensure your counter space is clean and keep your pets (and children) far, far away.
6. No matter how good it looks, don’t take the last bite. Even if you’ve been waiting all year for your coworker’s famous mac ‘n’ cheese, nothing warrants taking a whole plate full. As manners expert Diane Gottsman says, “As good as the turkey may be, avoid that second trip through the line until everyone else has gone through once.”
7. Don’t lunge for a doggy bag. Although most of the time hosts will want you to take your extras home, don’t start packing up until you are asked. It’s common courtesy to let the host keep the leftovers if they’d like, advises Siobhan Adcock at Epicurious.
What’s your biggest potluck pet peeve? Tweet us by mentioning @BritandCo!
(Featured photo via Getty)
It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last. Want to join the next Selfmade cohort this summer? Check out all of the scholarship details right here.